It is standard practice in sociological research on class and inequality to refer to members of what are conventionally known as the "lower classes" using the slightly euphemistic term "low-SES individuals." SES is an acronym that stands for "socioeconomic status," and it is used in recognition of the fact that social stratification is based upon much more than just economic standing (i.e., income or wealth). The "socio-" prefix is a catchall, which is usually operationalized by specifying education level and occupational status. These are meant to approximate something more ephemeral, or at least difficult to measure, which is the amount of "social status" that an individual possesses. 1 We all understand this notion of status implicitly, on the basis of our own lives and social relationships, but it is very difficult to articulate explicitly. Status is, in our society, an informally maintained system of ranking, or of dominance, based on an invidious comparison between individuals. There is no single basis for this ordering, although there are strong correlations between individual positions in the rankings, because high standing in one dimension can often be parlayed into improvements in some other. 2 (To take just one example, physical attractiveness is an important source of status, both directly, through the psychological effects it has on others, but also indirectly, because it can be used to obtain greater wealth, influence, and opportunity. And so if one compares the difference in average level of physical attractiveness between, say, the members of an expensive tennis club and the customers at a Walmart store, the contrast is dramatic. 4 ) Social status is also closely tied to self-esteem, because the categories under which individuals evaluate their own qualities are typically contrastive, such that thinking one is "good" in some way usually amounts to thinking that one is "better than" certain other people.

{"container_title":"Cooperation and Social Justice","first_page":106,"last_page":162,"publisher":"University of Toronto Press"}