A
status symbol is something that is perceived to indicate a high
social status in its owner.
Status symbols change rapidly along with technological and economic developments in a
society and are often a good indicator of such changes. For example, before the invention of the
printing press, owning a large number of
books would be considered a status symbol. After books began to become more widespread, owning books was somewhat less of a status symbol. The histories of
pearls or
jade present many illuminating examples.
Heraldry offers many badges of status.
Status symbols can also indicate the cultural values of a society. In a materialistic or
commercial society,
wealth and symbols of said wealth are often status symbols. In a society valuing
bravery or honor, a battle
scar would be more of a status symbol.
In
modern-day Western society, some possessions that could be labeled as status symbols include a
large, expensive house, expensive
car, or fine clothes. Even one's skin color has been seen as marking ones status, being that some symbols are achieved while some others are ascribed to.
The expression "status symbol" was first recorded in 1955
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=s&p=40 but gained wide currency through the 1959 best-seller
The Status Seekers in which the journalist
Vance Packard described American social stratification and behavior in popularized sociological terms.
de:Statussymbol
he:%D7%A1%D7%98%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A1
category:Symbols
Category:Sociology