Lesson 2: The Social Self : THE SELF, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE

1. Nature vs. Nurture in Human Development

  • Heredity → inborn traits (from biological parents).

  • Environment → external world and our experiences.

Examples:

  • 🌊 Masaru Emoto – Water exposed to kind words formed beautiful crystals, while harsh words made them ugly. → Environment and words affect outcomes.

  • 🐭 Rat Park (Bruce Alexander) – Isolated rats took drugs, but rats in a fun, social park didn’t. → Addiction is shaped by environment, not just biology

  • 🌿 Tarzan – A boy raised by apes grew up acting like them. → Nurture and environment strongly shape the self.

2. Philosophical/Sociological Views

  • Martin Heidegger – Being-in-the-World → the self exists relationally with others; develops through interaction.

    • POTENTIALITY TO

      ACTUALITY

  • Principle of One & Many

    • Value your uniqueness (One), but remember you belong to humanity (Many)

    • Individuality (uniqueness) must be affirmed.

    • Unity (humanity) reminds us we are social beings.

3. Socialization: The Process of Human-Becoming

  • Definition: Lifelong process of learning the ways of society and developing identity.

  • Society provides:

    • Norms (rules),

    • Values (ideals),

    • Institutions (family, government, education, religion, economy).

4. Theories of Self & Socialization

Humanistic Views

  • Maslow – Hierarchy of Needs → self-actualization comes after basic needs are met.

  • Carl Rogers – Self-Actualization → requires genuineness, acceptance, and empathy from the environment.

Mead – Role Taking

  • Mind = individual importation of social process.

  • Stages:

    1. Imitative stage – copying parents.

    2. Play stage – acting adult roles.

    3. Game stage – following rules of society.

Cooley – Looking Glass Self

  • We see ourselves through others’ reactions (like mirrors).

  • Process:

    1. Presentation → how we show ourselves.

    2. Identification → how we think others judge us.

    3. Interpretation → how we feel about that judgment.

  • Seen → Judged → Feel

Vygotsky – Cultural Mediation & ZPD

  • Learning happens within a cultural context.

  • ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development): children learn better with guidance from a skilled adult/mentor.

5. To Be is to Be With

  • The self is not isolated.

  • We need others to affirm who we are.

  • Social trends and cultural context shape our values and identity.

✨ That’s the lesson skeleton. You can see how the learning objectives tie in:

  • Describe = sociologists’ views (Mead, Cooley, Vygotsky).

  • Explain = nurture examples (Tarzan, Rat Park, etc.).

  • Compare & contrast = norms, values, institutions.

  • Demonstrate = applying theories to yourself.

📌 Desired Learning Outcomes & Coverage

1. DESCRIBE
How sociologists & anthropologists explain the concept of self

  • Sociologists → self develops through interaction with society (e.g., Cooley’s looking-glass self).

  • Anthropologists → self is tied to culture, traditions, and collective identity.

2. EXPLAIN
How society & culture shape the self

  • Family, peers, education, religion, and media influence values, beliefs, and behavior.

  • Culture provides norms and roles → shapes personality and worldview.

3. COMPARE & CONTRAST
How self is influenced by society, culture & social agents

  • Society = broad structure → laws, institutions, expectations.

  • Culture = shared practices & beliefs → language, traditions.

  • Social agents = family, peers, school, media → transmit both society’s rules and culture’s values.

4. DEMONSTRATE
Application of sociological views to oneself

  • Example: Understanding peer pressure through social conformity.

  • Example: Recognizing how your family shaped your values through socialization.

  • Example: Seeing how media impacts self-image (symbolic interactionism).

1. Sociologists’ Explanation of the Self

  • Charles Horton Cooley – Looking Glass Self
    Situation: You post a TikTok dance. Your classmates cheer and say you’re really good → you start seeing yourself as “a good dancer.” If they laugh negatively, you might feel embarrassed and doubt your skills.

  • George Herbert Mead – Situation (Play Stage):
    A 6-year-old girl wears her mom’s shoes and pretends to cook dinner in a toy kitchen. She imagines herself as “the mother,” copying the roles she sees adults doing at home.

2. Anthropologists’ Explanation of the Self

  • Culture shapes the self
    Situation: In Japan, bowing is part of showing respect; in the Philippines, we do mano po. These cultural practices shape how individuals express respect.

  • Rituals and traditions
    Situation: A Filipino teenager’s identity is shaped by joining fiestas and simbang gabi traditions, making them feel part of the community.

3. Society & Culture Shaping the Self

  • Situation: Growing up in a collectivist culture like the Philippines, you learn to prioritize family needs before personal wants.

  • Situation: A Western teenager raised in an individualistic society is taught to pursue personal dreams even if different from family expectations.

4. Compare & Contrast Society, Culture, and Social Agents

  • Society: Barangay curfew laws shape how teens spend their nights.

  • Culture: Respect for elders (po and opo) influences speech and manners.

  • Social agents: Teachers shaping discipline, peers shaping hobbies, family shaping values.

5. Demonstrating Application of Sociological Views

  • Situation: You realize your dream of being a flight attendant isn’t just your choice—it’s influenced by society’s high regard for tourism jobs, cultural exposure to travel, and peers encouraging you.

  • Situation: Your eco-consciousness (refusing plastic bags 🌱) reflects socialization from both family teachings and societal campaigns about climate change.

✨ so basically:

  • Sociologists → focus on interaction & roles (Cooley, Mead, Goffman).

  • Anthropologists → focus on culture & traditions.

  • Society & Culture → directly mold your behavior, values, and identity.