Status and Privilege
Success depends on who you know more than what you know. When a society is
described as traditional, social status and mobility are strictly linked to the
status of your family and your mate. "Traditional" means the groups within the
society are well defined and the boundaries that separate groups of different
social status are well defended. Social privileges are linked to economic
privileges so that wealth is distributed in traditional societies according to
social status. Communities of humans divide themselves into classes with rules
about who interacts with whom. Behavior protocols are well defined in terms of
etiquette, privileges and duties.
Racial segregation and discrimination in the United State and South Africa
have been well studied examples of racial boundaries and white oppression of
blacks, but everywhere on planet earth there are small groups of privileged
humans who maintain oppressive authority over everyone else. An obvious racial
or ethnic boundary is not required. The worst expressions of high status
individuals oppressing low status individuals occurs within relatively
homogeneous groups of the same-race, same ethnicity and same religion
An ideal of free states is to recognize the merit and ability of individuals
and allow social mobility based on learning and achievement. Racial and ethnic
boundaries, at least in the ideal model, are undesirable and are suppressed by
social policy, law and the good will of citizens. American (self-made) heroes
such as astronaut and Senator, John Glenn, advised young Americans that they can
achieve anything they want; that intelligence, courage and determination can
overcome all obstacles. While this is the aspiration of an egalitarian society,
the reality is somewhat different.
The growth of a middle class of "self-made" men and women has shaped free
societies and a large, thriving and proactive middle class is essential for the
survival of democracies. While there is an undeniable ethos of individual
freedom in the best countries, human nature does not change. Group rules and
boundaries remain in place. Instead of a rather simple traditional society with
three class groups, we now have elaborately stratified societies with
hierarchies built inside of hierarchies. The society is partitioned horizontally
and vertically to keep incompatible groups separate.
The freedom to start poor and gain great wealth and social status has existed
in Canada and the United States and many notable individuals have been self-made
men and women. The paths to higher social status, however, are few in number and
are blocked by a succession of obstacles. Even if you are one of the unusual
individuals who rise to the top, humble origins return to haunt you and the
wealthy folks who belong to the old establishment will speak disdainfully of the
gauche tendencies of the "newly rich." Political schemes to redistribute wealth
and power mitigate the extreme social consequences of concentrating wealth,
power and privilege, but true equality is a fantasy.
