Week 4.2: UTS Sociology Video

Summary

This lecture covers different social perspectives that influence self-development, focusing on micro-level sociological theories. It explores how individual interactions shape the self, discussing key theories like Mead's symbolic interactionism, Cooley's looking-glass self, and Goffman's dramaturgy. Mead highlights how symbols and interactions contribute to the social self, while Cooley emphasizes the self as a reflection of others' judgments. Goffman likens social interaction to a theatrical performance, where individuals manage impressions in different social settings. These theories collectively show how the self is a social construct shaped by interaction.

Takeaways

• 😀 Social perspectives, especially at the micro-level, play a crucial role in influencing self-development through small-scale interactions like conversations.
• 🗣️ Symbolic interactionism by George Herbert Mead explores how symbols and meanings in interactions shape the self, focusing on concepts like 'I' and 'Me'.
• 🤝 The 'Me' represents societal values and roles internalized by individuals, while the 'I' reflects creativity and freedom in response to societal norms.
• 💬 Symbols, such as gestures and words, carry perceived meanings in interactions, influencing behaviors and shaping the social self.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family and religion are seen as key social institutions that use shared activities and symbols to reinforce bonds and meanings within society.
• 🔄 Charles Horton Cooley’s 'Looking Glass Self' emphasizes how individuals see themselves based on how they imagine others perceive them, shaping self-concept through social interactions.
• 🎭 Irving Goffman’s dramaturgy theory likens social interactions to theater, where individuals manage impressions and perform roles in front and backstage settings.
• 🙌 Impression management is the process where individuals consciously reveal or conceal aspects of themselves to maintain social norms or achieve personal goals.
• 👁️ Goffman’s front stage refers to the behavior people exhibit when they know they are being observed, while backstage behavior is more relaxed and true to self.
• 🎭 Goffman concludes that self-presentation must be carefully chosen, as initial masks worn in social interactions may eventually become one's true identity.

Q & A

What is the focus of the video lecture?

The video lecture focuses on discussing different social perspectives that influence self-development, particularly through micro-level theoretical perspectives.

What are micro-level theoretical perspectives?

Micro-level theoretical perspectives or sociological theories focus on small-scale interactions between individuals, such as conversations or group dynamics, and study how these interactions influence the self-concept.

How does symbolic interactionism by George Herbert Mead explain self-development?

Symbolic interactionism by George Herbert Mead explains that social interactions, involving symbols like words or gestures, shape the development of the self. Mead highlights the role of the 'I' and the 'Me' in the formation of the self-concept.

What is the 'I' and 'Me' in Mead's symbolic interactionism?

The 'Me' refers to the internalized roles, values, and expectations of others, shaping an individual's self-concept, while the 'I' represents the individual's spontaneous and creative response to others, offering freedom in actions.

What are significant symbols according to Mead?

Significant symbols are gestures or vocal expressions that elicit the same response in both the individual using them and those receiving them, facilitating mutual understanding and social interaction.

How does Charles Horton Cooley’s ‘Looking Glass Self’ contribute to the understanding of self-development?

Cooley’s ‘Looking Glass Self’ suggests that individuals develop their self-concept by imagining how others perceive them, imagining others' judgments, and experiencing feelings like pride or shame based on these imagined perceptions.

What are the three elements of the 'Looking Glass Self' theory?

The three elements are: (1) imagining how we appear to others, (2) imagining their judgment of that appearance, and (3) experiencing a corresponding feeling such as pride or mortification.

What is the central concept of Irving Goffman's dramaturgical theory?

Goffman's dramaturgical theory likens social interaction to a theatrical performance, where individuals present themselves as performers and manage impressions to influence how others perceive them.

What is the difference between the front stage and backstage in Goffman's theory?

In the front stage, individuals act according to social norms and expectations, aware that others are watching. In the backstage, they are free from these expectations and behave more authentically.

What warning does Goffman give about self-presentation?

Goffman warns that individuals should choose their self-presentations carefully, as what begins as a performance or mask can eventually become their true self.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Self-Development and Micro-Level Theoretical Perspectives

This paragraph introduces the concept of self-development through the lens of micro-level theoretical perspectives, focusing on how societal processes influence the self. It discusses micro-level sociological theories that examine small-scale interactions like conversations and group dynamics. The paragraph delves into how these interactions shape our self-concept. It introduces three key theories: Symbolic Interactionism by George Herbert Mead, Looking Glass Self by Charles Horton Cooley, and Dramaturgy by Irving Goffman. The discussion on Mead's theory includes the concepts of 'I' and 'Me', significant symbols, and the nature of symbols. It explains how individuals internalize attitudes from others and how social interactions affect the development of the social self.

