Sociology Now, Census Update

Achieved statuses are often dependent on ascribed statuses. Fans of big band

music tend to be considerably older than fans of rap. Some ascribed statuses make it

more difficult to achieve other statuses. Race, gender, and ethnicity all affect our abil-

ities to achieve certain statuses. The status of “male” vastly increases your likelihood

of being hired as an airline pilot or dentist, and the status of “female” vastly increases

your potential of being hired for a job involving child care. In the United States, while

we profess a belief that achieved statuses should be the outcome of individual abili-

ties, ascribed statuses continue to exert a profound influence on them. Social move-

ments for equality often organize around a sense of injustice and seek to reduce the

importance of ascribed statuses.

We are able to change achieved statuses. We can change jobs, religions, or polit-

ical affiliations. We can learn new skills, develop new interests, meet new people, and

change our minds about issues. In fact, we usually do. I have most of the same ascribed

statuses now that I did when I was 16 years old (all except for age), but my achieved

statuses are dramatically different: I have changed jobs, political views, taste in music,

and favorite television programs.

In traditional societies, most statuses are ascribed. People are born rich or

poor and expect to die rich or poor. They have the same jobs that their parents had

and cannot even think of changing their religion because only one religion is prac-

ticed throughout the society. They dress the same and listen to the same songs and

stories, so they can’t even change their status based on artistic taste. However, in mod-

ern societies, we have many more choices, and more and more statuses are attained.

Master Status.When ascribed or achieved status is presumed so important that it

overshadows all of the others, dominating our lives and controlling our position in

society, it becomes a master status(Hughes, 1945). Being poor or rich tends to be a

master status because it dramatically influences other areas of life, such as education,

health, and family stability. People who have cancer or AIDS often find that all of the

other statuses in their lives become subsidiary. They are not “college student” or

78 CHAPTER 3SOCIETY: INTERACTIONS, GROUPS, AND ORGANIZATIONS

Marital Status

When filling out forms, we’re often asked to define our statuses; we are asked marital status,

educational status, socioeconomic status, etc. Of course, statuses often differ by race or class.

For example, the percentage of adults who are married varies according to race and class, and the

General Social Survey shows trends in these variations. So, what do you think?

Go to the end of the chapter to compare your answers to national survey data.

3.1

What

do

you

think

❍married

❍widowed

❍divorced

❍separated

❍never married

Are you currently—married, widowed, divorced, separated, or have you never been married?

?