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Testing the spread of status value theory

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Walker, L. S., Webster, M., & Bianchi, A. J. (2011). Testing the spread of status value theory. Social Science Research. https://doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2011.04.005
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Description

How can a nominal descriptive term acquire status beliefs and definitions giving it connotations of differential social worth and competence? Cecilia L. Ridgeway and her associates have developed one theory explaining such effects. Recently Joseph Berger and Hamit Fisek offered a new theory using different mechanisms. We report the first experimental tests of the new theory. One mechanism describes spread of status value through referent individuals who possess both nominal and status characteristics. A second mechanism predicts spread of status value directly from status elements including education and income, without intervening referent actors. Results show that both mechanisms can create positive and negative status value for a nominal characteristic as predicted.

Details
Title

Testing the spread of status value theory

Author(s)

Walker, Lisa Slattery
Webster, Murray, 1941-
Bianchi, Alison J.

UNC Charlotte Affiliate Type

Faculty

Publisher

Elsevier

Extent

1 online resource

Date Published

2011

Material Type

Journal article

Genre

articles

Resource Type

text

Abstract

How can a nominal descriptive term acquire status beliefs and definitions giving it connotations of differential social worth and competence? Cecilia L. Ridgeway and her associates have developed one theory explaining such effects. Recently Joseph Berger and Hamit Fisek offered a new theory using different mechanisms. We report the first experimental tests of the new theory. One mechanism describes spread of status value through referent individuals who possess both nominal and status characteristics. A second mechanism predicts spread of status value directly from status elements including education and income, without intervening referent actors. Results show that both mechanisms can create positive and negative status value for a nominal characteristic as predicted.

Subjects--Topics

Sociology
Equality

Is Part Of

Social science research

Volume

Vol. 40, issue 6

ISSN

0049-089X

Beginning Page Number

1652

Ending Page Number

1663

Language

English

Published Version (Please cite this version)

doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2011.04.005

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/work:145

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