Editing Status symbol (section)

== Material possessions ==
The ownership of luxury residences in exclusive locations has historically been considered one of the ultimate status symbols worldwide. Among the most coveted and recognized destinations globally are [[Portofino]], a renowned location on the [[Italian Riviera]], characterized by prestigious properties overlooking one of [[Europe]]'s most exclusive natural harbors; [[Lierna]], offering a privileged view of [[Lake Como]], historically associated with high aristocracy and international economic elites; and [[Monte Carlo]], in the [[Principality of Monaco]], a key hub for [[finance]], [[Luxury goods|luxury]], and global high society.  

These residences, in addition to providing a high level of [[privacy]] and [[security]], serve as genuine symbols of power and prestige, often linked to [[noble dynasties]], prominent [[entrepreneurs]], [[financial leaders]], and influential figures on the international stage. The value of such properties is not merely determined by their strategic location or [[architectural]] features but, more importantly, by their function as instruments of [[social representation]] and [[status assertion]], as access to them is often restricted even for those with immense [[wealth]].
[[File:4679viki Zamek w Krobielowicach. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg|thumb|left|Hunting trophy of an aristocrat]]
[[Luxury goods]] are often perceived as status symbols. Examples may include a [[mansion]] or [[penthouse apartment]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Winter |first=Ian C. |title=The Radical Home Owner |year=1995 |isbn=2-88449-028-0 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |page=47}}</ref> a [[trophy wife]],<ref>{{Cite book |title=Classism and Feminist Therapy: Counting Costs |last=Hill |first=Marcia |author2=Esther D. Rothblum |publisher=Haworth Press |year=1996 |isbn=1-56024-801-7 |page=79}}</ref> [[haute couture]] [[fashion]]able clothes,<ref name="HecklerTill2008"/> [[jewellery]],<ref name="Russell2010">{{cite book|author=Rebecca Ross Russell|title=Gender and Jewelry: A Feminist Analysis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wx11yQK3J3QC&pg=PA89|access-date=10 September 2013|date=5 June 2010|publisher=Rebecca Ross Russell|isbn=978-1-4528-8253-6|page=89}}</ref> or a [[luxury vehicle]].<ref name=murray>{{Cite book |title=Doing Business in China: The Last Great Market |last=Murray |first=Geoffrey |publisher=China Library |year=1994 |isbn=1-873410-28-X}}</ref> A sizeable collection of high-priced artworks or antiques may be displayed, sometimes in multiple seasonally occupied residences located around the world. [[Private aviation|Privately owned aircraft]] and luxury [[yacht]]s are movable status symbols that can be taken from one glamorous location to another; the "[[jet set]]" refers to wealthy individuals who travel by [[Business jet|private jet]] and who frequent fashionable resorts.<ref>Merriam-Webster. [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jet%20set Jet set]. Accessed 2013-10-02.</ref>
[[File:George v L Meyer private library in Hamilton Massachusetts.jpg|thumb|Personal library of a wealthy American, 1919]]
Status symbols are also used by persons of much more modest means. In the [[Soviet Union]] before the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]], possession of American-style [[jeans|blue jeans]] or [[rock music]] recordings (even pirated or bootlegged copies) was an important status symbol among rebellious [[teenager]]s. In the 1990s, foreign [[cigarette]]s in [[People's Republic of China|China]], where a pack of [[Marlboro]] could cost one day's salary for some workers, were seen as a status symbol.<ref>J Brooks. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1337922/ American cigarettes have become a status symbol in smoke-saturated China.] 1995.</ref> [[Mobile phone]] usage had been considered a status symbol (for example in [[Turkey]] in the early 1990s),<ref>Yusuf Ziya Özcan, Abdullah Koçak. [http://ejc.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/18/2/241 Research Note: A Need or a Status Symbol?] 2003</ref> but is less distinctive today, because of the spread of inexpensive mobile phones. Nonetheless [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] products such as [[iPhone]] are common status symbols among modern teenagers.<ref name="Greyling">{{cite book|author=Alexander Greyling|title=Face your brand! The visual language of branding explained|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mWa_Z7B-nnoC&pg=PA94|access-date=10 September 2013|publisher=Alex Greyling|isbn=978-0-620-44310-4|page=94}}</ref><ref name="Baaghil2013">{{cite book|author=Said Baaghil|title=Glamour Globals: Trends Over Brands|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0QHfxZO5AGkC&pg=PA50|access-date=10 September 2013|date=9 January 2013|publisher=iUniverse|isbn=978-1-4759-7167-5|page=50|author-link=Said Baaghil}}</ref>

A common type of modern status symbol is a prestigious [[luxury brand]]ed item, whether apparel or other type of a good.<ref name="HecklerTill2008">{{cite book|author1=Donna D. Heckler|author2=Brian D. Till|title=The Truth About Creating Brands People Love|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6DhNprFiz6UC&pg=PA23|access-date=10 September 2013|date=10 October 2008|publisher=FT Press|isbn=978-0-13-270118-1|page=23}}</ref> The brand name or logo is often prominently displayed, or featured as a [[graphic design]] element of decoration. Certain brands are so highly valued that cheap [[counterfeit good]]s or knock-off copies are purchased and displayed by those who do not want to, or are unable to, pay for the genuine item.