Role Theory Perspective Research Articles

Career plans of men and women in gender-dominant professions

This research investigated sex differences in the career plans of 557 men and women completing graduate training in the male-dominated professions of business, law, and medicine and the female-dominated professions of education, nursing, and social work. Content analysis was performed to determine the continuity, specificity, ambition, and accomodation of family responsibilities reflected in plans for 2-, 5-, 10- and 20-year points. Chi square analyses showed clear patterns of sex differences in the feminine professions. Except for child care, the plans of women in male-dominated groups were not significantly different from those of male colleagues. The findings are discussed from the perspective of role theory.

Role analysis of the position of the homemaker-home health aide.

This research attempted to clarify the definition of the role of the homemaker-home health aide, the individual who provides directly the personal and homemaking services to enable persons who cannot perform these basic tasks for themselves to remain in their homes. The research focused on the definition of this role by analyzing it from the perspective of role theory and by describing the role activity among agencies that meet the National HomeCaring Council criteria for formal accreditation and/or approval. The findings revealed very little conflict in role definition between the providers and the consumers of homemaker-home health aide services.

Further comment on the homosexual role: A reply to goode

While Goode's commentary has ably demonstrated the utility of the concept of the role, it has not come to terms with Whitam's remarks (1977) about the importance of sexual Whitam gave several examples of males who clearly had a preference for sexual relations with other males but who did not have knowledge of or contact with a gay community (1977, pp. 5; 7). I agree with Whitam that such males should be conceptualized as having a homosexual preference. Although the gay community does not cause the sexual preference in the Elrst place for such cases, the social norms distinct to the gay community, including the expectations surrounding the role, certainly do have effects on the behavior of those who frequent gay places. As mentioned previously (Omark, 1978), Whitam (1977) did not distinguish between sexual object preference and sexual orientation identity. He subsequently asserted (1978, p. 275) that self-identity as a gay male could emerge along with the preference, without any contact with the gay community. His examples do not show this, and his assertion is absurd. In the role theory perspective, a social identity (such as gay male) is directly connected with the corresponding social role. One may have many identities (e.g., gay male, insurance salesman, golfer, son, etc.), each of which is limited in salience by the frequency of participation in places where the role can appropriately be enacted and where a suitable audience can be found which is willing to respond to the role enactment by conElrming the presented identity (Goffman, 1959; cf. William James, 1890, p. 294). A gay community in a large metropolis which has a territorially delimited neighborhood and many gay social institutions and gay places can more easily encapsulate a gay member's activities and

Role Theory Perspectives for Health Professionals

Role Theory Perspectives for Health Professionals

The Inexpressive Male: Functional-Conflict and Role Theory as Contrasting Explanations

Functional-conflict and role theory perspectives are compared and contrasted in their ability to explain male inexpressiveness. Although both perspectives should be utilized as approaches to study male inexpressive behavior empirically, it is suggested that the role theory approach has the advantage of incorporating both the individual and the social structure in explaining male inexpressiveness. It is suggested that change in male expressiveness can be expected if males are encouraged to devote less time and energy to roles where the expression of feelings are eschewed and more to emotionally laden roles.

Role theory and the female sex role

Women's sex-role perceptions and behavior were studied from the perspective of role theory, with an emphasis on examining the situational nature of female sex roles and the degree of consensus among women concerning female sex roles. The perceived appropriateness and expected outcome for sex-role characteristics and the actual enactment of masculine and feminine behaviors were examined for women in social and work situations. It was hypothesized that feminine behaviors prevail in social situations and masculine behaviors in work situations. This hypothesis was clearly supported for perceived appropriateness and actual behavior, but not for expected outcome. For this variable, the predicted pattern was found only in the social situation. It was also hypothesized that the degree of consensus across women is higher for feminine than for masculine characteristics, but this pattern was found only for perceived appropriateness and actual behavior in the social situation.

Actor's Status and Conformity to Norms: A Study of Students' Evaluations of Instructors

The relationship between behavior and interpersonal evaluation is examined from the perspective of role theory. We hypothesize that others' evaluation of a role actor—his or her status—is related t...

Social organization, A general systems and role theory perspective, by Alvin I. Bertrand

Social organization, A general systems and role theory perspective, by Alvin I. Bertrand

Social Organization: A General Systems and Role Theory Perspective.

Social Organization: A General Systems and Role Theory Perspective.

Widowhood, Morale, and Affiliation

Data from sample surveys in five nations are examined in an assessment of the attitudes and affiliative ties of widowed and married persons. Results suggest that (1) neither self-theory nor role-theory perspectives are adequate to explain the differentials which appear, and (2) the negative, long-term consequences of widowhood seem to derive from socioeconomic deprivation rather than widowhood itself The widowed have seemed to have lower morale and to be less affiliated than the married because they are much poorer than married people. Researchers must apply adequate controls for economic status if the social and psychological impacts of widowhood are to be distinguished from the effects of poverty.

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:The Psychology of Visual Illusion. By J. O. Robinson.Human Senses in Action. By Roland Harper.Cognition and the Development of Language. Edited by John R. Hayes.Psycholinguistics: Chomsky and Psychology. By Judith Greene.A Primer of Signal Detection Theory. By D. McNicol.Psychology of Reasoning: Structure and Content. By P. C. Wason and P. N. Johnson‐Laird.Psychology of the Arts. By Hans Kreitler and Shulamith Kreitler.Coding Processes in Human Memory. Edited by A. W. Melton and E. Martin.Sleep Research: a Critical Review. By F. R. Freemon.The Context of Social Psychology: a Critical Assessment. Edited by Joachim Israel and Henri Tajfel.Social Psychology: a Cognitive Approach. By E. Stotland and L. K. Canon.The Social Psychology of Work. By Michael Argyle.Social Organization: a General Systems and Role Theory Perspective. By Alvin L. Bertrand.The Practice of Managerial Psychology. By A. J. DuBrin.Carmichael's Manual of Child Psychology. Third edition. Volumes I and II. Edited by P. H. Mussen.Psychopathological Disorders of Childhood. Edited by H. C. Quay and J. S. Werry.Perspectives in Child Psychopathology. Edited by H. E. Rie.Child Rearing and the Development of Moral Structure. By Günni Kärrby.Advances in Educational Psychology I. Edited by W. D. Wall and V. P. Varma.Clinical Behavior Therapy. Edited by Arnold A. Lazarus.Schizophrenia: Pharmacotherapy and Psychotherapy. By Lester Grinspoon, Jack R. Ewalt and Richard I. Shader.The Female Orgasm. By S. Fisher.

Problems of Disability from the Perspective of Role Theory

Problems of Disability from the Perspective of Role Theory