ü Introduction Social Role
Every member
of the community is allocated a specific set of social roles. The world is seen
as a stage in the concept of social roles, and the people who assume various
social roles are seen as actors on that stage. The idea that a person's
activities go outside of predefined categories is advanced by the role theory,
which is based on the fact that people behave in a predictable manner. It
claims that a person's actions depend on their social standing and other
contextual circumstances.
For
instance, there are differences between the societal roles of an electrician, a
doctor, a psychologist, a mother, and a grandfather. When you become a doctor,
you are expected to fulfil a number of social obligations, including the
ability to diagnose and treat illnesses, be knowledgeable, be able to prescribe
the required medications, and so on. It is believed that those who rise to the
same social level will behave consistently.
social roles definition and examples in sociology
Ø Definition:
"A role
is the function of a status," said Young & Mack.
"A
social role is an expected behaviour connected with a social position,"
says Duncan Mitchell.
"A
collection of behaviours, attitudes, expectations, and privileges expected of
someone who possesses a given class," according to Calhoun, Light, and
Keller.
The five
main models of social role theory, according to renowned sociologist Bruce
Biddle, are:
• Functional
Role Theory: This theory looks at social roles with a focus on prevailing
social norms.
• Symbolic
Interaction Role Theory: This theory examines how people's perceptions of others'
actions affect their social roles.
• Structural
Role Theory: This theory looks at how roles are affected by society as a
whole using mathematical models.
• Organizational
Role Theory: Examines how roles change within organisations.
• Cognitive
Role Theory: Investigates how expectations and behaviour are related.
In
sociology, there are various categories of social roles, including:
social roles definition and examples in sociology
• Cultural Roles - Culture is one of society's most important characteristics.
People frequently interact with various facets of culture. A person who
practises culture is expected to live up to such norms. For instance, a priest
must perform rituals and ceremonies as part of his duty.
• Social Differentiation - This refers to the adjustments made to social roles as a
result of relationships and profession. Various professions, like teaching,
nursing, and plumbing, require different roles from their practitioners.
• Situation-specific roles: People adopt various roles depending on the circumstance. A
person may occasionally end up being an accident victim or an eye witness as a
result of unforeseen circumstances.
• Bio-sociological roles: People in the environment have a
variety of duties to preserve and protect nature and all of its inhabitants.
• Gender roles: - We are expected to assume gender-specific roles, such as
those of a father, mother, woman, etc.
Social
Roles are a subject that is covered by numerous concepts. Let's examine some of
those in more detail:
• Role conflict: Role conflict refers to the circumstance that arises when a
person is required to act in conflicting roles in daily life. Conflicts can
result from competing interests or from disparate standards of what constitutes
proper performance of a certain role. Role conflicts occur in both the personal
and professional spheres. The scenario that arises when a working mother is
thought to not fit into the position of a "good wife" is an example
of a role conflict.
• Role Distancing: The act of separating oneself from a role is referred to as
role distancing. For instance, an actor may frequently need to put the idea of
role distance into practice, switching between personal and professional
perspectives.
• Role exit: Role exit is the procedure of leaving one role to establish a
new one. The transition of a person becoming a parent is one example.
• Role expectations: These are the behaviours that are
anticipated of a person in a certain role. For instance, certain roles are
required of people in each profession.
• Role performance: This phrase describes a person's level of performance in
relation to the role that has been allocated to them.
• Role reversal: This phrase describes the act of people switching roles with
one another. As an illustration, a psychologist may occasionally ask a close
friend or relative for assistance.
• Role segregation: Role segregation is the practice of keeping role partners
apart from one another. As an illustration, a court judge would not take the
stand in a case in which she has a personal stake.
• Role set: This is the overall collection of roles that a person
possesses as a result of the different roles that she plays.
• Role strain: This is the pressure a person feels to fulfil the duties and
expectations that come with any role. An illustration would be if someone
wanted to prepare supper for his kids while working on a laptop.
• Role-playing: The process of pretending to be someone else in order to see
things from their perspective. An illustration is when a lawyer examines a
matter while attempting to perceive it from the perspective of the accused.
social roles definition and examples in sociology
