Social Roles What Are Social Throughout our lives, we are acquiring what sociologists call social roles. A social role is a set of expectations for peo ple who occupy a given social position or status. Thus, in the United States we expect that cab drivers will know how to get around a city, that secretaries will be reliable in handling phone messages, and that police officers will take action if they see a citizen being threatened. With each distinctive so- cial status whether ascribed or achieved-come particu lar role expectations. However, actual performance varies from individual to individual. One secretary may assume extensive administrative responsibilities, while another may focus on clerical duties. Similarly, in Philip Zimbardo's mock prison experiment, some students were brutal and sadistic as guards, but others were not