MODULE 2

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

To this point, we have seen, among other things, that human beings have complex
and well-developed self-concepts and that they generally attempt to view themselves
positively. They are heavily influenced by the social forces that surround us. We also looked
at ways that our sociocultural backgrounds can affect the content of our self-concept.

In this section, we will consider in more detail these and other social aspects of the
self by exploring the many ways that the social situation influences our self-concept and
esteem. The self is not created in isolation; we are not born with perceptions of ourselves as
shy, interested in jazz, or charitable to others, for example. Rather, such beliefs are
determined by our observations of and interactions with others. Are you rich or poor?
Beautiful or ugly? Smart or not? Good or bad at playing video games? And how do you
know? These questions can be answered only by looking at those around us. The self has
meaning only within the social context, and it is not wrong to say that the social situation
defines our self-concept and our self-esteem. We rely on others to provide a “social
reality”—to help us determine what to think, feel, and do (Hardin & Higgins, 1996). But
what forms do these social influences take? It is to this question that we will now turn.
 SOCIOLOGY is the study of society, social institutions and social relationships.
Sociology is an exciting and illuminating field of study that analyzes and explains important
matters in our personal lives, our communities, and the world.

This field of study views the SELF as a relatively stable set of perceptions of who we
are in relation to our selves, others, and social systems. It is socially constructed in the sense
that it is shaped through interaction with other people.

SOCIALIZATION is a means by which human infants begin to acquire the skills

necessary to perform as a functioning member of their society and is the most influential in
learning process one can experience.

LOOKING GLASS SELF by CHARLES COOLEY

“I am not what I think I am and I am not what you

think I am; I am what I think that you think I am.”

The LOOKING-GLASS SELF is a social concept

stating that a person’s self grows out of society’s
INTERPERSONAL INTERACTIONS and the
PERCEPTIONS OF OTHERS. The view of ourselves
comes from the contemplation of personal qualities
and impressions of how others perceive us.

The term refers to people shaping their identity

based on the perception of others, which leads the
people to reinforce other people’s perspectives on
themselves. People shape themselves based on
what other people perceive and confirm other
people’s opinion of themselves.

Cooley adheres to the INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIOLOGY which aims to

understand the meanings attached to the certain situations and the behavior attach to it. He
observed his own children to study human nature

3 Processes involved in developing the Self-concept

or self image according to Cooley:

• We imagine how we appear to another person.

• We imagine what judgments people make of us

based on our appearance.

• We imagine how the person feels about us, based

on the judgments made of us. The result could lead us
to change our behavior based on how we feel people
perceive us.
• THE PRIMARY GROUP is the source of human nature and is characterized by close,
intimate, face-to-face interaction whose primary function is socialization

• THE SECONDARY GROUP refers to the larger and more disparate ‘nucleated group
whose members were rarely if ever all in direct contact.

The looking-glass self is a theory about how people develop an identity and sense of
self. Individuals receive ideas about themselves from others, interpret them, and
incorporate them into their self-image.

This sense of self begins developing in childhood and by adulthood is usually solidly
formed, although not completely defined. The process of developing and modifying a sense
of self continues throughout an individual's life. As an individual comes into contact with
new people and situations, beliefs regarding perception continually shape and reshape the
sense of self.
 THEORY OF SOCIAL SELF by GEORGE HERBERT MEAD

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, and
internalizing external opinions and internal feelings
about oneself.

According to Mead, the self is not there from

birth, but it is developed over time from social
experiences and activities.

DEVELOPMENT of SELF

• Preparatory Stage (imitation Stage) LANGUAGE develops self by allowing individuals

to respond to each other through symbols, gestures, words, and sounds. It conveys
others' attitudes, emotions and opinions toward a subject or the person.

• 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.

2 Forms of the SELF:

• “ME” part of the self is Objective element and active part of self.
It is our Social Self and it is the organized set of attitudes of others which individuals
assume

• “I “part of the self is the part of you that’s existing out in the world, acting, being
spontaneous, etc.
It is the subject of action. It’s what you would commonly think of as yourself. It is in
response to the ME self

SUMMARY of Mead’s Theory:

• The behavior of the individual can be understood only in terms of the behavior of the
whole social group of which he is a member, since his individual acts are involved in
larger, social acts which go beyond himself and which implicate the other members
of the group.”
• Mead argued that there could be no self apart from society, no consciousness of self and
no communication.
• In its turn, society must be understood as a structure that emerges through an ongoing
process of communicative social acts, through transactions between persons who
are mutually oriented toward each other.

Suggested Clips:

Social constructionism | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan Academy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U2XAJNazik

Charles Cooley- Looking glass self | Individuals and Society | MCAT | Khan Academy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU0BQUa11ek

George Herbert Mead- The I and the Me | Individuals and Society | MCAT | Khan
Academy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMNaQjtXSGc
 ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

CULTURE is the sum total of integrated learned behavior patterns which are
characteristics of the members of a society and which is therefore not the result of
biological inheritance.

CHARACTERISTIC OF CULTURE:
• Socially transmitted
• Acquired /learned behavior
• Either material or non – material
• Culture is a pattern of learned behavior
• Shared by the members of society
• Pervasive
• Continually Changing
• Variable
• An integrated system

FUNCTIONS:
1.Culture Defines Situations
2. Culture defines Attitudes, Values and Goals
3. Culture defines Myths, Legends, and the Supernatural
4. Culture provides Behavior Patterns

Culture and the self: individualism and collectivism

• INDIVIDUALIST CULTURES value independence. They promote personal ideals,
strengths, and goals, pursued in competition with others, leading to
individual achievement and finding a unique identity.
• COLLECTIVIST CULTURES value interdependence. They promote group and
societal goals and duties, and blending in with group identity, with
achievement attributed to mutual support.
CHILD-REARING: CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
• People in individualist cultures might raise children to be SELF-RELIANT and
INDEPENDENT.
• People in collectivist cultures might raise children to be COMPLIANT, OBEDIENT,
& integrated into webs of MUTUAL SUPPORT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78haKZhEqcg
Me or We? Cultural Difference between East and West
How does your culture dictate your views on family, individuality, and even sharing
food? Explore cultural differences in this animated short.