The Sociological Self
1. Did you ever………..?
ask yourself how you learned to talk?
eat with spoon and fork?
2. Can you recall ………..?
an occasion when you had to act even if
you are not comfortable doing it because
that’s how the people around you behaved?
What did you feel?
The SELF is defined in the social
perspective based on how a
person deals with one’s self, with
others, with society, and the world.
Is the study of society and
how this affects a person in
a variety of context.
means to build or
form (something) by
assembling parts
how individuals perceive, comprehend
and interpret the world a round them,
particularly the behavior or action of
others towards themselves
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD
Symbolic Interactionism
THE SELF
is a product
of social
interaction
Mead proposes
that there are
two
components of
the self
I & Me
Two sides of Self:
ME & I
Mead’s Theory of Social Self
The 'I' and the 'me' make up the self.
I-Self
• is the acting body - subject
• is the spontaneous response
• gives the self the capacity to
innovate
•Becomes part of the “me”
Me-Self
are the attitudes, and behavior
of the person with reference to
their social environment.
The Social Self
 According to Mead, three activities develop the
self:
Language
LANGUAGE: becoming
self-conscious through
speech as the meaning
of an act is found in the
response elicitied
GAMES: I & Me
teaches the diverse
roles of others
Play
Games
PLAY: taking the role of
others in play and games
such that play takes on
social roles of others
GOFFMAN and the Social Self
The Self is a performer since selves are
managed social interaction, through
scripts and masks
We adopt different
“roles”
Self produces
performances in
social situations
The production of self is constrained by
social norms and expectations.
self as a
performer
MARKUS & KITAYAMA
(SELF-CONSTRUAL CULTURAL ORIENTATION
Claimed that those who have independent selfconstruals define themselves in terms of internal
attributes such as traits, abilities, values, and
preferences
INDEPENDENT SELF
INTERDEPENDENT SELF
“I am sincere”
“I am a student at the University
of San Jose - Recoletos
Separation of self &
society
autonomous
Embedded in a network of
Social relations
group / collective
TRIANDIS (2003)
Provided a contrary review about the relationship
between cultural syndromes of individualism,
collectivism, and personality.
People in collectivistic cultures more likely define
themselves as aspects of groups, give priority to ingroup goals, focus on context more than content
attributions and communications.
The SELF as fully autonomous, and believing that equality
between individuals is the ideal.
GIDDENS (1991)
Modernity and the Social Self
Modernity breaks down the protective
framework of community and of tradition,
which threatens the unity of self.
In modern societies, where modernity is
well developed, self-identity became
inescapable issue; everyday questions
about clothing, appearances, leisure,
beliefs, and relationships
GERGEN (1991)
Modernity and the Social Self
As we enter a postmodern consciousness
--- we no longer experience a secure
sense of self, and in which doubt is
increasingly placed on the very
assumption of a bounded identity with
palpable attributes