Question

List two statuses that you hold. Are these statuses ascribed or achieved statuses? Do you think that you behave differently in your different social statuses?

Answer 1

Although this is a personal question and therefore should focus on your personal experiences, we can still look at an example of how such a question should be answered.

Two examples of statuses you might hold are being the first-born-son and being the captain of your football team.

Being a first-born-son is an ascribed status. This is because you have done nothing to accomplish it. Instead, you received it from birth. This might cause you to behave differently depending on the dynamics of your family. For example, it might cause you to be more responsible, more protective of your siblings or feel more pressure to accomplish.

In the case of being the captain of a football team, this would be considered an achieved status. This is an achieved status due to the fact that it was granted to you due to your skills and accomplishments. Such a status might cause you to behave differently, as it might make you feel more responsible for the team's success or more attached to your teammates.