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Sociology vocabulary · Social Structure and Institutions

Status

Meaning in sociology, with examples

/ˈsteɪtəs/nounCore term

In sociology, status means: A social position that a person occupies, such as student, mother or doctor, which comes with expected behaviour and a certain level of respect.

In Turkish: statü, toplumsal konum, saygınlık

How it is used

Has two linked meanings: a position in the social structure (each person holds many statuses) and the prestige attached to it, as in Weber's idea of status groups. Often paired with role: the status is the position, the role is the behaviour expected in it.

Example sentences

  1. Being a grandmother is a status that brings respect in many families.

  2. Weber argued that status and class do not always go together.

Common collocations

  • social status
  • high status
  • status group
  • master status
  • status symbol
  • social roleThe set of behaviours, duties and expectations attached to a particular status, such as what people expect of a teacher, a parent or a patient.
  • ascribed statusA social position given to a person at birth or later in life without any effort or choice on their part, such as sex, age, ethnicity or family background.
  • achieved statusA social position that a person gains through their own effort, skills or choices, such as a university degree, a profession or a political office.
  • social classA large group of people who share a similar economic position, such as income, wealth, occupation and education, and often similar life chances.

More terms: Social Structure and Institutions

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