Download Sociology Ch. 5 S. 2

Sociology Ch. 5 S. 2: The Social Self
Obj: Explain how a person’s sense of ____________ emerges; identify and describe the
_________________ that have been put _____________ to explain the process of socialization.
At _____________, human beings cannot talk, walk, feed themselves, or protect themselves from
harm. They know nothing about the norms of society. Through interaction with their social and
cultural environment, people are transformed into participating members of their society. This
interactive process through which people learn the basic skills, values, beliefs, and behavior
patterns of a society is called __________________.
A number of theories exist to explain how people become socialized and develop a sense of self.
Your ___________ is your conscious awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates
you and your environment from other members of society.
Locke: The Tabula Rasa
John ________________, an English philosopher from the 1600s, insisted that each newly born
human being is a tabula rasa, or clean ___________, on which just about anything can be written.
Locke claimed that each of us is born without a personality. We acquire our personalities as a
result of our social experiences.
Today few people would take such an _________________ view. Nevertheless, many of our basic
assumptions about socialization are related to Locke’s views. Most sociologists think of
socialization as a process by which individuals absorb the aspects of their culture with which they
come into contact. Through the socialization process, they develop the sense of being distinct
members of society.
Cooley: The Looking-Glass Self
Social psychologist Charles Horton _________________ was one of the founders of the founders of
the interactionist perspective in sociology. He is most noted for developing the idea of the primary
group and for his theory explaining how individuals developed a sense of self. The concept of the
looking-glass self is central to that theory. The ___________________ self refers to the interactive
process by which we develop an image of ourselves based on how we image we appear to others.
Other people act as a mirror, reflecting back the image we _______________ through their
reactions to our behavior.
According to Cooley, the development of the looking-glass self is a ____________-step process.
First, we imagine how we ____________ to others. Second, based on their reactions to us, we
attempt to determine whether others view us as we view ourselves. Finally, we use our
___________________ of how others judge us to develop feelings about ourselves.
The process of _______________ development begins very early in childhood.
This theory puts a great deal of responsibility on ________________ and other primary-group
members who have contact with children.
Cooley was quick to note that although this process starts early in childhood, it continues throughout
life. Individuals continually redefine their ___________________ as they alter their interpretations
of the way they think others view them.
Mead: Role-Taking
American philosopher George Herbert _____________ developed ideas related to Cooley’s theories.
According to Mead, seeing ourselves as others see us is only the beginning. Eventually we not
only see ourselves as others see us but actually take on or pretend to take the roles of others. This
act of ________________ forms the basis of the socialization process by allowing us to anticipate
what others expect of us. We thus learn to see ourselves through the ____________ of others.
According to Mead, we first internalize the _____________________ of the people closest to us.
Although Mead may not use the term, sociologists now refer to such people as
__________________ others. As we grow older, significant others become less important.
Instead, the importance in guiding our behavior and reinforcing our sense of self. Mead called the
internalized attitudes, expectations, and viewpoints of society the ___________________ other.
Children are not automatically capable of role-taking. They must develop the necessary skills through
social __________________. Mead visualized role-taking as a three-step process involving
imitation, play, and games.
Under about three years of age, children lack a sense of __________. Consequently, they can only
imitate the actions of others. Such _________________ is not role-taking, but rather preparation
for learning expectations associated with roles.
By the time children reach _________________ age, they begin to take part in organized games.
Organized ____________ require children not only to take on roles of their own but also to
anticipate the actions and expectations of others. Because it requires internalizing the generalized
other, the game stage of role-taking most closely _________________ real life.
Through role-taking, individuals develop a sense of self. According to Mead, the self consists of two
related parts- the “I” and the “me”. The____ is the unsocialized, spontaneous, self-interested
component of personality and self-identity. The _____, on the other hand, is the part of ourself that
is aware of the expectations and attitudes of society-the socialized self.
In childhood, the I component of ____________________ is stronger than the me component.
Through the process of socialization, however, the me gains power by acting together with the I
and bringing actions in line with the expectations of society. The me never totally dominates the I.
To develop into a well-rounded member of society, a person needs both aspects of the self.