Social Role Theory: when changing the role changes the story

Although we may consider ourselves free and autonomous individuals, the truth is that we all act, at least in part, according to a social script. One that we haven’t written ourselves, but which we interpret every day with more precision than we think.

This script, made up of norms, expectations, stereotypes and shared codes, is what sociology calls Social Role Theory. And understanding it not only allows us to observe with greater lucidity what happens in our organisations, but also opens the door to daring to write new roles.

What am I going to read about in this article?

Social Role Theory
Roles, Stereotypes and Invisible Ceilings
Implications for inclusion and diversity policies
Breaking the mould: between discomfort and opportunity

What exactly is Social Role Theory?

Social Role Theory, developed by Alice Eagly and others in the 1980s, argues that much of our behaviour is shaped by the expectations that society places on the “roles” we play: mother, boss, young woman, engineer, migrant, creative director, nurse, to name but a few.

These roles are neither static nor universal, but profoundly influential. They operate as frames of reference that tell us, more or less subtly, what is expected of us in each context.

In the workplace, these scripts manifest themselves in such everyday ways that they often go unnoticed: how a manager is expected to lead, how an intern should behave, what tone an administration manager should use, or who is in charge of taking notes in a meeting. What’s relevant is not only what happens, but what’s not questioned. And this is where the theory of social roles becomes a tool for observing, understanding… and also for transforming.

Roles, stereotypes and invisible ceilings

One of the most valuable contributions of this theory is that it helps to illuminate the link between role and stereotype. When certain social roles are persistently associated with certain characteristics – for example, that women should be empathetic and men assertive, that young people should be digital but disengaged, or that senior managers should be infallible – this is a role stereotype. And these stereotypes, while they may seem functional, tend to limit the possibilities for those who break the mould.

To understand the real impact of these stereotypes, one need only look at the findings of the Global Gender Gap Report 2024, published by the World Economic Forum. While there has been progress, the report notes that at the current rate, the global gender gap is still one hundred and thirty-four years away from being closed. One of the most persistent factors: occupational segregation based on gender stereotypes, where roles traditionally associated with men (such as leadership, technology or engineering) continue to be over-represented, while others, such as caregiving, continue to be dominated by women.

Other recent research, published in Nature Human Behaviour, concluded that cultural expectations of what a good leader “should be” are still closely linked to traditionally masculine traits, such as assertiveness or quick decision-making .

But gender is not the only thing at stake. Studies such as the one conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2023 show how the perception of the generational role is also loaded with clichés: while Generation Z is attributed with traits such as emotional fragility or disinterest in work, other data such as their strong social commitment, their ability to adapt to changing environments and their level of ethical awareness in professional decision-making are ignored.

Implications for inclusion and diversity policies

Social roles not only organise our everyday behaviours, they also delimit who fits in and who is left out of the dominant narrative. In a world where diversity is a given, but inclusion remains a challenge, understanding how these invisible scripts operate is critical.

Social role theory makes visible how certain stereotypes are perpetuated under the guise of normality. Gender roles, race, age or disability are just some of the prisms of prejudice through which we assess people’s abilities and aspirations.

In multicultural contexts or with ambitious equality policies, these stereotypes do not disappear: they simply adapt. And therein lies one of the great challenges of real inclusion.

It’s not enough to open the door to diverse profiles if, once inside, they’re expected to behave according to the traditional role that society has assigned to them. True transformation requires revising these patterns, allowing new narratives and – above all – creating spaces where each person can define themselves.

“It’s not enough to open the door to diverse profiles if, once inside, they’re expected to behave according to the traditional role that society has assigned them”.

Breaking the mould: between discomfort and opportunity

Challenging social roles is, first and foremost, uncomfortable. It means challenging deeply held beliefs, both in those who benefit from them and in those who have internalised them as the only possible ones. It’s no coincidence that those who step outside the script – a man who chooses to care full-time, a woman who leads strongly, a racialised person in a position of responsibility – are still perceived as exceptions, if not anomalies.

But it’s also an opportunity. For behind every challenged role is a possibility to expand the margins of what’s acceptable, what’s imaginable and, ultimately, what’s just. Organisations daring to review these patterns not only gain in reputation: they also gain in talent, innovation and cohesion.

From an ethical perspective, taking up this challenge means recognising that inclusion is not achieved by quotas or declarations of principle alone, but by a profound cultural transformation.

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