THE SOCIAL SELF 5.2

THE SOCIAL SELF  When we are born, humans cannot walk, talk, protect ourselves or even feed ourselves  Know nothing about the norms of society  Through interaction with their social and cultural environments, people are transformed into participating members of society

THE SOCIAL SELF  Socialization: the interactive process through which people learn the basic skills, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns of a society  Number of theories to explain how people become socialized and develop a sense of self  Self: conscious awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates you and your environment from other members of society

THE SOCIAL SELF  Three theorists: John Locke, Charles Horton Cooley, and George Herbert Mead 1. John Locke: “The Tabula Rosa”  English philosopher from the 1600s  Insisted that each new born human being is a tabula rosa, or clean slate, on which just about anything can be written  Each of us is born without a personality, acquire our personalities as a result of our social experiences

THE SOCIAL SELF  Believed that human beings could be molded into any type of character  He believed that he could take any newborn and shape their personality any which way he chooses 2. Charles Cooley:”Looking-Glass Self”  one of the founders of the interactionist perspective in sociology  Refers to the interactive process by which we develop an image of ourselves based on how we imagine we appear to others

THE SOCIAL SELF  Other people act as a mirror, reflecting back the image we project through their reactions to our behaviors  Three step process: 1. imagine how we appear to others 2. based on their reactions to us, we attempt to determine whether others view us as we view ourselves 3. use our perceptions of how others judge us to develop feelings about ourselves

THE SOCIAL SELF  A newborn has no sense of person or place  Entire world appears as one mass  Childs primary group interact with the growing infant, provide the child with a mirror that reflects their own image  Through this interactive process, the child develops a sense of self  Puts a great deal of responsibility on parents and other primary group members  Continues throughout life

THE SOCIAL SELF  Constantly redefining our self-image as we alter our interpretations of the way we think others view us 3.) George Mead: Role-Taking  Seeing ourselves is only the beginning  Actually take on or pretend to take the roles of others  Role-taking: forms the basis of the socialization process by allowing us to anticipate what others expect of us

THE SOCIAL SELF  Learn to see ourselves through the eyes of others  First internalize the expectations of the people closest to us (significant others)  As we grow older, significant others become less important  Expectations and attitudes of society take on added importance in guiding our behavior and reinforcing our sense of self

THE SOCIAL SELF  Children not automatically capable of role- taking  Must develop the necessary skills through social interaction

THE SOCIAL SELF  Three-step process: 1.Imitation- imitate the act of others 2.Play- age three, begin to play and act out the roles of specific people; first attempt at seeing the world through others eyes 3.Games-5 and older take part in organized games

THE SOCIAL SELF Sense of self consists of two related parts: 1.1.”I”- unsocialized, spontaneous, self-interested component of personality and self identity; stronger in childhood 2.2. “Me”- part of our self that is aware of the expectations and attitudes of society-the socialized self; through socialization the me gains power by acting together with the I and bringing actions in line with the expectations of society  “Me” never totally dominates the “I”  To develop and be well rounded, a person needs both aspects of the self