The impact of self-government reform on the social status of minority communities in Macedonia

Social status is the relative rank that an individual holds in a social hierarchy. Status may be ascribed (assigned to individuals at birth and typically based on sex, age, ethnic or family origins) or achieved (requiring special qualities and gained through competition and individual effort, based on education, occupation, material status or other factors). In a multicultural society, there is some degree of interdependence between these two types of status. The Macedonian example of multiculturalism, implemented through the reforms in local government units demonstrates that the ethnic element as an innate characteristic can be a condition for the acquisition of better status in society