Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Applying the Burke-Tully procedure to the measurement of the college student role, this article explores the consensus of college students on role meanings, the correspondence between college student role and identity meanings, and the implications of variations in identity on role performance. Data on the meanings of the college student role and four counter-roles, college student identity, and three role performances were obtained from a questionnaire administered to 640 college undergraduates. Results indicate that: (1) there is a general consensus on the meanings of the college student role, (2) college student identities are not limited to the range of meanings which characterize the college student role, and (3) differences in the college student identity are related to variations in role performances. The findings suggest that individuals may be motivated to excel in activities that support the meanings of their identities.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alexander

Norman C.

Knight

C. W.

1971 “Structured identities and social psychological experimentation”. Sociometry 34: 65–82

Borgatta

Edgar C.

1969 “The structure of personality characteristics” pp. 246–274 in Borgatta

E. C.

(ed.) Social Psychology of Personality Characteristics. Chicago: Rand McNally

Burke

Peter J.

1977 “The self: Measurement implications from a symbolic interactionist perspective”. Presented at the 1977 meeting of the American Sociological Association

Burke

Peter J.

Tully

Judy

1977 “The measurement of role identity”. Social Forces 55: 881–897

Erikson

Erik H.

1968 “Identity and identity diffusion,” pp. 197–207 in Gordon

Gergen

K. J.

(eds.) The Self and Social Interaction. New York: John Wiley

Foote

Nelson N.

1951 “Identification as the basis for a theory of motivation”. Amer. Soc. Rev. 26: 14–21

Gordon

Chad

1968 “Self conceptions: Configurations of content,” pp 115–154 in Gordon

Gergen

K. J.

(eds.) The Self in Social Interaction. New York: John Wiley

Kerckhoff

Alan

1976

“The status attainment process: Socialization or allocation?”

Social Forces 55: 368–381

Lindesmith

Alfred R.

Strauss

Anselm L.

1956 Social Psychology. New York: Dryden

10.

McCall

George J.

Simmons

J. L.

1966 Identities and Interactions. New York: Macmillan

11.

Merton

Robert K.

1957 Social Theory and Social Structure. New York: Macmillan

12.

Osgood

Charles E.

Succi

George J.

Tannenbaum

Percy H.

1957 The Measurement of Meaning. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press

13.

Rosenberg

Morris

1976 “Beyond self-esteem: The neglected issues in self-concept research”. Presented at the annual meetings of the American Sociological Association, August 30-September 3

14.

Sarbin

Theodore R.

Allen

Vernon L.

1968 “Role theory,” pp. 488–567 in Lindzey

Arinson

(eds.) Handbook of Social Psychology, Vol. 1. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley

15.

Strauss

Anselm L.

1959 Mirrors and Masks. New York: Macmillan

16.

Stryker

Sheldon

1968 “Identity salience and role performance”. J. of Marriage and the Family 4: 558–564

17.

Turner

Ralph

1956 “Role-taking, role standpoint, and reference-group behavior”. Amer. J. of Sociology 61: 316–328

18.

Turner

Ralph

1962 “Role-taking: Process versus conformity,” in Rose

(ed.) Human Behavior and Social Processes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

19.

Turner

Ralph

1968 “The self-conception in social interaction,” pp. 93–106 in Gordon

Gergen

K. J.

(eds.) The Self in Social Interaction. New York: John Wiley

20.

Turner

Ralph

Shosid

Norma

1976 “Ambiguity and interchangeability in role attribution: The effect of alter's response”. Amer. Soc. Rev. 41: 993–1006

College Student Identity

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References