A Motivational Theory of Roles, Rewards, and Institutions

In this paper, we attempt to rehabilitate the notion of role by linking sociological theory recent work on motivational, affective, and cognitive neuroscience specifying internal mechanisms behind motivated action. We argue that there is nothing inherently problematic or retrogressive in idea “role,” once its link a purely normative account action severed. Instead, conceptualizing roles as emerging persisting around structured reward systems, are able incorporate contemporary motivational science such rewards become proximate causal currently missing theory. Consequently, key implication our argument best way role, action, structures reviving institutions literal which allows us envision via pursuit delivery goal-objects routinized. Implications for roles, rewards, discussed.