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A status symbol is something, usually an expensive or rare object, that indicates a high social status for its owner.
Etymology
The expression "status symbol" was first recorded in 1955 * but gained wide currency through the 1959 best selling book The Status Seekers, in which the journalist Vance Packard described American social stratification and behavior.
Status symbols by region and time
What is considered a status symbol will differ between countries, based on the states of their economic and technological development, and common status symbols will naturally change over time. For example, before the invention of the printing press, having a large collection of books would be considered a status symbol. After the advent of the printing press, having books was more common among the average citizen, and the possession of books was less of a status symbol. In the past, pearls and jade were major status symbols. Another common status symbol in the past which is still somewhat present today is heraldry, or one's family name.
Status symbols also indicate the cultural values of a society. For example, in a commercial society, having money or wealth and things that can be bought by wealth, such as cars, houses, or fine clothing, are considered status symbols. In a society that values honor or bravery, a battle scar would be more of a status symbol.
The condition of one's body can be a status symbol. In times past, when workers did physical labor outdoors under the sun and often had little food, being pale and fat was a status symbol, indicating wealth and prosperity, through having enough food and not having to do manual labor. Now, when workers usually do less-physical work indoors and find little time for exercise, being tanned and thin is often a status symbol.
Examples in Western society
In a Western society, possessions perceived as status symbols include:
- The trophy wife.
- A large, expensive house.
- Expensive luxury cars, yachts, or aircraft.
- Fine clothes.
- A marketable degree from a prestigious university, especially the Ivy League in the United States.
- Expensive jewelry.
- Expensive gadgets such as a large home theatre.
- A fountain pen with rare Brazilian or African woods, precious metals, and rare jewels.
- Vacation homes.
- Vineyards.
See also
"Status symbol"