Locating the social ladder across cultures and identities

• Main Authors: KRAUS, Michael W., TAN, Jacinth J. X., TANNENBAUM, Melanie B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2013
• Subjects: Social Psychology; Sociology of Culture
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2738; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/3995/viewcontent/Locating_Social_Ladder_Across_Cultures_Identitieav.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

It is rare to have the opportunity to write a theory paper on a topic that, we believe at least, will become a very important part of psychological research in the future. That this target article has sparked such a high level of sophistication in the commentaries is indicative of this possibility; psychologists have truly arrived at the forefront of the social class discussion, and we are very excited to be a part of it! In the spirit of moving forward this discussion, each of the commentaries raises a number of important points that intersect with our own theory. Engaging these points is to the benefit of future research, and so we have written this reply in an effort to integrate some of what has been described by our esteemed colleagues. Nevertheless, we cannot help but feel like children in a candy store: Where do we begin? In this reply, we have chosen to focus exclusively on three broad themes that are highlighted most clearly by the target article. First, we discuss how our theory of social class relates to an understanding of culture and socialization. Second, we discuss the powerful phenomenon of local comparison, and its role in our theory. Third and finally, we consider the many forms of rank in society that define the social selves of individuals—with a focus on rank-based social identities aside from social class.