1. Section 2 The Social Self
Chapter 4
Section 2
The Social Self

5. How has my family socialized me?
They taught me right from wrong.
They taught me the meaning of work.
They taught me manners.
They taught me conversation.
They taught me how to defend myself.
They taught me values.

6. One must internalize what they are being socialized to.
They must accept it.

7. John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
Believed that each newly born individual is a tabula rasa, or clean slate.
We acquire personality as a result of our social experiences.

8. Locke believed… Human beings can be molded into any type of character.
He could shape the individual into whatever type of person he wanted.

9. Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929)
American psychologist
Developed the idea of the self-concept, or having an identity separate from other people
Looking-glass self, other people act as mirrors for the development of the self

10. The development of the looking-glass self is a three step process.
First, we imagine how we appear to others.
Next, we imagine the reaction of others to our (imagined) appearance.
Finally, we evaluate ourselves according to how we imagine others have judged us.

11. Can the looking glass be distorted?
Yes, our imaginations may not accurately reflect others’ opinions of ourselves.
Unfortunately, the looking-glass self works even if we are mistaken about others’ perceptions of ourselves.

12. George Herbert Mead (1863-1931)
American sociologist
Role-taking- “silent conversations”
imagine the thoughts, emotions, and behavior of others in any social situation
Significant others- the people closest to us

13. The self consists of two related parts.
“I”- the unsocialized, spontaneous, self- interested component of our personality
“me”- the socialized, predictable, self- created component of our personality

14. Three stages in developing skills needed for role-taking.
Imitation stage: (under age 3)
Imitate verbal and behavior of significant others
2. Play stage: (age 3 to 6)
Acting and thinking as a child imagines another person would
3. Game stage: (school age)
Consider the roles of several people simultaneously

15. What is generalized other?
The internalized attitudes, expectations, and viewpoints of society.
We come to internalize the generalized other through the process of role-taking.

16. Erving Goffman dramaturgy:
the idea that life is like a never-ending play in which people are actors

17. Goffman believed...
that when we are born, we are thrust onto a stage called everyday life, and that our socialization consists of learning how to play our assigned roles from other people.
He believed that whatever we do, we are playing out some role on the stage of life.

18. Impression Management
refers to our desire to manipulate others’ impressions of us
Front stage: where we get to deliver our lines and perform.
A wedding is a front stage. A classroom lectern is a front stage.
Back stage: private areas where we don’t have to act. We can be our real selves. - We can also practice and prepare for our return to the front stage.