University of Eastern Philippines UNIT 1- THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE

Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
University Town, Northern Samar
Web: uep.edu.ph; Email: [email protected]

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

G.E. 3

Prepared and Compiled by:

JOSEPHINE B. TAN, PhD CLARIZZA A. LOBERIO, EdD
HILLARY D. FRANCISCO FRANZ MARTIN N. JONSON

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University of Eastern Philippines UNIT 1- THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE
Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Module 2: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Introduction 4
Objectives
Mead’s Three Stages of Development of Self 4
Social Comparison Theory 6
Learning Task Assessment 7
References 10

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 University of Eastern Philippines UNIT 1- THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE
Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

Mead and The Social Self; Mead’s Theory

of Self

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 University of Eastern Philippines UNIT 1- THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE
Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

2.1
Mead and The Social Self; Mead’s Theory
of Self
Mead’s Theory of Self

George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) is an American sociologist best

known as a founder of American pragmatism, a pioneer of symbolic interaction
theory, and as 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. This
is in effect, a theory and argument against biological determinism because it
holds that the self is neither initially there at birth nor necessarily at the beginning
of social interaction, but is re-constructed in the process of social experience
and activity.

The self, according to Mead, is made of two components: the “I” and the “me.” The “me” represents
the expectations and attitudes of others ( the “generalized others”) organized in to a social self. The individual
defines his or her own behavior with reference to the generalized attitude of the social group(s) he/she
occupies. When the individual can view himself or herself from the standpoint of the generalized other, self-
consciousness in the full sense of the term is attained. From this standpoint, the generalized other
(internalized in the “me”) is the major instrument of social control, for it is the mechanism by which the
community exercises control over the conduct of its individual members.
The “I” is the response to the “me,” or the person’s individuality. It is the essence of agency in human action.
So, in effect, the “me” is the self as object, while the “I” is the self as subject (Crossman, 2017).
In other words, the “I” is the response of an individual to the attitudes of others, while the “me” is the
accumulated understanding of the “generalized other,” i.e. how one thinks one’s group perceives oneself.
The “I” is the individual’s impulses. The “I” is self as subject; the “me” is self as object. The “I” is the knower,
the “me” is the known. The mind, or stream of thought, is the self-reflective movements of the interaction
between the “I” and the “me.”
These dynamics go beyond selfhood in a narrow sense, and from the basis of a theory of human
cognition. For Mead the thinking process is the internalized dialogue between the “I” and the “me.”
Understood as a combination of the “I” and the “me,” Mead’s self proves to be noticeably entwined
with a sociological existence. For Mead , existence in a community comes before individual consciousness.
First one must participate in the different social positions within society and only subsequently can one use
that experience to take the perspective of others and become self-conscious (Boundless, 2016)
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Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

Mead’s Three Stages of Development of Self

Stage 1: The Preparatory Stage
The first stage is the preparatory stage. The preparatory stage starts from the time we are born until
we are about age two. In this stage, children mimic those around them. This is why parents of young children
typically do not want to use foul language around them (Rath, 2016). If a two-year-old child an “read,” what
he or she has most likely done is memorized the book that had been read to him/her. In a noontime TV show,
Vic Sotto, Allan K., and Jose Manalo, use quite foul language like “bwisit,” “bastos!” “sira ulo,” and so is the
language of a child who hears them. Does he or she havea any idea of what he/she is saying or doing? No.
He/she is mimicking. S/he is in the preparatory stage. If S/he had been an older child, the scenes in the
segments of the show would cease to have any humor. It works because s/he doesn’t understand the
meaning behind his/her words, actions or tone of voice.

Stage 2: The Play Stage

From about age two to six, children are in the play stage. During the play stage, children play pretend
and do not adhere to the rules in organized games like patintero or basketball (Rath, 2016). Playing a game
with children of this age is far easier to just go with any “rules” they come up with during the course of the
game than trying to enforce any “rules” upon them. Playing the never-ending Chinese garter with girls still do
not actually have one specific set of rules the same time it was played, and yet they still play the game while
adhering to these rules. During this stage, children play ‘pretend’ as the significant other. This means that
they play “bahay-bahayan”, they are literally pretending to be the “nanay or the “tatay” that they know.

