A Guide to Social Hierachy

A Guide to Social Hierarchy

Foreword

As I will come to explain later, being the reader of this post you will approach this writing differently that someone who did not who i was. If you don't know who I am on a personal level then my words of advice would be for you to do something other read the blog of unknown teenager as it would affect your social standing if it were to be ever found out. To the readers who do, please forget for the time in which you read this passage. Thank you.


Definition

The core aspect to social hierarchy is, and always will be, the definition of a person. The accepted definition of an individual will decide the way in which that person will be perceived by others. Once defined, it is usually very hard for one to part with that definition without dropping down the hierarchy. The process of definition usually occurs within the first minutes of social interaction with someone already well established on the social ladder. Personality is by no means the only factor involved. Factors including social history, financial history, wit and intellect are also taken into account. Although individual perceptions may change, eventually through social speculation (gossip) a general consensus is built up and then fixed around that person. Definition rarely changes as society is built of self-serving individuals. By exposing a radical opinion, one risks damaging their own position. However, change is not impossible, but is usually incredibly slow.

Social Evolution

Not only is the individual subject to definition but also the ladder itself. Thus, the ladder is also open to gradual change. Although the defining process still occurs, the attributes deciding position in the hierarchy change. This is called social evolution. As history shows, ideas and perceptions change over the years. This progress is also made on the short term social scene as well. A change in definition will therefore not guarantee a change in social rank if it correlates with social evolution. It is argued however, that "ageing" rather than evolution would be a more appropriate word. Since different social parts change at different rates and in different ways I feel evolution would be better fitting as social groups change in order to ensure the survival of the group. If social groups were unable to evolve it may lead to social REvolution which would destroy the ladder itself. Considering the ladder is not a strictly singular form, it cannot choose to evolve, but its leading members tend to take steps towards conserving the existing form through satisfying reform. It is the idea to reform and to preserve social advantages of the high social class that keeps society a perpetual organism.

Social Hierarchy

There are four main ranks in the social hierarchy; Monarchs, citizens, peasants and outcastes. Only through the workings of definition is one placed on the social hierarchy. A major factor in the determination of position is social history. This is the amount of influence one carries before being defined. If one has more social links when being defined then their spot is going to be higher. This leads us to one of the fundamental rules of social importance "rank α no. of social links", your social position is directly proportional to how many friends you have. Society is one super structual molecule, with an almost an infinite number of individual atoms. The more links each atom can make with other atoms, the higher their stability is within the molecule. So by increasing the number or friends you have, your definition will keep getting higher, dragging the consensus of your definition higher as well.

The behaviour of each rank within society is different. Monarchs are occupied only by the consolidation of their position. Being so high up the "food chain" provides influence and authority, which is an advantage to any person. This leads me to the "paternal theory". In order to ensure survival, monarchs must constantly secure themselves, by expanding the number of social links they have. It this need of the monarchs that gives the next rank "citizens" some sort of power. Monarchs need support of the middling sort to keep themselves status safe. They usually take citizens under their wing and provide some sort of security or reward. This can lead to the building of factions. This technique keeps monarchs in power while limiting competition.

Citizens are high members of society. They are the higher middling sort, not preoccupied with power but still influential. Unlike the monarchs, citizens tend to interact with the peasants, and their position fluctuates the most out of all four social positions. Peasants are the lower orders, often striving for social progression or not interested at all. Both these social groups can fly up the ladder through paternalistic monarchs or through the "parasitical theory". The theory is that people can act as parasites to climb the ladder. People tend to use the influence of others to boost their own position and then jump to another person to boost their influence again and so forth. This theory is distinctly different to the paternal theory. The paternal theory is strictly action from the top-down whereas the parasitical theory is actions from the bottom-up.

The last social position are outcastes. This group usually contains people with foul personalities or people who are too radical that they endanger social stability. Outcastes usually claim not to be part of the social hierarchy, however, this is just a ploy to convince others or themselves that they don;t need social interaction. This reaction is an attempt to redefine themselves as independent and to boost themselves up the ladder once more. Social outcastes can usually reconcile themselves with the hierarchy through social evolution but scars are often made.

The main advantage of social substance is the bandwagon effect. If you are to say something, it will be more believable if others around you agree. This means people in the higher orders have opinions that are worth more, which is of course an incredibly powerful weapon. The next advantage is that of ego. Social standing can help to satisfy and often inflate many an ego. Outcastes and lower peasants usually have low self-esteem and this affects their social interactions, pushing their status even lower, as well as living rather sad lives.

The Future of Social Hierarchy

Society and social hierarchy will always exist as the power elite will always look for ways to perpetuate their power. Even if there was to be a revolution, power would simply change hands and the new power elite will look for ways to perpetuate power. Social distribution is possible but however unlikely. So until Neo-Marxist find a solution it looks like we're stuck with it.