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GE1 Lecture Notes Week2

This chapter explores the concept of self from a sociological perspective, emphasizing the role of socialization in shaping individual identity. Key theorists George Herbert Mead and Charles Cooley highlight that the self is developed through social experiences and interactions with significant others, and is influenced by how individuals perceive others' judgments. Cooley's Looking-glass self theory outlines a three-step process in which individuals form their self-image based on imagined perceptions of others.

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13 views2 pages

GE1 Lecture Notes Week2

This chapter explores the concept of self from a sociological perspective, emphasizing the role of socialization in shaping individual identity. Key theorists George Herbert Mead and Charles Cooley highlight that the self is developed through social experiences and interactions with significant others, and is influenced by how individuals perceive others' judgments. Cooley's Looking-glass self theory outlines a three-step process in which individuals form their self-image based on imagined perceptions of others.

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JESSABEL CASEAN LANES
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CHAPTER 2.

THE SELF FROM A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Introduction
This chapter will discuss the self from the point of view of sociologist.

SOCIALIZATION

- is a whole and lifetime process by which people learn the values, attitudes and behaviors
that are appropriate and expected by their culture and community.

- is the process of internalizing the norms of society which influence one’s beliefs, actions and
behavior.

 The process of socialization helps shape a person’s image.


 According to Cooley and Mead, the concept of Self is developed through a socialization
process.

GEORGE HERBERT MEAD (1863-1931)


- He claims that the self is not there at birth. (Means, self is not based on inherited traits and
other biological factors. Rather, the self is developed over time from social experiences and
activities.
- The biological self is not the self, rather self is developed over time from social experiences
and activities.
- He explains that Self is something which has a development; it arises in the process of
social experience and activity.
- Other people play a significant role in how we view ourselves. The influence is restricted
only to a significant other and at a certain period.
- Significant others are people who play important roles on the life of a person such as
parents, teachers, friends.
Example: Children do not really care about what other people think of them. But as
children grow up and get more socialized, their beliefs about how other people perceive
them become important. They gain a new understanding of society, the generalized other.
- They act based on personal beliefs but also on what society expects of them.
- Mead (1967) talks about our personality as the “I” and “Me”.
I- The natural, existential aspect of the self.
Me- the socialized or the cultured self.

CHARLES COOLEY (1864-1929)


- He explains how we develop our sense of self or image by his Looking-glass- self theory,
(we learn to view ourselves as we think others view us).
- Three (3) steps in the formation of the looking glass self.
1. We imagine how we appear to others.
2. We imagine how others judge our appearance.
3. We develop feelings about and responses to these judgements.
Example:
 An instructor whose students openly talk to one another or doze during class is likely
to develop the concept that his students think he is bad instructor.
 In the third stage, the instructor may accept the students’ judgement and conclude that
he is a bad instructor or reject their judgement and conclude that the students are
simply not smart enough.
 We are not influence by other peoples’ opinion per se. We are influenced by our own
imaginations or perceptions or opinions on how others see us. This means that we are
actively engaged in defining our self-image or self-concept using our past
experiences to aid us in interpreting others’ responses.
 When learners are accepted and valued by others, they tend to feel high self -
esteem. When they are rejected instead, they tend to feel the opposite.

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