According to Max Weber, the goods that people buy and use, are closely related to their status in society, is termed as ______.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Status Symbol
Option (1) Status Symbol — Correct. Max Weber was among the first to point out that the goods people buy and use are closely related to their status in society, and he coined the term status symbol for this relationship. Among the middle class in India today, the brand of cell phone or the model of car one owns marks socio-economic status.
Option (2) Conspicuous consumption — Incorrect. Conspicuous consumption means spending on costly goods mainly to show off one’s wealth to others. It is a term for showy spending, not the term Weber coined for the link between goods and status.
Option (3) Ascribed status — Incorrect. An ascribed position is one a person is born into: children assume the social positions of their parents, and within the caste system birth dictates occupational opportunities. Ascribed status comes from birth, not from the goods a person buys and uses.
Option (4) Achieved status — Incorrect. Achieved status is the position a person earns by his or her own effort and ability, such as education or a job, rather than by birth; it is the opposite of ascribed status. It is not the term Weber coined for the link between the goods people buy and their status.
Note: The terms ‘conspicuous consumption’ in Option (2) and ‘achieved status’ in Option (4) are not in NCERT (2025-26); they are explained here for the benefit of the students.
NCERT (2025-26): “4.2 Understanding Capitalism as a Social System … One of sociology’s founders, Max Weber, was among the first to point out that the goods that people buy and use are closely related to their status in society. He coined the term status symbol to describe this relationship. For example, among the middle class in India today, the brand of cell phone or the model of car that one owns are important markers of socio-economic status. Weber also wrote about how classes and status groups are differentiated on the basis of their lifestyles.” |