The Journey Of Adulthood, 5/e Helen L. Bee & Barbara R. Bjorklund Chapter 6 Social Roles The Journey...

The Journey Of Adulthood, 5/eHelen L. Bee & Barbara R. Bjorklund

Chapter 6 Social Roles

The Journey of Adulthood 5/e by Bee & Bjorklund. Copyright © 2004 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Age-related changes in social roles

•Social roles: expected behaviors and attitudes that come with one’s position in society.

•Social role transitions: roles change over the lifespan.

•Although there is a lot of variability, there are are-related patterns in roles.


Gender roles and stereotypes

• Gender roles: describe what men and women actually do in a given culture during a given historical era.

• Gender stereotypes: refer to sets of shared, often inaccurate and inflexible beliefs about what all men and all women have in common. [see Table 6.1 in the text]

• Common male stereotype: instrumental qualities (e.g., competence).

• Common female stereotype: communal qualities (e.g., affiliation).



Gender roles and stereotypes

Origins of gender roles:

• learning-schema theory• social role theory• evolutionary psychology


• Significant individual variability in the sequence and timing of roles.

• Leaving home• Becoming a spouse or partner• Becoming a parent

Social roles during early adulthood



Becoming a spouse or partner

• Whereas marital rates are decreasing, rates of cohabitation are increasing.• Egalitarian roles at the beginning of marriage.• Men tend to be relationship initiators.• Women are more often relationship maintainers.• Household tasks tend to divide along gender lines.• Strong link has been found between marital happiness and health (stronger link between marital happiness and health in men).



Becoming a parent

• 90% of adults in the US will eventually become parents.• See Figure 6.4 in the text for age of childbearing.• Early family-life-cycle has a significant impact on pattern of later life.• After birth of first child, marked shift toward traditionalism.• parental imperative• Curvilinear relationship between marital satisfaction and family stage.


Social roles during middle adulthood

• Existing roles are redefined and renegotiated.• Most find this time of life to be characterized by better physical and psychological health and more life satisfaction than in younger years.• The empty nest: children leaving home.• Crossover of gender roles versus expansion of gender roles.• The role of grandparent is often added during the middle adult years.• For some, role of grandparent becomes one of surrogate parenting.


Social roles during middle adulthood

The generational squeeze

• Role strain theory: there is a limit to the number of roles a person can take on, and multiple roles can exacerbate stress.• Role enhancement theory: multiple roles are beneficial because some roles serve as buffers against the stress from other roles.


Social roles during late adulthood

• Living alone• Receiving care

• Numerous advantages to receiving care from family members.• Risks of elder abuse and negative

psychological effects of loss of independence.


Social roles in atypical families

Life long singles Childless Divorce (and remarriage)


• Singlehood is increasing in the US.

• Life long singles must cope with violating social expectations.

• Challenge to find a supportive network and a kin confident.

• Financial resources also buffer against problems in adulthood.

Life long singles

Individual differences in cognitive changes



• The rate of childlessness is increasing dramatically in the US.

• Childlessness is often a choice.

• For women, major career differences if elect to remain childless.

• Childless couples are not faced with the generational squeeze.

• Childless as happy in late adulthood as couples with children.

Childless



• Divorce and remarriage add more complexity to the roles one must fill.

• Increases the chance for role conflict and role strain.

• Financial implications.

Divorce (and remarriage)


Variations in social timing

• Social timing refers to the roles we occupy, how long we occupy them, and the order in which we occupy them.

• There are culturally different expectations (social clock).

The Journey Of Adulthood, 5/e Helen L. Bee & Barbara R. Bjorklund Chapter 6 Social Roles The Journey...

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