Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic Interactionism
Content Cooley: Looking-glass self and social self Thomas the definition of the situation Mead: play, game and the generalized other References for Erving Goffman
Content • Cooley: Looking-glass self and social self • Thomas: the definition of the situation • Mead: play, game and the generalized other • References for Erving Goffman
Cooley: Looking-Glass Self Self: each to each a looking-glass, reflects the other thar tn A social self might be called the reflected or looking-glas doth pass As we see our face, figure, and dress in the glaSs, and are interested in them because they are ours, and pleased 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 anothers mind some thought of our appearance, manners, aims, deeds, character, friends, and so on, and are variously affected by it
Cooley: Looking-Glass Self • A social self might be called the reflected or looking-glass self: each to each a looking-glass, reflects the other that doth pass. • As we see our face, figure, and dress in the glass, and are interested in them because they are ours, and pleased 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
Three Principal Elements of Self-ldea The imagination of our appearance to the other person, The imagination of his judgment of that appearance and some sort of self-feeling, such as pride or mortification
Three Principal Elements of Self-Idea • The imagination of our appearance to the other person; • The imagination of his judgment of that appearance and some sort of self-feeling, such as pride or mortification
Thomas: Definition of the situation The higher animals, and above all man, have the power of refusing to obey a stimulation which they followed at an earlier time Response to the earlier stimulation may have had painful consequences and so the rule or habit in this situation is changed We call this ability the power of inhibition, and it is dependent on the fact that the nervous system carries memories or records of past experiences. At this point the determination of action no longer comes exclusively from outside sources but is located within the organism itself. Preliminary to any self-determined act of behavior there is always a stage of examination and deliberation which we may call the definition of the situation and actually not only concrete acts are dependent on the definition of the situation, but gradually a whole life-polity and the personality of the individual himself follow from a series of such definitions
Thomas: Definition of the Situation • The higher animals, and above all man, have the power of refusing to obey a stimulation which they followed at an earlier time. Response to the earlier stimulation may have had painful consequences and so the rule or habit in this situation is changed. We call this ability the power of inhibition, and it is dependent on the fact that the nervous system carries memories or records of past experiences. At this point the determination of action no longer comes exclusively from outside sources but is located within the organism itself. • Preliminary to any self-determined act of behavior there is always a stage of examination and deliberation which we may call the definition of the situation. And actually not only concrete acts are dependent on the definition of the situation, but gradually a whole life-polity and the personality of the individual himself follow from a series of such definitions
Mead: Play, the Game, and the generalized other The fundamental difference between the game and play is that in the latter the child must have the attitude of all the others involved in that game. The attitudes of the other players which the participant assumes organizeinto a sort of unit, and it is that organization which controls the response of the individual The illustration used was of a person playing baseball. Each one of his own acts is determined by his assumption of the action of the others who are playing the game. What he does is controlled by his being everyone else on that tea, at least in so far as those attitudes affect his own particularresponse. We get then an"other which is an organization of the attitudes of those involved in the same process
Mead: Play, the Game, and the Generalized other • The fundamental difference between the game and play is that in the latter the child must have the attitude of all the others involved in that game. The attitudes of the other players which the participant assumes organize into a sort of unit, and it is that organization which controls the response of the individual. The illustration used was of a person playing baseball. Each one of his own acts is determined by his assumption of the action of the others who are playing the game. What he does is controlled by his being everyone else on that team, at least in so far as those attitudes affect his own particular response. We get then an “other” which is an organization of the attitudes of those involved in the same process
Play, the Game, and the generalized other The organized community or social group which gives to the individual his unity of self may be called the generalized other The attitude of the generalized other is the attitude of the whole community Thus, for example, in the case of such a social group as a ball team, the team is the generalized other in so far as it enters-as an organized process or social activity-into the experience of any one of the individual members of it
Play, the Game, and the Generalized other • The organized community or social group which gives to the individual his unity of self may be called “the generalized other.” The attitude of the generalized other is the attitude of the whole community. Thus, for example, in the case of such a social group as a ball team, the team is the generalized other in so far as it enters-as an organized process or social activity-into the experience of any one of the individual members of it
6|99 and“me” The"I is the response of the organism to the attitudes of the others the me is the organized set of attitudes of others which one himself assumes The attitudes of the others constitute the organized"me', and then one reacts toward that as an“I
“I” and “me” • The “I” is the response of the organism to the attitudes of the others; the “me” is the organized set of attitudes of others which one himself assumes. The attitudes of the others constitute the organized “me”, and then one reacts toward that as an “I
The self is the ability to take oneself as an object. Again, the self arises within the social process. The general mechanism of the self is the ability of people to put themselves in the place of others to act as others act and to see themselves as others see them Mead traces the genesis of the self through the play and game stages of childhood. Especially important in the latter stage is the emergence of the generalized other. The ability to view oneself from the point of view of the community is essential to the emergence of the self as well as of organized group activities. The self also has two phases- the "I", which is the unpredictable and creative aspect of the self, and the "me", which is the organized set of attitudes of others assumed by the actor Social control is manifest through the" me, while the is the source of innovation in society
• The self is the ability to take oneself as an object. Again, the self arises within the social process. The general mechanism of the self is the ability of people to put themselves in the place of others, to act as others act and to see themselves as others see them. Mead traces the genesis of the self through the play and game stages of childhood. Especially important in the latter stage is the emergence of the generalized other. The ability to view oneself from the point of view of the community is essential to the emergence of the self as well as of organized group activities. The self also has two phasesthe “ I “, which is the unpredictable and creative aspect of the self, and the “ me “, which is the organized set of attitudes of others assumed by the actor. Social control is manifest through the “me”, while the “I” is the source of innovation in society
The priority of the social We are not, in social psychology, building up the behaviorof the social group in terms of the behavior of separate individuals composing it; rather we are starting out with a given social whole of complex group activity, into which we analyze(as elements )the behavior of each of the separate individuals composing it. We attempt, that is, to explain the conduct of the social group, rather than to account for the organized conduct of the social group in terms of the conduct of the separate individuals belonging to it. For social psychology, the whole(society) is prior to the part(the individual), not the part to the whole; and the part is explained in terms of the whole, not the whole in terms of the part or parts
The Priority of the Social • We are not, in social psychology, building up the behavior of the social group in terms of the behavior of separate individuals composing it; rather, we are starting out with a given social whole of complex group activity, into which we analyze (as elements ) the behavior of each of the separate individuals composing it. We attempt, that is, to explain the conduct of the social group, rather than to account for the organized conduct of the social group in terms of the conduct of the separate individuals belonging to it. For social psychology, the whole (society) is prior to the part (the individual), not the part to the whole; and the part is explained in terms of the whole, not the whole in terms of the part or parts
