THE SOCIAL SELF

Prepared by: Mr. Carlo Jerome Pulanco, RPm

 Man as a Social Agent
◦ The Sociological Perspective
◦ A perspective that deals with the influence of society or collective
groups towards an individual. This view often contains several
branches such as; Sociology and Social Psychology
◦ Society - a collective term for people who inhabit a common
territory, and have mutual interactions, relationships and culture.
Society usually starts with “Social Groups”
◦ Social Groups – made up of two or more people who have something
in common or interact frequently. The family being the most basic
social group
◦ Sociology - A field in Social Science that deals with the study of
human interaction, social institutions, social change, impacts of
culture, and collective human behavior.
◦ Social Psychology - Is a discipline in Psychology that deals with the
influence of groups on individual behavior, as well as looking into
collective human behavior.
 Components of the
Social Self
◦ Independent and Self-Contained
◦ Each person has their own identity and personality, no
two people are a like, it is this uniqueness that highlights
our individualism. Furthermore our self-identity is our
own, and does not rely on the judgement of others

◦ Consistency
◦ Self-Identity remains persistent, meaning there are
patterns, characteristics, and routines that allow it to be
observed, and therefore studied

◦ Private/Confidential
◦ Emotions and thought processes are mostly kept within
ones self. This line of thinking is often kept within the
individual (unless revealed to others)

