Popularity Hierarchy

I bet that everyone, no matter age or background, has considered this question. Popularity may be seen as segregation of sorts. Ones who have more friends have more ‘clout,’ or simply more recognition. Chances are, within your grade there are people whose names are constantly being brought up during gossip. Those talking about them may not even be related to the situation or are even acquaintances with them, which causes a divide between people who are ‘known’ and people who aren’t. I, for one, have been considering this question for a long time. Each step on the pyramid had their own rules and regulations and there were patterns and trends which determined where you were on the spectrum.

Zooming back to good old grade 5, let me first explain the hierarchy my junior school self came up with. Please excuse the hideously pink fairy castle, but this truly was the basis of how I perceived the ‘grade 5 popularity pyramid’.

We start at the top peak: chambers of the king(s) and the queen(s). Up here were the kids who the entire grade knew and talked about. It’s a long-observed trend that most of the people up there stay there for multiple years. Not to forget, kings and queens always have connections to other kingdoms, whether that be other grades or other schools. How they reached so far up the hierarchy ladder: The Criteria.

A foolproof method to become royalty is inheritance. Even now, I often notice that the most elite of the popular have older siblings who also have crown status. Royal blood runs through them.

Then are the other factors according to our grade and age. For instance, the hairstyle (dutch braids) you had and the sport (touch rugby) you played made an impact on your popularity status. Another thing that shocked me was that even ethnicity came into play amongst grade 5s. Asians typically stayed in the limelight for 3 years, after which they don’t remain in that elite band. Obviously, there are anomalies to all of these rules, but the general rules mostly apply.

Then, as we descend the hierarchy, we start seeing more categories. We have the high court who are constantly seen around with the kings and the queens even if not recognised as much. Then, we have the jesters who, no offence, follow the royals in the hope that they too will get some ‘clout.’ Further below, we have the merchants. These are people who step in and out of the popular circle, meaning they have connections inside but leave the kingdom as well. Then, of course, we have the general population: the commoners and the gossipers. Although it may not seem like it, I would say that this is the most important group because the entire kingdom thrives off them—because without chatter popularity the ranking would cease to exist altogether.

That concludes my view of the popularity hierarchy within my grade. There could be several other ways the same classification could be seen by different people. Maybe castles and kingdoms are a little too far fetched, but essentially, I could see royals as a visual representation of the social statuses. However, there aren’t any studies which directly link the two concepts. Take a moment to think about what kind of rules apply to your own grades or social circles, who are the segregated groups and how do they contribute. Where do you stand on the hierarchy?