The Social Self & Socialization

Chapter 4

At birth we

cannot talk,

walk, feed

ourselves, or

protect

ourselves from

harm.

We know

nothing of the

norms of

society.

We learn these

through

interaction,

both social and

cultural.

The Social Self

The Social SelfSocialization

The interactive process through which people learn the basic skills, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns of a society.

A number of theories exist to explain how people become socialized and develop a sense of self.

SelfYour conscience

awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates you and your environment from other members of society.

An English philosopher from the 1600’s.Believed each newly born human is a clean

slate or “tabula rasa”Each of us is born without a personalityWe acquire our personality as a result of our

social experiences.Human beings can be molded into any type of

character He believed that if given a newborn infant, he

could shape the child’s personality giving the child whatever characteristics he chose.

John Locke

One of the founders of the Interactionist perspective

Most noted for developing the primary group theory

Developed the theory of the Looking Glass SelfLooking 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.

The development of the Looking Glass Self is a three step process…

Charles Horton Cooley

Looking Glass SelfStep 1: First we imagine

hoe we appear to others.Step 2: Based on their

reactions to us, we attempt to determine whether others view us as we view ourselves.

Step 3: we use our perceptions of how others judge us to develop feelings about ourselves.

According to Cooley:A newborn baby has

no sense of person or place

The entire world appears as one mass

The various members of the child’s primary group-parents, siblings, other family members and friends-interact with the growing infant.

Looking Glass SelfThe primary group: pick

up the child, talk to the child, reward or punish behavior, provide the child with the mirror that reflects his or her image.

The child then develops its sense of self.

This theory puts the responsibility on parents and other primary group members.

Parents who think little of a child’s ability or children who perceive this attitude from their parents will likely give rise to feelings of inferiority in the child.

On the other hand, parents who treat their children as capable and competent are likely to produce capable competent children.

This starts in childhood but continues throughout life.

Another founder of the Interactionist perspective

Theory: 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 role of others.

This role taking forms the basis of socialization by allowing us to anticipate what others expect of us.We learn to see ourselves through the eyes of

others.

George Herbert Mead

First we internalize the expectations of those people closest to us.Parents, siblings, relatives, and others with

direct influence on our socialization also known as significant others.

As we grow older significant others become less important.

Instead the expectations and attitudes of society take on more importance in guiding our behavior and reinforcing our sense of self.

Role Taking

Next we internalize the expectations of those around usMead called the internalized attitudes,

expectations, and viewpoints of society: the generalized others.

We internalize the generalized other through the process of role taking.

Children are not automatically capable of role taking. They must develop the necessary skills through social interaction.

Mead saw this as a three step process involving imitation, play, and games.

Role Taking

Imitation and Play Imitation

Under three years of age, children lack a sense of self.

They can only imitate the actions of others.

Young children most often imitate the gestures and actions of family members.

PlayAt about 3 years of age,

children begin to play and act our roles of specific people.

They may dress up in their parents’ clothes, play house, or pretend to be doctors and nurses.

Children are attempting to see the world through someone else’s eyes.

GamesBy 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 by 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.

I & MeAccording 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 is stronger then the “Me” component.

Through the process of socialization 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.

I & Me