Ascription in Modern Societies

Ascriptive ties permeate the organization of the differentiated institutional sectors of modern society and helps to explain the prevalence of residual ascriptive elements in modern societies.

Abstract

While “ascription” occupies a central place in Parsons' scheme, some of its positive functions in a highly differentiated system have been underemphasized. Because of its economical use of established social arrangements, ascription contributes to the performance of all of the system functions—pattern maintenance, integration, goal‐attainment and adaptation. This helps to explain the prevalence of residual ascriptive elements in modern societies. The institutionalization of mass education and civil rights breaks down some ascription, but, at the same time, increases for the larger society the useability of the internal organization of its ascriptively defined groupings. Hence, ascriptive ties permeate the organization of the differentiated institutional sectors of modern society.