SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE:

THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF THE SOCIETY

THE SELF FROM THE VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES, UNIT 1
SOCIOLOGY
• A SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF SOCIAL GROUPS AND HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS GENERATES
NEW INSIGHTS IN TO THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS BETWEEN THE SELF AND OTHER
PEOPLE.
• SOCIOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF HUMAN SOCIETY; HOW IT BEGAN, STRUCTURE, AND
MECHANISMS. THE STUDY OF THE COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR OF PEOPLE WITHIN
SOCIETY AND FOCUSES ON SOCIAL PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY INDIVIDUALS. IT
PROVIDES TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND SOCIETY.
• SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF IS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT
HUMAN BEHAVIOR IS INFLUENCED BY GROUP LIFE.
• VIEW OF ONESELF IS FORMED THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE,
GROUPS, OR SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
• SELF IS BASICALLY CONSIDERED AS THE PRODUCT OF SOCIAL INTERACTION
THROUGH THE UTILIZATION OF LANGUAGE.
LOOKING GLASS SELF BY CHARLES
HORTON COOLEY (1902)

• THE LOOKING-GLASS SELF DESCRIBES THE PROCESS WHEREIN INDIVIDUALS BASE

THEIR SENSE OF SELF ON HOW THEY BELIEVE OTHERS VIEW THEM. USING SOCIAL
INTERACTION AS A TYPE OF “MIRROR,” PEOPLE USE THE JUDGMENTS THEY
RECEIVE FROM OTHERS TO MEASURE THEIR OWN WORTH, VALUES, AND BEHAVIOR.
• COOLEY’S IDEA OF THE LOOKING GLASS SELF IS EXPLAINED IN TWO STEPS, (1) WE
IMAGINE HOW WE APPEAR TO ANOTHER PERSON, AND (2) WE IMAGINE HOW THE
PERSON FEELS ABOUT US, BASED ON THE JUDGMENTS MADE (COOLEY, 1902).
THEORY OF THE SOCIAL SELF BY
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD (1863-1931)
• THE FATHER OF AMERICAN PRAGMATISM AND CONTRIBUTOR TO MODERN SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY.
• HE BELIEVES THAT HUMAN BIOLOGY DOES NOT AFFECT THE SELF BUT INSTEAD THE
SOCIAL INTERACTION THAT ONE EXPERIENCES IN LIFE.
• HENCE, THE SELF IS CONSTRUCTED AND RECONSTRUCTED AS ONE PROGRESSES IN
LIFE.
• THE ”I” AND THE “ME” ARE TWO ASPECTS OF THE SELF FOR MEAD.
• I IS THE REACTION OF A PERSON TO THE ENVIRONMENT WHILE THE ME ARE BEHAVIORS
IN COMPLIANCE TO THOSE AROUND HIM/HER.
THEORY OF THE SOCIAL SELF BY GEORGE HERBERT
MEAD
• MEAD ALSO THEORIZED THREE ROLE-PLAYING STAGES OF SELF DEVELOPMENT.
• PREPARATORY STAGE (BIRTH TO 2 YEARS OLD) – THIS IS MARKED WITH IMITATION.
• PLAY STAGE (2 TO 6 YEARS OLD) – CHILDREN BEGIN TO SOCIALIZE. A TIME THEY
DISCOVER HIDDEN RULES, TRIAL AND ERROR, AND DEVELOP SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS.
• GAME STAGE (6 TO 9 YEARS OLD) – THE FINAL STAGE WHICH ENABLES THE CHILDREN TO
BE MORE FAMILIARIZED WITH SOCIETAL RULES, THEIR ROLES, AND CONSEQUENCES OF
ACTIONS.
• MEAD FINALLY THEORIZED THAT SOCIALIZATION IS A LIFELONG PROCESS. THE MORE
WE INTERACT, THE MORE WE DIVERSIFY OURSELVES.
GERHARD LENSKI (1924-2015)

• HIS THEORY FOCUSED ON SOCIOCULTURAL REVOLUTION.

• FOR HIM, HUMAN SOCIETY IS A PROCESS OF CHANGE THAT INCLUDES A SOCIETY’S
LEVEL OF INNOVATION, TRANSMISSIONS, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS.
• TECHNOLOGY IS THE CENTER OF SOCIAL CHANGE.
• THERE ARE FIVE SOCIETIES: HUNTING AND GATHERING SOCIETIES, HORTICULTURAL
AND PASTORAL SOCIETIES, AGRARIAN SOCIETY, INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY,
POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF MODERN & POST
MODERN SOCIETIES

• GERRY LANUZA’S ARTICLE (2004), “THE CONSTITUTIONAL SELF”: IN MODERN

SOCIETIES THE ATTAINMENT & STABILITY OF SELF-IDENTITY ARE FREELY CHOSEN,
NOT RESTRICTED BY CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS.
• AUTHENTIC CORE OF THE SELF FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TO FREELY WORK TOWARDS
SELF-REALIZATION IS NEEDED TO BE DISCOVERED.
• IN POST MODERN SOCIETIES, SELF-IDENTITY CONTINUOUSLY CHANGES DUE TO THE
DEMANDS OF SOCIAL CONTEXT, NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND
GLOBALIZATION.
• PRESTIGE SYMBOLS, CONSUMERISM FOR FEELING OF GOODNESS & POWER.