ALYZA FAITH B.

DURAN

BEED-1A

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

“Understanding of the self only arises in relationship, in watching yourself in relationship to

people, ideas, and things; to trees, the earth, and to the world around you and within you. Relationship is
the mirror in which the self-revealed. Without self-knowledge there is no basis for right thought and
action.” By Jiddu Krishnamurti

In this day age, self-identity is important for an individual to figure out the self within him. The
basic idea of self-development is that “the self is not present at birth, rather, it develops while growing
through social experiences.” There are theories and concepts describing how the self develops for us to
understand the self and others., Self-determination is not dependent on biological prejudice; somewhat, it
is a product of social interaction. It means that, in relation to the basic idea, the self is not present at birth
or not inherited from our parents or ancestors. But it is a product of social interaction. Based on my
experience, my father is short-tempered, as is my sister, but I can manage my temper and stay calm. I
developed this trait through interaction with people with good tempers like my friends around me.
Another idea from Cooley, about the looking glass. For instance, based on my experience, I have always
been with my parents before and I have viewed myself as a mirror of them. Being good, being wise, and
determined to live a life well are the traits I like the most that they have.

Next is the theory of the social self. The I and the me. "I" is the response to "me", which is the
active side of the self that depicts the intuitive and unique traits of an individual. While the "me" is the
social self. Me is the internalization of roles that derive from such figurative processes as linguistic
interaction. The I and me have a dynamic relationship with one another and once it has reunited, the self
can achieve its full development. So, I can say that the "I" is my response to the social side of myself
which is the "me". For example, from socialization, I learned that the attitude that I must apply to one
environment should be strong, therefor the "I" of myself will respond to allow myself to show the attitude
that I must show. The relationship of these two will result in the development of the self.

Erving Goffman’s theory of presentation of self is deep and meaningful. It concerns a variety of
aspects and behaviors, includes the individuals and environmental impacts, and provides knowledge of
multiple factors that are responsible for the way each individual participates in the interactions with the
outer world. Goffman’s book called “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life” proves his dramaturgical
approach using the stage of a theater as an analogy. One scenario that allows to illustrate the
dramaturgical approach to self and social roles is the work of a teacher in the classroom as it includes
mutual interactions between the audience and the actor, adjustments of performances, impression
management, passive and active roles, interpretation, the clash of interests, and persuasion.

I agree with the sociological perspective of the self-due to the fact that it assumes that human
behavior influenced by group life. A particular view of oneself formed through interactions with other
people, groups, or social institutions. For sociologists the self does not depend on biological
predispositions; rather, it is a product of social interaction. The sense of self appears as the individual
partakes in the society. While the individual looks for solid and stable self-identity in modern society, the
postmodern individual tries to avoid fixation and keeps the options open for self-improvement.