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Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Memorial College of Las Piñas

Understanding the Self

Class Activity for Module 3

Name: FLORES, MAUREEN DE VEGA Section: BSA I-1

Activity 1: Pre-Assessment: (10points)

Read carefully the following statements/questions. (Type your answers on the
space provided)

1. What is Sociology? (1pt)

Sociology is a study of social life, social change and the social

causes and effects of human behavior. This is achieved by analyzing the
dynamics of the constituent parts of societies, such as organizations,
cultures, populations and gender, ethnic or age groups. Sociology also
examines social class or stratification, social movements and social
reform, as well as social disorders. In general, this generates insights into
the interconnectedness between the self and other people.

2. He introduced the concept “Looking-glass self”. (2pts)

CHARLES HORTON COOLEY

3. According to him, self-identity continuously changes due to the demands of

multitude of social contexts, new information technologies, and globalization.
(2pts)
GERRY LANUZA

4. He suggests that the self has two divisions: the I and the me. (2pts)
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD

5. Enumerate in order George Herbert Mead's development of the self’s three-stage

process. (3pts)
1. PREPARATORY STAGE (0-3 years old)
2. PLAY STAGE (3-5 years old)
3. GAME STAGE (8 or 9 years old)
Activity/Evaluation:
This is a closed module activity. Please observe honesty.

A. Multiple Choice. (1pt. each – 5 pts.)

(Instruction: Encircle the letter that corresponds to your answer.)

1. He introduced the concept of "looking-glass self."

a. George Herbert Mead
b. Charles Horton Cooley
c. Gerry Lanuza
d. Jean Baudrillard

2. He proposed the theory of social self.

a. George Herbert Mead
b. Charles Horton Cooley
c. Gerry Lanuza
d. Jean Baudrillard

3. During this stage, there is no self.

a. Game stage
b. Play stage
c. Preparatory stage
d. Role playing

4. During this stage, the self is developing.

a. Game stage
b. Play stage
c. Preparatory stage
d. Role playing
5. The attitudes, viewpoints, demands, and expectations of others and society.
a. Role taking
b. Role playing
c. Generalized others
d. Looking-glass self

B. True or False. (1pt. each – 5 pts.)

(Instruction: Write T if the statement is true and write F if it is false.)

F 6. I am the objective element of the self.

F 7. Me represents the spontaneous and unique traits of the individual.
T 8. The full development of the self is attained when the I and me are united.
 T 9. The postmodern individuals achieve self-identity through prestige
symbols that they consume.
F 10. During this play stage, individuals have a more sophisticated look of
people and an ability to respond to numerous members of the social
environment.

A. Critical Thinking – Essay (5pts. each – 10 pts.)

(Instruction: Read the following paragraphs carefully and give what is asked for
each number. Justify and elaborate on your answers.

1. Discuss Mead's stage of self. Describe how the development of self is

unique for every individual, and cite personal experiences showing how
Mead's stages relate to your skills.

George Herbert Mead, an American philosopher, sociologist, and

psychologist, together with other philosopher believes that the sense of self
emerges as the individual partakes and involves himself in the society.
I am astounded by the way he discussed how children and infants interacted
with the world around them and what stages they went through to develop
and strive as a unique and authentic person.

My mother used to tell me stories about myself when I was between the
ages of 2-3 years old. She says that I would like to grab the microphone and
sing in front of the television, imitating Jolina Magdangal. Sometimes,
because it has been my father’s hobby to play some cha-cha and disco,
whenever I hear the music, I would go straight up our dining table right away
and dance copying his moves. I can relate this to Mead’s first stage of the
self, specifically the preparatory, whereas according to him, children at this
stage imitate the people around them, especially family members with whom
they see, watch and interact daily, enswathed with bare innocence and hardly
understands the meaning of his or her words and actions.

Reaching the age of 5, I started imagining myself as a random type of

person. Way back then, I used to imagine myself as Wonder Woman, a
superhero with extreme powers. I remember having her costume and would
like to wear it all the time, even as I sleep. Sometimes, imagine myself as an
actress, a doctor, a soldier, a singer, a teacher and more. I definitely want to
laugh remembering all those, but as what I’ve read, it is part of the play
stage, where children play pretend as the significant character and starts to
view themselves in relation to others as they learn to communicate through
language and other symbols.
 Then, as I turned 9, I started to little by little know and differentiate right
between wrong, I learned to be mindful of my words and actions, scared to
receive a “palo” from my father if I ever misbehave. I am already disciplined,
taught to use “po” and “opo”, certain table manners, proper conducts, the
tradition of “pagmamano”, to respect the elders and to always listen. This
stage is called the game stage, children already develops the ability to
respond to numerous members of the social environment, understands their
social position and become concerned about and take into account the
generalized others' behavior, which refers to the attitudes, viewpoints,
demands, and expectations of the society. Based from all that I experienced, I
believe that the development of self is unique for every individual. As we grow
older, we incorporate lessons that we learn from our experiences and apply it
as we continue our journey. In this world, change is the only thing that is
constant. We change, not for the worst but to be a better version of ourselves.

2. How do you think the sense of self is achieved in our present society
wherein consumption has been the main organizing element? Focus
your discussion on Baudrillard's theory on the impact of postmodernity
on social life.

Sadly, nowadays, people tend to blind themselves with things that they
believed to be important; material things. They ought to mask themselves in
order to please the people around them and to reach the Everest-like high
standards of the world. According to Baudrillard, consumption structures the
postmodern society. Today, to live is to consume. Everything is up for
consumption. And life is organized around commodities. The price tag has
been the basis of achievement and self-identity. Expensive phones and
gadgets, jewelries, bags and shoes, there’s a lot to be named. People tend to
purchase a lot of stuffs that they don’t necessarily need, but only do so
thinking that it is only the way to be accepted.
I, myself is guilty to be one of them. Who wouldn’t really want to show off
these things if you know that you’ve worked hard for it? But then, If I am to
ask, the best way to really achieve the sense of self is to always be who you
are, what you really want to see for yourself and not what others wanted to
see. Authenticity is the very key. If you only free yourself and avoid the
watching eyes of the society, you will feel free and less burdened knowing
that you are happy and contented. In addition, I believe that there is nothing
wrong with purchasing and investing over things we want to spend our
pennies with. But we should always remember to that there is something
more important to invest on, faith and relationship with the Creator. “Set your
mind on things above and not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1 NIV)