BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

The Why Factor

Documentaries

Factual

The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions

The Why Factor: Status

Status

02/07/2018 GMT

BBC World Service - The Why Factor, Status

How would you define your status in society? And why do some suffer status anxiety?

What do you think is your status in society? Is it something we can define ourselves or is it dependent on the opinion of others? Can it be bought?

How often do you think about other peoples’ opinion of you?

In many parts of the world status is something we can change through education, occupation and wealth but what if you come from a culture where the status you are born with is inescapable? We speak to author Sujatha Gidla about growing up as one of India’s Untouchables: the outcasts of the country’s rigid Caste system.

Lifestyle and fashion blogger Sasha Wilson shows us how high the status stakes are in the completive online world of Instagram. And is the pursuit of status bad for our mental health? Professor Richard Wilkinson believes so and argues that the bigger the gap between rich and poor the greater our obsession becomes with it.

Finally, is status something we can just buy? Brian Hamilton runs a business selling Scottish noble titles to the highest bidder and so presenter Priscilla Ngethe considers becoming Baroness of Pentland…

(Field recordings of the Shuar Ecuadorian Indians thanks to Mike Woloszyn and freesound.org)

Image: John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett in the Class Sketch from Frost Over England, 1967 (Credit: BBC)

BBC World Service

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Why Factor

Status

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

About BBC World Service