It is customary to call a social role the fixation of a certain position that an individual occupies in the system of social relations. Usually, each person fulfills several different social roles.
A social role is a socially necessary type of social activity and a method of personality behavior. The concept of social role was first proposed by the American sociologists Mead and Linton back in the thirties of the last century.
The main types of social roles
The variety of social groups and relationships in their groups, as well as types of activities became the basis for the classification of social statuses. Currently, the types of social roles are distinguished, such as: formal, interpersonal and socio-demographic. Formal social roles are associated with the position that a person occupies in society. This refers to his occupation and profession. But interpersonal roles are directly related to different types of relationships. This category usually includes pets, outcasts, leaders. As for the socio-demographic roles, these are husband, son, sister, etc.
Characteristics of social roles
The American sociologist Talcott Parsons identified the main characteristics of social roles. These include: scale, method of obtaining, emotionality, motivation and formalization. Typically, the scope of the role is determined by the range of interpersonal relationships. A directly proportional relationship is observed here. For example, the social roles of husband and wife are very significant because a wide range of relationships is established between them.
If we talk about the method of obtaining a role, it depends on the inevitability of this role for the individual. Thus, the roles of a young man or an old man do not require any effort to acquire them. They are determined by the person's age. And other social roles can be won over the course of life when certain conditions are achieved.
Social roles can also differ in terms of the level of emotionality. Each role is characterized by its own manifestation of emotions. Also, some roles involve the establishment of formal relationships between people, others informal, and still others can combine both relationships.
Motivation depends on the needs and motives of a person. Different social roles can be driven by specific motives. For example, when parents take care of their child, they are guided by a sense of care and love for him. The manager, however, works for the benefit of some enterprise. It is also known that all social roles can be subject to public assessment.
