Introduction

Sociology is the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society.
(lexico.com/definition/sociology)

Sociologists are concerned with questions about the person in the community. Sociology posits that
socially formed norms, beliefs and values come to exist within the person to a degree where these
become natural and normal (Elwell, 2003), thus, developing the person’s self and identity. Auguste
Comte is the first used the term “sociology” in 1838 to refer to the scientific study of society, and thus, is
regarded as the “father of sociology.”

When we talk about society, culture will always play an important role. Culture refers to "the enduring
behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one
generation to the next."

Self and Culture

For some people, especially those in industrialized Western cultures, individualism prevails.
Individualism is defined as concept of giving priority to one’s own goals over group goals and defining
one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications. Identity is self-contained.
Becoming an adult means separating from parents, becoming self-reliant, and defining one’s personal,
independent self. One’s identity—as a unique individual with particular abilities, traits, values, and
dreams—remains fairly constant.

Most cultures native to Asia, Africa, and Central and South America place a greater value on collectivism,
by respecting and identifying with the group. In these cultures, people are more self-critical and focus
less on positive self-views. In collectivism, priority is given to the goals of one’s group (often one’s
extended family or work group) and defining one’s identity accordingly.

Culture and Self-Esteem

In collectivist cultures, self-esteem tends to be flexible rather than stable (enduring across situations).
For those in individualistic cultures, self-esteem is more personal and less relational. If a Westerner’s
personal identity is threatened, she will feel angrier and sadder than when her collective identity is
threatened.
The Self: Embedded in Culture

How individuals see themselves, how they relate to other people and how they relate to the
environment are deeply refined by culture. If one finds the view that the “self” is a product of society,
then it is plausible that the ways of how the self is developed are bound to cultural differences as well.
Cultural anthropologists argue that the self is culturally shaped and infinitely variable.

1 .Georg Simmel (1858-1918) Simmel was a German sociologist, philosopher, and critic. He said that
people create social networks by joining social groups.

A social group is has two or more people interacting with one another, sharing similar characteristics,
and whose members identify themselves as part of the group. Features held by members of a may
include interests, ideals, representations, ethnic or social ties and many others.

According to Simmel, the kinds of social groups are (Otig, 2019)

(1) An organic group is naturally occurring, and it is highly influenced by your family. This is usually
formed in traditional societies because there is little diversity in these communities. Simmel stated that
you join these group because your family is also part of it, in the first place. He called it organic
motivation. He noted that the positive effect of organic groups is rootedness. This means the foundation
of the social network runs deep, thus, giving the person a sense of belongingness.

(2) Rational groups occur in modern societies. Modern societies are made up of different people
coming from different places. The family in modern societies is not the main motivation when joining
rational social groups. Rational groups are formed as a matter of shared self-interest; moreover, people
join these group out of their own free will. Simmel called this rational motivation. Rational groups imply
greater freedom, especially the freedom of movement. Relationships based on self-interest are not as
change. The relationship between rational social network in tenuous, and the person feels no
meaningful connection with the others.

2. George Herbert Mead (1863–1931)

Mead was an American philosopher, sociologist, and psychologist. His work focused on how the “self” is
developed. His theory is based on the perspective that the self is a product of a social interactions and
internalizing the external (i.e., other people’s) views along with the one’s personal view about oneself.
Mead believed the “self” is not present at birth; rather it develops over time through social experiences
and activities.
Stages of self-development:

(1) Language - According to Mead self-development and language are intimately tied. Through shared
understanding of symbols, gestures, and sound, language gives the individual the capacity to express
himself or while at the same time comprehending what the other people are conveying. Language sets
the stages for self-development

(2) Play - At this level individuals role-play or assume the perspective of others. Role playing enables
the person to internalize some other people’s perspectives; hence, he or she develops an understanding
of how the other people feel about themselves (and about others, too) in a variety of situations. Young
children imitate the activities of people around them. Through such play, children learn to organize
different activities into meaningful roles (doctor, policeman, firefighter). For example, using their
imaginations, children make toy guns out of paper and they are "arresting" a dog who is barking at a
little kitten, or is curing and checking the vital signs of a "sick" doll.

(3) Game stage is the level where the individual not only internalizes the other people’s perspective, he
or she is also able to take into account societal rules and adheres to it. children enter organized activities
such as complex games of house, school, and team sport. According to Mead, the self is developed by
understanding the rule, and one must abide by it to win the game or be successful at an activity.

Two sides of self: “I” and “Me”

Mead sees the person as an active process, not just a mere reflection of society. He further proposed
two interactive facets of the self: The “I” and “Me.” The “Me” and the “I” have a didactic relationship,
which is like a system of checks and balances.

(1) The I - is that part of the self that is unsocialized, unpredictable and spontaneous. The “I” presents
unique traits, impulses and drives. It enables him or her to express individualism and creativity. The “I”
does not blindly follow rules. It understands when to possibly bend or stretch the rules that govern
social interactions. It constructs a response based on what has been learned by the “Me.”

(2) The "ME" - is the product of what the person has learned while interacting with others and with the
environment. It is the "conformist" aspect of the self. Learned behaviors, attitude, and even
expectations comprise the “Me.” It exercises social control over the self. It sees to it that rules are not
broken.

In childhood, the "I" is more important than the "me" but through socialization, it changes. For example,
"I" wants to eat the ice cream even if it means stealing. "Me" tells "I" that stealing could bring him to jail
and tells it which is more socially appropriate.