Society and Identity

Perspective of SOCIOLOGY
Sociology
One of the discipline in the social sciences
which aims to discover the way which the
social surrounding/environment influences
people’s thought, feelings and behavior.
Learning Objective
 To understand human societies, the need
to know and be aware of social processes
may make people see themselves better
when they realize how the social world
impact on their existences.
George Herberd
Mead
is an American
Sociologist, he is
considered as the Father of
American pragmatism, and
one of the pioneers in the
field of social psychology
because of his
contributions on the
development of the person
relating to various social
factors.
George Herberd
Mead

Self is essentially a social

structure and it arises in social
experience.

the notion of a person with

regards to who they are
develops from one’s social
interaction with other people.

The complex blending of

individual motivations and
socially desirable responses
Formation of self according to Mead
Mead believed that a self did not exist at
birth.

Instead self develops over time. Its

development is dependent on social
interaction and social experiences.
Formation of self according to Mead
1.The Preparatory Stage(Birth –2 years)
Children’s behavior are primarily based on
imitation.

They become familiar with symbols that

people use in their interactions.

Goal: knowing and understanding the

symbols are important for this will
constitute their way of communicating
with other throughout their lives.
Formation of self according to Mead
2.The Play Stage (2-6 years old) –
“socialization”

Through communication, social relationships

are formed.

Role- taking in the play stage according to

mead is the process of mentally assuming the
perspective of another person to see how this
person might respond in a given
situation.(Schaefer , 2012)
Formation of self according to Mead
3. The Game Stage (6-9 years old)
“Generalized Other”

 Various relationship we’re considered

simultaneously.
 Now he sees the perspective of others around
him.
 The child now has the ability to respond not just
one but several members of his environment.
 “Generalized Others”
 This forms the basis of how the person
evaluate himself.
THE I and ME
DUE TO PROCESS IN THE PREVIOUS STAGE

1. The self is not present at birth but begins as the central

character in a child’s world.
2. Children see themselves as the center of their “universe”
and is having difficulty understanding others around them.
3. They begin to see other people and is now concerned
about people’s reaction.
4. People around him, particularly his family, play a major role
in the formation of self.
5. They are significant others who strongly influence the
development of the person
THE “ME” SELF
It’s the conventional, and objective self.

ME Self are the characteristics, behavior,

and or actions done by a person that
follows the “generalized others”.

The attitudes, and behavior of the

person with reference to their social
environment.
The “I” self
The subjective part of the self

 Its the reaction of the individual to the

attitude of others, as well as the
manifestation of the individuality of the
person.
What should we follow the I or the
me self?
Theories on Self and Socialization
II. Charles Cooley

Looking glass self of Charles

Cooley is a term for a self
concept that is based upon
how we think when we
appear to others.

By using the sociological

perspective he see that the
smaller units help in shaping
the individual
 “ I am not who you think I am;
I am not who I think I am;
I am who I think you think I am “

-Charles Horton Cooley

Three phases how the self develops
1. People Imagine how they present them selves to
others.
2. People imagine how other people evaluate them.
3. People develop some sort of feeling about
themselves as a result of those impression.

“THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT PEOPLE DEVELOP

SELF IDENTITIES BASED ON THE WRONG
PERCEPTION OF HOW OTHERS SEE THEM”

“POSITIVE SOCIAL EXPERIENCES”

Erving Goffman
In his theory he show that
social processes modify the
presentation of the self.

He compared the behavior of

an individual in society to
acting on stage and maintains
that every one is consciously
playing a role.

His theory is known as

“dramaturgical approach”
Erving Goffman
Impression
Management
a process in which
people regulate and control
information in social
interaction.
Erving Goffman
Front Stage- conformity

Back Stage- no roles to portray

OFF Stage – acting to the audience

independently