Abstract
The topic of social inequality as it relates to status structures is a foundational topic taught in many courses in contemporary sociology. Today the theory of status characteristics and expectation states (SCT) is the predominant account of the causes and effects of status stratification in groups. The purpose of this paper is to share a classroom exercise that explicates the connections between SCT and critical theory, specifically intersectionality as an analytic framework. Using only the basic theoretical assumptions, students apply the underlying logic of SCT to predict who was selected as the jury foreperson based on brief biographies of each juror as presented by a local newspaper. After the correct answer is revealed, the exercise illustrates the importance of considering multiple dimensions of identity and the accordant uniquely discriminatory experiences. This approach demonstrates how the process described by SCT maps onto to critical theorist’s conceptions of identity as the basis of inequality. The overall goal is to acquaint students with these two intellectually diverse traditions and encourage cross-fertilization between the two areas.
Recommended Citation
Mandal, Mohona and Thye, Shane
(2026)
"Using Status Characteristics Theory to Predict a Jury Foreperson,"
Feminist Pedagogy: Vol. 7:
Iss.
4, Article 7.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/feministpedagogy/vol7/iss4/7