Sociological Perspective in Understanding The Self

SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE:
THE SELF AS A PRODUCT
OF SOCIETY
Self According to Sociologist
For Sociologist like Charles Horton Cooley and
George Herbert Mead the self does not depend
on biological predisposition but a product of
social interaction.
The sense of self emerges as an individual
partakes in the society.
The Looking Glass Self by Charles
Horton Cooley
The looking glass self is a social psychological concept,
created by Charles Horton Cooley in 1902.
It states that self grows out of society’s perception.
The term refers to people shaping themselves based on
other’s people perception.
Horton Cooley
◦ The looking glass self is comprise of three
components:
1. We imagine how we appear to other people.
2. We imagine and react to what we feel their judgement of

that appearance must be.
3. We develop our sense of self and respond through this

perceived judgement of others.
Horton Cooley
Horton Cooley
George Herbert Mead
◦ Is a sociologist from the late 1800s
◦ He is well-known for his Theory of the Social Self, which

includes the concepts of ‘self’, ‘me’ and ‘I’.
◦ Mead’s work focuses on the way in which developed.

Self According to George Herbert
Mead
◦ Mead’s theory of the social self is based on the perspective that
the self emerges from social interactions, such as:
> observing and interacting with others
> responding to others’ opinions about oneself
> and internalizing external opinions and internal feelings

oneself
Self According to George Herbert
Mead
◦ The social aspect of self is an important distinction because other
sociologist and psychologist felt that the self was based on
biological factors and inherited traits.
◦ According to Mead, the self is not there from birth, but it is

developed over time from social activities and experiences.
Three Activities that Develop the Self:
◦ Language – develop self by allowing individuals to respond to
each other through symbols, gestures, words and sounds.
◦ Play – develops self by allowing individuals to take on different

roles, pretend and express expectation of others. Play develops
one’s self consciousness through role playing.
◦ Games – develops self by allowing individuals to understand and

adhere to the rules of the activity. Self is developed by
understanding that there are rules in which one mus abide by in
order to win the game or be successful in an activity.
Development of the Self in Three-
Stage Process
◦ Preparatory Stage
> 0 - 3 years old
> Children imitate the people around them.
> no sense of self
Stage Process
◦ Play Stage
> 3 – 5 years old
> Children start to view themselves in relation to others.
> Child pretend to take the roles of important agents of socialization
> The self is developing
Stage Process
◦ Game Stage
> Begins early school years (8-9 years old)
> Children understand not only their own social position but also those of others
around them
> Children become concerned about, and take into account in their behavior
others attitude, viewpoints, demands and expectations.
> They already have an ability to respond to numerous members of the social
environment.
> Self is now present
Mead’s Theory of Social Self
◦ Mead explained that self has two divisions:
the ‘I’ and the ‘ME’
> I – Subjective element and active side of the self

It represent the spontaneous and unique side of the individual
> ME – Objective element of the self that represents internalized attitudes and demands
of other people and the individuals awareness of those demands.
The full development of the self is attained when I and ME are UNITED
The Self as a Product of Modern
Society According to Gerry Lanuza
In his article “The Constitution of the Self” Lanuza discussed that in modern societies
the attainment and stability of self-identity are freely chosen.
The dissolution of traditional values and communities in modern society has led the
individual to construct a solid and stable self-identity.
Self-identity continuously change due to the demands of multitude of social context,

information technologies, and globalization
Self as a Product of Postmodern Societies
According to Jean Baudrillard
◦ French Sociologist Jean Baudrillard declared that postmodern individuals
achieve self-identity through prestige symbols that they consume.
◦ Cultural practices of advertisement and mass media greatly influence

individuals to consume goods not for their primary value and utility but for the
feeling of goodness and power when compared to others.
◦ Postmodern person has become insatiable consumer and may never be

satisfied in his or her life.
◦ Therefore, the self may be in a never ending search for prestige in the
postmodern society.
Activity 3
◦ The Story of My Life
Write your life story. Begin your story by writing the basic information about
yourself such as your name, nickname, age, gender, birthplace, schools attended,
favorite subjects, interest, hobbies, strengths and weaknesses, motto, beliefs, ambitions
and goals in life and the aspirations and lessons you learned in your life.
Then in the subsequent paragraphs, tell something about your most memorable
and happiest experiences during your childhood and teenage years, tell something
about your parents, the lessons your parents taught you, the things you are grateful for
about them, your real life heroes, the things you are happy with and grateful for in your
life.
◦ My Ideal Self
Describe what you will be or what you want to be in the next ten years, including
your goals and ambitions, the places you want to go to, the things you want to have.
Start your statement with prompts such as, “Ten years from now, I envision myself as . . .

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SOCIOLOGICAL

1. We imagine how we appear to other people.

2. We imagine and react to what we feel their judgement of

3. We develop our sense of self and respond through this

◦ He is well-known for his Theory of the Social Self, which

◦ Mead’s work focuses on the way in which developed.

> observing and interacting with others

> responding to others’ opinions about oneself

> and internalizing external opinions and internal feelings

◦ According to Mead, the self is not there from birth, but it is

◦ Play – develops self by allowing individuals to take on different

◦ Games – develops self by allowing individuals to understand and

> I – Subjective element and active side of the self

Self-identity continuously change due to the demands of multitude of social context,

◦ Cultural practices of advertisement and mass media greatly influence

◦ Postmodern person has become insatiable consumer and may never be

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