How The Self Can Be Evaluated

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Introduction

The concept of the self has and always been a central notion for many scholars and

individuals. Most commonly being defined as an individual’s perception of oneself,

including the persons attributes, this tends to be attained through concepts and symbols such

as culture, social class, personality, genetics and many more (Baumeister, 1999). The self

tends to influence society through actions permitted. And vice versa society influences the

self through language and meaning, thus enabling the individual to take the role of other and

(Stets and Burke p.2). In this essay I shall look at the self through the sociological term

known as symbolic interactionism, and how this has been evaluated theoretically through

some well-known key contemporary theorists, namely George Herbert Mead, Charles

Cooley, Herbert Bulmer, Erving Goffman, and others.

Analysing the self

According to assumptions there is a reciprocal relationship between the self and

society, this idea being originated from George Herbert Mead, a key thinker of social

interactionism. Mead emphasis the self as having "characteristics, that is an object of itself,

and the characteristics distinguishes it from other objects and the body" ( Mead,1934, p.136)

Basically speaking the self is an acting organism. A developmental process that arises

through activities and experiences achieved in society. Implementing the individual as being

created through social interaction; similar to the theorists model of society being an organic

model. Therefore individual being related to the social process as bodily parts are related to

the body.

In other words, this developmental process occurs through stages. Mead defines these

as language, play and game. Language, being the most vital part in this process:

By using language individuals communicate meaning to themselves and others. Thus

the development of the self is necessarily dependant on the development of language

( Aboulfia, 2012). However it is the play aspect that comes first In the developmental

process, as the child observers others to gain understanding ; at this stage there is a limited

understanding of the self (Ritzer 2008). However, it is at the game stage when things get

intense, as the child has to consider the role of everyone in the game, whereas the play stage

the role of the distinct others is being considered. This stage is illustrated in Meads example

of the baseball game; "but in a game where a number of individuals are Involved, then the

child taking one role must be ready to take the role of everyone else. If he gets the ball he

must have the responses of each position involved in his own position. He must know what

everyone else is going to do in order to carry out his own play. He has to take all of these

roles. They do not all have to be present in consciousness at the same time, but at some

moments he has to have three or four individuals present in his own attitude, such as the one

who is going to the one who is going to catch it and so on. These responses must be, in some

degree, present in his own make-up. In the game, then, there is a set of responses of such

others so organized that the attitude of one calls out the appropriate attitudes of the other".

(Mead, 1934). Thus the perceptions the individual undertakes to others is also known as the

generalized other. Therefore there seems there are different personalities within the

individual, which are necessary in order to function with a variety of groups within society.

Mead pays major attention to the personalities attained through the developmental

process. Naming them as the ‘me’ and the ‘I’:

The me being the social conduct of others, what the individual has learnt through the

interaction of others,( Inghilleri, 1999, p. 26) thus it is through these interactions the person

develops a self of whom they are. Whilst the I being the persons individuality, conducted

through the me (Inghilleri, 1999, p. 26). This emphasis is that the me is who the person is,

most commonly developed through language, play and game.

Like Mead, Charles Cooley simply believes that the self is "derived from the

perception others" ( Cooley, 1902, p. 152). This is illustrated in Cooley’s book; the looking

glass self, in which he suggests that the self is comprised of three steps:

(1")first we imagine how we present ourselves to others; (2) next we judge the

appearance we think we present (3) if we think our evaluation is positive our

self-concept is enhanced; if it is negative our self-concept is diminished"

(Yeung, et al. 2003)

Once again like Mead, Cooley is emphasising the self as being conducted through the

Conception of others the "refection of his ideas about himself that he attributes to other"

(Cooley, 1902). Thus other people’s views build, change and maintain our self-images.

In short Cooley seems to be emphasising that you don’t know who you are until

somebody tells you. As one’s self concept is established through human interaction: "there

is no sense of I without its associative aspects of we, they, or us." Therefore who you are and

what you think of yourself, is formed in relationships" (Cooley, 1902, p.182) ; thus through

entailing communication, this is where meaning’s and motives are created. So consequently

it is being enunciated that the concept of the self is most commonly shaped and created

through a communicative context; which is formed through reflective images.

