Status, an important component of social structure, is a social position that is “part of our social identity and helps define our relationship to others” (Macionis, 2013, p.155). Based on classification by sociologists, there are two kinds of statuses—ascribed and achieved status. An ascribed status is involuntary. It is a social position that a person receives at birth or assumes later in life (Macionis, 2013). Some examples of ascribed statuses include family relations such as son or daughter, gender, race, ethnicity, and widow. For example, Claudette, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pierre-Louis, was born in Canada but later migrated to the United States where she got married to Dr. Right. Seven years later, she lost her husband
