Role conflict

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A role conflict is a special form of social conflict . It exists if a carrier has a social role , i. H. for a socially acting subject who contradicts the expectations of his reference groups relevant in a situation . As the social world becomes more and more complex, there are also more frequent role conflicts. Robert K. Merton is one of the most important representatives of role theory . He distinguishes between intra role conflicts and inter-role conflict . This distinction is also made by Ralf Dahrendorf , who is one of the best-known representatives in German-speaking countries. Conflicts can also arise due to insufficient role knowledge and lack of resources. Finally, there is also the person-role conflict.

Requirements for role action

In order for the various roles that everyone has to function smoothly and there are no complications, a number of conditions must be met. Roles always depend on the expectations of different reference groups . Take a woman as a mother as an example. So the reference group would be their children, who have certain expectations of them, such as a daily lunch. In her professional role as a saleswoman, she has two reference groups, namely her superiors on the one hand and her customers on the other.

These expectations must be compatible with a person's various roles and with their personal interests and needs. The expectations must also be clearly defined and the fulfillment of the expectations in turn depends on whether the means are given for the fulfillment. If one of these requirements is not met, there will be role conflicts.

Intra role conflict

This type of role conflict occurs when the expectations of the various reference groups within a role cannot be reconciled. The role bearer should therefore meet contradicting expectations. Since it is unrealistic to meet all expectations, it must be weighed up which expectations should be better met and which not. A non-fulfillment can of course also have negative consequences and therefore in most cases the decision will be made for the expectation with the least consequences. But it could also win the most influential reference group, although this results in higher costs for the role bearer.

Example: Customers of a fashion store expect honest advice from the saleswoman. However, management expects the saleswoman to sell as many items of clothing as possible.

Inter-role conflict

This type of conflict is about conflicting expectations between a person's different roles. This becomes especially a problem when two roles are assumed at the same time. To resolve such conflicts, the role bearer weighs up again between the possible consequences, similar to an intra-role conflict.

Example: The management expects the saleswoman to work some overtime per week. The children want their mother to spend more time with them.

Deficient role knowledge

If the role expectations of the reference groups are not defined clearly enough, conflicts can arise due to insufficient role knowledge. So the role bearer does not know exactly what is actually expected of him / her. If he / she takes on a role that is new to him / her and is not yet used to a corresponding situation, such conflicts can arise. At such a moment he / she has to trust that the reference group will forgive him / her for such a “rookie mistake”.

Example: The saleswoman who has only been working in this job for a week gives the wrong change. She now hopes that she will be forgiven for this mistake because of the new and unfamiliar situation for her.

Lack of resources

Role conflicts can also arise when the resources required to carry out a role are not available. Even if the role bearer would like to perform a role correctly, but the necessary resources are not available, conflicts can arise. Such situations often have to be solved through improvisation.

Examples: a saleswoman who comes to work in a jogging suit because her work clothes have been soaked through a burst pipe in her apartment; a university professor giving a lecture in the university's largest lecture hall with a broken microphone; a student who wants to get to school on time for an exam, but the school bus is late

Person-role-conflict

This type of conflict occurs when role expectations are inconsistent with a person's personal interests and needs. The role carrier is unable or unwilling to perform a role. Being overwhelmed is an example of a person-role conflict. One solution to this would be for the person to adapt and grow into the role over time, or for the role to adapt to the person i.e. In other words, the reference groups have lower expectations of the role and more or less accept that the person is overwhelmed with the role and does not perform it well.

Example: The saleswoman has to take over the branch management after the sudden death of her superior. However, since she does not have the necessary leadership skills and insufficient assertiveness, she feels overwhelmed in this role. She is also more interested in following instructions than giving them. It could now be that she is permanently performing the role poorly and the company threatens to fail, or she is facing the challenge and growing into the role of supervisor.

Dealing with role conflicts

Like many social conflicts, these conflicts cannot be "resolved"; they can only be countered by different strategies. In the case of intra-role conflicts, one can opt for one aspect or, in the case of inter-role conflicts, one role and expose oneself to negative social sanctions in the neglected aspects or roles , or try to partially meet all expectations with restrictions. Many social strategies are possible here, to name just one example, to mention or to try to hide the extent of the expectations of the role partners, etc. Here too - sometimes different - negative social sanctions are inevitable. In addition, attempts can be made - together with like-minded people - to modify role expectations in such a way that fewer role conflicts occur. Here, accepting the impossibility of an absolute fulfillment of the role is the tolerance for ambiguity .

literature

  • Dahrendorf, Ralf (2006). Homo Sociologicus. An attempt at the history, meaning and critique of the category of social role. 16th edition. Wiesbaden: VS publishing house for social sciences.
  • Merton, Robert K. (1957). The role set. Problems in Sociological Theory. The British Journal of Sociology. Vol. 8/2. Pp. 106-120.
  • Uwe Schimank: Action and structures. Introduction to actor-theoretical sociology . 3. Edition. Juventa Verlag, Weinheim / Munich, 2007.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Uwe Schimank: Action and Structures. Introduction to actor-theoretical sociology . 3. Edition. Juventa Verlag, Weinheim / Munich, 2007, pp. 55–56.
  2. ↑ Uwe Schimank: Action and Structures. Introduction to actor-theoretical sociology . 3. Edition. Juventa Verlag, Weinheim / Munich, 2007, p. 55.
  3. ↑ Uwe Schimank: Action and Structures. Introduction to actor-theoretical sociology . 3. Edition. Juventa Verlag, Weinheim / Munich, 2007, p. 55.
  4. ↑ Uwe Schimank: Action and Structures. Introduction to actor-theoretical sociology . 3. Edition. Juventa Verlag, Weinheim / Munich, 2007, pp. 56–58.
  5. ↑ Uwe Schimank: Action and Structures. Introduction to actor-theoretical sociology . 3. Edition. Juventa Verlag, Weinheim / Munich, 2007, pp. 58–59.
  6. ↑ Uwe Schimank: Action and Structures. Introduction to actor-theoretical sociology . 3. Edition. Juventa Verlag, Weinheim / Munich, 2007, pp. 59–61.
  7. ↑ Uwe Schimank: Action and Structures. Introduction to actor-theoretical sociology . 3. Edition. Juventa Verlag, Weinheim / Munich, 2007, pp. 61–62.
  8. ↑ Uwe Schimank: Action and Structures. Introduction to actor-theoretical sociology . 3. Edition. Juventa Verlag, Weinheim / Munich, 2007, pp. 62–63.