◦ Unitary and Isolated

◦ The self is often inevitably influenced by the external
world, and as a result, our self-identity does not remain
constant. Furthermore all experiences are directed
towards the individual as a singular processing unit
 Sociological Theorists
◦Marcel Mauss
◦ Is a French Socio-Anthropologist known for his work in
“ethnology” (cultural anthropology), he is related to renowned
sociologist Emile Durkheim and has contributed large quantities
of theories in both anthropology and sociology.
◦ In the context of the “Self” he divided it into two distinct parts:
◦ Moi – A person’s sense of who they are, or his concept of his self-
identity (Example: Rachel shows her goofy and less serious side to her
girlfriend, despite being a serious court lawyer during the day)
◦ Personne – these are social concepts or expectations of society on
how an individual should act or behave (Example: Richard is always
seen as disciplined and well-mannered, because his family comes
from a respected line of professionals)
 Sociological Theorists
◦ George Herbert Mead
◦ An American philosopher and sociologist, mostly known for
his contributions in Social Psychology and Pragmatism
(a sub-discipline in Philosophy that focuses on
practicality)
◦ His greatest contribution to Sociology however is the
“Theory of the Social Self” which is divided into two parts:
◦ Me – a part of our self-identity that we inherit from others, usually
through observing or interacting with other individuals. It is usually
past oriented (Example: You are really self-conscious about your
image because you hang out with socialites)
◦ I - a part of our self-identity that questions the social expectations
of others and your actions (the “me” basically) This is often what
makes us unique and is present oriented (Example: You know that
you should take a college course that your parents would want, but
you wonder if that will truly make you happy? And you decide to
take a course you are passionate about instead)
Sociological Theorists
◦ Role Taking Theory
◦ Is a theory in Social Psychology which states that;
children develop from an “ego-centric” attitude,
to realizing that other individuals have different
perceptions than them.
◦ The Preparatory Stage – children learn basic social
interaction through imitation, usually by observing adults
or authority figures, in this stage they have limited
understanding of these imitations. (Example: Timmy
likes to play with toy tools, because he sees his father
repairing their kitchen sink a lot)
◦ The Play Stage – in this stage children begin to focus
more on the individuals and their social roles, actually
creating perceptions based on other people (Example:
Chloe and her brother pretend they are chefs and
discuss ingredients of dishes based on how they watch
Kitchen Nightmares on TV)
Sociological Theorists
◦ Role Taking Theory
◦ Continued from previous slide
◦ The Game Stage – children begin to take
into account the perceptions of society as
a whole regarding their behaviors. They
know consciously think of their actions,
although they mostly take into account
what their family member or the people
they are close to feel about them.
◦ Significant Others – these are people
who have close ties with the child, such
as; family members, playmates,
teachers, friends, etc.
◦ Generalized Others – pertains to the
collective whole of society
 Sociological
Theorists
◦ Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky
◦ Orsha, Russian Empire (Later Soviet Belarus)
◦ November 7, 1896
◦ Pioneer in “Soviet Psychology” utilizing Leninist
Socialist principles in his theories of human
behavior and social psychology
◦ “Mozart of Psychology” because he was able to
conceptualize various theories in a short span of
time
◦ Integrated a developmental theory that uses the
effect of social environments and culture
◦ Died of tuberculosis before his work could be
finished (Piaget later continued it), most of his
works were later censored after the rise of
Joseph Stalin in the USSR.
◦ Proponent of the Sociocultural Theory of
Development and Zone of Proximal Development
 Social Development Theory
◦ The Importance of Social Interaction
◦ Vygotsky believes that the development of a child’s
understanding of their culture and cognition is based
primarily on their interaction with other people. This level
of social learning is divided into two parts according to him.
◦ Interpsychological – when a child’s cognition is developed
through social interaction. They usually learn about social norms,
values, and culture through other people. (Example: Children
base their moral values on what their parents are teaching them)
◦ Intrapsychological – a child’s cognition is now developed on
their own. They now have the ability to make decisions and
absorb knowledge through self-reflection they have learned with
previous interactions. (Example: Karl developed a taste for music
after being exposed to the arts by his teacher)
 The Zone of Proximal Development
◦ Vygotsky’s theory stresses the importance of the role of adults in
structuring how children learn, and how this guidance will have
an effect on their later development.
◦ The Zone of Proximal Development – children tend to learn
more quickly under the guidance or encouragement of a more
skilled adult or companion (More Knowledgeable Other). Proper
guidance will eventually make them internalize these skills to make
the children accomplish tasks more independently in the future
◦ Scaffolding – Adults adjust their tailoring of the child’s skill
whether by; providing step by step instructions, integrating new ideas
by associating them to previous knowledge, or observing them
◦ Apprenticeship/Guided Participation – it is where the adult
and child actively both participate in the task at hand to aid in
the child’s learning
 Basic to Enhanced Skills of
Children
◦ He believes that learning is only possible through interaction, and
complex skills are a result of these. However, this does not mean
that infants and toddlers do not harness the ability to learn. This is
what Vygotsky calls “Elementary Mental Functions”
◦ Sensation – the use of the 5 basic senses to analyze the world.
Oftentimes (especially during infancy) they act as instincts for survival.
◦ Hunger – an instinctive response, this sensation does not need learnings
to be understood, but is rather innate to all of us.
◦ Memory – infants and toddlers can form memories, but this is purely for
survival reasons, meaning they lack perceptual knowledge (they cannot
give meaning or sense to what they see, hear, feel, or taste)

◦ As the infant or toddler goes to the next stage in life, these functions
eventually get nurtured enough to be more complex and analytical
 Basic to Enhanced Skills of Children
◦ As a child develops, they get to interact more with other people, and thus
nurture their innate skills and transform them into more intricate baskets of
abilities, these are called “Higher Mental Functions”
◦ Language – since a child interacts more at this stage, their methods of
communication becomes increasingly advanced. They can comprehend other
languages and other forms of verbal and non-verbal skills.
◦ Memory – they know possess the ability to store more long-term memories,
and the ability to give perceptual meaning to them.
◦ Attention – through observing and being thought by others, they know learn to
give analysis and emphasis on their decisions, ideals, and actions.
◦ Perceptions – learning through interactions allows children to become
imaginative, allowing them to form meanings behind their experiences and
memories, making them more relevant to the child’s cognitive and intellectual
abilities.