What term denotes a socially defined position in a group or society?

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

Answer: (B)

A socially defined position in a group or society is called social status. This idea captures the positions people occupy within the social structure, along with the roles, responsibilities, and expectations tied to those positions, such as student, neighbor, or professor.

Master status refers to the one status that dominates others in a given situation, shaping how people perceive someone, but it’s a specific kind of status rather than the general concept. Ascribed status is a position assigned at birth or involuntarily (like race or royalty), not something earned or chosen. Achieved status is earned through actions or decisions (like becoming a teacher or an engineer). The question seeks the broad, defining term for any position in society, which is social status.