Role conflict

Sometimes a person has trouble meeting the obligations of a role or role set. If this occurs because the role’s obligations are too demanding for the resources that the person has, sociologists call the problem role strain. Elliot Liebow found cases of role strain when he studied a group of black men who hung out on a Washington, D.C., street corner. Whereas most of the men had married at a young age with high hopes of being good husbands and fathers, most had failed at these roles – at first financially, then emotionally.

“Where the father lives with his own children, his occasional touch or other tender gesture is dwarfed by his unmet obligations. No matter how much he does, it is not enough”. Apparently, the inability of these largely unemployed men to perform the role of “good provider” caused enough stress to lead to failure at their nurturant, loving roles as well.

Another reason why people may feel role strain is that the performance of one role is at odds with the performance of another role. This clash between two competing roles is called role conflict. A classic example occurs in the world of business when a manager hires a close friend. The demands of the managerial role (giving employees directives, criticizing their work when needed, not showing favoritism) can conflict with the demands of being a good friend. Another example of role conflict occurs when the demands of a high-powered job (total dedication, long hours at the office) are at odds with the demands of being an adequate spouse and parent. In such situations, people often try to separate the conflicting roles by situation (employee at the office, wife and mother at home) in an effort to minimize the friction between them. But because this separation is difficult, some role conflict usually remains.

For the most part, people reconcile themselves to a world in which they will not always be able to perform their roles as well as they want to. This situation is not entirely negative, however, for problems in fulfilling role obligations can be a source of structural change. When enough people resist being caught in roles they have trouble playing, those roles gradually may be made more realistic. Such change may now be under way regarding the role of working parent, as evidenced by the more flexible working hours that some companies are allowing their employees with children. The result is structural change in the traditional expectations associated with the role of corporate employee.

Exercise 7. Choose the right answer.

1. When a person has trouble meeting the obligations of a role, it is called … .

a) role set;

b) role conflict;

c) role strain;

d) role therapy.

2. What can the inability to perform a role cause?

a) love;

b) stress;

c) pity;

d) happiness.

3. What do we call a role conflict?

a) a failure to perform your role;

b) an emotional stress;

c) a financial failure;

d) a clash between two competing roles.

4. Why does some role conflict usually remain?

a) It is impossible to separate some conflicting roles;

b) The performance of one role is at odds with the performance of another;

c) People are not able to perform their roles as they want to;

d) The role’s obligations are too demanding.

5. What can a problem in fulfilling role obligations lead to?

a) family problems;

b) problems at work;

c) structural change;

d) structural accumulation.

Exercise 8. Fill in the gaps using the words given below, and translate the sentences into Russian.

behaviour observe attitudes performance careful

obligation employer encouraged experience relationship

1. It’s often very difficult to change people’s … .

2. If you have not signed a contract, you are under no … to pay them any money.

3. He was notorious for his violent and threatening … .

4. I don’t think she has the … for the job.

5. After … consideration of your proposal, I regret to say that we are unable to accept it.

6. We need a reference from your former … .

7. Scientists have established the … between lung cancer and smoking.

8. Some athletes take drugs to improve their … .

9. We were … to learn foreign languages at school.

10. The role of scientists is to … and describe the world, not to try to control it.

Exercise 9. Match the verbs on the left with the nouns on the right. Make up sentences with the phrases you’ve got.

1. to occupy	a) a role;
2. to play	b) a commitment;
3. to avoid	c) at odds with;
4. to interpret	d) a post;
5. to enforce	e) at a young age;
6. to meet	f) a disaster;
7. to marry	g) a conflict;
8. to cause	h) a purpose;
9. to be	i) a role;
10. to fulfill	j) a decision.

WRITING AND COMMUNICATION

Exercise 10. Write an essay on one of the given topics.

1. Characteristics of a Social Role.

2. Role Conflict.

3. Social Roles and Social Norms.