Individual Social Status Research Articles

Social environment is associated with gene regulatory variation in the rhesus macaque immune system

Variation in the social environment is a fundamental component of many vertebrate societies. In humans and other primates, adverse social environments often translate into lasting physiological costs. The biological mechanisms associated with these effects are therefore of great interest, both for understanding the evolutionary impacts of social behavior and in the context of human health. However, large gaps remain in our understanding of the mechanisms that mediate these effects at the molecular level. Here we addressed these questions by leveraging the power of an experimental system that consisted of 10 social groups of female macaques, in which each individual's social status (i.e., dominance rank) could be experimentally controlled. Using this paradigm, we show that dominance rank results in a widespread, yet plastic, imprint on gene regulation, such that peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression data alone predict social status with 80% accuracy. We investigated the mechanistic basis of these effects using cell type-specific gene expression profiling and glucocorticoid resistance assays, which together contributed to rank effects on gene expression levels for 694 (70%) of the 987 rank-related genes. We also explored the possible contribution of DNA methylation levels to these effects, and identified global associations between dominance rank and methylation profiles that suggest epigenetic flexibility in response to status-related behavioral cues. Together, these results illuminate the importance of the molecular response to social conditions, particularly in the immune system, and demonstrate a key role for gene regulation in linking the social environment to individual physiology.

Revisiting the ‘present perfect’: Semantic analysis of Andean colonial documents

The present perfect (PP) exhibits great variation in use, while concurrently following the same general evolutionary path across languages. The Spanish PP is no exception, with some varieties being more conservative (e.g. Northwestern Spain, Mexico City), than others (e.g. Alicante, Andes). As little is known of the evolution of the PP in the Andean region – the focus of this paper – a detailed semantic analysis of perfect constructions in the Andean colonial period is presented.Judicial complaints are chosen for the analysis, as they represent controlled event-structured narratives, where the author is the complainant, and the audience is the Spanish administration. As expected, PPs are common in the description of the wrongdoing, since this section narrates events close to the experience of the complainant, that is, events that have affective charge.The analysis suggests that during this period, the PP exhibited semantic functions found in the Spanish of the time, although constrained by discourse strategies attributable to differences in the social status of individuals in colonial society. A unified development of the PP is found to have taken place during this stage of the evolution of the PP in this region, including resultative and current relevance functions.

Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker ‘In Broadway Playhouses’: Middlebrow Theatricality and Sophisticated Humour

This essay proposes that humorists Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker cast the middlebrow professional as a modern performer in their drama reviews and fiction. Under the sign of sophistication, their work champions individual identity and social status based on professionalism, public performance, and wit. The article traces sophistication as an ideal on the Broadway stage of the 1920s and 1930s, analyzes the skeptical personae that Benchley and Barker create in their drama reviews for middlebrow magazines, and follows the trope of performance (monologue, song, stage) in fiction by Benchley and Parker. In their drama reviews, Benchley and Parker reclaim the tonal extremes of modernist drama for the alienated middle-class professional, and they insist that even artistic avant-gardes derive their techniques from low-cultural spectacle and mass media people-pleasing. In so doing, they encouraged their readers to view themselves as consumers and producers of modern performances. In their fiction, Benchley and Parker use the roles of the beleaguered businessman and the world-weary divorcée to advocate social mobility, professional independence, and hedonistic choice over self-abnegating duty.

Payoff-related migration enhances cooperation in the prisoner's dilemma game

In reality, migration of an individual usually correlates with the individual's financial or social status. Here, we consider the situation where migration of a player depends on the player's payoff to an evolutionary prisoner's dilemma game. When the mobility of a player is positively correlated with the player's normalized payoff, Pi, where the mobility of player i is defined as μi=Piα, we found that cooperation could be promoted strongly in the case of a high density of players because of the introduction of this kind of migration. Moreover, the system could reach a state of complete cooperation in a large region on the given parameter space. Interestingly, enhancement of cooperation shows a non-monotonic behavior with an increase in α. We also found that the positive effects of this kind of migration on cooperation are robust in the face of changes to the network structure and the strategy-updating rule. In addition, we consider another situation where the mobility of a player is anti-correlated with the player's normalized payoff, and we observe that cooperation enhancement still exists.

