chapter 1 - Bentham Science

Status, Prestige, Recognition-the Need for Social Approval The Primitive Mind and Modern Man 209
unthinkable to refuse-so important is the prestige of membership. In the West, schools have their own elements of
prestige-often conferred simply by being a member of the “in” group. In modern society many young men and
women find it important to join a fraternity or sorority in college, not only for the friendship and fun, but for the
prestige accorded such membership. Indeed, what college you attend, in and of itself, can confer a measure of
prestige, depending on whether it is Ivy League or or other factors. And throughout the world prestige is associated
with membership in exclusive country clubs, yacht clubs, and innumerable other clubs that seek to distinguish
members from nonmembers by class and financial status.
The kind of organizations that confer prestige is boundless. Prestigious clubs also include the Tobacco Society of the
Crow Indians, or of the Nevinbur of the Malekula. Being a shaman or becoming an apprentice of a shaman is
something that confers prestige in the given community. Prestige of sorts is even conferred-within certain
subcultures-on those who become a member of a revolutionary society such as a radical Islamic group or political
extremists who join a secessionist movement, or members of a gang in the urban West.
SOCIAL TRAITS THAT CONFER PRESTIGE. TITLES
Titles such as count or duke have for centuries been the hallmark of prestige in the U.K. and Europe. Titles such as
“Prince of Wales” and many other titles associated with royalty or with the “landed aristocracy”-carry prestige of
almost mythic proportions for the holder. Some titles can be sold by those who are willing to relinquish them for a
price-and auctions are held each year for the waning number of aristocrats who find it necessary to resort to this.
Often a title confers nothing more than the prerogative of the sovereign to bestow it on someone who has attained
some sort of public favor. For example, each year the Queen of England bestows knighthood on various individuals
who have distinguished themselves in the arts, science, public service or in other fields. Knighthoods are a highly
coveted, almost unsurpassed, form of prestige in the U.K.
In other cultures the use of certain titles is also an important prestige element. The term don is conferred among
Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, and Latin-Americans as a social reward, a title of respect, on certain men. When a
man receives the term don it becomes a part of his name, as in Don Juan (used with the given name, not the
surname). Romano (1960) found that the term don represents “successful masculinity” (p. 975). The term is used for
curanderos as well as wealthy businessmen, political officials, and very old men (For a discussion of curanderos, see
chapter 21, “Folk Medicine”). According to Romano, the term don signifies respect of the community for the man
who has achieved a certain air of social distance, urbanity, education (albeit self-styled), good manners, cleverness
in verbal dueling, and is above the envy and gossip that brews in his culture.
In these cultures respect is achieved by maintaining a formal relationship with the community, so that a man avoids
close associations with people other than his kin, remains aloof, and delegates tasks such as recruitment of labor to
his children.
THE CONCEPT OF “FACE”
In China and other Asian cultures, social approval is associated with the concept of “face.” Of course, we all seek
respect of our group and want to be perceived as decent human beings by others. But in China, according to Hu
(1944), condemnation or disapproval by the group, i.e., to lose face (to lose lien), causes severe humiliation to the
individual. Much activity in Chinese culture is based on trust, so that the loss of confidence in someone’s integrity is
especially dreaded.
In Chinese villages, if someone commits an irresponsible or immoral act, others will openly express their
indignation, sometimes in public, thus attracting a crowd and making the other party “lose lien.” Hu states:
A serious infraction of the moral code of society, once come to the notice of the public, is a blemish on
the character of the individual and excites a great deal of comment. A fraud detected, a crime exposed,
meanness, poor judgment, lies told for one’s own profit, unfaithfulness while in office, a broken promise,
the cheating of a customer, a married man making love to a young girl.. (p. 46).