Re-viewing `Role' in Processes of Identity Construction

TLDR

Role theory has largely been dismissed in contemporary critical literature, yet the concept of role remains a persistent theme in organizational discourse. This paper argues for a re‑examination of role, particularly in how it articulates with the processes of constructing identity. Using three interview segments, the authors develop the notion of role as a boundary object drawn from the sociology of science and technology literature. Viewing role as an incomplete, emergent boundary object yields a richer, more complex understanding of identity construction and aligns with broader theoretical conversations.

Abstract

Although role theory appears to have been largely dismissed from the contemporary critical literature, role is nevertheless a persistent theme in the discourses of organizational actors. This paper argues that it is timely, therefore, to re-view role, particularly as it articulates with the processes of constructing identity. Drawing on three interview segments that evoke a variety of roles, we develop the notion of role as a boundary object (a concept that we have appropriated from the sociology of science and technology literature). We show that this provides a much richer and more complex understanding that recognizes role as an inherently incomplete and emergent intermediary in identity construction processes. Further, we suggest that this view of role resonates with, and informs, wider theoretical conversations about identity construction.