Abstract
The concept of role is a central one in social psychology. The role of a person in a given position can be defined as the set of expectations other people have of the behaviours and attributes appropriate to that position; and the set of prohibited behaviours and attributes seen as totally inappropriate to that position. Each person will occupy many roles in the course of a day — for example, as a wife, mother, physiotherapist, student nurse, doctor etc. Role is the dynamic aspect of position.
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Further Reading
Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (New York: Doubleday Anchor)
Kahn, R.L. et al. (1964). Organizational Stress: Studies in Role Conflict and Ambiguity (New York: Wiley)
Duck, S. (1986). Human Relationships (London: Sage)
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© 1991 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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(1991). Role. In: Essential Psychology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-30665-0_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-30665-0_14
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-8957-6
Online ISBN: 978-0-585-30665-0
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