SOC 3116 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Role Theory, The Roots

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 3116
• Professor: Chapman

Document Summary

During the past two decades, sociologists have devoted increased attention to history, to heterogeneity, and to the dynamics of change. The roots of research on life transitions can be traced to classic perspectives on: social roles, the relationships between social location and personal well-being, the mechanisms by which social contexts shape individual lives. Linton (1936) introduced the initial elements of role theory, defining status as a position in social structure and role as the expected behaviours of status occupants. Role theorists view social norms as the cultural referents that permit role allocation and socialization to occur in a routinized and predictable manner. The link between role theory and life transitions is straightforward role entry and exit are, by definition, transitions. These principles lead to the prediction that role based transitions typically operate smoothly, with little disruption to individual lives or to social structure. Conceptualizing the relationships between social location and illness.