how could someone's ascribed status influence their achieved status?

Answer 1

Ascribed status is conferred solely by birth. In India, if one is born into a lowly caste, his/her life choices are absolutely limited under Hindu tenets. Fortunately, this condition is changing.

In the United States, a child born to an upper-middle-class family automatically becomes an upper-middle-class child. He/she will have advantages that a child born to lower-class parents won't have.

For example, an upper-middle-class child will learn speech from parents who use correct grammar. S/he will have a great advantage over those children in school who think that answering a telephone call and saying, "This is him" sounds correct. It isn't. Consequently when the upper-middle-class kid is told that "is" is an intransitive verb (which doesn't take an object), s/he can relate that to her/his parents who have always said, "This is s/he."

Moreover, those born into the upper-middle class will likely perceive the "principal" as a resource. Those born to the lower class will see him or her as a disciplinarian.

Upper-middle class children are (typically) not disciplined with spanking or other corporal punishment. Lower class children get used to being swatted many times a day. The long-term effect of this learning pattern has consequences on how the children come to view life.

So, a person's achieved status (the position that one earns in society) is dependent on the many variables that are set in childhood (ascribed status).

Answer 2

Ascribed Status