Lesson 2-Sociological Perspective

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. describe and discuss the different ways by which society shape the self;
2. identify other factors or institutions in society that influence the self; and
3. examine your self in relation to the sociological perspective.

Guide Questions

1. What is the role of society on the self?

2. What is Mead’s theory of the social self?
3. What are the different agents of society?
4. How do these agents or institutions shape the individual or yourself?
5. Other than the given agents, can you name other factors that influence the self? To
what extent does each of these shape the self or yourself?

The concept of self has been debated by great thinkers in philosophy, but with the advent
of social sciences, new ways to reexamine the true nature of the self, have also been made
possible. One of the considerations in the analysis of the self focuses on relationship of the self
with the external world.

The Self and Society

Humans composed of body and soul or body and mind may be born gifted with intellect
and the capacity to rationalize things, yet as they grow up, they develop in their interaction with
external reality—their family, community and other agents in society.

We know from everyday experience that a person is partly forged in the crucible of
community. Relationships inform self-understanding. The question “Who I am” depends on the
person’s many "others” his family, his friends, his classmates, his work colleagues. For example,
the self the student takes computer gaming or malling with friends, differs in his actions,
behaviors and language from the self that talks to his school professors and personnel. Even his
most private and personal reflections are entangled with the perspectives and voices of different
people, be it those who agree with him, those who criticize, or those who praise him.

The 20th-century Russian philosopher and literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin believed that
the answer to knowing one’s self lay in dialogue wherein a person needs others , communicate
(using language) with them in order to evaluate his own existence and construct a coherent self-
image. Think of that luminous moment when a poet captures something he had felt but had never
articulated; or when he had struggled to summarize his thoughts, but he crystallized in
conversation with a friend. Bakhtin believed that it was only through an encounter with another
person that one could come to appreciate his own unique perspective and see himself as a whole
entity. Besides, it is to be noted that an individual’s interactions with others reflect who he is.
Social Self Theory

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George Herbert Mead, a sociologist from the late 1800s, is well known for his theory of
the social self, which includes the concepts of self: 'me,' and 'I.' His work focuses on the way in
which the self is developed.

Mead’s theory of the social self is based on the perspective that the self emerges from
social interactions such as:

 Observing and interacting with others

 Responding to others’ opinions about oneself
 Internalizing external opinions and internal feelings about oneself

The social aspect of self is an important distinction because other sociologists and
psychologists felt that the self was based on biological factors and inherited traits. According to
Mead, the self is not there from birth, but it is developed over time from social experiences and
activities.

Development of Self
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According to Mead, three activities develop the self: language, play, and games.

Language develops self by allowing individuals to respond to each other through

symbols, gestures, words, and sounds. Language conveys others' attitudes and opinions toward
a subject or the person. Emotions, such as anger, happiness, and confusion, are conveyed
through language.

Play develops self by allowing individuals to take on different roles, pretend, and express
expectation of others. Play develops one's self-consciousness through role-playing. During role-
play, a person is able to internalize the perspective of others and develop an understanding of
how others feel about themselves and others in a variety of social situations.
 Games develop self by allowing individuals to understand and adhere to the rules of the
activity. Self is developed by understanding that there are rules in which one must abide by in
order to win the game or be successful at an activity.

Two Sides of Self: Me & I

According to Mead's theory, the self has two sides or phases: 'me' and 'I.'

The 'me' is considered the socialized aspect of the individual. The 'me' represents learned
behaviors, attitudes, and expectations of others and of society. This is sometimes referred to as
the generalized other. The 'me' is considered a phase of the self that is in the past. The 'me' has
been developed by the knowledge of society and social interactions that the individual has gained.

The 'I', therefore, can be considered the present and future phase of the self. The 'I'
represents the individual's identity based on response to the 'me.' The 'I' says, 'Okay. Society
says I should behave and socially interact one way, and I think I should act the same (or perhaps
different),' and that notion becomes self.

The 'me' and the 'I' have a didactic relationship, like a system of checks and balances.
The 'me' exercises societal control over one's self. The 'me' is what prevents someone from
breaking the rules or boundaries of societal expectations. The 'I' allows the individual to still
express creativity and individualism and understand when to possibly bend and stretch the rules
that govern social interactions. The 'I' and the 'me' make up the self.

Socialization: Socialization Process

Humans learn the expectations of society through socialization, and socialization varies
based on race, gender and class.

Agents of Socialization

Family. Family introduces children to the expectations of society. Children develop their
sense of self from the environment in which they grow up. The way family members relate to
one another and operate together as a social group can shape a child's self-esteem, socialization,
and cultural identity. The person’s self -concept is influenced by his parent and siblings behavior.

Children’s language expressions, manners, behavior, attitudes, and even work roles have
their foundation in the family as the basic unit in society.
 The Media. The average young person (age 8–19) spends 6 3/4 hours per day immersed
in media in various forms, often using multiple media forms simultaneously.

Television is the dominant medium, although half of all youth use a computer or, perhaps,
cell phone daily.

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Peers. For children, peer culture is an important source of identity. Through interaction
with peers, children learn concepts of self, gain social skills, and form values and attitudes.

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Religion. Children tend to develop the same religious beliefs as their parents. Very often
those who disavow religion return to their original faith at some point in their life, especially if
they have strong ties to their family of origin and after they form families of their own.

Sports. Through sports, men and women learn concepts of self. Men learn that being
competitive in sports is considered a part of “manhood.”
 School. In school, teachers and other students are the source of expectations that
encourage children to think and behave in particular ways.

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Gender. Gender is mainly used conventionally to describe how the society gives certain
roles to boys and girls. Gender has to do with behaviors that have become associated with
masculinity and feminity, and with how people see their roles as male or female (Kauffman,
1997). Therefore, gender is related with how individuals perceive themselves in such a way that
most people of the same sex identify themselves with certain attributes. These attributes affect
children as they develop. Without doubt, the environment a child finds himself or herself in has
a lot of impact on the child.

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Oftentimes society forces a particular identity unto people depending on their sex and/or
gender according to some expectations they have been stereotyped since they were children. For
example, women (given doll toys) are supposed to behave as fine ladies and be care providers
for the family. On the other hand, men (given toy guns) are supposed to be tough to protect
women and be capable of physical labor. This gendered self poses a problem when what a person
thinks of himself/ herself or, perhaps, what he/she deems himself/ herself to be contradicts with
what society would demand culturally.

Other agents may include clubs, social groups, work or employment, government…

Recommended Reading/Viewing Materials

Factors Influencing Self-Concept

https://prezi.com/ixxsjf5fyx16/factors-influencing-self-concept/

Unit 5. The Self, Interaction and Socialization

https://www.slideshare.net/ndresscher/unit-5-the-self-interaction-and-
socialization?next_slideshow=1
References

Alata, E.J.P. et al. (2018) .Understanding the self. Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store, etc.

In Theory Bakhtin: Dialogism, Polyphony and Heteroglossia

https://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/in-theory-bakhtin-1/

Social Self and Socialization

https://www.slideshare.net/ArnoldDelfin1/social-self-socialization

Sociological Theories of the Self

https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Book%3A_Sociology_(Boundless)/04%3A
_The_Role_of_Socialization/4.02%3A_The_Self_and_Socialization/4.2B%3A_Sociological_Theori
es_of_the_Self

The Philosopher's guide to understanding the 'self' by Aeon

http://theweek.com/articles/692996/philosophers-guide-understanding-self.

Two Sides of Self: Me & I

https://study.com/academy/lesson/george-herbert-mead-the-self-me-i.html