Social Status, Culture and Economic Performance

Cultural differences among societies may translate into different social status of occupations and can, therefore, affect the workers' choice of education and occupation and, consequently, the equilibrium level of output and wages. Conversely, the economic choices of individuals influence the social status of occupations. This paper constructs a general equilibrium model in which both wages and status are determined endogenously. The authors show that changes in the demand for status, triggered by changes in preferences or income distribution, influence the wage structure, the level of aggregate output, and economic welfare. Copyright 1993 by Royal Economic Society.