A position that someone has in a society; which can be ascribed (fixed by others) or achieved.

A position that someone has in a society; which can be ascribed (fixed by others) or achieved.

• A. Status
• B. Value Consensus
• C. Values
• D. Social Identity

Answer: (A)

In sociology, a status is a social position that a person occupies within a society, and it comes with expected roles and duties. This position can be ascribed, meaning it is assigned by birth or other fixed factors beyond the individual’s control (such as gender or family lineage), or achieved, meaning it is earned through personal effort or choices (such as becoming a student, teacher, or professional).

Understanding this helps explain social dynamics: where you stand in the social hierarchy affects how others treat you and what is expected of you, regardless of your personal abilities or desires. The idea that some statuses are given and others earned captures how society assigns prestige and influence.

The other terms relate to different ideas: values are beliefs about what is important, value consensus refers to broad agreement on norms, and social identity concerns how people define themselves in relation to groups. They describe beliefs or group belonging, not the specific position a person holds in the social structure.