Definition
Status is defined as an individual’s relative access to contested resources in a group (Henrich & Gil-White, 2001). Status can be more broadly conceptualized as an individual’s influence in pursuing their interests and goals when they conflict with the motivations and interests of others. Status competition is comprised of all the behaviors and strategies which individuals use as they vie for more relative influence and status.
Introduction
Potential status differentials among individuals are an important aspect of political dynamics in small-scale societies generally. This entry will present the evolutionary logic underpinning status competition, its general relevance to human evolution and social organization, and empirical studies on its overt expression in small-scale societies.
Status differences are considered a near human universal, that is, it occurs in some form, degree,...
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Zerbe, J.G. (2019). Status Competition. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_397-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_397-1
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