Sociology
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the topic the
learners must have:
• described and discussed the
different ways by which society
shape the self; and
• examined oneself in relation to
the sociological perspective.
Introduction
• Societies can shape the development
of their members in very different
ways.
• Each society teaches its concepts,
values, and accepted behaviors to its
children. This instruction is largely
accomplished by social institutions
such as the home, school, and church.
Activity: Role Play
• Each group will portray the
influences of a specific agent of
socialization in the development
of one’s self.
• Each group will be given 10mins
for preparation and 3 mins
presentation
Activity: Role Play
Analysis
• How do you feel while portraying
your role?
• Based on their presentations, to
what extent does each particular
agent of society shape the self?
• What significant learnings have
you gained from this activity?
Abstraction
Mead and the Social Self
Social Self
George Herbert Mead, a
sociologist from the
late 1800s, is well
known for his theory
of the social self,
which includes the
concepts of 'self‘,
'me‘, and 'I' .
Mead’s work focuses on
the way in which the
self is developed.
Social Self
Mead's theory of the social self is based on the
perspective that the self emerges from social
interactions, such as:
• observing and interacting with others
• responding to others' opinions about oneself
• and internalizing external opinions and internal
feelings about oneself
The social aspect of self is an important distinction
because other sociologists and psychologists felt
that the self was based on biological factors and
inherited traits.
According to Mead, the self is not there from birth,
but it is developed over time from social
experiences and activities.
Development of Self
According to Mead, three activities develop the self:
Language develops self by allowing individuals to
respond to each other through symbols, gestures,
words, and sounds.
Play develops self by allowing individuals to take on
different roles, pretend, and express expectation of
others. Play develops one's self-consciousness through
role-playing.
Games develop self by allowing individuals to understand and
adhere to the rules of the activity. Self is developed by
understanding that there are rules in which one must abide by
in order to win the game or be successful at an activity.
Two Sides of Self: Me & I
According to Mead's theory, the self has two sides
or phases: 'me' and 'I.'
The 'me' is considered the socialized aspect of the
individual. The 'me' represents learned behaviors,
attitudes, and expectations of others and of society. A
phase of the self that is in the past.
The 'I', therefore, can be considered the present and
future phase of the self. The 'I' represents the individual's
identity based on response to the 'me‘, or the person’s
individuality.
The 'me' and the 'I' have a didactic
relationship.
Three stages of development.
• First is the preparatory stage (0-3 years old).
Children imitate the people around them,
especially family members with whom they
have daily interaction. Example, a child
imitates the behavior of his or her parents like
sweeping the floor. But they copy behavior
without understanding underlying intentions,
and so at this stage, they have no sense of self.
During this stage, children are just preparing
for role-playing or role-taking.
Three stages of development.
• Second is the play stage (3 to 5 years old).
During the play stage, children start to view
themselves in relation to others as they learn
to communicate through language and other
symbols. At this stage, role-playing is
exhibited. It involves the child playing the role
of others.
Three stages of development.
• For example, the child may act as a teacher,
carpenter, or soldier. In doing these, he or she
becomes aware that there is a difference
between himself or herself and the role that
he or she is playing. However, children do not
perceive role-playing as something expected
of them. The self emerges as children pretend
to take the roles of specific people or
significant others, those individuals who are
important agents of socialization. At this stage,
the self is developing.
Three stages of development.
• Last is the game stage (begins in the early
school years; about 8 or 9 years old). Children
understand not only their own social position
but also those of others around them. They
come to see himself or herself from the
perspective of other people.
Three stages of development.
• To play the game, the child must be aware of his
or her relationship to other people and place
himself or herself in their roles in order to
appreciate his or her particular role in the game.
In doing this, he or she sees himself or herself in
terms of the collective viewpoint of other people
and the attitude of generalized others.
Three stages of development.
• They become concerned about and take into
account in their behavior the generalized others
which refer to the attitudes, viewpoints,
demands, and expectations of the society which
include cultural norms and values that serve as
references in evaluating oneself. This is the time
when remarks like "He is brilliant," "She is
creative," or "He is lazy" are formed. They can
have a more sophisticated look of people and an
ability to respond to numerous members of the
social environment. During this stage, the self is
• For Mead, all humans experience internal
conversation. This conversation involves the
“I” and “me”, which he called phases of self.
For him, self is essentially a social process
going on between the “I” and “me”.
