Among lower-middle class Brazilians living in Rio de Janeiro…

Among lower-middle class Brazilians living in Rio de Janeiro, dining at an American fast food restaurants is recognized as an in-group marker of status. For upwardly mobile consumers in Thailand, fast food has no status value whereas taking a luxury cruise is a highly valued status symbol. Such differences in what constitutes a legitimate marker of status among these different socio-cultural groups best corresponds to the concept of: