Understanding the Self
SELF FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ● Born in 1858, Durkheim was a French
● Philosophical Perspective of the Self sociologist, one of the founding figures in the
● Sociological Perspective. field.
● Developed a systematic approach to studying
● Anthropological Conceptualization
society.
● Psychological Perspective
● Introduced the concept of social functions,
emphasizing the need to understand society in
SOCIOLOGY
terms of its constituent parts and their
● The scientific study of social groups and human
interrelationships.
relationships which generates new insights into the
The Functionalist Perspective
interconnectedness between self and other people
● Society should be analyzed and described in
● For sociologists, the sense of self emerges as the individual
terms of functions.
partakes in the society.
● Each part of society serves a purpose and
THE SELF, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE
contributes to the stability and continuity of the
● Perception, attitudes, and values all contribute to the
whole.
formation of an individual's self-identity.
● Just like organs in a body, societal institutions
○ SELF-IDENTITY
(family, education, religion, etc.) are
■ Self-identity is the individual's
interdependent.
perception of themselves, influenced by
● Change in one institution (e.g., economy) affects
personal and social factors.
others (e.g., family structure, education).
○ SOCIAL IDENTITY
Society as a System of Interrelated Parts
■ The perceptions, attitudes, values, and
Systemic Interdependence:
beliefs held by other people impact how
● No part of society functions in
they view or perceive an individual.
isolation. A change in one part (e.g.,
technological advancement) impacts
UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTION, ATTITUDE,
others (e.g., job market, education).
SELF, VALUES, AND BELIEFS
○ Example: Industrialization led
Perception
to changes in family dynamics,
● Perception is how people perceive the world
urbanization, and education
around them
systems.
● Different experiences lead to different
Dynamic Equilibrium:
perceptions of the same event
● Society strives for balance; adjustments
● Example: Two people witnessing the same event
occur to maintain stability when one
but interpreting it differently.
part changes.
Attitude
Mechanical Solidarity: Pre-Modern Societies
● Attitude refers to how an individual thinks or
● Mechanical Solidarity refers to the social cohesion
feels about something.
based on shared beliefs, values, and common
● Influenced by self-identity and personal
activities.
experiences.
● Found in pre-modern, traditional societies.
● A positive or negative attitude toward a new task
○ Strong collective conscience—people
The Self
think and act alike due to similar life
● The self is the individual's identity shaped by
experiences.
personal and social factors.
○ Limited division of labor—most people
● Influences:
perform similar tasks (e.g., farming).
○ Values: What an individual believes to
○ Example: Small, rural communities
be right or wrong.
where people are bound by kinship,
■ Beliefs: What an individual
religion, and tradition.
sees as true or false.
Organic Solidarity: Modern Societies
● The fact that a person's self-identity and their
● Organic Solidarity is social cohesion based on the
social identity do not always coincide might really
interdependence of specialized roles.
lead to internal strife in a person's life.
● Found in modern, industrial societies.
○ Complex division of labor—people
ANALYZING SOCIAL SOLIDARITY AND CULTURAL
perform different tasks, leading to
SELF-PERCEPTION
dependence on others.
Emile Durkheim and the Functions of Society
○ Weak collective conscience—individuals
Emile Durkheim
have diverse experiences and beliefs.
○ Example: Large urban centers where
individuals rely on others' specialized
Understanding the Self
roles (e.g., doctors, teachers, engineers) ● We interpret others' responses and incorporate
for society to function. them into our self-image.
Cultural Context and Self-Perception The Role of Imitation and Generalized Others
How We See Ourselves: Imitation
● Our self-perception is influenced by the ● We learn about ourselves by imagining how
cultural context in which we are raised. others perceive us, often trying to see events or
● These perceptions shape our lives, situations from their perspective.
affecting how we think, interact, and ● This process of imitation helps us develop
engage with society. self-awareness and refine our self-image.
Cultural Influence: Generalized Others:
● Culture provides the lens through ● Over time, we internalize cultural norms, mores,
which we view the world, impacting and behavioral expectations.
our behavior, lifestyle choices, and ● These generalized others represent society's
social relationships. standards, which we use to guide our behavior
Durkheim's Influence on Modern Sociology and self-perception.
● Durkheim’s theories laid the foundation for Role-Taking:
modern sociology, particularly in the study of ● By adopting the perspectives of others, we gain a
social cohesion and the role of culture in shaping deeper understanding of ourselves.
individual and collective identities. ● This process helps us become self-aware, as we
● His ideas continue to influence research in areas consider how our actions are perceived by others.
such as social psychology, cultural studies, and
the sociology of religion. SOCIAL SELF THEORY
● The self has two divisions: I-SELF, ME- SELF
SENSE OF SELF AND SOCIALIZATION “I” or the I-SELF
Social Self Theory ● The subjective element and active side of the self.
George Herbert Mead ● Represents the spontaneous and unique traits of
● The self is a construct that emerges through the individual.
social interactions and experiences. ● The "I" is the part of us that acts independently,
● Not biologically predetermined. makes decisions and engages with the world
● It encompasses our self-awareness and self-image, dynamically.
both of which evolve as we grow and interact ● The "I" is how the person responds to the "me"
with others. and societal expectations.
1. Self-Awareness: ○ For example, if society says, "Be nice,"
a. The conscious knowledge of the "I" decides whether to conform or
one's own character, feelings, act differently.
motives, and desires. ● It allows us to break some social rules, fostering
b. It allows us to reflect on our creativity, originality, and imagination.
actions and thoughts, guiding “ME” OR the Me-Self
our behavior. ● The objective element of the self, representing
2. Self-Image: internalized attitudes and societal demands.
a. Our mental picture of ● Acts as a system of checks and balances, guiding
ourselves is influenced by how behavior according to societal norms and
we believe others perceive us. expectations.
b. It is shaped through ● The "Me" is shaped by learned behaviors,
continuous social interaction attitudes, and the expectations of others, often
and reflection on these referred to as the "generalized other."
interactions. Integration of "I" and "Me"
The Self as a Social Construct ● Mead (1934) believed that the self is fully
Emergence through Social Interaction: developed when the "I" and "Me" are united.