05:02

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Influence of Social Institutions on Self-Concept

The second paragraph explores the influence of social institutions such as family and religion on self-concept. It discusses how shared activities in families build emotional bonds and how symbolic rituals like family meals and holidays reinforce these bonds. The paragraph also examines the role of religion, using symbols like the cross, star of David, and crescent and star to illustrate how religious experiences are interpreted and given significance in people's lives. It introduces the concept of 'types of science' and differentiates between natural signs and conventional signs, using examples like smoke indicating fire and human language as a learned response. The Looking Glass Self theory by Cooley is further elaborated, emphasizing the three principal elements that define the self: the imagination of our appearance to others, their judgment of that appearance, and the resulting feelings of pride or shame.

10:04

🎭 Dramaturgy and the Performance of Self in Society

This paragraph discusses Irving Goffman's dramaturgical theory of self and society, which likens social interaction to theater. It introduces the concepts of performer and character, impression management, dramatic realization, and the distinction between the front stage and backstage. The paragraph explains how individuals present themselves to others, manage impressions, and the motives behind self-presentation, such as achieving personal goals, presenting a consistent and positive view of oneself, and conforming to social norms. The front stage represents the behavior individuals exhibit when they are aware of being observed, adhering to social norms, while the backstage is where individuals are free from these expectations, often revealing their 'true self'.

15:06

🔚 Conclusion: The Self as a Product of Social Construction

The final paragraph concludes the discussion by emphasizing the idea that the self is a product of social constructions. It reminds viewers to choose their presentations carefully, as what starts as a mask may become one's face. The paragraph summarizes the journey from George Herbert Mead's interactionist perspective to Cooley's Looking Glass Self and Goffman's dramaturgical view of society as a theater where people are performers. It encapsulates the overarching theme that our self-concept is significantly shaped by social interactions and the perceptions of others.

Keywords

💡Micro-level sociological theories

Micro-level sociological theories focus on small-scale interactions between individuals, such as conversations and group dynamics. In the video, this concept is highlighted as a way to understand how social interactions shape an individual's self-concept. These theories emphasize the impact of everyday interactions on personal identity.

💡Symbolic interactionism

Symbolic interactionism, introduced by George Herbert Mead, explores how individuals create and interpret symbols in social interactions. In the video, it is explained as a key theory that affects self-development, highlighting how meanings are derived from symbols like gestures or language, which shape our social self.

💡Looking-glass self

The looking-glass self, coined by Charles Horton Cooley, is a concept where individuals form their self-concept based on how they believe others perceive them. The video emphasizes how self-identity is constructed through imagining others' judgment of our appearance, behavior, and characteristics.

💡Dramaturgy

Dramaturgy, developed by Erving Goffman, likens social interactions to theater performances, where individuals manage their presentations of self. The video discusses how people behave differently on the 'front stage' (public settings) versus the 'backstage' (private settings), affecting how they construct their social identity.

💡I and Me

In Mead's theory, 'I' refers to the individual's spontaneous, creative part, while 'Me' represents the socialized aspect influenced by societal expectations. The video explains how these two components interact within a person to form a balanced self-concept, shaped by both personal freedom and social roles.

💡Significant symbols

Significant symbols are gestures or vocal signs that hold shared meanings for both the individual using them and others. The video discusses how these symbols are crucial in social interactions, as they help individuals communicate and interpret behaviors, shaping one's identity within society.

💡Impression management

Impression management, a key concept in Goffman's dramaturgical theory, involves individuals consciously controlling how they present themselves to others. The video highlights this as an important part of self-presentation, where people reveal or conceal certain aspects of themselves based on the social context.

💡Front stage and backstage

In Goffman’s dramaturgical model, 'front stage' refers to the behavior individuals display when they know they are being watched, conforming to societal expectations, while 'backstage' refers to behavior when they are free from social norms. The video uses these terms to explain how individuals manage different aspects of their identity in public and private.

💡Social self

The social self, a concept emphasized by Mead, refers to the self that develops through social interactions. The video explains how a person’s identity is shaped by the roles and values they internalize from society, showing that our self-concept is deeply connected to our relationships and interactions with others.

💡Conventional signs

Conventional signs are symbols that are learned and controlled by individuals, such as language. The video contrasts these with natural signs and uses them to illustrate how communication and understanding between people are based on shared social constructs, further influencing self-perception.

Highlights

Discussion of micro-level theoretical perspectives that emphasize societal processes influencing self-development.

Introduction of symbolic interactionism by George Herbert Mead, focusing on the 'I' and 'Me' in self-concept.

