Flashcards: Bioecological Model, Mills, Essentialism vs Constructionism, and The Self in Social Theory

A set of concise flashcards covering Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, Mills’ sociological imagination, essentialism vs social constructionism, and major theories about the self (SIT, SCT, Goffman, Callero, etc.).

PPCT model (Bronfenbrenner)

Process-People-Context model; explains development as a result of reciprocal interactions between the person and multiple environmental contexts.

Proximal processes

Regular, enduring interactions between the individual and their immediate environment that drive development.

Microsystem

Immediate environment in which the person directly interacts (e.g., family, school, peers).

Mesosystem

Connections between microsystems (e.g., how family and school interact).

Exosystem

Settings that influence the person indirectly (e.g., a parent’s workplace).

Macrosystem

Broad cultural, societal, and ideological contexts shaping other systems.

Chronosystem

Temporal dimension: the patterning of environmental events and transitions over the life course.

Chronosystem note

Chronosystem is not fixed in the diagram because time and contexts change over history.

Socioeconomic status (SES) and proximal processes

Higher SES provides more resources and stability; lower SES adds stressors and fewer opportunities, affecting interaction quality and frequency.

Mills’ sociological imagination

The ability to connect personal troubles to public issues and historical forces; viewing individual experiences within larger social and historical contexts.

Troubles vs. Issues

Troubles are private problems; Issues are public problems tied to institutions and social structures.

Human Conditions (in 5–6–7 sections)

Explores how biography and history intersect; questions about essence, structure, history, variation, and well-being.

Essentialism (Classical)

Belief in fixed, unchanging essences; universal truths about categories.

Essentialism (Modern)

Traits or phenomena with biological or psychological bases; seen as relatively fixed.

Cultural Essentialism

Belief that culture fixes essential traits; can lead to oversimplification and stereotypes.

Eide/Eidos

Fixed, unchanging forms; transcendental essence later labeled as ‘essences’ in philosophy and theology.

Social Constructionism (Berger & Luckmann)

Reality is produced through social interaction; language, shared meanings, and institutions shape how we experience the world.

Externalization

People express and circulate social meanings through actions and language.

Habitualization

Repeated actions become routine and taken for granted as normal.

Institutionalization (via Internalization)

Social patterns become institutions; individuals internalize these patterns as ‘natural’.

Scripts Theory (Gagnon & Simon)

Sexual meanings and behaviors are learned; sexuality is not an intrinsic essence but shaped by discourse.

Foucault on sexuality

Sexuality is produced by discourse and power structures, not a fixed essence.

Sexual Orientation: Essentialist vs Constructionist

Essentialist view posits fixed categories (hetero/homo); constructionist view allows variation and fluidity across cultures.

Sambia example (Herdt)

Cross-cultural example showing variation and fluidity in homosexual behavior across societies.

Gender as a social construction

Gender is a process shaped by interaction, language, and cultural discourse—not just an individual trait.

Conjoint approaches (Biological + Social)

Efforts to synthesize biology and social factors in explaining human behavior (e.g., Berscheid & Walster, Tuzin).

Two-Component Theory of Love (Berscheid & Walster)

Passionate love arises from physiological arousal plus cognitive labeling.

Biocultural Model (Donald Tuzin)

Biology drives desire, but culture shapes how it is expressed.

Self as Social Actor

The self is a performer in social life; defined by roles and traits; emerges around early childhood.

Self as Motivated Agent

The self as a goal-directed entity guided by values, plans, and desires.

Self as Autobiographical Author

The self creates a life narrative, linking past, present, and future for meaning.

Three Metaphors of the Self (McAdams)

Social Actor, Motivated Agent, Autobiographical Author—three complementary views of the self.

Narrative Identity

A reflexive life story integrating past, present, and future; functions psychologically and culturally.

Reflexivity

The capacity of the self to reflect on itself; the I (knower) encounters the Me (known).

Theory of Mind

Understanding that others have beliefs, desires, and perspectives; typically develops around age 4.

Mirror Test (Gallup, 1968)

Self-recognition test; chimpanzees pass; some other species show recognition; indicative of self-awareness.

Self-Perception Theory

We learn about ourselves by observing our own behavior and by others pointing out our behavior.

Self-Discrepancy Theory

Tension from gaps between Actual, Ideal, and Ought selves; leads to dejection or agitation.

Self-Expansion Theory

Motivation to grow the self by including others in the self-concept.

Optimal Margin Theory

Maintaining life’s challenges while preserving psychological distance for balance.

Self-Presentation Theory (Impression Management)

Efforts to control others’ impressions; includes strategies like ingratiation, self-promotion, and exemplification.

Ingratiation strategies

Other-enhancement, opinion conformity, self-promotion, self-enhancement, entitlements, conspicuous consumption.

Self-Monitoring

Tendency to adjust behavior to fit perceived social situations; high vs. low self-monitors.

Positive Illusions

Healthy levels of self-deception about control, future, and meaning; moderation is important.

Self-Esteem vs Self-Concept

Self-concept = beliefs about who you are; self-esteem = how you evaluate your worth.

Big Five traits

Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience.

Social Identity Theory (SIT)

Self is defined by group memberships; processes include social categorization, social identification, and social comparison.

Social Identity Theory processes (detailed)

Social categorization classifies self/others; social identification internalizes group norms; social comparison boosts self-esteem via in-group favoritism.

Self-Categorisation Theory (SCT)

Shifts between personal identity and social identity; depersonalization can occur as group norms dominate.

Mead & Cooley foundations

Mead: self emerges from social interaction; Cooley: looking-glass self—how others see us shapes self-view.

Goffman’s Presentation of Self

Self as performance in everyday life; impression management to influence others.

Berger & Luckmann on reality

Reality is created through externalization, habitualization, and institutionalization; language organizes experience.

Discursive Construction of Self

Self is built through discourse; identities are contextual, flexible and shaped by power relations.

Callero’s three frames of the self

Power: identities produced by social power; Reflexivity: capacity to reflect on self; Social Construction: self as a product of social processes.