SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

• Sociology – study of same social grouping in an area.
• Sociology

  • Study of human social life Who you are as a person in your community.
• socious – society

  logos – study of
• Industrialism, Capitalism, Massive increase of power


  Characteristics of Modernity
• Industrialism – built on manufacturing industries.
• Capitalism – competitive industry; everything has a price.
• Massive increase of power – institutions & how they handle power.
• Individualism – self-reliant.
• Emile Durkheim


  "Self as a product of society & nature."
• Emile Durkheim

  • Society is interrelated.
  • Changes can impact society.
  • Society with people with specialized roles.
  • Human have responsibilities.
• Society moves from mechanical to organic society due to the division of labor [Durkheim]
• Western cultures tend to be more independent, the rest is interdependent. [Durkheim]
• George Robert Mead


  "Self is developed, not born with."
• George Robert Mead


  Theory of Social Self; I and Me; 3 stages
• Language, Play, Games


  Mead's 3 stages
• • Language: allows individuals to respond to others; conveys attitudes & emotions.
  • Play: allows individuals to act and understand roles.
  • Games: development of self-awareness; learning about rules and roles with other people.
• George Robert Mead

  • Full development is when both are united.
  • Self emerged from social interaction and is part of individual’s personality.
• Charles Cooley


  "Looking glass-self"
• Charles Cooley

  • Self-image.
  • How we learn to view ourselves through us.
  • Self Concepts and Steps
• Self Concepts [Cooley]

  Positive: aids in recognizing our own abilities.

  Negative: focus on imperfections.
• Steps in ??? Self Concept [Cooley]

  • How we think they see us.
  • How we think they judge us.
  • Changing according to perception.