QUESTIONING THE SCRIPT SOCIAL Hierarchy AND SELF-VALUE

Consider society as a body where each person is a cell, contributing to the organism's overall function. Just as a body relies on its cells to function harmoniously, society depends on individuals connecting and fulfilling roles. When people step out of their assigned roles—or resist them altogether—the “organ” begins to falter, and this ripple can impact the entire societal structure. How we perceive and treat one another often reflects an internalized set of hierarchies, placing us within these stratified systems willingly or unwillingly.

Growing up, I noticed that males and females were treated differently, and I didn’t fully understand why. I later realized that mainstream narratives encourage us to perceive people based on gendered stereotypes, often limiting personal potential. Women, for instance, are frequently perceived as "property" in some contexts, a label that constrains their freedom and individuality. This subtle yet powerful influence is just one example of how entrenched these systems are in our interactions.

What is Social Hierarchy?

Also known as social stratification, social hierarchy categorizes individuals within a ranking system based on factors like education, race, gender, wealth, and occupation. This ranking determines one’s socioeconomic class, which can act as a “ticket” for navigating societal systems. These structures can be either closed or open, with ascribed or achieved status. Ascribed status includes traits we’re born with, like race or gender, while achieved status includes qualities and positions gained through personal effort. An open system (like achieved status) allows for movement based on one’s actions, while a closed system is rigid and typically based on inherited traits.

Understanding society means understanding people, and each of us is a "mini-society" with our own objectives and values. Just as society has overarching goals, so do individuals. Here’s a question to consider:

Question: Is a person who occasionally exists outside their social group seen as weak or strong? Or is it context-dependent?

Answer: It depends. Some might view solitude as a weakness, leaving a person vulnerable to criticism. Others see it as strength, demonstrating independence. Solitude can be an act of defiance in a world that values belonging. Personally, solitude has been a powerful teacher, a chance to listen to my voice beyond social validation.

OPEN SYSTEM

Can you predict someone’s socioeconomic status solely based on physical appearance?

It’s possible, as people often use physical appearance to convey specific messages, whether consciously or subconsciously. In open systems, where movement between social classes is theoretically possible, one's self-presentation can play a significant role in how they’re perceived and treated. Appearance becomes a form of expression—an outward portrayal of one’s inner world, values, and ambitions.

JUDGMENT AND PERCEPTION

Our assumptions about others based on appearance reveal more about us than them. Judgment is an inevitable human response, rooted in our experiences, values, and even unconscious biases. I, too, catch myself making assumptions, like when I see someone who dresses in a certain style, which may carry stereotypes of "thug-like" or "provocative." But I also realize these are perceptions shaped by societal conditioning and personal experiences.

Judgments are both unavoidable and insightful. They’re a reflection of our inner world, our value system, and our past experiences. Recognizing this is the first step toward questioning and reframing these preconceptions. Most of us are unknowingly playing out scripts written by others—media, culture, family. It’s only when we question these assumptions that we can start to author our own story.



CLOSED SYSTEM

Closed systems, like caste structures, enforce strict limitations on social mobility. Your birth determines your position, making it nearly impossible to change your place within the hierarchy. Individuals in lower castes are deemed impure, while higher castes are associated with spiritual "purity" or worthiness, reinforcing an immovable social divide. While we might view this system as outdated, echoes of it persist in modern society, where wealth or "class" often dictate perceived worth.

For instance, we often view people experiencing homelessness as "less than," equating lack of resources with a lack of worth. It goes beyond just appearance; it taps into deeper issues around how we equate financial status with human value. Cleanliness, social presence, and even the ability to engage in typical daily activities become markers of "acceptability" or "normalcy." Yet, this judgment is often devoid of context, ignoring the systemic barriers that trap people in these lower socioeconomic positions.

HIERARCHICAL IDEOLOGIES

Historically, ideologies have underpinned social hierarchies, justifying inequalities as part of a "natural" order. In caste systems, for instance, the belief that lower castes are fulfilling karmic debts from past lives serves as an ideological anchor, cementing the system in place. In our current world, different ideologies continue to justify hierarchy, from meritocracy (the idea that success is based solely on personal effort) to more insidious beliefs that wealth reflects moral or intellectual superiority.

It’s easy to dismiss these as archaic ideas, but even today, people subtly or overtly judge others’ worth based on their socioeconomic status, race, and gender. Society programs us to view the upper class as “more capable” or “more deserving,” and it can take years to unlearn these biases. This realization has been eye-opening, reminding me that what we see as “natural” in hierarchy is, in fact, largely a construct—one that could look entirely different if different values shaped society.

SOCIAL MEMORY AND INHERITED TRAUMA

Another layer to social hierarchy is the historical memory stored within our communities and even our bodies. As a person of color, I’m deeply aware of how trauma from past generations influences the perceptions of Black people globally. Media has historically cast Blackness in a negative light, associating it with danger or deficiency, often without any direct justification. The consequences are both personal and communal.

Growing up, I saw how these subtle and overt messages of inferiority permeated not just external interactions but also internalized beliefs within Black communities. In many societies, Blackness has been tied to inferiority, a script passed down generationally, laden with inherited traumas that still affect how we see ourselves and are seen by others. But recognizing these messages allows for healing—a chance to rewrite the script in alignment with our true identity and strengths.

THE VALUE OF REBELLION AND SELF-DEFINITION

Why do I value rebellion? I think it’s because rebellion allows me to strip away society’s expectations and uncover who I truly am. Being rebellious isn’t simply about rejecting norms; it’s a form of liberation, an act of self-love. Rebellion is the courage to exist authentically, resisting any mold that doesn’t resonate. For me, rebellion means having the freedom to craft my identity, shedding the layers of conformity that society often pressures us to accept.

My choice to drop out of university is one example. This decision challenged society’s expectations and the values around education and status. Many people around me saw this as a failure to fulfill a prestigious role, but for me, it was an act of self-preservation. I chose to define my worth based on internal standards, not societal prestige.

INTROSPECTION ON VALUE

Reflecting on social hierarchies, I realize much of what we value is inherited from the world around us. We place importance on wealth, appearance, and titles, but rarely do we question if these values truly align with our sense of self. What does my community value? Prestige, perhaps, or financial success. But are these values mine? Do I truly resonate with them, or am I merely carrying them forward without question?

Value, I believe, is deeply personal. It shapes how we navigate life, how we judge others, and how we evaluate our own worth. In the end, living authentically requires introspection—a willingness to challenge what we’ve been told is “valuable” and redefine it for ourselves. Only then can we step outside the confines of social hierarchy and live as individuals, not as labels.

FREE-FORM

It’s interesting how thoughts control and influence the way we conduct our lives. The way a person thinks impacts their behavior, but what about people who don’t have an internal monologue? Where do they get their inspiration from? Do they simply act on urges out of nowhere? And how would a person know they are truly their own person and not an NPC? Because an NPC would simply respond based on the programming in their mind. I reckon they don’t even question the nature of reality. But what if some NPCs are designed differently? Each one has a specific role or occupation. Some are designed to be rebels, others loyal members of the community.

But the bigger question is: what is the creator's aim in all of this? Why create a system that would lead to its own downfall? And how would a bunch of puppets destroy the puppeteer? They can’t. The puppeteer remains untouchable.

Are you the puppet or the puppeteer? For you need to pick a role and act on it.

All photos in this blog are captured through the lens of Jeneska