GEC 1: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

MODULE 2: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

 the self is a relatively stable set of
perceptions of who we are in relation to
ourselves, others, and to social systems.

The self is socially constructed.

Socialization societal norms & expectations

beliefs
values
Socialization Role
 SOCIOLOGICAL  Cooley asserted that people’s self -
THEORIES OF THE SELF understanding is constructed, in part, by
their perception of how others view them
The Looking Glass Self by — a process termed “the looking glass
Charles Cooley self”.
 We base our image on what we think
other people see.
 The process of discovering the looking –
glass self occurs in three steps:
 An individual in a social situation
imagines how they appear to others.
 That individual imagines others’
judgment of that appearance.
 The individual develops feelings (of pride
or shame) and responds to those
perceived judgments.
Smart kid Social media
 SOCIOLOGICAL  George Herbert Mead (1863–1931)
THEORIES OF THE SELF advanced a more detailed sociological
approach to the self.
Theory of the Self-  Self is developed through social
Development by George
interaction.
Herbert Mead
 He broke the self down into two
components or “phases
 “I”
 “Me”
 Role is the behaviour expected of a
person who occupies particular social
status or position in society.
Four stages of child socialization.

 Preparatory stage, children are only

capable of imitation
 Play stage, during which children begin
to imitate and take on roles that another
person might have
 Game stage, children learn to consider
several specific roles at the same time
and how those roles interact with each
other.
 Generalized others the common
behavioural expectations of general
society.
The Self and Culture

Culture helps define how

individuals see themselves and
how they relate to others.
According to Marcel Mauss, a
French Anthropologist every self
has two faces:
 Personne
 Moi
 SOCIOLOGICAL
THEORIES OF THE SELF

LEV VYGOTSKY  Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) was a Russian

teacher who is considered a pioneer in
learning in social contexts.
 He was also the first to examine how our
social interactions influence our
cognitive growth.
 He had a ground breaking theory that
language was the basis of learning.
 SOCIOLOGICAL
THEORIES OF THE SELF

Self in Families

 Family is the first agent of socialization.