Status Characteristics and Social Interaction

Berger, Cohen & Zelditch · Power & Equity · American Sociological Review · 1972 · Open access

The foundational paper for Status Characteristics Theory — the sociological account of how diffuse status characteristics (race, gender, age, education) shape patterns of participation, influence, and deference in task groups. Even when status is irrelevant to the task, higher-status members speak more, are listened to more, and are evaluated more positively. The theoretical underpinning of why hierarchy suppresses voice even when it shouldn't.

Berger, J., Cohen, B.P. and Zelditch, M. (1972) 'Status characteristics and social interaction', American Sociological Review, 37(3), pp. 241–255.

Neighbours (16)

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• Power, Approach, and Inhibition (paper)
• The Bases of Social Power (paper)
• The Forms of Capital (paper)
• Organizational Silence: A Barrier to Change and Development in a Pluralistic World (paper)
• Psychological Safety, Trust, and Learning in Organizations: A Group-level Lens (paper)
• Status and Cockpit Dynamics: A Review and Empirical Study (paper)
• Typologies of Power
• Least Safe Person
• Making it Safe: The Effects of Leader Inclusiveness and Professional Status on Psychological Safety and Improvement Efforts in Health Care Teams (paper)
• Not Same for Everyone
• PS, Inclusion & Politics
• Reducing Power Gradients
• Straight Talking: The Sociolinguistics of Heterosexuality (paper)
• Voice Flows to and around Leaders: Understanding When Units Are Helped or Hurt by Employee Voice (paper)
• Why Status Matters for Inequality (paper)