Review Essay : Exiting Roles or Exiting Role Theory? Critical Notes on Ebaugh's Becoming an Ex

on a naturalistic inquiry into the process of ’role exit’, that is, the lines of action and the social-psychological moves that individuals deploy to disengage from a role and to establish new identities that incorporate past social status. The purpose of the book is to show that role exit is a ’sociologically unique’ and analytically separable social phenonenon a ’gener~c’ interactional process, distinct from role socialization, whose elucidation will move role theory forward (pp. 6. 15. 181-182). Being a former Catholic nun herself,‘ the author seeks to combine the subjective, empathetic understanding of the insider with the detached, analytical perspective of the outsider. As shall be argued below, however, this major statement of role