Achieved, Ascribed, and Master Status
A status can be defined as the position that an individual holds in an organization or the society; every status characterized by a number or behavioral expectations that is the role a person has to play in the community. There are different categories of status, and they include achieved, ascribed and master status. The achieved status refers to the chosen path of a person that reflects on the abilities of a person combined with their efforts, and life choices. An achieved status can either be positive such as the achievement of being a medical doctor, and it can also be a reflection of negative life choices such as those of an alcoholic (Schaefer 106). My achieved status at this point in my life if enrolling in college and pursuing the course of my dreams.
Master Status
A master status shapes the social identity of an individual and it can either be ascribed or achieved. For instance, the late Nelson Mandela had a positive master status as he was a philanthropist and a revolutionary political leader who positively impacted on the lives of many. The fact that Nelson Mandela was a political leader in South Africa and a highly respected leader across the globe overrides all the other status he has such as being a father and a husband. The ascribed status refers to the social position held by an individual that is assigned by the society. A person does not have control over the ascribed status as it is given at birth. Some of the commonly ascribed statuses include gender, race, social class, parents and other biological affiliations such as relatives. My ascribed status is the family I was born into and also the people I relate to biologically (Schaefer 107).
Roles and Behavior
The three categories of social status have accompanying roles and some expected behavior. According to Schaefer (107), role strain refers to the demands of a single role that conflict with each other. The role strain that I have experienced as a college student is the large number of assignments that I have to submit that mostly have the same deadline. Schaefer (109) describes role conflict as the incompatibility between roles carried out by an individual, and the role conflict that I anticipate in the future would be balancing my career and a family. A role exit refers to the process of detaching oneself from a role that is key to the identity of a person and taking upon a new part, the position in my life that might cause difficulty when it comes to role exit is letting go of my plans to pursue further studies and my career.
Works Cited
Schaefer, Richard T. Sociology: A brief introduction (11th Ed.).McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2015.
