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Role Taking, Role Making, and Role Exiting

To easily navigate our social interactions, we place people in to social categories based on various characteristics we learn about them. Individuals go through the process of role taking, role making, and at times role exiting.

What are roles?

Roles are specific obligations or expectations that apply to behavior when we occupy a particular social position on a particular situation. These roles have to meet the norms of society because if we fail to match what is expected then we are questioned about why we are in that role by society. Roles are important because they assure people in position are interacting in a consistent manner. For example, there are certain expectations we have of doctors to treat us with delicacy when talking about a sensitive situation.They are also important because they help us predict and respond to attitudes and behaviors. Roles always are reciprocally linked meaning there are ties with different roles. For example, patients need doctors, while doctors need nurses.

Role Taking:

Role taking considers we must learn to look at ourselves and our actions from another's perspective. This allows us to coordinate actions with those of others we are linked. We are also constantly subconsciously evaluate each person's role that we come in contact with. For example, I expect a person performing the mother role to be nurturing, affectionate, and sensitive.

3 Factors that Shape Skills and Accuracy for Role Taking:

1. Extent of social experiences
2. Appropriate identities and performances involved
3. The degree of familiarity of the individual you are interacting with

Role Making:

Role making is the process of improvising performances within our behavior to meet the needs of a situation. Although, we aren't free to randomly add features to a role we still need to stay within the general expectations of a role. For example, Not all professors use the same teaching methods. Therefore, professors adjusts lectures to more interesting discussions when they see their students are bored.

Interactionists 2 Points About Role Making:

1. Roles don't dictate how we should act instead they are general sets of guidelines.
2. Role making requires to consciously think about a role and be able to place ourselves in that role.

Role Exiting:

Role exiting is individuals disengage from significant roles, which typically go through the process of "becoming an ex" . When leaving a role society is often times not that accepting. For example, individuals who are ex-convicts are constantly reminded by society the crimes they committed when applying to jobs and often times prevents them from obtaining the job.

Process of Role Exiting:

• Begin to doubt ability, willingness, or need to perform a role.
• Weigh the cost and benefits
• Reach a turning point
• Give up the role
• Pursue a new direction

Often times after leaving the "ex" role an individual displays cues they are no longer performing that role. This may occur through a change in clothes or behavior. For example, when a married couple gets divorced the individuals often times make themselves look available to catch the attention of others. But, they also experience role residual which is the continued identification of an individuals prior role. We can see this when college student athletes get injured and can no longer play, but when they go back home they are still considered the role of star athletes.

References:

• Fine, Gary A., Lively, Kathryn J., Martin, Daniel D., and Sandstorm, Kent L. (2014). Symbols, Selves, and Social Reality: A Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Social Psychology and Sociology.Oxford University Press. 6, 167-172.