Rolleteoriiden
Rolleteoriiden is an umbrella term used in Finnish-language scholarship to refer to a family of theoretical approaches that analyze how individuals understand, perform, and negotiate social roles. The term gathers theories from sociology, psychology, and organizational studies that focus on role expectations, role performance, and the social construction of roles.
Origins trace to mid-20th-century role theory and symbolic interactionism, with later integration with identity theory and
Key concepts include role expectations, role conflict, role strain, role transition, and role negotiation. The framework
Applications span education, workplace management, healthcare, and political participation. Researchers examine how role concepts influence behavior,
Methodologically, studies combine qualitative interviews, ethnography, and discourse analysis with quantitative measures of role clarity and
Critics argue that the field can oversimplify complex power dynamics or downplay structural constraints, and note
See also: Role theory; Symbolic interactionism; Dramaturgical analysis; Social identity theory.