Which of the following is considered an ascribed status?

Ascribed statuses are those social positions that individuals are born into or acquire involuntarily, typically associated with characteristics such as race, gender, ethnicity, or family background. The term highlights aspects of identity that are not chosen and are generally immutable.

The option that reflects this concept most clearly is male, as this is a status that someone is assigned at birth based on biological factors and it does not change over time. Unlike achieved statuses, such as college graduate, mother, or employee, being male is not a result of individual effort or choice, but rather a socially recognized category that one inherits.

In contrast, a college graduate, a mother, and an employee are all statuses that individuals attain through personal effort, choice, or social circumstances, making them examples of achieved status rather than ascribed status. This distinction is crucial for understanding how different social identities and roles are formed within society.