Absences of conventions themselves act as status signals

Evidence

Besides signals and cues, there is an important third category of information used in status appraisals: significant absences. Appraisers also look for what is missing. An absence can be a refusal to participate in a convention, or participation in a different one from what is expected. In societies where businessmen wear neckties, not wearing a necktie offers useful information to suss out an individual’s occupation. This may lead to ambiguities: tielessness is customary among blue-collar workers but also employees in the creative industries. But the fact that not doing things plays a role in status appraisals means no one can ever opt out of making status claims. Everything we do, say, and own—or choose not to do, say, or own—becomes a sign. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 203

Categorization

• QUESTION: The claim that no one can ever opt out of status claims has significant ethical implications worth chasing — does it leave room for genuine indifference?
• XREF: connects to: Everyday conventions carry status value that yields social rewards or penalties — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 153; Conventions only confer status when performed publicly as signs — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 188; Status conventions can be deadly for those who conform to them — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 139 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Status conventions can be deadly for those who conform to them #complicates (0.75) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 139
• Invisible presence requires real absence to seem omnipresent #exemplifies (0.75) — Jeremy Bentham, The Panopticon Writings, 37
• Status symbols require non-status rationales, and alibis mask status motives #complicates (0.74) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 208
• Arbitrary conventions lock in once enough participants adopt them #qualifies (0.73) — Jörg Sydow, Georg Schreyögg, and Jochen Koch, Organizational Path Dependence, 79
• Status groups originate and preserve the conventions that become social norms #qualifies (0.72) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 129
• Status is communicated through manipulable observable characteristics rather than explicit claims #expands (0.70) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 200