Sociological Perspective of the Self

Vocabulary flashcards covering the sociological perspectives of the self, including theories by Cooley, Mead, Lanuza, and Baudrillard.

Sociology

The study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior, investigating the structure of groups, organizations, and societies.

The Self (Sociological View)

A product of social experiences and interactions that is not present at birth or based on biology, but formed through interactions with other people, groups, or social institutions.

Charles Horton Cooley

The sociologist who formulated 'The Looking Glass Self,' proposing that individuals base their sense of self and identity on how they perceive and believe others view them.

The Looking Glass Self

The process where individuals imagine how they appear to others and how others judge them, causing their self-concept to be enhanced if the evaluation is favorable or diminished if unfavorable.

George Herbert Mead

The sociologist who developed the Theory of Social Self, asserting that the self develops gradually through social experiences, activities, and role-taking.

Role-taking

The process of learning to see ourselves from another person's perspective, through which the self develops gradually as we grow older.

Language (0-3 y/o)

The developmental activity occurring from ages 0 to 3 that develops the self by allowing individuals to respond to each other through symbols, gestures, words, and sounds.

Play (3-5 y/o)

The developmental activity occurring from ages 3 to 5 that develops the self by allowing individuals to take on different roles, pretend, and express expectations of others.

Games

A developmental activity that develops the self by allowing individuals to understand and follow the rules of a given social activity.

I-self

The subjective element and active side of the self that is experienced privately and personally, acting based on individual feelings or desires.

Me-self

The socialized aspect of the individual that represents learned and internalized attitudes, expectations, and demands of other people.

Gerry Lanuza

Author of 'The Constitution of the Self' (2004), who explained that modern self-identity is freely chosen rather than restricted by tradition, while postmodern self-identity continuously changes.

Postmodern Self-Identity (Lanuza)

A self-identity that continuously changes due to the demands of multiple social contexts, new information technologies, and globalization.

Jean Baudrillard

A sociologist who posited that consumption defines postmodern society and that individuals construct self-identity through the prestige symbols they consume.

Prestige Symbols (Baudrillard)

Goods consumed through advertising and mass media influence not for primary utility, but to afford individuals a feeling of goodness and power relative to others.