Final answer:
The measure that combines education background, income, and occupation to determine social status is known as socioeconomic status. It is part of a broader system called social stratification, which categorizes individuals into socioeconomic tiers based on multiple factors and allows for social mobility within a class system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The measure of social status that combines aspects of education background, income, and occupation is called socioeconomic status. This concept is a multidimensional measure that reflects an individual's overall social position as perceived and influenced by society. Socioeconomic status includes the combined economic and sociological impacts of an individual's or family's income, as well as the levels of education and occupation.
Social stratification is a related term that sociologists use to describe how society is structured into different levels of socioeconomic tiers. These tiers are influenced by various factors such as wealth, income, race, education, and power. In societies that have a class system, social mobility allows individuals to move between classes, which is distinct from caste systems where social levels are rigidly defined and movement between them is restricted.
Statuses within society can be either ascribed or achieved and relate to the roles and responsibilities people hold. Occupations play a key role in determining an individual's social standing, with certain professions such as those in medicine, law, or engineering conferring high status. Conversely, jobs like waitress, janitor, and bus driver are often ranked lower in terms of perceived prestige.