status ascription

/ˈsteɪtəs əˈskrɪpʃən/

noun

  1. The process of assigning a person a social position or level of respect based on characteristics they are believed to have, rather than on their actions or achievements.

    C1

    uncountableformal; sociology

    • "Status ascription can affect how people are treated at school or at work."B2
    • "In some societies, status ascription is strongly influenced by family background, age, or gender."C1
    • "Sociologists distinguish status ascription from status achievement, which is based on an individual's efforts and accomplishments."C2

Common mistakes

  • status attribution→status ascription

    Status ascription refers to assigning status based on inherent characteristics, while attribution might imply a broader or different context.

Collocations

ascribed statusstatus achievementsocial statusstatus ascriptionstatus ascription in sociologystatus ascription based on genderstatus ascription and social mobility

Word family

ascribeascriptionascriptiveascriptivelystatus