Ascribed and Achieved Statuses of Individuals

daughter, a worker, a date and a student. Sociologists use the term ‘status set’ to refer to all the statuses or positions that you occupy. Obviously your status set changes as your particular statuses change. For example, if you graduate from university, get a full-time job, get married, buy a home, have children and so on, your status set changes to include the positions of worker, spouse, homeowner and parent.
Like other aspects of social structure, statuses are part of our basic framework of living in society. The example I gave of students and teachers who come to class and do what others expect of them, despite their particular circum- stances and moods, illustrates how statuses affect our actions – and those of the people around us. Our statuses – whether daughter or son, worker or date – serve as guides for our behaviour.
Ascribed and achieved statuses
An ascribed status is involuntary. You do not ask for it, nor can you choose it. You inherit some ascribed statuses at birth such as your race/ethnicity, sex and the social class of your parents, as well as your statuses as female or male, daughter or son, niece or nephew.
Achieved statuses, in contrast, are voluntary. These you earn or accomplish. As a result of your efforts you become a student, a friend, a spouse, a lawyer or a member of the clergy. Or, for lack of effort (or for efforts that others fail to appreciate), you become a school dropout, a former friend, an ex-spouse, a debarred lawyer or a defrocked member of the clergy. In other words, achieved statuses can be either positive or negative; both university vice-chancellor and bank robber are achieved statuses.
Each status provides guidelines for how we are to act and feel. Like other aspects of social structure, statuses set limits on what we can and cannot do. Because social statuses are an essential part of the social structure, they are found in all human groups.
Status symbols
People who are pleased with their social status often