Social Status wk 3 - Essay Example

Social Status" week 3 al Affiliation: Social Status Social status is that relation we tend to show to people guided by the positionsthey occupies in our societies. These statuses differ according to the values people award them. A pilot for example may be given more respect and become valued than a hostess. This is because to become a pilot one must pass through stiff criteria that allow a limited number as the course requires outstanding grades coupled with a lot of money. Nonetheless, sociologists do not buy the believe that certain positions are more prominent than others (Fiske& Markus, 2012).

Since status is inclusive of all societal positions one holds, a hostess may be seen to be lower in airplane position but back to the society she may be holding other influential positions such as being a pastor or a business leader, hence at the end of the day many people outside her hostess career will accord her a higher status than that of a pilot.Being in a certain status whether ascribed, achieved or master may be beneficial or detrimental to a person. A person born on a higher social status enjoys a higher degree of honor and prestige.

Achieved status can be acquired by everyone, while an ascribed status may give an advantage to the race or gender believed to be superior and competent by the society. A good case for example describing the importance of social status that enables a person to have more life chances is being a Caucasian in a country like Unites States. National statistics have revealed that there is a higher probability that African American children are more likely to experience poverty than white children (Saunders, 1989).

Ascribed status which includes gender, race or family relationships may be used by people to give them mileage over their competitors (Saunders, 1989). People in male gender for example may use their orientation to procure jobs requiring a lot of energy as the society believes that men are strong. In politics at many parts of the world men are preferred to be leaders than women thus a man even though does not have robust traits than a woman competitor has a higher probability of ascending to power in the society will first value the gender before other qualities.

Another benefit of being is a superior status is that if you come from a rich family the society nowadays we value you a lot as you have a high chance of inheriting that wealth (Belkaoui, 2009). A person born by a highly placed politician always has an upper hand than a person whose family has never came across power, this is because these people from royal family has a strong political contention secured from family relationship thus when seeking votes he/she may tend to rely on family values.

A good example of this case is the Bush Junior and Hillary Clinton of the United States who enjoyed their family superiority to ascend to power (Belkaoui, 2009). Even though belonging to a higher social status has its blessing it has its set back too. Being in this status requires one to behave in a certain way to avoid a clash of societal expectation. A person thus may feel limited to do things he enjoys, for example a pastor’s son may be forbidden to drink alcohol although he enjoys it to prevent soiling the family name.

A president is expected to behave in high moral standard unlike the normal people thus he must restrain himself from many things he would like to do for the sake of the position he holds. Belong to lower status also has got its problems as one has got to really work hard to rise to the top. In some countries one is required to part with bribes to assume certain roles while in others you are limited to work in certain areas due to your skin color or caste.ReferencesBelkaoui, R. A. (2009). Social Status Matters.

London: BookSurge Publishing. Fiske, S. T. & Markus, H. R. (2012). Facing Social Class: How Societal Rank Influences Interaction. New York: Russel Sage Foundation.Saunders, P. (1989). Social Class and Stratification. New York: Routledge.