Role Theory

Concepts of role theory can be traced back to before 1900, although the use of the term “role” only became common in the 1930s (for more on the origin of role theory see Biddle and Thomas 1966, cited under General Overviews). The basic idea is that individuals have various roles in life and that these roles come with prescriptions on how individuals should behave. Banton 1996 defines a role as “the expected behaviour associated with a social position” (p. 749, cited under General Overviews). A social position (also referred to as a “social status”) is defined by Merton 1957 as “a position in a social system involving designated rights and obligations” (p. 110, cited under Additional General Terminology). Although this basic concept has mostly remained the same over different studies throughout the years (with some exceptions), role theory has developed over time, and many studies have been written in response to weaknesses in earlier descriptions. For example, the theory of role accumulation was developed in response to the focus of the theory of role strain on the negative sides of participating in multiple roles (both described in Multiple Roles). Also, the term “role” is sometimes broadened to also include social status and to include exhibited behavior in addition to expected behavior (George 1993, cited under Critics). As such, one cannot speak of one role theory but only of a collection of role theories. Role theory has inspired, and continues to inspire, much research.