● The self develops as we engage with others, ● This integration allows individuals to balance
reflecting on these interactions to form a their spontaneous actions with the societal norms
self-image. they have internalized, leading to a well-rounded
● Social interactions provide feedback, helping us self.
to understand how others see us and Mead's Three Activities that Develop the Self
contributing to our self-awareness. 1. Language
Mirroring in Others: a. Language allows individuals to
● Our self is often a reflection of how others react communicate and respond to each
to us.
Understanding the Self
other using symbols, gestures, words, b. As children communicate through
and sounds. language and other symbols, they start
b. Through language, individuals convey to view themselves with others.
and interpret others' attitudes, c. During this stage, children engage in
opinions, and emotions, such as anger, role-taking, where they pretend to take
happiness, or confusion. on the roles of specific people or
c. Language is fundamental in shaping the significant others—those individuals
self, as it provides the means to express who are important in their socialization
and understand social cues and process.
emotions. d. Children practice role-taking by
2. Play imitating and enacting the behaviors
a. Play involves taking on different roles, and perspectives of these significant
pretending, and expressing the others.
expectations of others. e. Although they are actively engaging in
b. Through role-playing, individuals role-playing, children at this stage do
develop self-consciousness and learn to not yet see role-taking as a formal
internalize the perspectives of others. expectation or social obligation.
c. Play allows individuals to explore f. The self begins to emerge more
different social roles and understand distinctly as children pretend to adopt
how others perceive them, contributing various roles, helping them understand
to a deeper understanding of social how others might view them and
dynamics. interact with them.
3. Games g. This role-playing is a crucial part of
a. Games require individuals to self-development, allowing children to
understand and follow the rules of an build a more complex self-concept
activity to succeed. through their interactions and
b. Participation in games helps individuals experiences with others.
learn the importance of rules and 3. Game Stage
cooperation within a structured social a. Begins in the early school years, around
environment. age 8 or 9.
c. Games contribute to the development b. Children gain an understanding of their
of the self by reinforcing the concept own social position and those of others
that success and social acceptance often in their social environment.
depend on adherence to shared rules c. Children become concerned with and
and norms. take into account the attitudes,
Mead details the development of the self in a viewpoints, demands, and expectations
three-stage process: of society.
1. Preparatory Stage d. This includes cultural norms and values
a. Young children begin to imitate the that serve as references for evaluating
behavior of those around them, oneself and others.
particularly family members and others e. Children develop a more sophisticated
with whom they have daily interaction. perspective of people and their roles,
b. Imitation is mostly without allowing them to respond appropriately
understanding the underlying to multiple members of their social
intentions behind the actions they are environment.
copying. f. The self becomes more fully developed
c. This stage is crucial for children as they as children understand and integrate
are just beginning to prepare for more these broader societal perspectives into
complex social interactions and their behavior and interactions.
role-taking.
d. The preparatory stage sets the LOOKING GLASS SELF
foundation for later stages of Charles Horton Cooley
self-development, during which ● Charles Cooley (1902) proposed the concept of
children start to understand and the "looking-glass self," which explains how
internalize social roles. individuals develop their sense of self based on
2. Play Stage their perceptions of how others see them.
a. 3 to 5 years old
Understanding the Self
● This process acts as a social mirror, where people norms and contribute to their enforcement
use others’ judgments to gauge their own worth, through socialization.
behavior, and values. Government
Looking Glass Self ● Although we do not think about it, many of the
● Not who we actually are. rites of passage people go through today are based
● Not what people think about us. on age norms established by the government.
● Based on the perception of how others view us. Individual governments provide facets of
● How we think they view us. socialization for both individuals and groups.
● Begins at an early age and continues throughout Mass Media
life. ● Mass media distribute impersonal information to
Self identity or self-image is achieved through a a wide audience, via television, newspapers, radio,
threefold event: and the Internet. Mass media significantly
1. Conceiving an Idea - Individuals conceive an impacts socialization by providing a constant
idea of how they present themselves to others. flow of information that shapes public
2. Analyzing Perception - They analyze how understanding of norms and societal
others perceive them based on their appearance expectations.
and behavior.
3. Creating an Image - They create and refine their
self-image based on this analysis and perceived
judgments.
AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION
Family
● Family as the First Agent of Socialization -The
family is the primary and earliest agent of
socialization, playing a crucial role in teaching
children the foundational knowledge and
behaviors they need to interact within society.
School
● The first ‘school’ experience for young children,
generally serves as the second socialization agent
for young children .
● The impact of these early educational experiences
includes enhanced social skills, increased
independence from family, and further cognitive
and emotional development, preparing children
for future social interactions and societal
participation.
Peer Groups
● A peer group is made up of people who are
similar in age and social status and who share
interests. Peer groups provide adolescents’ first
major socialization experience outside the realm
of their families.
Workplace
● Although socialized into their culture since birth,
workers require new socialization into a
workplace, in terms of both material culture
(such as how to operate the copy machine) and
nonmaterial culture (such as whether it’s okay to
speak directly to the boss or how to share the
refrigerator).
Religion
● Religion serves as a significant avenue of
socialization for many individuals, shaping
beliefs, values, and behaviors from a young age.
Many religious institutions also uphold gender