jealous of the kids but after awhile I began to think to myself, why am I jealous? There really was no concrete reason as to why I was feeling the way I was feeling. My parents moved us from an area in the Bronx that was unsafe, to an area in New York, that is one of the most prestigious towns in the country. We may not have lived on the "right" side of the tracks where the mansions were or drove around in a Ferrari, but we sure are living examples of social mobility. Many people in modern societies believe that it is possible for anyone to reach the top if they work hard and persistently enough. "In present day society, the mere fact of putting in frequent appearances on television is sufficient to confer prestige." (2001,de Swaan, 44) All prestige is based on comparisons: 'for every higher there must be a lower, for every greater there must be a lesser.' Prestige relations are by their nature unequal. "For people within a social arrangement it is almost impossible to avoid such comparisons, as best they can try to impose their own ranking order of prestige." (2001,de Swaan, 45) In a contemporary society, prestige derives more from individual achievement than form inherited positions, it is more often acquired than bestowed whereas in earlier societies statues was primarily based on descent. Powerful people will generally have more prestige over someone like you or me. This however, may not always be the case. These 2 dimensions 'coincide' with each other. "For example, in cabinet ministers, who not only hold positions of power in the network, known as government, but are also held in high regard." (2001,de Swaan, 45) All of this is reflected in the position that they occupy at ceremonial ceremonies. It is the attention and precedence that they receive by those around them. One position may give more power while the other position may have more prestige. "An obscure government official may decide on a subsidy to be awarded to a greatl...