Stage 3: The Game Stage

The third stage is the game stage which is from about age seven onwards. In this stage, children cab
begin to understand and adhere to the rules of the games. They can begin to play more formalized games
because they begin to understand other people’s perspective-or the perspective of the generalized others.
In this stage, when children play “pretend, they may still play “bahay-bahayan”, but are pretending nanay and
tatay independent of the one that resides in their home. The generalized other refers to the viewpoint of the
social group at large. The child begins taking this perspective into account during this stage (Rath, 20160)

The Looking- Glass Self: Our Sense of Self is Influenced by Others’ Views of Us.
The concept of the looking-glass self states that part of how we see ourselves comes from our
perception of how others see us (Cooley, 1902)
According to the American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929), the degree of personal
insecurity you display in social situations is determined by what you believe other people think of you.
Cooley’s concept of the glass self, states that a person’s self grows out a person’s social interactions with
others. The view of ourselves comes from the contemplation of personal qualities and impressions of how
others perceive us. Actually, how we see ourselves does not come from who we really are, but rather from
how we believe others sees us (Isaksen, 2013)

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Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

Sometimes, the influence of other people’s

appraisals of ourselves on our self-concept may be
strong that we end up internalizing them. For
example, we are often labeled in particular ways by
others, perhaps informally in terms of ethnic
background, or more formally in terms of physical
or psychological diagnosis. The Labelling bias
occurs when we are labeled, and others’ views and
expectations of us are affected by that labelling
(Fox & Stinnett, 1996).

For example, if a teacher knows that a child has been diagnosed with particular psychological disorder,
that the teacher may have different expectations of the child’s behavior than he/she would if not aware of that
label. Where things get really interesting for our present discussion is when those expectations start to
become self-fulfilling prophecies, and our self-concept and even our behavior start to align with them. For
example, when children are labeled in special education contexts, these labels can then impact their self-
esteem (Taylor, Hume &Welsh, 2010)

If we are repeatedly labeled and evaluated by others, then self-labeling may occur, which happens
when we adopt others’ labels explicitly into our self-concept. The effects of this self-labeling on our self-
esteem appear to depend very much on the nature of the labels. Labels used in relation to diagnosis of
psychological disorders can be detrimental to people who then internalize them. For example, Moses(2009)
found that adolescents who self-labeled according to diagnosis they had received were found to have higher
levels of self-stigma in their self-concepts compared to those who described their challenges in non-
pathological terms. In these types of situation, those who self-label may come to experience internalized
prejudice, which occurs when individuals turn prejudice directed toward them by others onto themselves.
Internal prejudice has been found to predict more negative self-concept and poorer psychological adjustment
in members of various groups, including sexual minorities ( Caster, 2012) and racial minorities ( Szymanski
& Obiri, 2011)
In other cases, labels used by wider society to describe people negatively can be positively reclaimed
by those being labeled. Galinsky and colleagues (2013) explored this use of self-labeling by members of
oppressed groups to reclaim derogatory terms, including “queer” and “bitch,” used by dominant groups. After
self-labeling, minority group members evaluated these terms negatively, reported feeling more powerful and
were also perceived by observers as more powerful. Overall, these results indicate that individuals who
incorporate a formerly negative label into their self-concept in order to reclaim it can sometimes undermine
the stigma attached to the label.

