Introduction
The role of society in the life of each person plays an essential role in its formation and development. The way a person communicates and meets with people depends on his personal views and behavior. Since childhood, people are taught the right choice of friends to strive to be better. Parents try to separate their children from the negative influence of society. However, much depends on the interests and behavior of the person. Throughout his life, he finds himself in different situations and people’s groups and does a lot of different things. Accordingly, it changes the society in which one is located.
The number of human cares and activities in today’s world increases every day. As mentioned in the previous slide, there are many different societies and people’s groups in which a person may be in a lifetime. It is important to note that this factor will change the person’s social role. This presentation will explore vital aspects of human life such as his role in society, the influence of the community on him, and the social role theory. Particular attention will be paid to how the theory can be practically applied in social casework.
Social Role Theory
People’s social roles and their characteristics are contained in social role theory, which describes these factors in detail. This theory is popular with sociologists, who investigate the different social functions of a person’s behavior in society. People’s communication with each other and their relationships have a special place in social role theory. Social psychologists consider social role theory to explore mate preferences (Sczesny & Eagly, 2019). This theory has many aspects, such as cultural aspects, which will be discussed in this presentation.
Cultural Aspect of Social Role Theory
One of the most essential roles of the person in society is their role as a gender. How a person is aware of their gender, male or female, or any other, depends not only on their behavior but on how others in society will perceive him. It is known that many cultures have different ideas about the role of genders and people’s behavior in society. The social role theory suggests that mate preferences are based on some cultural expectations (Sczesny & Eagly, 2019). For example, in many cultures, the role of women in society is determined by the fact that they have less rights than men and are obliged to marry to obtain those rights. Therefore, when assessing the gender role in society, many aspects, including culture, might be considered.
Roles in Social Theory
In addition to the gender role in social role theory described in the previous slide, it will be helpful to highlight other social functions of the person in society. It should be emphasized that the social roles of modern people are not limited only to their social roles as an employee and family member. According to Newman B. and Newman P. (2020), “social role theory traces the process of socialization and personality development through the person’s participation in increasingly diverse and complex social roles” (p. 247). At an early stage of life, the social roles of a person begin to shape their behavior. In addition to the usual functions of son or daughter, friend, and gender roles, the roles of school person, student, or partner in relationships are added.
As a person grows older, new social roles emerge. They influence their behavior and attitudes directly. The profession and career position of a person have a remarkable impact. The influence that the social role of the worker has on his expected behavior is significant. Human behavior depends on how one communicates with colleagues, what knowledge a person uses at work, whether he develops or degrades performing his function as an employee, and many other aspects (Newman B., & Newman P., 2020).
Application of the Theory
Before understanding how to apply social role theory to social casework, it is important to emphasize what social roles mean. A social role is a behavior pattern expected of a person in a given setting or group (Sczesny & Eagly, 2019). Social role theory examines how a person’s social role affects actions depending on the situation. This situation can be work, family, company of friends, society of different countries or cities, and much more. Accordingly, the main result that can be obtained by applying this theory is to conclude the expected behavior of a person in different situations.
In order to better understand how social role theory can be applied in social casework, it will be helpful to consider a specific situation. An example is the study of a certain period of human life, such as maturity. The pattern of adult behavior concerning his social roles can provide information about his psychological state. According to Newman B. and Newman P. (2020), “this theory helps explain similarities in adolescent behavior by offering insight into what is sometimes referred to as historical cohorts Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z” (p. 247). Therefore, it is possible to study human behavior in society using the social role theory.
Social Role and Life Course Theories
To fully understand what social role theory is, it will be essential to scratch out more social theories related to each other. In addition to social role theory, there are interpersonal theories, family theories, life course theories, and cultural theories (Newman, B. & Newman, P., 2020). Life course theory has a special connection with social role theory. As Newman B. and Newman P. (2020) state, “life course theories consider the integration and sequencing of key roles, especially family and work roles” (p. 247-248). Therefore, these two theories are closely related to each other.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it will be essential to re-emphasize the features of social role theory. Studying the person’s social role in specific situations, this theory becomes particularly useful in today’s world, when the number of such situations increases. Consequently, the number of patterns of human behavior increases. The modern parent or student, or worker, as the chameleon, adjusts to different groups of people and situations. Learning about such social roles and applying the knowledge gained will help to understand better how the individual adapts to society.
References
Newman, B. M., & Newman, P. R. (2020). Theories of Adolescent Development. Academic Press, pp. 245-250. Web.
Sczesny, S., & Eagly, A. H. (2019). Gender roles in the future? Theoretical foundations and future research directions. Frontiers Media SA.