The Consequences of Objective and Subjective Status Inconsistency*

The phenomenon of status inconsisitency, while having rich potential as an explanatory variable, has been beset with methodological problems and conflicting findings. Nelson has argued that the use of objective and subjective components of status inconsistency will allow for a more accurate test of its usefulness (1973). The present study, using a sample of 1971 male college graduates interviewed in 1974, analyzed the attitudinal and behavioral consequences of one type of status inconsistency (under-rewarded) incorporating objective and subjective techniques. The tentative conclusions were: (1) the use of subjective measures of inconsistency validates this phenomenon as an explanatory variable; (2) the use of subjective measures minimizes the methodological criticisms of the objective approach; and (3) both objective and subjective measures of status inconsistency should be incorporated in future research.     

The Nonconsequences of Objective and Subjective Status Inconsistency: Requiem for a Moribund Concept*

Though long suggested, subjective indicators of status inconsistency have seen little empirical use. Data from a sample survey with controls for additive status variables are used to compare objective and subjective status inconsistency with these conclusions: (1) Individuals in an “objective” state of educational-occupational inconsistency are no more likely to feel inconsistent than those whose objective statuses are aligned. (2) When considered in conjunction with vertical status dimensions, neither objective nor subjective status inconsistency is independently associated with measures of social participation; only the subjective measure is independently associated with powerlessness. (3) The joint use of subjective and objective status inconsistency concepts in future work must be carefully justified and must take into account well-substantiated but frequently ignored methodological problems.     

Objective and Subjective Status Inconsistency: a Search for Empirical Correspondence

The relationship between objective (researcher) and subjective (respondent) definitions of status inconsistency is examined with data from a survey study of Gary, Indiana. The analysis of a variety of measures of income-occupation inconsistency indicated a moderately high correlation between "normatively" defined and objectively defined inconsistency but otherwise very little relationship between subjective and objective measures. The overall pattern of correlations among the particular measures employed suggests that researchers and subjects share a common mode of status evaluations up to, but not including, the concept of status inconsistency.     

Type of Status Inconsistency and Schizophrenia*

A number of previous studies have called attention (typically ex post facto) to the finding that schizophrenics tend to have backgrounds with a particular type of status imbalance—their occupational level is lower than their years of education would seem to merit. The data from this study substantiated this finding. Moreover, we found that the greater the magnitude of this type of inconsistency, the higher the proportion of schizophrenia. Since schizophrenics were especially downwardly mobile, however, we tentatively concluded that this type of status inconsistency is not a “cause” of schizophrenia but rather a consequence of that illness.     

Status Inconsistency and Lower-Class Leftist Radicalism*

The hypothesis of status inconsistency predicts greater leftism as an interaction effect of discrepant status dimensions. Inconsistent individuals are objectively low in some dimensions and subjectively insecure in those where they hold a high position. Ensuing anxiety and frustration are likely to be translated into political opposition to the status quo. Though theoretically plausible, empirical investigations of the hypothesis report mixed results. Employing data collected among a sample of 382 lower-class Chilean slum dwellers, a new test of the hypothesis is conducted. Dummy-variable regressions are employed to isolate status additive effects on leftism from inconsistency interaction effects. Neither education-occupation nor education-income discrepancies are found to produce significant changes in the dependent variable. Identical results are obtained when age is controlled for. Limitations of these findings and their theoretical implications, as they add to a growing body of research, are discussed.     

Total Performance Inconsistency and Status Generalization: An Expectation States Formulation*

Past research has documented the fact that status characteristics organize group interaction. Freese and Cohen (1973) specified a condition under which a performance characteristic would eliminate the effect of a differentiating diffuse status characteristic. The present research extends the Freese-Cohen theory to specify a condition under which a differentiating diffuse status characteristic will eliminate the effect of a performance characteristic. Predictions derived from the formulation are (a) in situations where actors are differentiated by a diffuse status characteristic and a totally inconsistent performance characteristic, influence rates will be a function only of diffuse status and (b) it is the strength (0) of a totally inconsistent performance characteristic, rather than the number of traits comprising the characteristic, that determines its effect. These predictions are contrasted with those of other expectation states formulations (i.e., Berger et al., 1977). Laboratory experiments generally support our formulation while providing some disconfirming evidence for the other formulations.     

