By structure is meant the positions recognized by the specific social system and the content of the role. Structural role theory as developed by Linton and Parsons refers to the structural and functional aspects of status and role. In other words, there are certain social scripts or expectations associated with certain roles. That is, people interact with others, they see themselves and others as occupants of particular statuses, and they learn guides for action. One aspect of role theory studies how roles are learned during the process of social interaction. Role refers to the social expectations and the social scripts of family roles-how roles have been shaped by cultural conventions and by the collective ideologies of a society. The originators of role theory are Ralph Linton in sociology and George Herbert Mead in social psychology.
Role theory refers to the cultural norms regarding psychological and interactional aspects of members of society, such as mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and grandparents. James Georgas, in Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology, 2004 5 Family Roles and Power Volunteering and helping others can act as substitutes for roles lost over the life course, For example, becoming a volunteer after retirement may alleviate any negative consequences associated with losing the worker role, such as a loss of a sense of personal value and identity ( Greenfield and Marks, 2004). Older people tend to lose more roles than they gain, for example losing roles such as parent, spouse, worker, and active member of society. With aging an increasing imbalance occurs between the number of roles gained and lost ( Baltes, 1997). People often fulfill a set of roles at the same time (e.g., mother, director, and child), and this set may change over the life course ( Riley and Riley, 1994 Rotolo, 2000). Roles also provide directions for behavior in otherwise uncertain situations ( Hogg, 2000), which may serve to reduce stress and improve well-being. Roles can provide connection to other people and access to resources, which in turn may promote feelings of security, status enhancement, and ego gratification.
Roles tend to carry certain risks and benefits which may vary by individual characteristics, historical time, and cultural context. Roles refer to the social position people have (e.g., teacher, mother, and customer) and behavior associated with that position. Role theory has its origin in the work of the American sociologist Robert Merton ( Merton, 1957).
Role theory is an often-used explanatory framework for the benefits of volunteering and helping others for health and well-being. Marja Aartsen, Thomas Hansen, in Encyclopedia of Biomedical Gerontology, 2020 Role theory