Sociological Status and Roles Introduction From the moment I was born I was given a status, I had no say in whether I wanted it or not and along the way; growing up I was given the option to become others. There are two types of statuses that I am currently have an ascribed and achieved status. Growing as a Hmong daughter and a student is hard. Having the title Hmong daughter was ascribed to me and the title student was achieved by me. Living with these two statuses, sometimes they are difficult, but someday I hope together they will take me to a much better place, a higher social class than where I am currently. Ascribed Statuses Analysis Growing up I was given an ascribed status of Hmong daughter. An ascribe status is a social position assigned to a person by society without regard’s to a person’s …show more content…
A social placement is where you fall in each category of social classes. Being a part of the lower class has opened my eyes to see that being a student and achieving beyond that will help me get out of the lower class, especially when I don’t have to depend on anyone to clean and cook for me because I do it all myself. If I didn’t have the ascribed status as a Hmong daughter and the achieved status of a student, I wouldn’t be able to begin to imagine where in life I would be, because growing up in this kind of life style is all I knew. Growing up I have envied other of their intricate life style, but I would never trade my own to have it because there could have been a chance that I would not be happy. The status of being a student can greatly influence my placement in society later on in my life because higher education, leads to better chances of getting an amazing job. These statuses will affect my future privileges because they are things that make me successful, having an education and being able to take care of
In conversations many people get defensive when someone says, “You have this because of your privilege” they feel as though that the person they are talking with doesn’t understand that they have worked hard for what they have, however that is not the point that anyone is trying to make. What someone in that position is saying is that although you have worked hard to get where you are your journey have been well furnished with privilege on account of your race. It is said to think about that you got somewhere in life due to the color of your skin, but it is also sadder to think that someone got declined a job, got stereotyped, or got overlooked because of their race or
I will be analyzing the essay “Class in America --2012”. The topic of this essay is talking about does it matter what your social and economical standings are, and do they play a role in if you succeed in life. I personally agree with this. If someone is hard working and willing to do the job then I feel that they can be successful. Their background, race, and social and economical standings don’t justify everything that they are.
Individuals may be gifted with certain privileges because of the position one holds in society. Most importantly, one can obtain certain privileges from being born with them. One might be “born” with certain privileges because of one’s race, ethnicity, religion and or social class. The most significant factor that may influence one’s obtainment of privileges is social class. Although, race also plays a crucial role. The privileges I obtain surface from my position in society. I don’t feel as if I acquire privileges because of my race and ethnicity. I feel as though that the privileges I acquire are earned, not given. My perspective of this arises from the social stratum in my proximity. The concept that hard work will get one to their desired
The task of identifying my social identity was easier said than done. I acknowledged the somewhat privilege I encounter along with the oppression I endure. In retrospect, my social identity unambiguously resembles a coin where on one side oppression lies with dirt rusting but on the flip side privilege stares right back at me, shining bright. I initially could not see the benefits since I’m a low income college student. I became too encompassed with one side of the coin. After we learned what the word, privilege, indeed meant, I realized the various facets of my life in which that word could apply. Self pity can greedily advance on you from out of nowhere thus averting you from flipping the coin. I familiarized with counting my struggles instead of my blessings. In accordance with my social identity I would say I’m privileged with the
Throughout one’s life an individual moves through various phases and within these phases are status passages which are all important in their own right. Status passages can include graduations, weddings, child births as well as other important life events that mark a transition from one particular social status to another. A significant status passage, which is often overlooked, occurs in the latter part of life. This is the act of moving into a nursing home because of physical or mental infirmity, a major status passage in its own right. Notwithstanding that this status passage takes place in late adulthood it is still a very important, influential and, for many, a highly disturbing identity shift. In this essay I will explore the concept of status passages in the context of a social interactionest framework, followed by an examination of the transition into nursing homes as a status passage that is separated into three main phases: separation; transition and reincorporation.
