week 2: Self & Identity & Theoretical Perspectives

What is the Twenty Statements Test?

A test developed by Kuhn and colleagues to measure a person’s self-concept

What is identity?

How people understand and define who they are

Does identity emerge in isolation?

No, identity develops through social contexts and interactions

How does Scott define identity?

A set of integrated ideas about the self, roles, and unique qualities

What are roles in identity?

Expected behaviors based on social status or position

What shapes role expectations?

Societal norms and values

How do roles affect identity?

They influence a person’s sense of self

Is identity static?

No, identity is fluid and changeable

Is identity situational?

Yes, identity depends on context

Is identity relational?

Yes, identity forms through relationships

What is similarity in identity?

Feelings of sameness and belonging

What is difference in identity?

Recognition of what makes us distinct

What is reflexivity in identity?

Thinking about and reflecting on oneself

What does process mean in identity?

Identity is actively created and maintained

Who developed social identity theory?

Henri Tajfel

What is central to social identity?

Group membership

What types of groups shape social identity?

Formal and informal groups

What is the symbolic interactionist view of the self?

The self arises from social interaction

What is the looking-glass self?

The idea that self-concept comes from perceived judgments of others

Who developed the looking-glass self?

Cooley

What is the first element of the looking-glass self?

Imagining how we appear to others

What is the second element of the looking-glass self?

Imagining how others judge us

What is the third element of the looking-glass self?

Feelings based on imagined judgments

Who most influences the looking-glass self?

Significant others

What is “the I” according to Mead?

The impulsive and creative part of the self

What is “the Me” according to Mead?

The socialized and regulated part of the self

What is the generalized other?

Internalized expectations of society

What are the stages of the generalized other?

Play stage and game stage

When do we use the generalized other?

When imagining what others expect of us

Is there a single true self?

No, the self is multidimensional

What is identity salience?

The identity that feels most central to who we are

How is identity enacted?

Identity is performed through social interaction

How do power dynamics affect identity?

They shape which identities are valued or constrained

Where did symbolic interactionism originate?

The University of Chicago

When did symbolic interactionism emerge?

Around the turn of the 20th century

What social issues did symbolic interactionism help explain?

Urbanization, migration, crime, and social problems

Who were key early symbolic interactionists?

Cooley, Mead, and W. I. Thomas

What does symbolic interactionism focus on?

Meaning-making through social interaction

What elements are central to symbolic interactionism?

Symbols, gestures, negotiation, and social processes

Does symbolic interactionism prioritize objectivity?

No, it emphasizes subjective experience

Who coined the term symbolic interactionism?

Herbert Blumer

What traditions did Blumer combine?

Pragmatism and empiricism

What is Blumer’s first premise?

People act based on meanings

What is Blumer’s second premise?

Meanings emerge through social interaction

What is Blumer’s third premise?

Meanings can change through interpretation

Who developed structural symbolic interactionism?

Manford Kuhn

What school is Kuhn associated with?

The Iowa School

What contribution did Kuhn make?

Made the self measurable

How do social structures affect interaction?

They constrain behavior

What characterizes traditional symbolic interactionism?

Social life is unpredictable

Why is traditional SI difficult to test?

Meanings constantly change

How does traditional SI view the self?

As increasingly free from structure

What characterizes structural symbolic interactionism?

Stability in social life

How are social structures viewed in structural SI?

As stable patterns that constrain meaning

How does structural SI define the self?

A conduit for reproducing social structure

What research method does structural SI prefer?

Quantitative methods

Who developed dramaturgy?

Erving Goffman

What is front stage behavior?

Public identity performance

What is backstage behavior?

Private behavior away from the audience

What is impression management?

Controlling how others perceive us

How are identities viewed in dramaturgy?

Collaborative performances

Who developed identity theory?

Stryker and Burke

What framework does identity theory build on?

Mead’s theory

What does Stryker emphasize?

External social mechanisms

What does Burke emphasize?

Internal psychological mechanisms

Why are both needed in identity theory?

Identity requires internal and external processes

How does identity theory understand identity?

As a process

What is a criticism of symbolic interactionism?

It assumes people are rational

What does SI overestimate?

Individual agency

What does SI underemphasize?

Laws, norms, and power structures

Why is SI sometimes criticized as trivial?

It focuses on small-scale interactions

What does identity theory explain?

How self-image interacts with social relationships

What is identity commitment?

Dependence on a specific role

How does commitment affect behavior?

Higher commitment increases identity-consistent action

What is the self-verification loop?

Comparing treatment to identity standards

What role do emotions play in identity?

They signal alignment or mismatch

How is identity negotiated?

Through ongoing interaction

How does dramaturgy explain negotiation?

Through performance for an audience

What is a performance team?

People working together to sustain an identity

What is identity trajectory?

Identity development over time

How does Susie Scott describe the self?

As two parts in inner conversation

What is social reciprocity?

Mutual identity verification

How do individuals affect social structures?

By reproducing and repairing them

Why do people perform identities?

To achieve consistency and belonging