ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the topic of social status, a form of inequality that is analytically separate from economic inequality, even though it is frequently based on an individual’s economic resources. Status inequalities between groups can be found in a variety of school levels. Status groups that are ranked in a certain place on a community’s social hierarchy are characterized by a set of conventions and traditions, a tendency to marry within their own ranks, frequent monopolization of economic opportunities and emphasis on ownership of certain types of possessions rather than others. “Exclusion” is the primary mechanism by which those in powerful status groups keep others from gaining power. Groups that are dishonored or low in status may attempt to usurp prestige by creating their own ranking system. Occupational role, of course, is frequently associated with both social class and social status, but the most commonly used measures of occupational ranking tap the prestige/esteem dimension rather than the economic one.
