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SOURCES AND DIFFERENT
CONCEPTIONS OF THE SELF, IDENTITY
AND DIFFERENCE
Symbolic Interactionism –
    Meads Theory
    Mead is usually
  seen as the founder
      of symbolic
    interactionism.
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
   Symbolic interactionists emphasise the ways in
    which society is actively shaped by individuals
    and the meanings they attach to ‘everyday
    things’.

   Symbolic interactionism is usually regarded as a
    social action theory.
MEAD
He argued that humans interact through the use of symbols such as


         Visual signs
         (red traffic light
         = stop)

                                                      Expressions
                              Visual gestures
                                                      (frown = angry)
                              (waving = hello)
Sounds (siren =
emergency)
                                                    Verbal (scream
                                                    = fear)


Shared understanding of these symbols and how to respond to them form
the basis of communication.
Whilst we are each conscious individuals, the way in which we choose to
behave is influenced by the social context of that behaviour.
THE ‘I’ AND THE ‘ME’
   G. H. Mead (1934) described our awareness of how
    others see us. The ‘I’ is the spontaneous side of our
    personality which would like to act freely, but we are
    aware of the way ‘generalised others’ of our society
    view us and expect us to behave and this more
    inhibiting self concept seen through the eyes of
    others is termed the ‘me’.
C.H.COOLEY - ‘LOOKING GLASS SELF’
   Cooley (1922) aptly called

    theme       side of our self the
    ‘looking glass self’, referring
    to how, after a while, we begin
    to view ourselves as if others’
    eyes are a mirror.
How does it link to symbolic interactionism
Symbolic interactionism: A sociological perspective on self
and society based on the ideas of George Mead (1934). The
central theme of symbolic interactionism is that human life is
based on the use of symbols. Through language and
communication, symbols provide the means by which reality
is constructed.

Mead’s work: Human behaviour is social because people
interact in terms of symbols. Symbols stand for other objects
and imply certain behaviour. For example; The ‘ no entry’
symbol implies to the majority of people that they cannot
enter. Therefore Mead’s work is credible that we follow
symbols, however as the majority follow this rule, does this
show there must be some sort of collective norms and values?
Can we really say that reality being so complex comes down
to simply the use of symbols? However, Mead’s work is
accurate that we do associates symbols with meanings.
HOW USEFUL IS MEAD’S THEORY TO AN
UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIETY?

 Although   Mead’s theory is over 70 years old,
  humans do relate the meanings of symbols
  to what they do, i.e at a red traffic light, the
  majority of people would stop. Therefore,
  Mead is correct to an extent.
 However, Mead states that we as individuals
  shape society, but for the majority to abide
  by the symbols, rules and regulations there
  must be some sort of collective conscience,
  norms and values.
 In order to have shared meanings, it must
  feed off some sort of structural factors.
LABELLING THEORY
 Perhaps the most well known application of symbolic
  interactionism is labelling theory. Developed initially
  by H Becker it has been used widely in Education and
  Deviance.
 We all label people and objects

 Those with power are able to label someone, and
  make others accept that label
 Labelling of humans can lead to a self-fulfilling
  prophecy
 If the label is especially damaging, it can become a

    master status
EVALUATION OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

   It over-emphasises the significance of the
    individual. There tends to be little conception of
    social structures.

   It cannot explain power relationships in society in
    the way that Marxists or feminists have. It does not
    explain why some individuals / social groups are
    more powerful than others.

   It concentrates too much on small-scale, trivial
    aspects of social life, therefore ignoring the much
    bigger picture of life at a society-wide level of
    analysis.
EVALUATION
 It believes that nearly everything is socially
  constructed – so logically one could argue that
  sociology is itself a social construct, and therefore
  useless?
 It fails to explain social order and social change.
 Ethnomethodologists(focus on how people make
  sense of their world) believe it fails to explain how
  actors create meanings
 Reynolds (1975) found evidence that interactionists
  ignore power and class as being important concepts
  of interactionism.
ERVING GOFFMAN
   Goffman saw the social world as being
    rather like a drama, or a performance in a
    play.

