Social role is a status-role concept that is one of the most popular theories in sociology. Any person is a part of society, society and, in accordance with it, performs a number of functions, and therefore, in this concept, a person is a subject. Well-known American sociologists laid the foundations for the concept of personality, they were R. Minton, J. Mead and T. Parson, of course, each has individual merits for the contribution of their efforts and potential to the development of the status-role concept.
Social status and social role are the two main concepts that describe a person's social behavior. An individual, occupying a certain place in society, is fixed by a social position and has certain rights and obligations. It is this position that determines the social status of a person. At the same time, a person has several statuses, one of which is basic or basic, that is, the main status is the profession or position of a person.
The social role is the functions of a person that he performs within the framework of his social status in a particular social system. Andgiven that one person has several statuses, then, accordingly, he performs several roles. The total set of social roles within one social status is a social set. A person performs more social roles if he has a much higher status and position in society.
The social role of a person working in a security agency is fundamentally different from the role set of the President of the country, this is all clear and easy. In general, the American sociologist T. Parson was the first to systematize the concept of a social role, thanks to which five main categories were identified that allow qualifying individual social roles:
- Social role is something that is regulated in some cases. For example, the social role of a civil servant is strictly outlined, and the role of the fact that this employee is a man is very blurred and individual.
- Some roles are extremely emotional, while others require rigor and restraint.
- Social roles may differ in how they are obtained. It depends on the social status, which is prescribed or achieved by a person on their own.
- The scale and scope of authority within one social role is clearly defined, while in others it is not even established.
- Playing a role is motivated by self-interest or public duty.
It is important to remember that a social role is a model of behavior balanced between role expectation andthe character of a person. That is, it is not an exact mechanism and scheme, as expected from a specific social role, but role-specific behavior depending on the individual characteristics of a person. Once again, we will consolidate that the social role of a person is determined by a specific social status, expressed by a certain profession, field of activity. For example, a teacher, musician, student, salesman, director, accountant, politician. The social role of the individual is always assessed by society, approved or condemned. For example, the role of a criminal or a prostitute is socially frowned upon.
