Sharad is very particular about maintaining his identity. He always makes sure to buy the latest cell phone or go to important charity shows and exhibitions considered to be elite. Which of the following concepts explains his behaviour?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Status symbol
Option (1) Social value — Incorrect. Social values are the ideals a society holds as good and worth having, such as honesty or equality. Sharad is not following an ideal; he is buying things to show his position.
Option (2) Status symbol — Correct. Max Weber pointed out that the goods people buy and use are closely related to their status in society, and coined the term status symbol for this. Among the middle class in India, the brand of cell phone or the model of car one owns marks socio-economic status. Sharad’s latest phone and his presence at elite shows are his way of displaying his status.
Option (3) Market value — Incorrect. Market value is the price a thing fetches when it is bought or sold. The question is not about what the phone is worth but about why Sharad wants to be seen with it.
Option (4) Social influence — Incorrect. Social influence is the effect other people have on a person’s opinions and actions. Sharad is not being pushed by others; he is using goods and events to signal his own position.
NCERT (2025-26): “Commoditisation and Consumption … 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.” |