Lesson 2 - Sociological Perspectives

Sociology

human behavior is shaped by the groups to which people belong and by the social interaction that takes place within those groups.

George Herbert Mead

developed the idea of social behaviorism to explain how social experience develops an individual's personality.

Social Behaviorism

explains how social experience develops an individual's personality.

The Self

A dimension of personality that is made up of the individual's self-awareness and self-image; Mead states that this cannot be separated from the society.

Preparatory Stage

the first stage in Mead's theory of the development of self wherein children mimic or imitate others

Play Stage

Mead's second stage in the development of role-taking: children act in ways they imagine other people would

Game Stage

Mead's third stage in the development of role-taking: children anticipate the actions of others based on social rules

I self

The part of the self that functions as the subject of a social action, this allows the individual to still express creativity and individualism and understand when to possibly bend and stretch the rules that govern social interactions.

Me Self

The part of the self that functions as an object; expectations and attitudes of others.

Charles Horton Cooley

states that to understand behavior, we must first understand the meanings humans attach to certain situations and, thus, the behavior that is taught to go along with that situation. He believed that societies shape the lives of the people who live within them.

Symbolic Interactionism

The meanings attached to symbols are socially created and fluid, instead of natural and static. Because of this, we act and react to symbols based on their currently assigned meanings.

Looking-Glass Self Theory

an individual's perception of himself or herself is based primarily how society views him or her; the self that is a product of social interaction

Sociological Imagination

provides a framework for understanding our social world that far surpasses any common sense notion we might derive from our limited social experiences; the ability to connect the most basic, intimate aspects of an individual's life to seemingly impersonal and remote historical forces

C. Wright Mills

Described the importance of the sociological imagination when viewing the world, especially for people with power.

Personal Troubles

private problems that affect individuals and the networks of people with whom they associate regularly