Institute of Sociology NASU

The adaptation of Warner’s Index of Status Characteristics (ISC)

stmm. 2019 (3): 124-141

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2019.03.124

Yeliena Kovalska - master degree, Department of Methodology and Methods of Sociological Studies of the Faculty of Sociology, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University

Abstract. The paper notes weaknesses of current trends and approaches of modern class analysis, namely methodological globalism and the stratification approach. These approaches do not take into account characteristics of the respondent’s property (the prestige of the district, the type of the house, its condition etc.), which western and domestic researchers consider an important stratifying factor. Thus, the problem this article is focused, is a lack of a valid tool for measuring the individual social status in modern Ukrainian society, bearing in mind the quality of his real estate.

As a basis for solving this problem author uses the Warner index, which includes three main characteristics of an individual’s social status - authority, wealth, and prestige, and also considers characteristics of an individual’s real estate.

The paper presents the results of adapting Warner’s Index of Status Characteristics to present-day empirical research in Ukraine, namely in Kyiv. An expert survey made it possible to conclude that such characteristics as occupation, dwelling area and house type can be used for constructing an adapted index, whereas a “source of income” should be replaced by “income level”.

On the basis of the stratification scheme used by modern sociologists, the Adapted Stratification Scheme of Y. Warner is formulated with "type of employment' and "level of income" as additional characteristics. The new stratification scheme has underlain an empirical interpretation of indicators pertaining to income level, occupation, dwelling area and house type. Another important point is the formulation of new rules for categorizing respondents according to the calculated values of Warner’s Adapted Index of Status Characteristics.

Publication in: ukr | rus

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