Role theory
Dr.S.Vidhya
What is Role?
Role is the behaviour prescribed for an individual designated status.
Characteristics of Role
● Role was the basic factors in the process of socialization.
● Role as cultural pattern. It is culturally determined.
● Role as a social norm example sex role.
● Role as a synonym for behaviour.
● Role defined as participation in special group. Eg:-Role playing Role
practice.
Role-Definition
Role is a bridge between psychological and social process.
CONCEPTS AND CONSTRUCT OF ROLE THEORY
● Learning of roles :-Child takes a set of duty dual roles-himself to of
Others. E.g. Teacher ,Mother.
● Rola Vigour: - Amount of deviation that is permitted from role prescriptions.
● Role Ambiguity: - No formal recognition in the social system. Eg;-faster parent.
● Role Set:- One's status includes a wide variety of the role. Eg:- school Social-which includes management &
students.
● Role complementary and discomplementary Complementarity exists when reciprocal role of a role partner carried
out without difficulty. E.g.:-listener for a speaker, parent-child.
Causes for failure -
● Cognitive discrepancy it is a failure of role to performer
● Lack of acceptance of roles
● Absence of instrumental. E.g.:-a person want to be generous but lack of money
● Discrepancy in culture value orientations.
Explicit and Implicit roles
● Explicit roles are conscious, exposed to observation to aware of the. E.g.:-client agency.
● Implicit Role – Person unaware of roles. E.g.:- dependant client.
● Role Conflict- Confusions the role performance.:- the mother has a first child experience how to grow a our fulfil with
her first child.
Study phase
● Study phase- It is the first step in counselling you need to analyse & collect the information both the client. E.g. History
of Client.(child hood information)
● Role strain
● Action , oriented client “act rather than talk.”
● Clarify role expectations.
● Client – discuss physical aches and pains. Social worker – “psychological factors drop out occurs.”
● Utilization of role theory- investigated demands for social performance.
Diagnosis
● Helps in interpretation.
● Emphasize can interpretation or transition.
● Enlarges the diagnostic picture
Role/ performance at various levels
● Where the role creates stress role violates minimal societal standards and may cause stress to individual
courts/juvenile home
Eg. When he child committed mistakes/Alcoholic person not accepted in working areas
● · Alcoholism, Unemployment/role differs based on social standards
Family Diagnosis and Family treatment
Family treatment-
Modify and clarify role expectations, behaviour within clarify role expectations, behaviour within
family
Role theory is group work or community organisation
● It helps in assessment of groups and community.
● Initiating group experience or intervening in group, unrealistic expectations of members can be reviewed.
● In groups and communities- role relationship are examined, descriptions and sanctions are reviewed, are shared
responsibilities.
● · Social workers involved group and community recognised to negotiate successfully for groups and
community
● · Depending upon the group/ communities were decide he role to be enacted.
Intervention
● Problem related to performance of acceptable role. E.g. due to illness
● · Problematic roles E.g. deviant role, lack of role model.
● · Problem -structure of social system-affect the behaviour of individuals
● · Incapacity of role performance, intra and inter conflict, frustrating role expectations.
Role Induction is treatment
● Enact role which the client feel comfortable to maintain interpersonal relationship
● · Client has changing role patterns of co-operation and resistance.
Role enactment
● Freud stated analyst enactment different roles- teacher, parents etc
● · Greeson –‘re - education’- offers role model for identification
Equilibrium and DisEquilibrium in treatment:-
Worker has to make a choice is either promoting equilibrium or disequilibrium in the interaction
