STATUS INCONSISTENCY AND CRISS-CROSS IN AN ADOLESCENT SOCIETY.

Over 30 years of continuing empirical research on status inconsistency (SI) do no permit a final conclusion regarding the empirical tenability of this body of theory This is unmanly due to the fact that the empirical research done so far cannot be regarded as a representative or complete counterpart of the whole body of status Inconsistency theory In particular the relational concepts elaborated by Johan Galtung have not been exposed to empirical tests yet Based on a representative probability sample of n = 1 717 adolescents attending 7th and 9th grades of secondary school the present paper provides a multi level analysis regarding aggression and social conflict as predicted by some of Galtung's individual level and aggregate level rank concepts respectively First rank incongruence is shown to be a source of conflict in the friendship dyad. Secondly, the empirical analysis yields strong evidence in favour of both the criss-cross and rank disequilibrium hypothesis As expected the lack of criss-cross turns out to be a structural determinant of aggression The conflict preventing function of criss-crass is discussed and the degree of rank disagreement is suggested to be a structural characteristic that may modify this conflict preventing `unction of cuss cross Thirdly rank disequilibrium is shown to be another major source of aggression and conflict, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]