the self and other people

CHAPTER 2 – SOCIOLOGICAL CHARLES HORTON COOLEY

PERSPECTIVE:
- 1902 introduced the lookingglass self
THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF SOCIETY
 Looking-glass Self
 Sociological Perspective of the SELF is
- Highlights that people whom a
based on the assumption that human
person interacts with become a
behavior is influenced by group life.
mirror in which he or she
 A particular view of oneself is formed
views himself or herself
through interactions with other people,
Self-identity or self-image is achieved through a
groups, or social institutions.
threefold event which begins by
Mead and Cooley: the self does not depend on
1. How do i appear to others
biological predispositions; rather it is a product
of -conceiving an idea of how he presents

social interactions himself to others,

Jean Baudrillard: postmodern society, the self is 2. What must others think of me

found in the prestige symbols of goods - how he analyzes how others perceive him,
consumed by and
people. Postmodern person has become an 3. Revise how we think about ourselves
INSATIABLE consumer. -how he creates an image of himself.
*if people desire to be satisfied in life, they The looking-glass self describes our use of how
should we
not be persuaded by the postmodern culture of think others perceive us as a mirror for
advertisement and mass media which suggest perceiving
false ourselves.
needs Since these perceptions are subjective, he might
 Sociology have

- A scientific study of social wrong interpretations of how other people

evaluate
groups and human
him.
relationships generates new
It would be critical if he thinks other judge him
insights into the

interconnectedness between
unfavorably because he could develop a
negative

self-image.

GEORGE HERBERT MEAD

- Supported the view that man

develops a sense of self

through social interaction and

not the biological

preconditions of that

interaction.

 Refined the concept of Cooley.

- He noted that what matters for our

selfconcepts is not how others actually see

us but the way we imagine they see us.

- People generally feel freer to praise

than to criticize; they voice their

compliments and restrain their gibes.

We may, therefore, overestimate

others’ appraisal, inflating our selfimages

Theory of the Social Self - the self has two

divisions

1. “I”

- Subjective Element

- Active side of the self

- Spontaneous and unique traits of

an individual

2. “Me”

- Objective elemen