Sociology Ch. 5 S. 2: The Social Self Obj: Explain how a person’s sense of self emerges; identify and describe the theories that have been put forth to explain the process of socialization.

At birth, human beings cannot talk, walk, feed themselves, or protect themselves from harm. They know nothing about the norms of society. Through interaction with their social and cultural environment, people are transformed into participating members of their society. This interactive process through which people learn the basic skills, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns of a society is called socialization. A number of theories exist to explain how people become socialized and develop a sense of self. Your self is your conscious awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates you and your environment from other members of society.

Locke: The Tabula Rasa John Locke, an English philosopher from the 1600s, insisted that each newly born human being is a tabula rasa, or clean slate, on which just about anything can be written. Locke claimed that each of us is born without a personality. We acquire our personalities as a result of our social experiences. Today few people would take such an extreme view. Nevertheless, many of our basic assumptions about socialization are related to Locke’s views. Most sociologists think of socialization as a process by which individuals absorb the aspects of their culture with which they come into contact. Through the socialization process, they develop the sense of being distinct members of society.

Cooley: The Looking-Glass Self Social psychologist Charles Horton Cooley was one of the founders of the interactionist perspective in sociology. He is most noted for developing the idea of the primary group and for his theory explaining how individuals developed a sense of self. The concept of the looking-glass self is central to that theory. The looking-glass self refers to the interactive process by which we develop an image of ourselves based on how we imagine we appear to others. Other people act as a mirror, reflecting back the image we project through their reactions to our behavior.

According to Cooley, the development of the looking-glass self is a three-step process. First, we imagine how we appear to others. Second, based on their reactions to us, we attempt to determine whether others view us as we view ourselves. Finally, we use our perceptions of how others judge us to develop feelings about ourselves.

The process of identity development begins very early in childhood. This theory puts a great deal of responsibility on parents and other primary-group members who have contact with children. Cooley was quick to note that although this process starts early in childhood, it continues throughout life. Individuals continually redefine their self-images as they alter their interpretations of the way they think others view them.

Mead: Role-Taking American philosopher George Herbert Mead developed ideas related to Cooley’s theories. According to Mead, seeing ourselves as others see us is only the beginning. Eventually we not only see ourselves as others see us but actually take on or pretend to take the roles of others. This act of role-taking forms the basis of the socialization process by allowing us to anticipate what others expect of us. We thus learn to see ourselves through the eyes of others.

According to Mead, we first internalize the expectations of the people closest to us. Although Mead may not use the term, sociologists now refer to such people as significant others. As we grow older, significant others become less important. Instead, the expectations and attitudes of society take on added importance in guiding our behavior and reinforcing our sense of self. Mead called the internalized attitudes, expectations, and viewpoints of society the generalized other.

Children are not automatically capable of role-taking Children are not automatically capable of role-taking. They must develop the necessary skills through social interaction. Mead visualized role-taking as a three-step process involving imitation, play, and games. Under about three years of age, children lack a sense of self. Consequently, they can only imitate the actions of others. Such mimicking is not role-taking, but rather preparation for learning expectations associated with roles. At about age 3, children begin to play and act out the roles of specific people. For the first time, the children are attempting to see the world through someone else’s eyes.

By the time children reach school age, they begin to take part in organized games. Organized games require children not only to take on roles of their own but also to anticipate the actions and expectations of others. Because it requires internalizing the generalized other, the game stage of role-taking most closely resembles real life.

Through role-taking, individuals develop a sense of self Through role-taking, individuals develop a sense of self. According to Mead, the self consists of two related parts - the “I” and the “me”. The I is the unsocialized, spontaneous, self-interested component of personality and self-identity. The me, on the other hand, is the part of ourselves that is aware of the expectations and attitudes of society - the socialized self. In childhood, the I component of personality is stronger than the me component. Through the process of socialization, however, the me gains power by acting together with the I and bringing actions in line with the expectations of society. The me never totally dominates the I. To develop into a well-rounded member of society, a person needs both aspects of the self.