Naming, Prestige And Status Mobility

History Note

before Apr. 2011: INDIVIDUATION AND MOBILITY General statements covering several aspects of individuation and mobility; status, names, and naming. The term "status" is here used to connote the position occupied by an individual in any repetitive social relationship. The behavior exhibited by the occupant of a status is his "role," i.e., his enactment of his part in the relationship. Societies tend to rank certain statuses as higher and lower, and within a status to rank the roles of different individuals in terms of how adequately they measure up to the cultural expectations for that status. The "prestige" of any individual reflects both the level of the various statuses that he occupies and the social estimate of his roles in each. Some statuses are ascribed and not achievable, being gained either automatically or not at all. An individual can enhance his prestige through his own effort only by improving the performance of his roles or by moving into achievable statuses of higher social standing. By "mobility" is meant the means by which these objectives are accomplished. (Analysts: JMB, SHB, TAA, LGD)