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Gecuts - Module 3

This module examines the sociological perspective of the self, emphasizing that individual identity is shaped through social interactions rather than biological factors. Key theories from sociologists like George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley are discussed, highlighting the development of self-identity in modern and postmodern societies, where consumer culture influences self-perception. The module aims to help students understand their own social experiences and the impact of societal structures on their sense of self.

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17 views5 pages

Gecuts - Module 3

This module examines the sociological perspective of the self, emphasizing that individual identity is shaped through social interactions rather than biological factors. Key theories from sociologists like George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley are discussed, highlighting the development of self-identity in modern and postmodern societies, where consumer culture influences self-perception. The module aims to help students understand their own social experiences and the impact of societal structures on their sense of self.

Uploaded by

jnnllcervantes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Module 3 - Sociological Perspective: The Self as a Product of Society

1. Introduction
​ This module will explore the sociological perspective of the self based on the
assumption that human behavior is influenced by the group in which he is living with and
interacting. This will create a particular view of the self which is formed through interactions
with other people, groups, and social institutions. The succeeding discussion will be based
on the principles and concepts of well-known sociologists to develop student's
understanding of sociology and how sociology affects students' everyday lives and lead
towards self-understanding of "who you are" and "what you are" in this contemporary
human society.

Sociologists like George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley emphasized that
the self is not a product of biological predispositions, rather, they are a product of social
interaction. Therefore, the sense of self is born as the individual interacts in human society.
As the individual finds a strong and stable self-identity in modern society, the postmodern
individual finds ways to avoid fixation and keeps on developing ways and means for
self-improvement.

It is worth noting that French sociologist Jean Baudrillard posts that in the
postmodern society, the self is found in the prestige symbols of goods consumed by
people. Thus, the postmodern person has become an unsatisfied consumer, developing
unlimited desires. People desire to be satisfied with things in life but they are persuaded by
the postmodern culture of advertisement and mass media which suggests false needs.

1.1. Learning Outcomes


At the end of this module, the student should be able to:

1. Recognize what sociology tells about understanding the self and others.

2. Discuss how individuals view the self as a product of solicitation.

3. Explain George Herbert Mead's theory of the social self.

4. Discuss the self as a product of modern and postmodern societies.

5. Appreciate your own social experiences that have been particularly helpful in
understanding the self.
1.2. Contents
The sociological perspective of the self as discussed in this module will be explored
in the most simple manner to provide a clear picture of how the different sociological
theories influence the development of self-identity and later self-image.

It focused more on the two major sociological theories developed by Charles Horton
Cooley called the Looking-glass self and that of George Herbert Mead known as the theory
of social self.

It will further present the detailed development of the self in a three-stage process as
proposed by George Herbert Mead.

1.3. The Self as a Product of Modern and Postmodern Societies


According to Gerry Lanuza's article, "The Constitution of the Self" (2004). In modern
societies, the attainment and stability of self-identity are "freely chosen". It is no longer
controlled by customs and traditions. This is considered a new found freedom that offers
unlimited possibilities for self-development, problems like alienation and dehumanization of
the self also appear which prevent the full development of human potentials. But there is a
need to discover the "authentic core" of the self for the individual to freely work towards
self-realization. The dissolution of traditional values and communities in a modern society
guided the individual to develop a strong and stable self-identity, and the postmodern
individual accepts all the possibilities for self-improvement. Therefore, in the postmodern
societies, self-identity continuously developed due to the very demanding multiple social
contexts and the advent of new information technologies and globalization.

Jean Baudrillard, a French sociologist, exposed the negative consequences of


postmodernization to individuals in society (Demetrio, 2013). He emphasized that
consumption describes the postmodern society. The postmodern individuals achieve
self-identity through prestige symbols that they consume. Individuals want to have a
position in society through the quality of prestige symbols that they can afford to consume.
It is manifested through the cultural practices of advertising and mass media that have a
great impact on the individual consumers' behavior of goods consumption not for their
value and utility but more for the feeling of goodness and power when compared with
others. The postmodern individual has become an unsatisfied consumer and may never be
satisfied in life. This is manifested when a person buys an expensive gadget which is not for
its usefulness in communication but because of its prestige symbol. The person will desire
to buy a new model of cell phone when a new model comes out in the market. The self then
will be in a never-ending search for prestige in the postmodern society.
1.4. The Looking-glass Self
The looking-glass self describes the process wherein individuals base their sense of
self on how they believe others view them. Using social interaction as a type of “mirror,”
people use the judgments they receive from others to measure their own worth, values, and
behavior.

Sociologist Charles Horton Cooley is the proponent of this theory. This theory highlights
that the people with whom a person interacts become a mirror in which one views himself.
Therefore, self-identity or self-image is achieved through a threefold event which begins by:

1.​ We imagine how we appear to another person.


2.​ We imagine what judgments that person makes of us based on our appearance
and the way we present ourselves.
3.​ We imagine how that person feels about us, on the basis of the judgments
they've made.

This is critical because it is subjective. What if you think that others judge you unfavorably?
Can you imagine that it could develop a negative self-image?

1. We imagine how we appear to another person.

●​ That means we don’t know – cannot know – how we appear to other


people. All we can know is how we imagine we appear.
●​ We can't know how others judge us or how they feel about us. Instead, we
depend on our imagination: either thinking about how they might react
when we're looking in the mirror or observing their responses and
attempting to infer from those to their inner ruminations.
2. We imagine what judgments that person makes of us based on our appearance and the way
we present ourselves.

●​ There are some circumstances in which we care more about others'


perceptions of us than others.
●​ We have the capacity to care more about some things than others, and our
self-image is no exception to this.

3. We imagine how that person feels about us, based on the judgments they've made.

●​ We use the looking-glass self to control and manipulate the responses and
evaluation of others.
●​ People are aware that others are watching us, reacting to us, and judging us
so people can use that knowledge to shape the impression that they want
to give off.

1.5. Theory of the Social Self


Sociologist George Herbert Mead, supports the view that a person develops a sense
of self through social interaction and not the biological condition of that interaction. It
explains that the self has two divisions: The "I" and the "me". The "I" is the subjective
element and the active side of the self. It represents the spontaneous and unique traits of
the individual. While the "me" on the other hand is the objective element of the self that
represents the internalized attitudes and demands of other people and the individual's
awareness of those demands. Then the full development of the self is attained when the "I"
and the "me" are united.

According to Mead, the self is not present at birth. It is developed only with social
experience in which language, gestures or symbols, and objects are used to communicate
meaningfully.
1.6. Mead's Three Stage of Self Development

Self in three-stage process:

Preparatory Stage (0-3 years old)

-​ Children imitate the people around them, especially family members.

Play Stage (3-5 years old)

-​ Children start to view themselves in relation to others as they learn to communicate


through language and other symbols.

Game Stage (8 – 9 years old)

-​ Children understand not only their own social position but also of others around
them.

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