SELF AND PERSONALITY

SELF
The self is the individual person, from his or her own perspective.

Self as a product of social interaction:

The self is not present at birth. It develops only with social experience where in language, gestures,
and objects are used to communicate meaningfully. The sociological perspective of the self is based
on the assumption that human behavior is influenced by group life.

SELF AND PERSONALITY

A particular view of oneself is formed through interactions with other people, groups, or social
institutions. For sociologists like George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley, the self is not
dependent on biological predispositions; rather, it is a product of social interaction.

1. George Herbert Mead theory of Social-Self:

George Herbert Mead’s theory of the social self, explained that the self has two divisions: the “I” and
the “me”.

Self As I Self as Me
The I is the subjective element and active side The Me is the objective element of self.
of the self.
It represents the unique and spontaneous traits It represents the internalized attitudes ,
of the individual. expectations and demands of other people.
The I is the response of individual to Me. The Me is what is learned interaction with
others and environment.
 The full development of the self is attained when I and Me are united.
 Muhammad Fayez quotes from G.H Mead about self-system that it is dynamic system
shaping personality with the passage of time.
2. Charles Horton Cooley Theory of Social-Self:

Sociologist Charles Horton Cooley introduced the looking-glass self to highlight that the people
whom a person interacts become a mirror in which he views himself. In his views , Personality is the
tendency to adjust our conducts to the conducts of others towards us and he named this
phenomenon as ‘Looking-Glass-Self’.

Each to each a looking glass ,

Reflects the other that dot pass.

It Is described as our reflection of how we think we appear to others.

Elements :

 Imagination of our appearance to other peoples

 Imagination of his judgement about that appearance.
 Self feelings such as pride inferiority or superiority
 3. Francis E. Merrill theory of Social-Self

Merrill call the social-self as a “core of personality”. According to him , the self is the product of
interaction in a number of group situation. Group situation holds various reference ( importance )
upon an individual. The individual takes the role of society as a whole towards himself as Meads call
this “ taking the role of generalized other”. Generalized other includes folkways , values , norms and
other normative elements of the culture.

SUMMARY:
Self is the core of personality and develops during group life in society. It goes on changing with
experiences in life. Self creates a feeling of love and hatred which are result of human observations
and experiences in social life. Therefore, self is the product of socialization and emerges during
socialization.