In sociology, the master status is the social position that is the primary identifying characteristic of an individual.
Being born a man as opposed to a woman shapes a person's entire life course - school, hobbies and sports, occupations, role within the family and at home, as well as roles taken in everyday social situations - all of these things are experienced very differently based upon sex.
Everett Hughes first introduced the notion of master status in the 1940s, and it was the key subject of his address as the 53rd president of the American Sociological Association.
[citation needed] Common characteristics are those of race or ethnicity, gender, sexuality, physical ability, age, economic standing, religion or spirituality, and education.
For example, if a woman feels that her role as a mother is relatively unimportant to her identity, it will still be a master status if she is living in a community or society that treats motherhood as a master status, because she will be treated by others primarily according to her characteristics as a mother.
Master status can be seen in everyday life (e.g., gendered bathrooms, handicapped signs, fame, occupation, etc.).
Various statuses such as “drug addict,” “mentally ill,” “child abuser,” “alcoholic,” and “ex-convict” have a big impact on decision-making.
Statuses like these modify personal identity and limit alternatives and opportunities in the eyes of those in charge of sentencing.
Stereotypes and master statuses can not be confused because while a stereotype indicates in this scenario that the observer is the one who filters any additional information about the case at hand, a master status heavily influences any final decisions made even when other information may be relevant.