Discuss the strategies for coping with role conflict and role strain with examples.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Role conflict and role strain can produce tension, hostility, aggression, and stress-related physical problems. To deal with role conflict and role strain, some people deny that there is a problem. There are five more effective ways to minimize role conflict and role strain. First, people can reduce role conflict through compromise or negotiation.To decrease the conflict between work and family roles, for example, many couples draw up schedules that require fathers to do more of the housework and child rearing.Second, people can set priorities.If extracurricular activities interfere with studying, one should decide which one is more important. Succeeding in college always requires making sacrifices, such as attending fewer parties and not seeing friends as often as people would like.Third, people can compartmentalize their roles.Many college students take courses in the morning, work part time during the afternoon or evening, and devote part of the weekend to leisure activities. It is not always easy but usually possible to separate various roles.Fourth, people can decide not to take on more roles.One of the most effective ways to avoid role conflict is to just say "no" for requests to do volunteer work, pressure from family or friends to take on unwanted tasks.Finally, people can exit a role or status.Withdrawing from community activities and club offices, for example, can decrease role conflict and role strain considerably.