Status groups share beliefs that both cohere members and divide outsiders

Evidence

Kerouac and his Beat friends are an example of a status group. Members of these groups share status beliefs about the value of certain status criteria. The strength of these beliefs creates cohesion among a group’s members and, where those beliefs differ from those of other groups, stokes tensions with outsiders. The Beats didn’t ignore their members’ “antisocial” behaviors, such as drug use and fluid sexuality—they lauded them as transcendent acts. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 95

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines what a status group is: shared status beliefs producing in-group cohesion and out-group tension.
• XREF: connects to: Dissenting groups build in-group status on values the mainstream rejects — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 94; Religious group solidarity organizes others into outgroups by identity — Deborah L. Hall and David C. Matz and Wendy Wood, Why Don’t We Practice What We Preach? A…, 77; Simultaneous belonging, distinctiveness, and esteem needs drive small high-status groups (+8 more)

Broader Connections

• Status groups originate and preserve the conventions that become social norms #corroborates (0.83) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 129
• Religious group solidarity organizes others into outgroups by identity #exemplifies (0.82) — Deborah L. Hall and David C. Matz and Wendy Wood, Why Don’t We Practice What We Preach? A…, 77
• Explanations for group positions become justifications that make the status quo seem natural #expands (0.80)
• Simultaneous belonging, distinctiveness, and esteem needs drive small high-status groups #expands (0.78)
• Status insecurity triggers reflexive disparagement of outgroups #expands (0.78) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 115
• Disparaging a lower-status group psychologically uplifts the higher-status group #expands (0.76) — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 236
• Unanimous status beliefs make hierarchies feel natural and legitimate #expands (0.76) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 98
• Subordinate groups share the dominant status ranking of their own subordination #corroborates (0.74) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3252