Status Inconsistency and Participation in Social Movements: an Application of Goodman's Hierarchical Modeling*

Goodman's hierarchical modeling is used to analyze the status inconsistency configuration of 67 active participants in an anti-pornography social movement and 44 persons who actively opposed the movement. The substantive results indicated the need to interpret status inconsistency effects in light of the second-order interaction of all three stratification variables—education, occupation and income. We found that inconsistencies between two of the stratification dimensions changed the association between the third dimension and participation in a social movement in the positive direction. A modification of the over-rewarded/under-rewarded inconsistency hypothesis was advanced as a special case of the general finding. The methodological results indicate that the Goodman hierarchical modeling technique is a promising system for establishing empirical linkages between significance testing and substantive interpretations with regard to the area of status inconsistency.     

阿拉伯民族的客观时间与主观时间

时间有客观、主观双重含义。人们既生活在根据自然现象划分的客观时间中,也生活在受自己生活经验和思想感情影响的主观时间中。本文探讨的就是阿拉伯人的客观时间和主观时间。     

阿拉伯民族的客观时间与主观时间

时间有客观、主观双重含义.人们既生活在根据自然现象划分的客观时间中,也生活在受自己生活经验和思想感情影响的主观时间中.本文探讨的就是阿拉伯人的客观时间和主观时间.     

当代女性社会地位进步不一致与性别政策反思

中国妇女社会地位调查第一、二、三期数据显示,女性社会地位的进步程度不一致,教育地位和政治地位与男性的差距逐渐缩小,家庭地位上升也较为明显,但是经济地位与男性差距扩大了。经济地位获得的影响因素分析显示,性别因素不是影响女性经济地位下降的主要原因,社会阶层结构的日益分化使得社会中、下层女性的社会地位更加弱势化,从而造成了她们经济地位的下降,甚至政治地位和教育地位也难有提高。因此,我们有必要重新评价和使用马克思主义妇女解放的理论和方法,从整个社会结构变迁的视角理解当前女性社会地位不一致以及推进我国妇女解放事业。     

Subjective and Objective Parameters Determining 'Salience' in Long-term Dialect Accommodation

In this article, we will present empirical results of a longitudinal study on long-term dialect accommodation in a German dialect setting. An important model of explaining which linguistic structures undergo such convergence and which do not makes use of the notion of 'salience'. Dialect features which are perceived by the speakers as 'salient' are taken up and given up more easily and faster than those which are perceived as 'less salient'. The notion of salience has a tradition which goes back to the 1920s. We will discuss this research tradition, apply the criteria for salience that played a role in it to our results, and discuss the question of whether perceived (subjective) salience can be explained in objective (structural-phono logical or phonetic) terms.     

Organizational and Leadership Status*

Sociological research on voluntary associations seldom has dealt with the characteristics of these organizations as emergent properties. Generally associational elements are conceived of as mere configurations of aggregate member qualities. Thus, the status accorded voluntary groups at any given time is thought to be the sum total of member and leader prestige. Although a high correlation exists between organizational rank and leader-member status, the relationship remains unexplained. Focusing on three organizational properties as determinants of associational rank, a tentative explanation is offered. It is maintained that as organizations mature their emergent properties become crucial considerations in the selection of their leaders, one consideration being who will best symbolize the organizations' rank in the community.     

Minority Status and Childlessness*

This study applies the Goldscheider-Uhlenberg theory of minority status and fertility to black-white differences in childlessness. It is hypothesized that when integration into dominant societal institutions is impeded, high-status black couples are more likely to be voluntarily childless than comparable white couples. Using census data, the results tend to support this hypothesis, suggesting that among college-educated, high-status couples, blacks delay marriage longer and have higher rates of voluntary childlessness than do white couples. The implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for further research are noted.