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, andKeller.
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
