1 - Status

• The key factor in deciding which group we belong to is status. For example, where we live, our language, schooling and leisure decide our social status or our 'lifestyle'.
• Overlapping effects on life chances but separate to 'class'. It relates to the inequalities that are related to the way people judge and relate to each other.
• Social status is what gives us a sense of identity and common purpose.
• Status is formed from tendency to judge each other to push groups into social categories. These can be positive or negative. For example, membership of certain racial groups implies worth but ethnic minorities can belong to low status groups and leave people poorly paid, with low status jobs and little hope of advancement. High occupational roles or sources of power like gender, race or religion can make the difference in life chances.
• Status is linked to consumption styles. Some people gain status via conspicuous consumption. For example, wanting to be seen wearing a designer handbag.
• Criticisms:

  • Marxists question status group, as life chances are shaped by class.
  • Postmodernists agree that consumption style forms identity, but too much emphasise on status.
  • Marxists argue these concepts lack a close relationship with a theoretical position unlike Marx's 'class'.