• The “I” is the phase of the self that is
unsocialized and spontaneous. It is the acting
part of the self, an immediate response to
other people. It represents the self that is free
and unique. It is the subjective part of the self.
• . The “Me”, on the contrary, is the self that
results from the progressive stages of role
playing or roletaking and the perspective one
assumes to view and analyze one's own
behaviors. It is the organization of the
internalized attitude of others. It represents
the conventional and objective part of the
self..
• The “Me”, on the contrary, is the self that
results from the progressive stages of role
playing or roletaking and the perspective one
assumes to view and analyze one's own
behaviors. It is the organization of the
internalized attitude of others. It represents
the conventional and objective part of the self.
• The “I” is the response of the organism to the
attitude of others. The 'I' represents the
individual's identity based on response to the
'me‘, or the person’s individuality. It allows the
individual to still express creativity and
individualism and understand when to
possibly bend and stretch the rules that
govern social interactions. The 'I', therefore,
can be considered the present and future
phase of the self.
• The “Me” is the organized set of attitudes of
others which one assumes. It is the socialized
aspect of the individual. It represents learned
behaviors, attitudes, and expectations of
others and society. It is developed through the
knowledge of society and social interactions
that the individual has experienced. A phase
of the self that is in the past. The full
development of the self is attained when the
"I" and the "me" are united.
• Generalized Others
• One of Mead's best known concepts is the
generalized other. He described it as an
organized community or social group which
gives to the individual his or her unity of self.
The attitude of the generalized other is the
attitude of the entire community.
• For example, a dance group, as a team, is the
generalized other as long as it enters as an
organized process or social activity into the
experience of any one of the members of the
group. When one takes the role of a member
of the dance group, it can be said that one is
playing roles in groups.
The Socialization
Socialization is the lifelong process of social
interaction through which individuals acquire
a self-identify and the physical, mental, and
social skills needed for survival in society.
The content of socialization differs greatly
from society to society.
Socialization
The Socialization Process
Humans learn the expectations of
society through socialization.
Socialization is different based on
race, gender and class.
Socialization as Social Control
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
THE FAMILY
Families introduce children to the
expectations of society.
Socialization is different based on
race, gender and class.
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
THE MEDIA
The average young person (age 8–19) spends 6 3/4
hours per day immersed in media in various forms,
often using multiple media forms simultaneously.
Television is the dominant medium,
although half of all youth use a computer
daily.
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
PEERS
For children, peer culture is an important source of
identity.
Through interaction with peers, children
learn concepts of self, gain social skills, and
form values and attitudes.
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
PEERS
• A peer group is a group of people who are linked
by common interests, equal social positions, and
(usually) a similar age
– Peer groups function as agents of socialization by
contributing to our sense of belonging and our feelings
of self-worth
– Individuals must earn their acceptance with their peers
by meeting the group’s demands for high level of
conformity to its own norms, attitudes, speech, and
dress codes
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
RELIGION
Children tend to develop the same religious beliefs
as their parents.
Very often those who disavow religion return to
their original faith at some point in their life,
especially if they have strong ties to their family of
origin and after they form families of their own.
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
SPORTS
Through sports, men and women learn concepts of
self.
Men learn that being competitive in sports is
considered a part of “manhood.”
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
SCHOOLS
In school, teachers and other students are the
source of expectations that encourage children to
think and behave in particular ways.
Research finds that teachers respond differently to
boys than to girls, with boys receiving more of their
attention.
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
SCHOOLS
• Schools have played an increasingly
important role in the socialization process
as the amount of specialized technical
and scientific knowledge has expanded
rapidly
– Schools teach specific knowledge and skills
and they also have a profound effect on a
child’s self-image, beliefs and values
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
SCHOOLS
From a functionalist perspective schools are
responsible for:
Socialization—teaching students to be
productive members of society
Transmission of culture
Social control and personal development
The selection, training, and placement of
individuals on different rungs
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
SCHOOLS
• According to Conflict Theorists much of
what happens at schools is a hidden
curriculum
– Working class and low income children learn to
be neat, on time, wait their turn, and remain
attentive to work
– These are attributes that make them more
easily manipulated in the workforce
APPLICATION
Write a reflection using the
following guide questions?
• How much of who you are now
is a product of your society?
• Has your choice of school
affected yourself now?
• Had you been born into a
different family and schooled in
a different college, how much of
who you are now would
change?
