MODULE 2:

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

Asher John M. Cauguiran, MAEd GC, LPT
 Sociological perspective of the self is based on the
assumption that human behavior is influenced by group life.
A particular view of oneself is formed through interactions
with other people, groups, or social institutions.
 Is the scientific study of
social groups and human
relationships generating
new insights into the
interconnectedness
between self and other
people.
 Hence, sociologists offer
theories to explain how
the self emerges as a
product of social
experience.
 Sociologists Charles Horton
Cooley in 1902 introduces the
looking-glass self highlight that
the people whom a person
interacts with become a mirror in
which he or she views himself or
herself.
 Self-identity or self-image is
achieved through a threefold
event
1. which begins by
conceiving an idea of how
a person presents himself
or herself to others,
2. how he or she analyzes
how others perceive him or
her,
3. and how he or she creates
an image of himself or
herself.
 Since these perceptions are subjective, a person might have wrong
interpretations of how other people evaluate him or her. It would be
critical if he or she thinks that other judge him or her unfavorably
because he could develop a negative self-image.
 Another sociologist, George
Herbert Mead, supports the view
that a person develops a sense of
self through social interaction and
not the biological preconditions of
that interaction.
Mead’s theory of the social self
explained that the self has two
divisions; the “I” and the “me”.
 The “I” is the subjective
element and the active side of
the self. It represents the
spontaneous and unique traits
of the individual.
 The “me”, on the other hand,
is the objective element of the
self that represents the
internalized attitudes and
demands of other people and
the individual’s awareness of
those demands.
 The full development of the self is
attained when the “I” and the “me” are
united.
 According to Mead, the self is not
present at birth.
 It develops only with social experience
in which language, gestures, and objects
are used to communicate meaningfully.
 Since there is meaning in human actions, a person infers people’s intention or direction of
action, which may lead him or her to understand the world from other’s point of view—a
process that Mead labels as role-taking.
Then he or she creates his or her own role and anticipates how others will respond. When he
or she performs his or her particular role, he or she becomes self-aware.
 The self continues to change along with his or her social experience.
In other words, no matter how much the world shapes a person, he or she will
always remain a creative being, and be able to react to the world around him or
her.
  In the preparatory stage (0-3 years old), children imitate the people
around them, especially family members with whom they have daily
Mead details the
interaction.
development of
the self in a three-  But they copy behavior without understanding underlying intentions, and
stage process; so at this stage, they have no sense of self. During this stage, children are
just preparing for role-taking.
 During the play stage (3 to 5 years old), children start to view themselves in relation to others as
they learn to communicate through language and other symbols.
 At this stage, role-taking is exhibited; however, children do not perceive role-taking as something
expected of them.
 The self emerges as children pretend to take the roles of specific people or significant others, those
individuals who are important agents of socialization. At this stage, the self is developing.
 In the game stage (begins in the early school years; 8 - 9 years old) children understand not only their own
social position but also those of others around them.
 At this stage children become concerned about and take into account their behavior, the generalized others
which refer to the attitudes, viewpoints, demands, and expectations of the society which include cultural norms
and values that serve as references in evaluating oneself.
 This time, they can have a more sophisticated look of people and an ability to respond to numerous members of
the social environment. During this stage, the self is now present.
The self as a product of modern and
postmodern societies
Gerry Lanuza’s article, “The
Constitution of the Self” discusses
the relationship between society and
the individual.
According to him, in modern
societies the attainment and stability
of self-identity are freely chosen.
It is no longer restricted by customs
and traditions. While this newfound
freedom offers infinite possibilities
for self-cultivation, problems such as
alienation and dehumanization of
the self also appear which hinder the
full development of human
potentials.
 Hence, there is a need to discover the “authentic core” of the self for the
individual to freely work towards self-realization.
In postmodern societies, self-identity continuously changes due to the demands
of multitude of social contexts, new information technologies, and globalization.
French sociologist Jean Baudrillard exposes that
negative consequences of postmodernity to
individuals in the society.
 For him, consumption structures the postmodern
society.
The postmodern individuals achieve self-identity
through prestige symbol that they consume.
Individuals seek for a position in society through the
quality of prestige symbols that they can afford to
consume.
 The cultural practices of advertising and
mass media greatly influence individuals to
consume goods not for their primary value
and utility but for the feeling of goodness
and power when compared with others.
Hence, the postmodern person has become
an insatiable consumer and may never be
satisfied in his or her life.
 For example, if a person buys an expensive cellular phone not merely as a useful
communication device, but because of its prestige symbol, he or she will desire to buy a
new cell phone when he or she learns that a new and more prestigious model has come
out in the market, or when he or she discovers that other people are using more expensive
mobile phones.
Therefore, the self may be in a never-ending search for prestige in the postmodern
society.
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