Ascribed characteristics, as used in the social sciences, refers to properties of an individual attained at birth, by inheritance, or through the aging process.
[7] The article highlighted that women have less social capital than men in Saudi Arabia citing specifically that it was "due to fewer non-family connections".
There are many arguments that stem from disagreements over the definition of what is a fact when it comes to gender, showing the fluidity of ascribed characteristics.
In its essence, it was a system that ascribed sweepers the lowest status, making this one group literally untouchable, although India officially states that discrimination against lower castes is illegal.
His discussion admits explicitly and, implicitly, that there are several complications to moral judgement that include: Dore also points out that what counts as an ascribed characteristic can vary depending on context.
In evaluating the fairness of hiring standards, he viewed an applicant's success in the educational system as a good approximation of achievement.
Thus, he noted that hiring decisions at Hitachi, during the time of his study, were "regulated by very strict qualification standards" and not very significantly influenced by ascribed characteristics.