Explanation of how symbols, like gestures or words, hold perceived meaning in interactions.

George Herbert Mead's premise that social interactions affect self-development, referred to as the 'social self.'

Mead’s three premises of symbolic interactionism: meaning, socialization, and learned behaviors within a cultural dimension.

Overview of Cooley’s looking glass self, where self-concept is shaped by how we imagine others perceive us.

Cooley's emphasis on harmonizing self-feeling and social feeling, and his observation on communication and social self.

Cooley’s three principles of the looking glass self: imagination of appearance, judgment, and feelings like pride or mortification.

Introduction of dramaturgy by Erving Goffman, viewing social interactions as performances, with performers and characters.

Goffman’s theory of impression management: individuals control what they reveal and conceal in their social performances.

Explanation of front stage and backstage behaviors in Goffman's theory, where front stage is performed for an audience, while backstage represents the true self.

Goffman’s concept of dramatic realization: individuals infuse their actions with signs to highlight certain facts during social interaction.

Theories of self as social constructions, highlighting Mead, Cooley, and Goffman’s contributions.

Goffman’s caution that self-presentation is important, as what starts as a mask can become one’s true identity.

Conclusion of the lecture, emphasizing that the self is influenced by both symbolic meanings and social interactions.

Transcripts

hello everyone

in this video lecture we will be

discussing different

social perspectives that influences the

self-development

this covers a micro-level theoretical

perspectives

which see societal processes as a

fundamental aspect

that influences the self

micro level theoretical perspectives or

micro level sociological theories

looks at a small scale interactions

between individuals such as conversation

or group dynamics

it is within these interactions the

concepts were derived and studied

on how thus it influences our

self-concept

first we ask ourselves on how

do we perceive interactions an

individual may see it

as a conversation an exchange of

thoughts

listening talking influence

belief and it may give signs or symbols

we can say that everything we do in a

society is involved with

interaction next

how do we see ourselves within these

interactions

this is where the positions of different

theories arise

first we have symbolic interactionism by

george herbert mead

next we have looking glass health by

charles hurton cooley

third we have dramaturgy by irving of

man

the topic under george herbert mead

includes

i and me symbolic interactionism

significant symbols and the nature of

symbols

first we have the me or the generalized

others

this refers to the meanings roles and

values of others

that an individual organizes as part of

their own self

the way in which human internalized sets

have attitudes from others

i it is the immediate response of an

individual to

the others refers to the part of the

self that is the identified

as having freedom of creativity it

decides whether to act the same or

differently

in the society

next we have the symbolic interaction

esem

mead further highlighted that in

interaction there

are symbols symbols are the perceived

meaning

from interaction may be from words or

gestures examples are rules

authority rules care

love functions affections impose

implore angst and many others

mead's discussion that social

interactions

affects the development of the self or

what he calls

the social self

to further understand the symbolic

interactionism

we will discuss its three premises

the significant symbols and the nature

of symbols

first is that meaning is an important

element of human existence

as we live our life in the symbolic

domain

where every symbols encountered has

meaning within

second is that people identify and shape

their symbolic references

through socialization the third

is that behaviors are learned processes

and therefore a cultural dimension

exists

that connects the symbolic educational

development

meads picture of a human being as an

actor

he saw a man escapable of having the

idea of a self

this possession of self means that it

converts the human being

into a special kind of actor

this transforms his relationship to the

world

and gives his action a distinct

character

in asserting that human being has a self

made emphasized that human being is an

object to himself

or herself this means that human being

may perceive

the concept of the self communicate with

himself

and act toward himself or himself

as these types of behavior imply the

human being may become the object to his

or her own action now we'll proceed with

a significant symbol

significant symbol is a vocal or other

kind of gesture

that arouses in the one using it

the same response as it arouses to those

to whom

it is directed as a result

of the ability to employ significant

symbols human beings interact with one

another

on the basis of meanings

their responses to one another depend on

the interpretation of

symbols rather than merely on the

enactment of responses they have

been conditioned to make thus they

engage in

symbolic interactionism

examples of how these interactions

influences oneself

is by looking on the social institutions

first we have family symbolic

interactionists argue that shared

activities

help to build emotional bonds and that

marriage

and family relationships are based on

negotiated meanings

the interaction is perspective

emphasizes that families

reinforce and rejuvenate bonds through

symbolic rituals such as

family meals and holidays

second we have religion the cross

star of david and the crescent and the

star are symbols of islam

christianity and judaism respectively

focuses on the ways in which individuals

interpret

the religious experiences once they are

regarded as sacred

they take on special significance and

give

meaning to people's lives

now we'll proceed with the types of

science

