Page 181 - Sociology and You

1. A husband and wife discuss the disciplining of one of their children.
2. A mother is expected to take care of her children.
3. A businessman has no time for his children.
4. A school principal hands out diplomas at a graduation ceremony.
5. A corporate chief executive officer is economically forced to terminate employees who are his friends.
a. role
b. role conflict
c. role performance d. role strain
e. social interaction
Do you think this young man is suffering from role conflict or role strain?
Chapter 5 Social Structure and Society 151
effects of conflicting roles. A college coach experiencing the role strain as- sociated with coaching and recruiting simultaneously can decide to give priority to one over the other. He may, for example, let his assistant coach do most of the recruiting until the season ends. Ranking incompatible roles in terms of their importance is a good way to reduce role conflict and strain. An organized-crime member may reduce role conflict by seg- regating his criminal activities from his role as a loving father.
Because of role conflict and role strain, meeting the goals and expec- tations of all our roles is impossible. This poses no problem as long as role performance occurs within accepted limits. Professors at research- oriented universities may be permitted to emphasize teaching over re- search. Coaches may accent fair play, character building, and scholarship rather than a winning record. Professors at research universities who do too little publishing or coaches who win too few games, however, usu- ally will not be rewarded for very long. At some point they will be judged as failing to meet expected role performance. (For more on handling role conflict, see Sociology Today on the next page.)
Section 2 Assessment
Match each situation below with the key term (a–e) it illustrates.
6. Which of the following is not one of the differences between a play and social life?
a. There is considerably more difference between roles and role performance in social life than between a script and a stage performance.
b. Unlike the stage, there are no cues and responses in real life.
c. Role performance in real life is not the conscious process that
actors go through on the stage.
d. In social life, the cues and responses are not as programmed and
predictable as on the stage.
Critical Thinking
7. Applying Concepts Are you presently experiencing role conflict or role strain? If you are, analyze the source. If not, explain why at this time
you are free from role conflict and role strain, making clear the meaning of the concepts.