Sociological Perspective: The Self as a Product of Society Lecture Notes

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF SOCIETY Mead details the development of the self in a three-stage process: Sociology – a scientific study of social groups and hum...

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF SOCIETY Mead details the development of the self in a three-stage process: Sociology – a scientific study of social groups and human relationships, generates new insights into the 1. Preparatory stage (0-3y/o) - children interconnectedness between the self and other imitate the people around them, people. especially family members with whom they have daily interactions. They copy behavior without understanding Sociological Perspective of the Self: underlying intentions, so at this stage, Human behavior is influenced by group life. they have no sense of self. Children are The “self” is shaped through interactions with just preparing for role-taking. other people. 2. Play stage (3-5y/o) - children start to A “sense of self” emerges as the individual view themselves in relation to others as participates in society. they learn to communicate through language and other symbols. The self SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES emerges as children pretend to take the roles of specific people or significant I. THE LOOKING-GLASS SELF others, those individuals who are by Charles Horton Cooley important agents of socialization. At this stage, the self is developing. He believed that the people with whom a person 3. Game stage (begins in the early school interacts, become a mirror in which he views years) - children understand not only himself. their own social position but also those of others around them. During this Self-identity or self-image is achieved through a stage, the self is now present. three-fold event: III. ON MODERN & POSTMODERN VIEWS 1. A person imagines how others perceive/see him/her (How do I appear to others?) The Good Gerry Lanuza (The Constitution of the Self, 2004) 2. A person imagines how others - In modern societies, the attainment and judge/evaluate him/her based on their stability of self-identity are freely chosen. observations (What must others think of - Offers infinite possibilities for self-cultivation, me?) and problems, such as alienation and dehumanization of the self. 3. A person creates an image of himself/herself - The dissolution of traditional values and based on his/her impressions of other communities in modern society has led the people’s evaluations (We revise how we individual to construct a solid and stable think of ourselves) self-identity. - The postmodern individual welcomes all For Cooley, we are NOT actually influenced possibilities for self-improvement. by the opinions of others, but instead by - Self-identity continuously changes what we “imagine” the opinions of other (unstable) due to the demands of multitudes people to be. of social contexts, new information People may develop a self-image based on technologies, and globalization. either correct or incorrect perceptions of the self. The Bad Jean Baudrillard (Negative Effects of II. THEORY OF THE SOCIAL SELF Postmodernism) by George Herbert Mead - Consumption structures the postmodern society. A person develops a sense of self through - Postmodern individuals achieve self-identity social interaction and not the biological through the prestige symbols that they preconditions of that interaction consume. - Individuals seek a position in society The self has two divisions: through the quality of prestige symbols that ○ The “I” - subjective element and the they can afford to consume. active side of the self - The cultural practices of advertising and ○ The “me” - objective element of the mass media greatly influence individuals to self that represents the internalized consume goods not for their primary value attitudes and demands of other and utility but for the feeling of goodness people and an individual’s and power when compared with others. awareness of those demands. - A postmodern person has become an insatiable consumer and may never be Self is not present at birth. It develops only satisfied in his or her life. with social experience in which language, gestures, and objects are used to communicate meaningfully. Role-taking - A person creates his or her own role and anticipates how others will respond. ○ The self continues to change along with his or her social experience.