Stereotyping Status

One of the main ideas of unit two is a status, which is a position in a social hierarchy that comes with a set of expectations. There are many different types of status, such as ascribed, embodied, achieved, and master status. Ascribed status is one we are born with and most likely never changes, such as one's gender or race. An embodied status is a physical aspect of our selves such as a disability or one's personal beauty. Achieved status is earned through hard work and our own efforts. Examples of this would include a skill or a hobby as well as your occupation. An achieved status can also be acquired in some other way, these would include something like a mental illness, drug addiction or a criminal identity. Above all others is the master status which seems to override all others that make up our identities. Master status' carry with them expectations that generally blind people of other aspects of our personalities. This often brings up stereotyping, because before people even get to know you they judge you automatically based on what you should be like because of the status you hold.

An Achieved status that I have worked very hard for is being one of the best senior level three cheerleaders in my gym. I have been in competitive cheerleading since I was four years old. Starting at the absolute bottom with no skills or experience I had to slowly work my way up. Not only having to perfect levels one, two and three stunting and tumbling skills. I needed to have the best jump skills, be tight on the floor and be coordinated in advanced level dance techniques. Besides the physical aspects I needed to also be a role model to all other athletes not only on my team but in the gym as well. I needed to lead by example and be there for anyone who is struggling. Now at the age of eighteen years old I can finally proudly say that I have achieved my highest set goal in the lifestyle I have lived for the last fourteen years of my life.

A stereotype I am always getting judged with is "Oh your a cheerleader? Do a cheer for me, Cheerleading is not even a sport, You just stand there and yell" As you can imagine all I want to do is freak out, but leading by example for other members of my gym, I simply just prove them wrong. Many people assume that because I am a cheerleader that I am snotty and that I think I am so much better than everyone else. When people get to know me and my personality they find out that I too have insecurities just like them and that I am one of the most down to earth people they have met. Another standard that people expect me to "live up to" because I am a cheerleader is that I must be a ditzy blonde who can barely lift her own purse because she's afraid to break a nail. First I am not even allowed to have nails, it is a safety precaution, I can bench press just as much as some of the boys in my class, and I can squat more than most of them.

Through my experiences of