Role exit

Abstract

Interconnections between social roles and identities can be intricate and ambiguous and, therefore, exiting a role to which we feel strongly committed can lead to the sense of identity being threatened. The idea of there being a consequence to leaving a social role rests on the premise that identities are formed within socio-cultural spaces and, therefore, when one leaves a role an empty space remains. In this chapter, we explore this process, often referred to as “role exit” and the seminal work of Blau (1972), who outlines four key reasons that may lead to such a transition. The chapter also provides a short snapshot of some of the large scale international programmes that have researched the reasons for and consequences of military exit in the United States and Canada