Abstract
This paper investigates the way in which an individual identifies his/her own social status. The analytical framework used in this paper proposes that self-identification of social group (or social class), denoted as upper, middle or lower status, would be determined not only by an individual's judgment about his/her status itself, but also by the perception about his/her own standard of living. Using a national sample of adults (JGSS-2000), subjects were cluster analyzed based on their subjective status judgment as well as their assessment of their living standards. Members of each cluster shared a particular pattern of perception in terms of the variables used in the analysis. They also have the tendency to self-identify themselves in the same social group (i.e., upper, middle, or lower). These clusters, therefore, were considered more or less correspond to such status groups. The paper discusses how each status group can be characterized in terms of the respondents' subjective status judgment and the perception about their living standard.
