Ascribed Group Membership

Ascribed Group Membership

The state of belonging to a social group from which one cannot cease to belong. Ascribed group membership may include race, gender, ethnicity, and, to lesser extents, religion and socio-economic class. Ascribed group membership can affect the economic or business choices one makes. It can hinder business development (for example, it can be more difficult to start a business if one comes from a less wealthy background). It can also help in some circumstances (for example, one may have a built-in customer base in members of one's ascribed group).