Managing the Massage Classroom
When you don’t know what to do
ask for a cup of tea
and learn how to ask for help.
Do your work, then stand back.
Hugh Milne
ROLE THEORY:
Role theory is a perspective in sociology and in social psychology that considers most of everyday activity to be the acting out of socially defined categories (e.g., mother, manager, teacher, class clown). Each social role is a set of rights, duties, expectations, norms and behaviour a person has to face and to fulfill. The model is based on the observation that people behave in a predictable way, and that an individual’s behavior is context specific, based on social position and other factors. The theatre (in this case, the massage classroom), is a metaphor often used to describe role theory.
Role theory is designed to explain how individuals who occupy particular social positions are expected to behave and how they expect others to behave. A role can be defined as a social position, behavior associated with a social position, or a typical behavior. Some theorists have suggested that roles are expectations about how an individual ought to behave, while others consider how individuals actually behave in a given social position. Others have suggested that a role is a characteristic behavior or expected behavior, a part to be played, or a script for social conduct.
Depending on the general perspective of the theoretical tradition, there is a range of ‘‘types’’ of role theory. The theory posits the following propositions about social behaviour:
- The division of labor in society takes the form of the interaction among heterogeneous specialized positions that we call roles;
- Social roles included “appropriate” and “permitted” forms of behavior, guided by social norms, which are commonly known and hence determine expectations;
- Roles are occupied by individuals, who are called “actors”;
- When individuals approve of a social role (i.e., they consider the role “legitimate” and “constructive”, they will incur costs to conform to role norms, and will also incur costs to punish those who violate role norms;
- Changed conditions can render a social role outdated or illegitimate, in which case social pressures are likely to lead to role change;
- The anticipation of rewards and punishments, as well as the satisfaction of behaving in a prosocial way, account for why agents conform to role requirements.
Individuals accumulate different roles at any given stage within the life course. Throughout life, individuals transfer into and out of different roles, keeping some, leaving others behind, and beginning new roles. These role transitions accompany transitions through life stages and can be easy or difficult, depending on the timing and social context. Sometimes we can even notice these shifts within a single semester at massage school. What we as instructors need to do is to hold the students and the roles they play with open hands, so change and shifts can happen more gracefully.
Massage School - bridging differences
Some Roles we may see being acted out in the massage classroom are listed below. It is ASIS’s belief that as instructors, we should take none of this personally, yet in keeping with the theory of “evocative learning”, these issues are fertile ground for learning to take place for the students, and also for us as instructors.
Below is from David Mee-Lee, M.D.
“Attention seeking“
We all have the need for attention to some extent. So if you are skilled at getting noticed, are respected, and do that in ways that contribute positively to others’ lives, you are often seen as a positive attribution to society. In the classroom setting, it is helpful for us as instructors to help everyone “be seen” within the group setting.
If one is not skilled at getting noticed and regarded, and go about seeking it in annoying, intrusive ways, they are now then considered “attention seeking”. Such people are crying out to be respected and taken seriously. Don’t just call them names under your breath and shut them out. They too need to be embraced and nurtured like our “favorite students”.
“Entitled“
We all have a need for fairness, to receive what is our right to have, to be acknowledged and appreciated for what we have done or deserve, (Chakras). If you are skilled at achieving this recognition and what is rightfully yours, you are applauded for knowing what you want and how to succeed.
Sometimes individuals are not skilled at gaining respect. They are not good at getting things that are rightfully theirs. Perhaps they have not been taught the value of hard work and diligent effort to reach a goal. These individuals may even use counterproductive interpersonal skills. In the massage classroom setting, we may want to help this person feel more a part of the group.
“Acting out“
When a person has the skills to deal with frustration, disappointment and stress, then usually, no one is offended by the person’s behavior and coping mechanisms.
Someone may not be skilled at managing stress, frustration, and needs for love and acceptance. Therefore their ineffective attempts to cope with their troubling feelings and needs often ends up by being noticed and targeted as “acting-out” behaviors, which need to be subdued and controlled. In the massage classroom setting, this may also be the individual speaking out for the group. Even though how they are saying something may not be on point, take the time to note what they are saying, and work a response to that, rather than react to the energy of how they are saying it.