A longitudinal study of dominance and aggression in greylag geese (Anser anser)

A variety of factors are known to affect dominance and aggression in social vertebrates. In the present study, we used a long-term data set on greylag geese (Anser anser) to investigate the complex relationships between individual life histories, the social environment, and dominance-related behaviors. We applied a multifactorial approach to assess the relative importance of factors in different life-history stages. Previous studies in geese documented effects of sex and social status and achieved differing results for the effects of family size, age, and body weight on dominance and aggression. Extrinsic factors like season or flock structure were generally not considered. Our analyses showed that a considerable number of factors related to individual life histories, season, and the social environment affected dominance and aggression in greylag geese, but not all significant effects were necessarily strong effects. Pronounced effects on aggression rates were caused by the flock’s sex ratio, parental effects, individual social status, and sex. Whether individuals interacted with the same opponents repeatedly was influenced most by parental effects and the sex ratio, whereas the strongest determinants of dominance rank were parental effects and social status. Hence, dominance behaviors may not only be influenced by intrinsic factors but also by season and an individual’s social environment. Furthermore, our study indicates that optimal choices for achieving or maintaining a high dominance rank may vary considerably between life-history stages. This highlights the value of long-term studies and multifactorial approaches for understanding the complexities of dominance relationships in social vertebrates. Key words: agonistic interactions, dominance hierarchy, effect size, flock structure, parental effects, social status. [Behav Ecol]

Defining Success in a Changing Society: Self-Evaluation and Social Reflections of a Coming Elite in the Baltic States

The term ‘success’ characterizes the social status of individuals and groups in a society, yet its meaning is subject to the continuous processes of reconstruction in public and academic discourse. Who is labeled successful is rapidly changing in transitional societies such as those of the Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In these contexts, sociologists have identified age as one of the factors influencing success or failure in society. Taking existing studies as a point of departure, this article looks into how those labeled ‘successful’ conceptualize success themselves. On the basis of in-depth interviews with individuals born between 1970 and 1978 in Estonia and Latvia and against the backdrop of theories about value formation and shifts, we come to the conclusion that the existing data provide an incomplete picture of how the emerging elite of both countries value individual performance and social status within their societies.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE EARLY MEDIEVAL POPULATION IN THE UPPER KAMA REGION (BASED ON EVIDENCE FROM THE NEVOLINO BURIAL SITES OF THE 4TH–9TH CENTURIES)

The article presents the reconstruction of the social structure of the population in the Upper Kama region in the Early Middle Ages, and contains the results of the statistical and combinatory analysis of finds from the burial sites of the Nevolino culture of the 4th–9th centuries AD, which have not been previously used as sources for social studies. Formalized statistical operations and comparative analysis revealed the presence of social groups (strata) in the structure of society, the dynamics of their size and the degree of their polarization as well as elements of the burial ritual that mark the social status of individuals. Materials of ethnographic research make it possible to link the social status during life of those buried with the corresponding ritual and mythological expression.

Opponent recognition and social status differentiate rapid neuroendocrine responses to social challenge

Individual social status discriminates rapid neuroendocrine responses to non-social stress in male Anolis carolinensis, but whether such status-influenced reactions are retained in response to subsequent social stress is unknown. Dominant and subordinate males modify their behavioral responses to social challenge according to familiarity of the opponent, suggesting that accompanying neuroendocrine responses may differ according to opponent recognition despite social rank. We examined endocrine and neurochemical correlates of prior social status and opponent recognition during the opening stages of social challenge. Male pairs interacted and established dominant/subordinate status, followed by 3 days separation. Subsequently, subjects were paired with either the same opponent or an unfamiliar male according to rank (dominant with subordinate). After 90 s of social exposure, subjects were caught and brains and plasma collected for measurement of circulating corticosterone and limbic monoamines. Controls included pairs experiencing just one 90 s encounter plus a group of non-interacting subjects. Opponent recognition differentiated status-influenced responses, such that dominant lizards paired with familiar subordinate opponents had increased hippocampal dopamine and epinephrine, but showed increased plasma corticosterone and ventral tegmental area (VTA) norepinephrine when challenged with an unfamiliar opponent. Subordinate lizards encountering familiar opponents also had increased corticosterone, along with decreased hippocampal dopamine and increased VTA epinephrine, but showed no changes in response to an unfamiliar opponent. Such plasticity in status-influenced rapid neuroendocrine responses according to opponent recognition may be necessary for facilitating production of behavioral responses adaptive for particular social contexts, such as encountering a novel versus familiar opponent.

