Social role

A social role is a set of expectations for behavior associated with a position in a social setting. It guides how people act and how others respond to them.

Role theory: A framework for explaining behavior through the roles people occupy and the expectations attached to them. It explains how expectations attached to social positions guide behavior.
Social status: A socially recognized position held by a person within a group or society. A role consists of expectations linked to a social position.
George Herbert Mead: An American philosopher and sociologist whose work connected the self to social interaction and shared meanings. His account of role-taking explains how social interaction shapes the self.
Gender role: A set of social expectations associated with perceived gender in a particular society. It shows how role expectations can be organized around gender.
Social identity: A person’s sense of self shaped by membership in social groups and categories. An identity concerns belonging and self-understanding; a role concerns expected conduct.
Social norm: A shared expectation about appropriate behavior within a group or society. Norms supply standards that define conduct expected in a role.
Ascribed status: A social position assigned at birth or involuntarily later in life. Some roles follow positions people receive rather than choose.
Ralph Linton: An American anthropologist who distinguished social status from the role associated with it. His distinction helped establish the status-and-role framework.
Professional role: The duties, conduct, and responsibilities expected of someone in a profession. Professional settings formalize expectations for people occupying occupational positions.
Personal identity: The traits, experiences, and commitments through which a person understands their individuality. Individual self-understanding is not identical to expectations attached to a position.

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