Conformity to social roles

Conformity to social roles refers to the adoption of specific behaviour and belief patterns by an individual in a particular social setting. For instance, a teacher may exhibit different behaviour and beliefs while interacting with students in their classroom compared to their friends outside of school. This type of conformity is known as identification, where an individual alters their public behaviour and private beliefs while in a specific social role.

Observing the social roles of others enables people to learn how to behave in certain situations and conform to these behaviours. Consequently, a new teacher is likely to conform to the behaviours and beliefs of their colleagues in the school environment, rapidly assimilating into their social role.