Although the word role (or roll) has existed in European languages for centuries, as a sociological concept, the term has only been around since the 1920s and 1930s.
Meski kata 'peran' sudah ada di berbagai bahasa Eropa selama beberapa abad, sebagai suatu konsep sosiologis, istilah ini baru muncul sekitar tahun 1920-an dan 1930-an.