The Psychology of Social Class: How Socioeconomic Status Impacts Self-Acceptance and Self-Esteem

Abstract

This paper reviews research on the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on self-acceptance and self-esteem. It defines self-esteem as an individual's overall evaluation of their self-worth. Self-acceptance refers to positively accepting one's self-perceptions and experiences without judgment. Research shows SES is positively associated with self-esteem, likely because higher SES provides more resources to fulfil needs for competence and self-worth. Low SES is linked to lower self-esteem due to greater exposure to stressors and fewer resources to cope. Moreover, self-esteem is positively related to self-acceptance, as believing in one's self-worth facilitates accepting oneself. Furthermore, SES may also directly predict self-acceptance by enabling needs satisfaction. Additionally, self-esteem may mediate the relationship between SES and self-acceptance, such that SES influences self-acceptance through its impact on self-esteem. The paper calls for longitudinal research analyzing the relationships among SES, self-esteem, and self-acceptance across development and diverse populations. It also advocates testing causality through experiments. This research has implications for interventions targeting self-esteem and self-acceptance to improve psychological health.