Capitalism replaced inherited titles with self-made status as the modern ideal

Evidence

The first challenge to ascribed status arrived with capitalism, as businesspeople could earn esteem and status benefits through amassing fortunes alone. The concept of nobility shifted from a title received from the monarch to an honor created by oneself through virtuous effort. The subsequent destruction of the feudal caste system ultimately opened the door for individuals like Coco Chanel to leave their hometowns and class of birth and reinvent themselves. The promise of status rebirth was for many years a selling point for immigrating to the New World. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 83

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: Bears directly on the class/identity signaling logic in the immodesty article - self-made dress and status reinvention.
• XREF: connects to: Capitalism historically challenged ascribed status by rewarding fortune — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 83

Broader Connections

• Capitalism historically challenged ascribed status by rewarding fortune #corroborates (0.88) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 83