What is a social role (give examples)? How does one violate his or her role?

What is meant by
role exit? And how does role exit relate to the socialization process? Distinguish between
primary and secondary groups (give examples).

include detail, examples from reading, specifics, and critical analysis. Thoroughly complete each
question. (Remember: detail is good!)

A social role is a set of behaviors, duties, and norms that society expects from someone
that holds a particular status. Social roles and statuses are intertwined, but they are different;
social statuses are the label that a person has, while social roles are the behaviors that are
expected to come with that label. For example, let’s take into consideration the achieved status of
soccer coach. While the status is “soccer coach,” the social roles that are associated with “soccer
coach” are: knowledgeable about the rules of soccer, instructs the players on how to play,
advises them on different tactics, and knows their players’ strengths/weaknesses. One can violate
their social role by acting contrary to what the role normally entails. For example, the social role
of a restaurant server entails, among other things, to have a cheerful and welcoming disposition.
A server could violate their expected role by being irate, rude, and unwelcoming to customers –
that is not what is expected from their role. Role exit occurs when an individual steps out of a
role and into a new one. It is important to note that individuals can inhabit many different roles at
once; in the textbook, it gave the example of an individual having roles of a student as well as the
roles of an employee. Role exit can occur when people switch careers, they reach a certain age,
move to new location, or even as the time changes. For example, a role exit can occur when a
CEO of a company, who usually has a role to govern others sternly, arrives home and leaves the
role of CEO for the role of a father, who has more caring expectations. Role exit relates to the
process of socialization as it is important to switch roles to stay a regular member of society.
Society expects people to play different roles in different situations. For example, if the
mentioned CEO were to play the role of commanding others into a court trial regarding his
wrongdoings instead of playing a role that holds regret and seeking forgiveness, he would likely
alienate the jury and swing the case against him. If people never switched roles, then society
would not be able to function, and proper socialization would not be possible.
 In sociology, primary groups are groups whose members see each other regularly and
intimately, with acknowledgement that goes beyond that of a business/formal relationship. Their
members see each other face-to-face and share a personal concern for one another, with a
relationship that often spans many years. On the other hand, a secondary group is the opposite –
its members do not connect on a deep, personal level and do not see each other intimately.
Secondary groups are groups of a formal and impersonal nature. An example of a primary group
would be a family or a close-knit group of friends that have known each other for a long time.
An example of a secondary group can be a group that shares the same employer and works
together on the same floor but do not see each other outside of work.

- Mikyla Maglente