SOCIOLOGICAL

PERSPECTIVES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Compare and contrast the different views of the
self
• Examine the two components of the self
• Describe the concept of the looking glass self and
how it affects self-concept
• Explain the concept of social comparison and why
it is important to human behavior.
SOCIOLOGICAL VIEWS OF THE SELF
SELF is the center of all experiences and thoughts
that run through a certain person.(STEVENS)
1.1 The Self as Product of Modern Society
Clifford Geertz: “ The struggle for one’s
individuality is only possible in modern society
where religio-theological traditions are gradually
replaced by scientific calculations; and the intimate
personal affiliations are replaced by exceedingly
impersonal associations brought about by
urbanized way of life.”
 With modernization, the self becomes
a “delocalized” self which is free to seek its
own identity; defining religion, theological
tradition; free from customary constraints
hence, deviating from the traditional way of
life.
 Modernization “the destruction of the
traditional way of life”
 The stability of one’s own self-identity is no
longer anchored on pre-given tradition
bound definition of the self.IT IS NOW
FREELY CHOSEN.
Modernization “the destruction
of the traditional way of life”

“That is, the self is dislocated and

deracinated from its traditional
attachment to the community as
demonstrated than in modern
notion of love and intimate
relationship”
This poses certain problems as:
The newfound freedom threatens the
very authenticity of the self(e.g.love)
 Alienation (Marx)-human beings
haunted by the very images they have
created
 Objectification of the body(e.g.
medical practice)
 Dehumanization of self
1.2 Self as Necessary Fiction

Self for Nietzsche, is the sum of

individual’s action, thoughts and
feelings

 Self
is nothing more than a
metaphor, a representation of
something abstract; symbolic.
1.3 Post-modern View of the Self

 Self is narrative, a text written and

rewritten. Self is a story. It is dynamic.
 Self is a product of modern discourse that
is historically and socially imprisoned by
what is acceptable by norms.
 Self in post modernity is complicated by
electronic mediated virtual interaction of
cyber self such as change in
appearance.(in the cyberspace)
“Every little piece of information that you
post on the internet - the messages you
write, the website you visit, the files you
download, the e-mail addresses you contact,
the books, tapes, CDs, and airplane tickets
you order on the Internet, and the credit
card numbers you give - all become the
raw data from which someone out there
can piece together an identity, a virtual
version of who you are.” –N.Green
N.GREEN
 Self is “digitalized” in
cyberspace, a virtual
version of who we are.The
self is seen in websites or
social media-facebook,
twitter, instagram,etc.
1.4 Rewriting the Self as an
Artistic Creation
 Nietzsche: “The unity of the self is not
something that is pre-given to individuals.
It is something that they must accomplish
through conscious effort.”

 Individuals must fashion, care for, and

cultivate their selves, in order to
transform them into beautiful work of art.
1.5 Self Creation and Collective
Identity
 Memories(photographs, videos)play
significant role in creating the self
and identity. identity. Memory and
forgetting are most important powers in
recreating a person’s.
 Self–creation is formed within
“imagined communities”
1.6 Self Creation and the struggle
for cultural recognition/identity

 We create ourselves by struggling

with cultural hassles then owning
the created self. We hide the ugly
part of our cultural nature. We
learn to adjust.
1.7 Beyond Self Creation
 The quest or search for self-identity is a
product of modern society but this is
complicated by the socio-cultural
sensibilities of postmodernity, new
information technologies and
globalization, reconfiguring ourselves as to
gender, sex, ethnocity, and creating one’s
own style, signature.
SOCIOLOGICAL VIEWS OF THE SELF
1.The Self as Product of Modern Society
2. Self as Necessary Fiction
3. Post-modern View of the Self
4. Rewriting the Self as an Artistic Creation
5. Self Creation and Collective Identity
6. Self Creation and the struggle for cultural
recognition/identity
7. Beyond Self Creation
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD
• AMERICAN SOCIOLOGIST
• FOUNDER OF AMERICAN PRAGMANTISM
• PIONEER OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTION THEORY
• ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Mead’s theory of the self maintains

that the conception a person holds of
himself/herself in his/her mind
emerges from social interaction with
others.
Two components of the self
 “me” represents the expectations and
attitudes of others
- It represents the learned behavior,
attitudes, and expectations of others and
society.
 “I” is the response to the “me”. Or the
person’s individuality.
In effect, the “me” is the self as object,
while the “I” is the self as subject.
Mead’s Three Stages of Development
of Self
Stage 1:The Preparatory Stage
 Starts from birth to two yrs. old
 Children mimic around them.
 Imitation stage
Stage 2:The Play Stage
 From about age two to six
 Children play pretend and do not adhere to
the rules in organized games
 Children play “pretend” as the significant
other.
Stage 3:The Game Stage
 From about age seven onwards
 Children can begin to understand
and adhere to the rules of games.
 We must be able to take multiple
roles.
Looking –Glass Self
States that part of how we
see ourselves comes from our
perception of how others see
us.(Cooley,1902)
CHARLES HORTON COOLEY
American Sociologist

 The degree of personal insecurity you display

in social situations is determined by what you
believe other people think of you.
 A person’s self grows out of a person’s social
interactions with others.
 How we see ourselves does not come from
who we really are, but rather from how we
believe others see us.
Labeling bias
It occurs when we are labeled , and others’
views and expectations of us are affected
by that labeling.

*In terms of our ethnic background,

economic status, physical or psychological
diagnosis.
SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY

A belief that comes true

because we are acting as if it is
already true.
Self -labeling
 It occurs when we are repeatedly labeled
and evaluated by others.
 It happens when we adopt others’ labels
explicitly into our self-concept.
Internal prejudice
 It occurs when individuals turn prejudice
directed toward them by others onto
themselves
 It has been found to predict more
negative self-concept and poorer
psychological adjustment in members of
various groups.
Social Comparison Theory
Our sense of self is influenced by
comparisons with others
It occurs when we learn about our abilities
and skills, about the appropriateness and
validity of our opinions, and about our
relative social status by comparing our
attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those
of others.
 True or False
1. LABELING BIAS OCCURS WHEN
WE ARE REPEATEDLY LABELED
AND EVALUATED BY OTHERS.
 True or False
SOCIAL COMPARISON THEORY
STATES THAT PART OF HOW WE SEE
OURSELVES COMES FROM OUR
PERCEPTION OF HOW OTHERS SEE
US.
 True or False
INTERNAL PREJUDICE OCCURS
WHEN WE ARE LABELED , AND
OTHERS’ VIEWS AND EXPECTATIONS
OF US ARE AFFECTED BY THAT
LABELING.
 True or False
THE “ME” IS THE SELF
AS OBJECT, WHILE
THE “I” IS THE SELF
AS SUBJECT.
 True or False
WITH MODERNIZATION,
THE SELF BECOMES A
“DELOCALIZED” SELF
WHICH IS FREE TO SEEK
ITS OWN IDENTITY.