Lesson 3: Sociology, Anthropology, and Self
are based on our interaction with others.
Sociology
- the scientific study of groups and the relationships of
their members.
- to understand society's establishment, structure, and
dynamics
- promotes an explanation of the influences of people
on each other in terms of behavior, perception, and
identity.
- Therefore, in order to fully comprehend the extent of
influences society and group interaction have on an
individual, we need to look into the various theories
that attempt to explain how one establishes a
concept of "Self" based on one's social interactions
and experiences.
The Self and the Others
Charles Horton Cooley
→ Sociologist
→ explained “looking-glass self”
“looking-glass self”
This means a person has the tendency to mirror other
people's view of oneself.
Emphasizing that our understanding of who we are along
with our idea of how other people see us may influence our
understanding of who we are and our sense of self.
The establishment of the Self of a person may also be
considered to be dependent on three (3) events:
1. Perceiving how one presents themselves to
others
2. Analysis of others' perceptions towards the
person
3. How one establishes a self-image.
The nature of these perceptions is very subjective and
may lead to several misinterpretations of Self-based on how
they see the situations, it could lead to a negative perception
of oneself or a lack of self-image
George Herbert Mead
→ American Sociologist
→ Father of American pragmatism
→ Mead rejected the idea that a person is
born with an established self from the
moment he is born.
→ For him, one's concept of "Self” develops
from social interactions and experiences
with other people.
→ He emphasized that to establish the self it is
important to go through the construction
and reconstruction of our notion of who we
"I"
Considered to be the manifestation of
spontaneity and individuality of a person,
It is the part of the self that actively seeks
identification to the things they acquire from their
social interactions and experiences.
"Me"
A part of the self that revolves around the
characteristics, behavior, and actions of an individual
Follows the awareness and demand of the
people that the person interacts with.
Mead’s 3 Role-playing Stages of Self-Development
1. The Preparatory Stage (Birth - 2 Years Old)
Mead said that the person or the infant basically
imitates the actions and behaviors of the people around
him.
Because of that, the child's behavior can be said to
lack intention or meaning.
This is a preparation and acquisition of skills
necessary to take on roles in the future.
2. The Play Stage (2-6 years old)
Children begin to interact with others, they follow
rules that do not adhere to any set of standards, but
rules that are defined by the children themselves.
This is the stage where the child begins to relate with
others, and learn to communicate verbally and
symbolically.
They often practice real-life roles through the use of
playing and considered the onset of the development of
self.
The development of the self in this stage occurs
through the preliminary experiences with significant
people in their lives.
3. The Game Stage (6-9 years old)
The final stage of self-development.
The ability of the children to know the dynamics of
the "Generalized others”
This stage learn the implications of their actions as
well as the understanding or taking into account the
norms and values of the society that is vital to their
evaluation of how they see themselves.