CHAPTER 2 :

SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE: THE
SELF AS A PRODUCT OF
SOCIETY
“Understanding of the self only arises in relationship, in
watching yourself in relationship to people, ideas, and things;
to trees, the earth, and the world around you and within you.
Relationship is the mirror in which the self is revealed.
Without self-knowledge there is no basis for right thought and
action.”
- Jiddu Krishnamurti
Sociological perspective of
the self is based on the
assumptions that human
behaviour is influenced by
group life. A view of oneself
is formed through
interactions with other
people, groups, or social
institutions.
Sociology
 social groups and human relationships
generates new insights into the
interconnectedness between the self and
the other people.
Charles
Horton
Cooley
The looking-glass self :
people as a mirror of
yourself
George
Herbert
Mead
The theory of the social
self : self’s two divisions
a.) I – subject/active side
b.)ME – objective /
internalize attitude
Mead’s three-stage process of self development:
1. Preparatory stage (0-3 years old), children imitate
the people around them, but they copy behaviour
without understanding underlying intentions and they
have no sense of self.
2. Play stage (3-5 years old), children start learning to
view themselves in relation to others as they learn to
communicate through language and other symbols.
At this stage, the self is developing.
3. Game stage (8-9 years old), children understand not
only their own social position but also those of others
around them. During this stage, the self is now
present.
STAGE 1 STAGE 2

STAGE 3
 THE SELF AS A
PRODUCT OF MODERN
AND POSTMODERN
SOCIETIES
Gerry Lanuza’s (2004) article,
“The Constitution of the Self”
discusses the relationship
between society and the
individual.
JEAN BAUDRILLARD
 A French sociologist
exposes the negative
consequences of
postmodernity to
individuals in the society.