The functional aspect of status is known as ‘role’. It is also a behavioural aspect of duties which are associated with a status. When a person behaves in accordance with one’s position in society, it is termed as ‘role’.

1. Role performance : The way a person actually plays one’s role in a situation. 

2. Role set : A set of roles (a role complex) that centres around a particular social status. For example, a University professor frequently gets involved in teaching, research, consultancy, administration, publishing, examining etc. 

3. Role strain : A feeling of difficulty or stress in fulfilling the demands of one’s role obligations. 

4. Role conflict: Incompatibility between two or more roles that an individual is expected to perform in a given situation. For example, the role of a working women, who also manages the home. 

5. Role exit: According to Helen Rose, role exit is a process of disengagement from a role that i is central to one’s self identity, in order to establish a new role and identity.

Characteristics of social group: 

1. A social group consists of two or more persons e.g., two friends, wife and husband. 

2. Social group is a system of social interaction. 

3. Group life involves mutual awareness. 

4. ‘We feeling’ promotes group unity. 

5. Groups are formed for the fulfilment of certain common interests, e.g., political groups, religious groups, caste groups, sports groups

6. Each group has its own norms, rules to regulate behaviour of its members. 

7. Social groups are dynamic in nature, i.e. they change from time to time.