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Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

Social Comparison Theory: Our Sense of Self Is Influenced by Comparison with Others
Self-concept and self-esteem are also heavily influenced by the process of social comparison
(Buunk & Gibbons), 2007; Van Lange, 2008). Social comparison occurs when we learn our abilities and skills
about the appropriateness and validity of our opinions, and about our relative social status by comparing our
own attitudes, beliefs and behaviors with those of others. These comparisons can be with people who we
know and interact with, with those whom we read about or see on TV, or with anyone else we view as
important. However, the most meaningful comparisons we make tend to be with those we see as similar to
ourselves (Festinger, 1954).
Soial comparison occurs primarily on dimensions on which there are no correct answers or objective
benchmarks and thus on which we can rely only on the beliefs of others for information. Answers to questions
such as “What should I wear for the interview?” or what kind of music should I have at my wedding?” are
frequently determined at least in part by using the behavior of others as a basis of comparison. We also use
social comparison to help us determine our skills or abilities-how good we are at performing task or doing a
job for example. When students ask their teacher for the class average on exam, they are also seeking to
use social comparison to evaluate their performance.

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Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

LEARNING TASK ASSESSMENT

How do you negotiate your self-identity in the different social contexts you are into? Use the space
provided inside the box.

Negotiating My Self-Identity

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Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

Assessment:
Test 1: Multiple Choices. Encircle the letter of your chosen answer.
1. It represents the self as subject, and the individual’s impulses.
a. “I” b. “Me” c. “You” d. “We”

2. In this stage, children ca begin to understand and adhere to the rules of games.
a. Game b. Language c. Play d. Preparatory

3. He is known for his concept of looking-glass self.

a. Cooley b. Mead c. Erikson d. Freud

4. This occurs when one is labeled, and others’ views and expectations of an individual are affected by
labeling.
a. Internalized prejudice c. Self labeling
b. Labeling bias d. Social Comparison

5. This occurs when individuals turn prejudice directed toward them by others onto themselves
a. Internalized prejudice c. Self labeling
b. Labeling bias d. Social Comparison

Test II. Essay. Describe some aspects of your self concept that have been created through social
comparison. Write down your though and feelings in no less than 300 words ( use separate sheet if
necessary)
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Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

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Understanding the Self_G.E.3 Module 2.1_Mead & the Social Self

References:
Villafuerte, S.L., Quillope, Al, Tunac, Rudjane, Borja, Estela(2018), Understanding the Self. NIEME
Publishing House, Co. Ltd.,Cubao, Quezon City.

Boundless. “Sociological Theories of the Self.” Sociology Boundless, 27 May. 2016. Retrieved 5 Aug 2017
from https://boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/socialization-
4/the-self-and-socialization-43/sociological-theories-of-the-self-271-10195/
Brunk, A.P., & Gibbons, F.X. (2007). Social Comparison : The end of a theory and the emergence of a field.
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 102(1), 3-21.
Cooley, C.H. (1902). Human nature and social order. New York: Scribner’s
Crossman, Ashley (2017), Biography and works of George Herbert Mead. Retrieved June 2, 2017
https://www,thoughtco.com/george-herbert-mead-3026491
Festinger, L. U. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human relations. 7, 117-140.
Doi.10.1177/001872675400700202
Fox, J. D., & Stinnett, T. A. (1996). The Effects of labeling bias on prognostic outlook for children as a function
of diagnostic label and profession. Psychology In The Schools, 33(2), 143-152.

Galinsky, A.D., Wang, C.S., Whitson, J. A., Anicich, E.M., Huenberg, K., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2013).The
Reappropriation of Stigmatizing Labels; The reciprocal relationship between power and self
labeling. Psychological signs, 24(10), 2020-2029. doi;10.1177/0956797613482943
Isaksen, Joachim Vogt, 2013. The Looking Glass Self: How Our Self-image is Shaped by Society. Retrieved
June 20, 2017 from http://www.popularsocialscience.com/2013/05/27/the-looking-glass-self-how-
our-image-is-shaped-by-society/
Learning How to Learn: Successful Transition Models for Educators Working with Youth with Learning
Disabilities (2014). Retrieved July 10, 2014 from https://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-
brief/learning-how-to-learn
Moses, T. (2009). Self-labeling and its effects among adolescents diagnosed with mental disorders. Social
Science and Medicine, 68 (3), 570-578.
Taylor, L.M., Hume, I.R. and Welsh, N. (2010) Labelling and Self-esteem: the impact of using specific versus
generic labels. Educational Psychology. 1, 1-12

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