“A ‘Cool’ Kid Wears a Brand, and Everyone’s following Him” Hierarchal Social Status in Preadolescence: A New Developmental Perspective

Abstract

Inequality in hierarchical social status, especially among socially excluded children, profoundly affects preadolescents. Historically viewed through a lens of psychopathology and moral deficiencies, it challenges the education system’s approaches and interventions. This article introduces a developmental perspective, highlighting the hierarchical social status‘ role in shaping classroom cohesion, strength, and distinctiveness. This study’s phenomenological, qualitative methodology aimed to gain preliminary insight into the children’s perspectives. Drawing from 12 focus group discussions involving 140 latency-age (grade 5) children in Israel, it uniquely reveals the dynamic nature of hierarchical social status influenced by children’s connections with the group. This dynamism promotes group unity, strengthens bonds, and prioritizes collective concerns, contributing to the development of a “social self” in the latency phase. Beyond theory, this study proposes innovative interventions to address social status disparities.