Running head: Expectations of social roles 1

Expectations of social and family roles

Harjot Singh

Fresno City College

Introduction

People tend to behave in a certain way depending on the situation they’re in. If something

wrong happens in their life that they weren’t expecting can change their mood and reaction

immediately. Not only that it also affect their life in the long run. Family roles play an important

role in our life. Moreover, they tell us how to react in a certain setting or situation. Social roles

can be classified at any level. There are universal social roles that reflect our identity and where

we are coming from. Social roles can be understood by looking at the role people play in society

in their everyday lives. Your behavior reacts to the each social role that you adopt. We all play

various amounts of social roles just in a single day. Look deep inside yourself and see how you

start your day as playing one thing and end your day being another.

Expectations of family roles is seen as a big thing in my family. Intentional and

unintentional forces worldwide continue to introduce important changes in family roles, in

expectation and practice. Social role applies to family in multiple ways, but examining adult

roles is complicated by a family's living arrangement. Family roles vary importantly among

one-parent, two-parent, and multiple-parent families depending on the combination of persons by

gender. “Family roles shape how we interact with each other in the family system”. (Family

roles, Inner Change). Common titles identify family role location such as mother, father,

daughter, son, uncle, or aunt. These titles identify the general status and gender of the people

within the family. Gender is important in making social distinctions because families often

transmit wealth and property by gender, making a person's sex a factor in determining family

status. Role status and the precision of these terms vary widely among the world's cultures.
Expectations of social roles 3

Personal Examples

I have to be on point in the social/family role that I’m playing. I’m someone’s son,

brother, friend and so on. So in each situation, I have to fulfill one’s expectations or I will be

seen as irresponsible which affects my identity. It depends on the situation I’m in. If I am in my

aunt’s house, I’m still performing my duty as a son to her since she relies on us. Whenever I’m

with my dad or uncle, I’m working even harder to prove them that I’m steady on the right track

and one I day I’ll make them proud no matter what goes wrong around me. To my sister, I’m just

a tough older brother and she is scared of me. She’s scared because she knows that her brother is

focused on his goals and I’ve to be just like him too. “The family hero is your typical Type A

personality: a hard-working, overachieving perfectionist”​.​ ​(Baker, Common Family Roles).

Social roles are good but to some limit. My friend is the only child and he’s treated way

differently by his parents than me. He’s always supported by his family and never gets yelled

even if he comes late at night. I believe that my parents are not like that because they want me to

go through the same struggle that they went in their adolescent years. They want me to be strong

and be an example for my community and family so that all the little kids in our community can

look up to me. It also kind of pushes me to not give up. Sometimes I feel like giving up from

some of my goals that once I wanted to accomplish in my life but whenever I feel like that, the

thought of my parents and their teachings just kicks in my mind and I get back on track. I’m

pretty sure it’s similar in different cultures around the world. As of other day, one of my

classmate was talking about how he has to look perfect in front of his younger siblings. I believe

that older one’s are seen as a role model in our society. “There is nothing inherently wrong with
Expectations of social roles 4

playing roles, but it is important to notice when the roles start to play us.​” ​(Krznaric, Do you feel

trapped by your social roles). It’s good to play your social roles but not to the extent where you

can’t even live your own personal life. You should not feel being trapped by certain social/family

roles.

History of family and social roles

The structure and function of the family are changing at a rapid pace as it can be seen by

different generations. The roles keep on changing decades after decades but some of them stays

the same. The history of family and social roles are different from culture to culture. The

background of a culture’s history adds on to the family roles and also the social roles in a

society. Coming from a immigrant family also brings the values of being a part of that particular

culture, but also at the same time, you have to be aware of your surroundings and the way you

treat people from other communities and cultures, moreover your social roles defines your

identity in the particular society you live in. It also holds your family background and pride.

“Each family has its own ways of deciding who has the power and authority within the family

unit, and which rights, privi​leges, obligations, and roles are assigned to each family member.”

(Roles within a family). The way you treat someone can tells that person where you’re coming

from. Family expectations are dependent on their living circumstances. “It gives a strong family

control over its members.”(Understand families) My younger siblings have to look up to me, so I

cannot act in a negative way in front of them, and then there’s also a pressure from your

surroundings, family, relatives that no matter what, you have to be successful somehow because

my younger siblings will not be deflected from my deeds.

Conclusion
Expectations of social roles 5

Family and social roles are properties because they hold a value, and that value is way

more expensive than anything in this world. If you’re not fulfilling your particular social role in

your family, the value of you will decline tremendously. It will break the bond, the relationship

between you and your family member which could take years to build up again. Even if your

relationship that person gets better again, it would still not be the same as it was in first place.

Personally, I believe that the way you’re raised, your culture, identity reflects who you are. If

you grew up in a big family, then I’m pretty sure that you’ve done a great job in fulfilling those

family and social roles and you would also want your particular family one day to be the family

you grew up in. On the other side, it could also be totally different. So it really depends on what

you’ve gone through in your life and how you’re reflected by it.
Expectations of social roles 6

References

(2015).​https://www.innerchange.com/parents-resources/family-roles/ “Family Roles”.

Baker N.

(2017).​https://www.rehabs.com/6-common-family-roles-in-an-addicted-household/ “Common

Family Roles”.

Krznari R.

(2017).​https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-should-we-live/201705/do-you-feel-trapped-

your-social-rolesrticle. “Do you feel trapped by your social roles?”

(2015).​https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/Pages/Roles-Within

-the-Family.aspx. “Roles within the Family”.

(2009).​http://www.strongbonds.jss.org.au/workers/families/dynamics.html. “Understanding

families”.