   His work is therefore referred to as a

    dramaturgical
    approach.
ERVING GOFFMAN
   Individuals put on a performance for others to
    convince them about who they are.

   Like an actor, they have to believe in the role in
    order to be convincing. In the process they may
    become the person they are trying to project an
    image of.
ERVING GOFFMAN
   Goffman describes this process as The
    Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959) –
    through presenting him- or herself in particular roles
    the individual develops identities.
ERVING GOFFMAN
   Goffman admits that
    the roles available for
    us to adopt are not
    unlimited and that
    individuals are
    therefore constrained
    by the range of social
    roles available in a
    particular society at a
    particular time.
GOFFMAN’S (1961) STUDY
   Read his study on page 23 in your textbook.
    Explain his study in detail, ensuring you define the
    key concepts such as ‘mortification’, ‘total
    institutions’ and ‘institutionalised’.

   How can this study be used to support Goffman’s
    dramaturgical theory?

   How can this be used to challenge the idea of a
    self-fulfulling prophecy?
EVALUATION
   How may sociologists criticise Goffman’s theory?
SIGMUND FREUD
   Freud was the founder of
    psychoanalysis.

   He argued that people possess an
    unconscious mind which contains
    repressed feelings and desires
    which they are not aware of.
SIGMUND FREUD
 Many of these are concerned
  with pleasure-seeking and
  sexuality.
 To develop into a
  psychologically well-balanced
  adult, the child needs to learn
  to control these desires, and
  to identify with the same-sex
  parent.
 For Freud, childhood
  experiences were vital for the
  development of identities in
  adulthood.
SIGMUND FREUD
 This relates to identity as it suggests that we bring
  childhood experiences, even those about which we
  are not conscious of, to the decisions we make as
  adults.
 Identity positions we adopt may be the result of
  unconscious feelings.
 Both gender and sexuality are important to our
  understanding of identity. Our sense of who we are
  is most significantly linked to our awareness of our
  identities as women and men.
EVALUATIONS???
   How may sociologists criticise Freudian
    explanations of identity?

   What part of his theory may sociologists agree
    with?

