What term describes a status that dominates other statuses a person might hold?

• A. Master status
• B. Social status
• C. Ascribed status
• D. Achieved status

Answer: (A)

A master status is the status that dominates other statuses a person might hold, shaping how others perceive them and how they are treated in most social interactions. It often overrides other identities in many contexts, giving that role outsized influence on a person’s social experience. For example, being seen primarily as a doctor can color how people relate to someone who is a parent or a student, because the doctor identity becomes the most salient in many situations.

Social status refers to one’s overall position in the hierarchy and can be a mix of ascribed or achieved elements, but it isn’t inherently the dominant identity in every context. An ascribed status is a position assigned at birth or involuntarily (like race or family lineage), and an achieved status is earned through effort (like becoming a lawyer). These terms describe types of positions, not the way a single position can override all others in daily life.