Note
|
Status "A status" can be defined as a position we occupy in some form of hierarchical ("one on top of the other") system of ranking. This position / rank always involves, in some way, a concept of social status - which can be simply defined as: "The level of respect we are expected to give to a person playing a particular role" Every role we play has an associated status and we can, for example, measure the status of a student against the status of a teacher. Alternatively, we could measure the status of a teacher against the status of The Queen. Status is important in our society and the way we feel about our status in relation to others will affect the way we behave in certain situations. This is because status is closely related to the concept of power (the ability to get people to do things, regardless of their ability to resist). Someone playing the role of a teacher, for example, may believe their status is greater than that of their students; therefore, he or she might feel justified in:
Similarly, if someone playing the role of student believes they have lower status than their teacher, they will conform (willingly or otherwise) to the teacher's commands. |