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  • 1. SOURCES AND DIFFERENT CONCEPTIONS OF THE SELF, IDENTITY AND DIFFERENCE
  • 2. Symbolic Interactionism – Meads Theory Mead is usually seen as the founder of symbolic interactionism.
  • 3. SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM  Symbolic interactionists emphasise the ways in which society is actively shaped by individuals and the meanings they attach to ‘everyday things’.  Symbolic interactionism is usually regarded as a social action theory.
  • 4. MEAD He argued that humans interact through the use of symbols such as Visual signs (red traffic light = stop) Expressions Visual gestures (frown = angry) (waving = hello) Sounds (siren = emergency) Verbal (scream = fear) Shared understanding of these symbols and how to respond to them form the basis of communication. Whilst we are each conscious individuals, the way in which we choose to behave is influenced by the social context of that behaviour.
  • 5. THE ‘I’ AND THE ‘ME’  G. H. Mead (1934) described our awareness of how others see us. The ‘I’ is the spontaneous side of our personality which would like to act freely, but we are aware of the way ‘generalised others’ of our society view us and expect us to behave and this more inhibiting self concept seen through the eyes of others is termed the ‘me’.
  • 6. C.H.COOLEY - ‘LOOKING GLASS SELF’  Cooley (1922) aptly called theme side of our self the ‘looking glass self’, referring to how, after a while, we begin to view ourselves as if others’ eyes are a mirror.
  • 7. How does it link to symbolic interactionism Symbolic interactionism: A sociological perspective on self and society based on the ideas of George Mead (1934). The central theme of symbolic interactionism is that human life is based on the use of symbols. Through language and communication, symbols provide the means by which reality is constructed. Mead’s work: Human behaviour is social because people interact in terms of symbols. Symbols stand for other objects and imply certain behaviour. For example; The ‘ no entry’ symbol implies to the majority of people that they cannot enter. Therefore Mead’s work is credible that we follow symbols, however as the majority follow this rule, does this show there must be some sort of collective norms and values? Can we really say that reality being so complex comes down to simply the use of symbols? However, Mead’s work is accurate that we do associates symbols with meanings.
  • 8. HOW USEFUL IS MEAD’S THEORY TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIETY?  Although Mead’s theory is over 70 years old, humans do relate the meanings of symbols to what they do, i.e at a red traffic light, the majority of people would stop. Therefore, Mead is correct to an extent.  However, Mead states that we as individuals shape society, but for the majority to abide by the symbols, rules and regulations there must be some sort of collective conscience, norms and values.  In order to have shared meanings, it must feed off some sort of structural factors.
  • 9. LABELLING THEORY  Perhaps the most well known application of symbolic interactionism is labelling theory. Developed initially by H Becker it has been used widely in Education and Deviance.  We all label people and objects  Those with power are able to label someone, and make others accept that label  Labelling of humans can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy  If the label is especially damaging, it can become a master status
  • 10. EVALUATION OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM  It over-emphasises the significance of the individual. There tends to be little conception of social structures.  It cannot explain power relationships in society in the way that Marxists or feminists have. It does not explain why some individuals / social groups are more powerful than others.  It concentrates too much on small-scale, trivial aspects of social life, therefore ignoring the much bigger picture of life at a society-wide level of analysis.
  • 11. EVALUATION  It believes that nearly everything is socially constructed – so logically one could argue that sociology is itself a social construct, and therefore useless?  It fails to explain social order and social change.  Ethnomethodologists(focus on how people make sense of their world) believe it fails to explain how actors create meanings  Reynolds (1975) found evidence that interactionists ignore power and class as being important concepts of interactionism.
  • 12. ERVING GOFFMAN  Goffman saw the social world as being rather like a drama, or a performance in a play.  His work is therefore referred to as a dramaturgical approach.
  • 13. ERVING GOFFMAN  Individuals put on a performance for others to convince them about who they are.  Like an actor, they have to believe in the role in order to be convincing. In the process they may become the person they are trying to project an image of.
  • 14. ERVING GOFFMAN  Goffman describes this process as The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959) – through presenting him- or herself in particular roles the individual develops identities.
  • 15. ERVING GOFFMAN  Goffman admits that the roles available for us to adopt are not unlimited and that individuals are therefore constrained by the range of social roles available in a particular society at a particular time.
  • 16. GOFFMAN’S (1961) STUDY  Read his study on page 23 in your textbook. Explain his study in detail, ensuring you define the key concepts such as ‘mortification’, ‘total institutions’ and ‘institutionalised’.  How can this study be used to support Goffman’s dramaturgical theory?  How can this be used to challenge the idea of a self-fulfulling prophecy?
  • 17. EVALUATION  How may sociologists criticise Goffman’s theory?
  • 18. SIGMUND FREUD  Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis.  He argued that people possess an unconscious mind which contains repressed feelings and desires which they are not aware of.
  • 19. SIGMUND FREUD  Many of these are concerned with pleasure-seeking and sexuality.  To develop into a psychologically well-balanced adult, the child needs to learn to control these desires, and to identify with the same-sex parent.  For Freud, childhood experiences were vital for the development of identities in adulthood.
  • 20. SIGMUND FREUD  This relates to identity as it suggests that we bring childhood experiences, even those about which we are not conscious of, to the decisions we make as adults.  Identity positions we adopt may be the result of unconscious feelings.  Both gender and sexuality are important to our understanding of identity. Our sense of who we are is most significantly linked to our awareness of our identities as women and men.
  • 21. EVALUATIONS???  How may sociologists criticise Freudian explanations of identity?  What part of his theory may sociologists agree with?

Notas do Editor

  1. Mead argued that humans interact through the use of symbols such asSymbols can be: Visual signs (red traffic light = stop)Visual gestures (waving = hello)Expressions (frown = angry)Verbal (scream = fear)Sounds (siren = emergency) Shared understanding of these symbols and how to respond to them form the basis of communication.Whilst we are each conscious individuals, the way in which we choose to behave is influenced by the social context of that behaviour.
  2. Look at the work of Goffman and the dramaturgical analogy