The first section of the paper criticizes the concept of inconsistency between status ranks as an explanation of variations in attitudes and behaviour between different groups. The second section argues that the concept of relative deprivation may, if appropriately qualified, prove more useful and suggests a possible application of it to the topic of attitudes towards immigrants. The third section presents some findings from a sample survey carried out in England and Wales in 1962 which furnish a limited test of two proposed hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]