Self from Various

Perspectives
SOCIOLOGY
 WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?
Sociology is the study of the role of society in shaping behavior.
It focuses on how different aspects of society contribute to an
individual’s relationship with his world.
It tends to look outward (social institutions, cultural norms,
interactions with others) to understand human behavior.
 The Self as a Product of Modern Society
Among Other Constructions
 The classical sociological perspective of the self
holds that the self is a relatively stable set of
perceptions of who we are or our identity in
relation to ourselves, others, and the social world.
 Our self is socially constructed in the sense that it
is shaped through our interaction with other
people.
 The Self as a Product of
Socialization
 Socialization is the process of learning one’s
culture and how to live within it. In other words, it
is the process whereby an individual learns to
adjust to a group and behave in a way that is
approved by the group.
 As with socialization in general, we are not
passive participants in this process but rather,
have a powerful influence over how this process
develops and its circumstances.
Charles Horton Cooley and the
Looking-Glass Self Theory
 He asserted that people’s self-understanding is constructed,
in part, by their perception of how others view them—a
process termed “the looking glass self.”
 For Cooley, we gradually figure out who we are as we grow
up. You figure out what you look like by looking in a mirror.
However, you figure out who you are through social
interactions. The people you interact with become your
“mirrors.” You see what they think of you when you interact
with them, and it changes the way you think of yourself.
 Charles Horton Cooley and the
Looking-Glass Self Theory
 The process of discovering and experiencing the
looking-glass self occurs in three steps:
First, we imagine how we appear to others.
Second, we imagine the judgment of that
appearance.
Third, we develop our self (identity) through the
judgments of others.
George Herbert Mead
and the Social Self
 The Social Self is based on the perspective that the self
emerges from social interactions, such as observing and
interacting with others, responding about others’ opinions
about oneself, and internalizing them together with one’s
feelings about oneself.
 For Mead, our self is not there at birth, but it is developed
over time from social experiences and activities.
George Herbert Mead
and the Social Self
 Mead believed that as we grow up, our beliefs about
how other people perceive us start to become more
important.
 And Mead thought that this happens through three
different stages:
the preparatory stage,
the play stage, and
the game stage.
George Herbert Mead
and the Social Self
 Mead believed that this understanding led to the
development of his concept of the “I” and the “me.”
 For Mead, the “me” is our social self, and the “I” is our
response to the “me.” The “me” is how we believe the
generalized other sees us and what we learn through
interactions with others.
 On the other hand, the “I” thinks about what those
things mean.
ANTHROPOLOG
Y
 What is Anthropology?
 Anthropology is the study of people and cultures in the
past and today. How did people live a few decades
ago, or thousands of years ago? How have societies
and cultures changed over time? How have humans
evolved? These are some of the questions that
anthropologists ask.
 Anthropologists try to understand the “big picture” of
what it means to be human.
 Four Branches of Anthropology

Archeology
Physical Anthropology
Linguistic anthropology
Cultural anthropology
THE SELF AND PERSON IN
CONTEMPORARY
ANTHROPOLOGY
 The very foundation of the self in anthropology is
understanding man in light of its cultural context.
 In anthropology, the self refers to a set of implicit cultural
values that we try to adhere to and use them to guide our
lives. We adopt these values and become reflections of
specific sociocultural practices in the place where we
exist and that we learn them in our everyday interactions
starting from our earliest age.
 SELF AS EMBEDDED
IN CULTURE
 Anthropologists believe that culture is the full range of
learned behavior patterns. Culture is the complex whole
which includes knowledge, beliefs, morals, law,
customs, arts, and any other capabilities and habits
acquired by a human as a member of society.
 The experiences we go through in life are facilitated by
the culture we live in because culture provides the
environment which allows all these experiences to take
place.
 SELF AS EMBEDDED
IN CULTURE
 There are two components of culture: the
material culture and the non-material culture.
Material culture consists of human technology
Non-material culture includes intangible human
creations like beliefs, values, norms, morals,
rules, language, and organizations.
 SELF AS EMBEDDED
IN CULTURE
 Culture helps us define how we see ourselves
and how we relate to others. Remember that
we differ in many ways: language diversity,
cultural diversity, gender diversity, religious
diversity, and economic diversity. All these
aspects of diversity work together to form our
sense of self.
 SELF AS EMBEDDED
IN CULTURE
A family’s cultural values shape the development of the
child’s self-concept. Culture shapes how we each see
ourselves and others.
 For instance, some cultures prefer children to be quiet
and respectful when around adults. This does not mean
that a quiet child lacks self-confidence. Young children
learn from stories told to them that often emphasize a
family’s values and affect how a child develops his self
concept.
 SELF AS EMBEDDED
IN CULTURE
 According to Catherine Raeff (2010), a
developmental psychologist, culture can influence
how you, your peers, and families view:
 Relationships
 Personality traits
 Achievement
 Expressing emotions
Now, take a moment to reflect on the
influence your culture has had on your sense
of self. To find yourself and truly know who
you are, knowing your roots is just the
foundation. Remember, culture influences us
in more ways than we may know. So, take a
moment and reflect on who you are, where
you come from, and what you believe in. Self-
reflection is the first step of self-discovery.