Herbert Bulmer one of the contemporary thinkers, hugely influenced by Mead and

Cooley’s writing; adopts Mead’s fundamental thought on language; however also

accommodates meaning and thought as ways in which the self is attained:

Meaning being the state that humans behave and interact with others , this is based

upon the way one has perceived oneself to theirs. Symbolic interactionism states meaning as

one of the core principles in human behaviours (Rodgers 2012, p17.)

Language is vital in Bulmer’s theory; as this is how humans interact and communicate

with one another; thus language being the strategy in which meaning is created. Meads

influence on Blumer becomes perceptible at this stage as Mead believed naming assigned

meaning. (Rodgers, 2012, p.18). Thus it is through communication with others, symbolic

interactionism, meaning is being established and develop conversation ( Rodges 2012, p.18.)

The theorist third principle, thought, is what tends to vary and change in an

individuals interpretation of symbols. This concept is vastly based on language, where role

paying and different points of views are considered (Rodgers 2012, p.19).

Blumer has therefore pointed out; the self is not deployed through the interaction-

reaction based on two actors engaged, however the meaning individuals ascribe to

interchange, and how this interchangeable process has been anticipated the symbols erected

within (Manis et al., 1978, p412). This concept of the self is affiliated to the fact that

individuals do not only react to social constructs with pre-defined meanings, but these

meninges are deprived from the individuals interaction with symbols (Manis et al., 1978,

p425 ). Based on this view, it can be said the individual constructs pre-defined meanings,

however more sufficiently knows oneself through the meanings interpreted and understood

through interaction with others. Evidently pointing out the importance of understanding and

interacting with others in society is vital in order to construct and understand one self.

Erving Goffman on the other hand has created his ideas on symbolic interactionism

through scrutinizing peoples interactions with one another. Goffman also analyses the play

technique, in order to gain an understanding of the self. Explaining ways in which an

individual acts out his or her everyday activities in order to be perceived in a specific way by

others. Goffman analyses his concept through the front and back stage of role play

technique:

The front stage being where the actor imperially acts, thus knowing he or she is being

watched accordingly (Goffman, 1956. P 22). This tends to be a fixed presentation, in order

to receive a positive reaction from the audience. The back stage, being the hidden self this

"typically out of bounds to members of the audience". (Goffman, 1956, p.24) Emphasising

in order to create a perfect self-one requires to rehearse and continuously play out what

requires to be said or done in order to be conceived in a manner-full and respected way be the

audience.

Goffman, therefore suggests that the individual plays a role that best fits the social

situation they are in emphasising the interpretations of meanings are modified according to

the situation, through these symbol’s such as body expression, uniforms of dress and

language, individuals learn who they are and how interaction occurs. This is how the

individual learns about the self and the identity that fits them .

The general concept of how the self is created, tends to be through cultural norms of a

child’s parents, passed on through generations. As when a child is born, they are moulded

into a certain gender. As boys are dressed in blue and girls in pink. Parents raise a child up in

the prospect that a boy should be masculine and tough whilst the girl should be feminine and

pretty. Thus proclaiming the parent who creates the identity of the child; it is the parent who

forms the individual and makes the child understand their function within society, thus

highlighting their views on the child. (Rodgers, 2012, p 21)

However, a solution, suggested by gender neutral parents, who argued that child

should construct their own lives, avoiding parents on making decisions on how a child should

see oneself (Rodgers 2012, p.23) as "gender effects what people wear and what they can play

with and what shapes the kind of person they become" (Rodgers & Laxton, 2012) Thus

enabling a child to constructs one’s own self.

Conclusion

The theoretical construction of the self is evident, especially if one is to adhere the

arguments of Mead, Cooley, Blumer and Goffman. Their views of the self as being formed as

a result of perceived experiences, thus communication and interactions heavily influence the

self. It is also evident that as the individual experiences, change and differences within

society, his or her self will also change in order to fit in with these demands. . Overall, the

self, always has and always will change in order to fit in with society’s wants and needs.