The purpose of this paper is to explain the theoretical meanings of transmitting the role theory especially the concept of “role category” into sociology of youth,and to attempt to afford a perspective for reviewing youth in China by the concept of role category.In this paper,the theory about role category is based mostly on the theories of H.H.Gerth C.,W.Mills,R.Dahrehdorf and Kurioka.According to the writer,role category is structured historically by the interaction between the player and the society and further, the structure of meaning change along with social change. In China,“Adolescence”(qingnian) as a young people’s pattern formed from 1910s’ is a role category that functioned before 1980s’.But now it has lost the function that it had.In the present society of China,“child”,“adolescence” and “student” are the most roles that young people are playing.