Bobbie Harro states in “The cycle of socialization” (2000), “No one brings us a survey, in the womb, inquiring which gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, cultural group, ability status, or age we might want to be born. These identities are ascribed to us at birth through no effort or decision or choice of our own” (p.16). I was born into a system, just like everyone else, where I was judged and labeled due to the social categories that I identify with. What I have experienced throughout my schooling has shaped and molded my sense of self and the way that I view myself in terms of my gender and race/ethnicity. I live in a world where I have been both praised and ridiculed for these differing characteristics that seem to define me, but
When I was in the 5th-8th grade all of my so called “friends” always called me names like I was a bad person or some kind of monster. Status also affected me because people always use to second guess me for something I’m not. It changed me because now I am a nice, beautiful black young girl and I don’t care about anybody and what they have to say about me. As well as personally being categorized status continues to play a role in the larger
An interesting and compelling idea is discussed in the “Equality, Expectation, and Envy” section of Alain de Botton’s book, Status Anxiety. Botton discusses the way that we as a culture define ourselves among others is based upon how we view the status of others around us. He also argues that we feel a drive to consistently achieve a social status that is equal to or greater than that of our peers. As a whole, Botton uses this chapter of his book to argue that our need for social status, as well as our natural envy, is directly related to who we see as our equals, the social construct that by nature we are all equal, as well as the relationship between expectations and achievements.
Talcott Parsons and Robert Bales, two of the leading figures in sociology, may be considered the founding fathers for the ideas of the “modern family” and the “male-breadwinner family.” Collectively, their work has influenced how Americans analyze families and has sparked new ideas regarding the American family from sociologists such as Stephanie Coontz and Arlie Hochschild. However, when studying the American family, Parsons and Bales fail to understand that the “ideal” family may not be so ideal for everyone. They neglect to consider societal influences and economic changes when discussing patriarchal social norms as the most optimal family structure. Their description of the male-breadwinner family consists of the father being the “instrumental leader” within the home, providing economically for his family based on his occupational earnings. Meanwhile, the mother is considered the manager of the household, providing for her husband and children physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Societies can be divided into different stratas which are made up of a hierarchy of unequal social group; this is known as social stratification. The division depends on an individual 's social importance, wealth and status. Status is an individual’s social importance or prestige. Ascribed status and achieved status are two types of statuses with different meanings. Ascribed status is a status based on something a person was born with and achieved status which is known as
In conclusion our individual place in society is based on what roles we play. Different roles create a basis for different experiences and different values all from that role, and as a person who plays many roles each experience just builds on your own character. The more you are exposed to different social labels the greater chance that you will be under a social norm category. As a family oriented individual my place in society is more so based off of my family’s standards and most everything comes back to benefits for relatives.
My ascribed statuses include the fact that I am a 19 year old, white female. My achieved statuses included the fact that I am in college working toward a degree, I work as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in a nursing home, and that my marital status is single. Currently, my master/dominant status is that I am a Student at the University of North Dakota. I believe this is currently my master status because whenever anybody asks about what I have been up to, the answer is usually school; family members, friends, and acquaintances are usually interested in where I am going to school at and what I intend to major
Throughout the progression of our lives we are giving the options to pick the best things that we show interest in, desire or will please us. We pick our friends who share the same interest as us, lovers that our hearts desire, and our careers that will please us. There are very few things that are set in stone for us when we are born, or an ascribed status. Ascribed status is a point in a social system that is beyond a person’s control. It is not received, but rather something people are born with and had no control over. These ascribed statues include our sex, race, national background and of course our family. The ascribed statues that are given to us at birth can have a huge impact on our achieved statues but benefit us as a person.
Ascribed status begins as a social class system. Ascribed status is inherited. A person is assigned to a certain status at birth. Some examples of this include race, sex, gender, family origins, and economic status. Ascribed status ties in with the concept of biological determinism because this is human thoughts and actions that are inherited. Achieved status is a social position that is assigned to an individual without any regard to their personal characteristics. Achieved status is earned and involves skills such as ability and intelligence. Both of these statuses are the foundations to the gender ideology.
All around the world, people have been placed in categories. These types of status placements have effected many individuals. Image having to deal with arrogant people continuously, because of their social class. Or feeling like you’re worthless, because how others view you. Many individuals feel as though social classes strip them of their identity. It makes us feel as not as important as the upper class. Stereotyping has always been a lifelong hassle for certain individuals. People are often automatically judged by the way they look, where they live at, how much money is earned or inherited, etc. The list goes on and on. Although the majority of society tries to end segregation, social class is still considered a form of discrimination.