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A role (sometimes spelled '''rôle''') or, in Sociology , a '''social role''' is a set of connected Behaviour s, Right s and Obligation s as conceptualised by Actor s in a social situation. It is mostly defined as an expected Behaviour in a given Individual Social Status and Social Position . A function is part of an answer to a question about why some object or process occurred in a system that evolved or was designed with some goal. Thus function refers forward from the object or process, along some chain of causes to the goal or evolutionary success. For example, the function of chlorophyll in a plant is to capture the energy of sunlight for photosynthesis, which contributes to growth and reproduction, and reproduction contributes to evolutionary success. Compare this to the mechanism of the object or process, which looks backward along some chain of causation. The term is used in two rather different but related Sense s. It is vital to both Functionalist and Interactionist understandings of Society , but is of only peripheral Relevance to Conflict Theory . ''Role confusion'' is a Situation where an Individual has Trouble determining which role he/she should play. For example, one could be a College Student who would attend a Convention of a particular recreational interest and find his or her Teacher there. Conflict between behaving as a student and as an Enthusiast who shares the same Interest emerges, leading to Confusion . ''Role strain'' characterises a situation where fulfilling a certain role has a Conflict with fulfilling another role. For example, you found your teacher made a Mistake and should you report that? If you did, you might disgrace him and if you didn't, you might not fulfil your role as student. While role conflict takes place across different Role Set s, role strain happens within the same role set. ROLE IN FUNCTIONALIST AND CONSENSUS THEORY The functionalist Approach , which is largely borrowed from Anthropology , sees a "role" as the set of Expectation s that Society places on an Individual . By unspoken Consensus , certain Behaviour s are deemed "appropriate" and others "inappropriate". For example, it is appropriate for a Doctor to dress fairly conservatively, ask a series of personal Question s about one's Health , touch one in ways that would normally be forbidden, write Prescription s, and show more Concern for the personal Wellbeing of his Client s than is expected of, say, an Electrician or a Shopkeeper . Notice that "role" is what the doctor ''does'' (or, at least, is expected to do), while , golf club President , Father , and so on. Roles can be semi-permanent ("doctor", "mother", "child"), or transitory. A well-known example is the ''sick role'' as formulated by Talcott Parsons in the late 1940s . A person who is judged to be "sick" is exempted from his usual roles; is not held personally Responsible for his Incapacity ; can only take on the ''sick role'' on condition that he wants to eventually get well and return to a "normal" role; and he must co-operate with his officially designated Helper s (doctors and others). Role conflict is a special form of Social Conflict that takes place when one is forced to take on two different and incompatible roles at the same time. Consider the example of a Doctor who is himself a Patient , or who must decide whether he should be present for his daughter's Birthday Party (in his role as "father") or attend an ailing patient (as "doctor"). (Also compare the Psychological concept of Cognitive Dissonance .) In the functionalist of Law , for example, can be seen as the Combination of many roles, including " Police Officer ", " Judge ", " Criminal ", and " Victim ". Roles, in this conception, are created by society as a whole, are relatively inflexible, are more-or-less universally agreed upon, and individuals simply take their designated roles on and attempt to fulfil them as best they can. Although it is recognised that different roles interact ("teacher" and "student"), and that roles are usually defined in relation to other roles ("s for Correct Behaviour . The Distinction between "role" and Norm and Culture thus becomes sterile. Nevertheless, although the classic Functionalist approach to "role" is no longer regarded as an especially useful Tool in the modern sociologist's approach to understanding societies, it remains a fundamental concept which is still taught in most introductory Course s and is still regarded as important, particularly so when considering relatively homogeneous, united societies like the middle-class post-war USA that gave birth to it. More broadly, "role" in this static, defined-by-the-whole-of-society such as the Government . ROLE IN INTERACTIONIST OR SOCIAL ACTION THEORY In Interactionist social theory, the concept of role is crucial. The interactionist Definition of "role" pre-dates the Functionalist one (which is a later borrowing from the same source), but is more fluid and subtle, and remains a more fruitful concept. Oddly enough for a concept which has been adopted by two of the three major branches of Sociology and is central to a good deal of Anthropology as well, the first systematic use of the term "role" was made by a Philosopher , George Herbert Mead , in his seminal 1934 work, ''Mind, self and society''. A role, in this conception, is not fixed or prescribed but something that is constantly negotiated between individuals in a tentative, ) testing them and either confirming them or modifying them. This can be most easily seen in encounters where there is considerable Ambiguity , but is nevertheless something that is part of all social interactions: each individual actively tries to "define the situation" (understand her role within it); choose a role that is advantageous or appealing; play that role; and persuade others to support the role. SEE ALSO |
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