Factors influencing the establishment of dominance hierarchies of the grey triggerfish Balistes capriscus

Abstract Unlike other balistids, grey triggerfish Balistes capriscus occur in social groups in subtropical reef assemblages and have been noted to cooperate in capturing large crustacean prey. The objective of this study were to determine the structure of dominance hierarchies of these social groups and the factors that influence hierarchies of wild-caught grey triggerfish in a naturalistic setting. From observations of four groups of triggerfish (n = 19 fish) in both dyad and group (4 - 5 fish) settings, we provide a description of triggerfish behaviors and coloration patterns and an explanation of the social context in which suites of behaviors are used by dominant, middle-ranking, and subordinate fish. Sixteen behaviors and nine coloration patterns were noted for grey triggerfish. Grey triggerfish groups form linear hierarchies in both dyads and groups as measured by Landau's Index of Linearity (h = 1.0 for Groups 1, 3, and 4 and h = 0.95 for Group 2 in dyads; h = 1.0 for all groups in group settings). Dyadic hierarchies, however, were not necessarily good predictors of the hierarchies found in larger group settings, as they only predicted two of the four group hierarchies. Sex played no role in influencing status or behavior. Size had the greatest influence on dominance status, with larger fish being more dominant than smaller fish. An individual's dominance ranking influenced both body coloration and posture. These results suggest that color patterns and body postures may also be used by observers as an indicator of an individual's social status in groups.

Communities of the Dead in Umayyad Cordoba

There are frequent references to Cordoba's cemeteries in Arabic, Latin and Romance sources, and archaeologists have uncovered several of them. This provides some evidence for the social aspects of burial. This paper considers two factors that seem to have determined where a citizen of Cordoba might be buried–the individual's social status and religious affiliation–and evaluates their significance.

Color changing and behavioral context in the Amazonian Dwarf Cichlid Apistogramma hippolytae (Perciformes)

Animal coloration has many functions, and fishes are noted among vertebrates for presenting a wide variety of color patterns. Although in marine fishes the relationship between body coloration and behavioral context is well documented, there's not much information about freshwater fishes. Here we describe color patterns displayed by the dwarf cichlid Apistogramma hippolytae and suggest that these patterns are dependent on different social and behavioral settings. Field observations were conducted underwater in a pond in Central Amazonia, Brazil. We recorded six body coloration patterns related to seven different kinds of behavioral activities: foraging, resting, reproductive and agonistic displays, aggression (attacking and fleeing) and parental care. Changes in coloration occur rapidly and take only a few seconds. Females on parental care exhibited a unique pattern that are more persistent and probably manifests more slowly. In the shallow and clear waters of the natural environment of this dwarf cichlid, color communication seems to constitute an efficient way to display information about individual mood, social status and reproductive readiness, contributing to minimize loss of energy in unnecessary interactions.

Effects of the synthetic estrogen, 17α-ethinylestradiol, on aggression and courtship behavior in male zebrafish ( Danio rerio)

The synthetic estrogen, 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE 2), is the active component in oral contraceptive pills. It is excreted from the human body in high amounts and released via sewage treatment plant effluent into aquatic environments. In fish, estrogen receptors have strong binding affinities for EE 2, and exposure raises the possibility of adverse neuroendocrine responses in aquatic animals. In the present study we explored the effects of dissolved-phase EE 2 on the dynamics of male–male aggression and courtship behaviors in adult zebrafish. Further, we assessed whether the behavioral effects of EE 2 result in changes in male offspring paternity. We scored the aggressive behaviors of individual unexposed males and categorized these fish as either dominant or subordinate. We then exposed dominant males to EE 2 at doses of 0, 0.5, 5.0, and 50.0 ng/L for 48 h. Subsequent trials examined the agonistic behaviors of males in two testing scenarios: (1) a dyadic encounter with another male alone, and (2) a competitive spawning interaction with another male and three adult females. Competitive spawning tests were also used to assess the impacts of EE 2 exposure on courtship behavior and paternity using males that were homozygous for green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression under the control of the islet-1 promoter. We found that EE 2 at all exposure concentrations reduced male aggression during male–male dyadic encounters and caused a social dominance reversal in 50% of the fish at the highest exposure dose (50 ng/L EE 2). The frequency of courtship-specific behavior decreased in dominant males exposed to the steroid, though this effect was only significant for the lowest dose group (0.5 ng/L EE 2). In the highest exposure group (50 ng/L EE 2), 50% of dominant males relinquished paternal dominance. Our results show that short-term exposure to EE 2 at environmentally relevant levels can alter aggression, and shift individual social status and reproductive success in male zebrafish.