science is something that stands for

something else

that is an event or thing that takes

place or

signifies some or other event or a thing

a sign would exist only if there is an

organism

capable of perceiving and responding to

it

the first type is the natural signs

signs found only in natural connection

with the things

for which they stand for example

a smoke is a sign of fire

the next type is the conventional sign

it's a thing or an event associated with

some

other thing or event but it is produced

and controlled

by the very organism that have learned

to respond to it

the most common example of this is the

human language

cooli's observation explains that people

who dwell

in the conformity can barely get rid of

the impression

that the way we live in which we are

used to is the normal

coolly suggests that the self-feeling

and the social feeling must be abreast

with each other

and be put into harmony

as we see our attributes such as our

face

body features and clothing in the glass

and we are pleased and interested in

them

because they are ours and please or

otherwise with them according as they do

or do not answer to what we should like

them to be

so in imagination we perceive in

another's mind some thought of our

appearance

manners aims deeds character

friends and so on and are variously

affected by it

the idea of self-freedom is tied to its

relations

that comprise a society his comment

about harmonizing self-feeling

is not intended to assert that people

should lose themselves

and society but rather they should

examine the responsibility of the

effects

of their actions on others

cooley states that if there is no

communication

there can be no nomenclature and no

developed thought

according to cooley a social self of

this kind might be called

the reflected or looking glass

self each to each a looking glass

reflects that do pass

thus the looking glass self of cooley

emphasized

that the self idea have three principal

elements first the imagination of our

appearance to other person

second the imagination of his judgment

to that appearance the third some sort

of feeling

such as pride or mortification

these three principles have essential

effects on defining the

self these depend on the presentation of

the self

portrayed in another's mind

the thing that dictates us to pride or

shame is not the mere mechanical

reflection of ourselves

but an attributed sentiment the imagined

effect of his reflection upon others

mind the best examples are

we are ashamed to seem evasive in the

presence of a straightforward man

cowardly in the presence of a brave one

and gross in the eyes of a refined one

and many others

again we always imagine and imagining

shares the judgments

of other men according to cooley

each to each a looking glass reflects

that do

pass now we're done with charles horton

cooley

and we will proceed with irving goffman

the concepts under dramaturgy includes

performer and character impression

management

dramatic realization and the front stage

and the

backstage the general concept that we

make

a presentation of ourselves to others is

hardly

a novel what ought to be emphasized in

conclusion is that the very structure of

the self

can be seen in terms of how we arrange

for such

performances in a society

performer and the character the

individual

was divided into two basic parts he can

be viewed

as a performer a harriet fabricator of

impressions

involved in all human tasks of

staging performance he or she can also

be viewed

as a character a figure

typically a fine one whose spirit

strength and other sterling qualities

the performers were designed

to evolve

in continuation irving goffman developed

a dramaturgical theory of the self

and society inspired by mead's basic

conception

of social interaction government

presents a theory that likens

social interaction to the theater

individuals can be seen as performers

audience members and outsiders that

operate within a particular stages

or social spaces

impression management it is defined as a

conscious decision on the part of the

individual

to reveal certain aspects of the self

and to conceal others

as actors do when performing on a stage

and this is where dramatic realization

comes in

emphasizes that while in the presence of

others the individual typically infuses

his activity with signs which

dramatically highlight and portray

confirmatory facts that might otherwise

remain

unapparent or obscure

again we have impression management and

dramatic realization

now we'll proceed with the motives or

the reasons behind

for our self-presentation first we have

achieve personal goals second is to

present a consistent and positive view

of ourselves

to the world third is to conform to

social norms

now we will be tackling the two

remaining concepts under irving guffman

we have the front stage and the

backstage

role playing can be applied at two

settings it is either at the front stage

or at the backstage individual plays

different roles represented by acted

behaviors on the front stage

the behavior in the front stage is

observed

it is when individuals are aware that

others are watching

this behavior is reflected with the set

norms in a given setting

while the backstage individuals are free

from the expectations and norms that

influences behavior

people at the backstage are more

comfortable and often associated with

the

true self we started in the discussion

of interaction and elaborated its

components

by george herbert mead this was

succeeded by charles certain cooley's

looking glass self

that views oneself as a byproduct of

other people's imagination

based on your self-presentation lastly

we have irving goffman

that views society as a theater and

people

as a performers all decided theories

highlight the idea

of the self as a product of social

constructions

to conclude the discussion let's cite a

reminder from

irving goffman which states choose

your presentations carefully for what

starts out

as a mask may become your face

and that's it for this session thank you

and see you

next session