The measurement of rank mobility

In this paper we investigate the problem of measuring social mobility when the social status of individuals is given by their rank. In order to sensibly represent the rank mobility of subgroups within a given society, we address the problem in terms of partial permutation matrices which include standard (“global”) matrices as a special case. We first provide a characterization of a partial ordering on partial matrices which, in the standard case of global matrices, coincides with the well-known “concordance” ordering. We then provide a characterization of an index of rank mobility based on partial matrices and show that, in the standard case of comparing global matrices, it is equivalent to Spearman's ρ index.

Adaptive adjustment of vocational aspirations among German youths during the transition from school to work

The transition from school to work is a central developmental task with long-term implications for the financial and social status of individuals. We argue that dynamic adjustments of aspirations play a decisive role for a successful outcome of the school to work transition, particularly in the context of the German vocational training system. Latent growth curve analyses conducted on the self-reported occupational aspirations of German adolescents ( N = 414) surveyed in a 5-wave longitudinal study during their senior school year support this assumption. Based on expectancy-value-models of achievement, we delineated an adaptive trajectory of aspirations as starting off with relatively high aspirations and subsequently gradually downgrading them until s is attained. Such a trajectory of adjustment should maximize both expectancy (i.e., probability of obtaining an apprenticeship position at all) and value (i.e., training position with promotion potential). Finally, we showed empirically that the trajectory conceptually proposed as most adaptive was characteristic for youth who reported phase-adequate goal engagement strategies as suggested by the life-span theory of control.

Social status differentiates rapid neuroendocrine responses to restraint stress

Male Anolis carolinensis that win aggressive interactions mobilize neuroendocrine responses to social stress more rapidly than defeated lizards. We initially examined temporal patterns of neuroendocrine response to restraint stress in lizards of unknown status, and then investigated whether winning males respond more rapidly to this non-social stressor. Size-matched male pairs interacted to establish social status, and then were returned to individual home cages for 3 days. Plasma and brains were collected from non-restrained dominants and subordinates, and from a non-interacting control group. Additional groups of dominants and subordinates underwent 90 s restraint stress, with plasma and brains collected either immediately or 300 s after restraint. In lizards of unknown social status restraint stimulated rapid monoaminergic responses in nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, amygdala, and locus ceruleus, with delayed responses seen in VTA and raphé. Non-restrained dominants and subordinates had lower levels of raphé serotonergic activity and lower hippocampal dopaminergic activity 3 days after interacting, compared to controls. Dominants had higher corticosterone levels, both immediately and 300 s after restraint, than either non-restrained dominants or restrained subordinates. Restraint induced higher raphé serotonergic activity in dominants. However, subordinates also showed rapid responses to restraint; exhibiting lower hippocampal dopamine (DA) levels than non-restrained subordinates. At 300 s after the stress, amygdalar serotonin levels increased in dominants, while subordinates showed higher amygdalar DA levels. These results suggest that stressful aggressive interactions will not only alter basal neurochemical activity, but also influence neuroendocrine responses to non-social stressors according to individual social status.

An Integrative Review of the Concept of Well-Being

Well-being can be defined in terms of an individual's physical, mental, social, and environmental status with each aspect interacting with the other and each having differing levels of importance and impact according to each individual. A change in the different aspects of well-being of an individual may be reflected in an alteration of behavior or the performance of a task or activity. Although the current research environment has emphasized the importance of well-being, little emphasis has been placed on this concept from the individual's point of view or perspective. The definition of well-being is usually assumed or lacking in clarity with similar terms used interchangeably. Well-being has been measured in research using various scales, which may not capture the complexity of the concept. This integrative review clearly indicates the need to explore how individuals define and conceptualize health and wellness and to discover what they perceive to be the major facilitators and barriers to health and wellness for themselves and other individuals living with disability.

Changes in breeding status are associated with rapid bill darkening in male red‐backed fairy‐wrens Malurus melanocephalus

In many animals, an individual's social environment and status can change quickly and unpredictably, suggesting an advantage for signals capable of responding to these changes. However, many signaling traits are fixed for relatively long periods. In birds, for example, most plumage‐based signals are constrained by molt and unable to respond to sudden changes in social environment. Soft parts, conversely, are vascularized and may provide an alternative signaling system that can be updated relatively quickly. In this study, the effects of changes in breeding status are documented for a putative plumage‐based signal, plumage brightness, and a putative soft part signal, bill darkness, in the red‐backed fairy‐wren Malurus melanocephalus. Males that switched from unpaired helper to paired breeder within a breeding season developed significantly darker bills within three weeks of the switch relative to males that did not change status. There was no clear corresponding change in plumage brightness, though the data suggests that changes in plumage brightness are at least possible. These results suggest that bill color is a socially mediated trait capable of responding rapidly to changes in breeding status, and it is proposed that the importance of soft parts as labile signals in birds may be currently under‐appreciated.

The impact of online game character’s outward attractiveness and social status on interpersonal attraction

Online games resemble miniature societies, in which social interactions occur within a virtual world. Previous studies have realized that the main motivation in playing games is to fulfill interpersonal needs. Players expect to own great interpersonal attraction to help them develop ideal interpersonal relationships. In the real world, individual outward appearance and social status are two important factors having influence on interpersonal attraction. In online games, the outward appearance of characters can be manipulated by changing the clothes and accessories used by those characters. This study proposes that difference in outward appearance, as in real society, affects player interpersonal attraction assessments. Additionally, when game experience and performance of players are accumulated, their grade in game would be raised. This study also proposes that the variation of role grade would influence its social status and the attitude of others. This study conducts experiments, and the results verify that a game character with high outward attractiveness and social status acquires higher online interpersonal attraction than one with low outward attractiveness and social status, and vice versa.

Invisible lives, inaudible voices? The social conditions of migrant women in Johannesburg

Migration studies have been dominated by economistic models that measure the costs and benefits of the process on a variety of levels – regional, national, community, and individual. Much of the literature consequently gauges population movements' material costs and benefits for migrants, households, hosts and source countries or regions. With their focus on economic engagement and wage labour, scholars have typically overlooked the active role women play in the migration process as women are analytically consigned to the home or informal economy. The increased feminization of migration is, however, challenging this and directing academic and practitioners' attention to a broader range of women's experiences. But much of this literature focuses on instances of overt exploitation, portraying women as passive participants or victims without individual or collective agency or social status. Consequently, a growing body of literature has recently begun highlighting the shortcomings of these perspectives, illustrating women's agency and how they sometimes manipulate exploitative conditions to their advantage. Using accounts from cross border migrant women in Johannesburg this article reveals how women are moving, the mechanisms they use to do so, and the meanings they ascribe to these movements. In doing so, it collapses binary conceptual frames that depict women either as victims or victors in the migration process and provides a deeper understanding of the socio‐political dynamics in areas that have become primary regional or global destinations for migrants.

Temporal pattern of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) group structure around Abrolhos Archipelago breeding region, Bahia, Brazil

To characterize temporal patterns of humpback group structure around Abrolhos Archipelago, Brazil, seven years (1998–2004) of data obtained from July through November were analysed. During one-hour scans, observers determined group composition within 9.3 km around a land-based station. A total of 930 scans, comprising 4288 groups were analysed. Seven group categories were identified and their frequencies were 14.6% of 1AD (lone whale), 25.2% of DYAD (two adult whales), 7.3% of TRIO (three adult whales), 5.2 of TRIO+ (more than three adults), 24.9% of MOC (mother and calf), 19.6% of MOCE (mother, calf and one escort), and 3.1% of MOCE+ (mother, calf and more than one escort). Proportions of whale-group categories did not change between morning and afternoon, nor among years. However, as the season progressed, groups with calves increased while groups without calves decreased. This progression may be explained by the segregated migration patterns of humpback whales and also by changes in the social status of individuals. The Abrolhos Reef provides protection from the prevailing winds, which may explain the higher proportion of groups with calves in the area.