2. How our Self is made
What is self
Is it continuous bodily existence?
Or something beyond
The Personal identity
How you feel about you, how you identify yourself in a
social environment
The Social Constructs values, attitudes, norms beliefs,
customs, traditions etc.
The development of personality through socialization,
internalization
2
3. George Herbert Mead
Mind refers to an individual's ability to use symbols to
create meanings for the world around the individual –
individuals use language and thought to accomplish
this goal.
Self refers to an individual's ability to reflect on the
way that the individual is perceived by others.
Finally, society, according to Mead, is where all of
these interactions are taking place and how outside
social structures, classes, and power and abuse affect
the advancement of self and personality.
3
4. Making of self: Cooley
Looking Glass Self – Charles Hutton Cooley
a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal
interactions and the perceptions of others.
I am not what I am
I am not what you think I am
I am that person what I perceive you think about
me
4
5. The Social World and self
Social world is created through interaction
between individuals and their environment –
Collins
Human groups are created by people and it is only
actions between them that define a society –with
interaction and through interaction individuals are
able to "produce common symbols by approving,
arranging, and redefining them. Interaction is
shaped by a mutual exchange of interpretation, the
ground of socialization - Herbert Blumer
5
6. Assumptions
People do not respond to this reality directly, but rather to
the social understanding of reality; i.e., they respond to
this reality indirectly through a kind of filter which
consists of individuals' different perspectives. The three
underlying assumptions are:
Individuals construct meaning via the communication
process.
Self-concept is a motivation for behavior.
A unique relationship exists between the individual and
society.
6
West, Richard L.; Turner, Lynn H. Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application
(6th ed.). New York. ISBN 9781259870323. OCLC 967775008.
7. Premises
the three premises that each assumption supports.
"Humans act toward things on the basis of the
meanings they ascribe to those things.
"The meaning of such things is derived from, or arises
out of, the social interaction that one has with others
and the society.
"The Meanings are handled in, and modified through,
an interpretative process used by the person in dealing
with the things he/she encounters.
7
Blumer, Herbert (1969). Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:
Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-0138799243. OCLC 18071
8. Central Ideas
The Human being must be understood as social being-What we do
depends on interaction with others earlier in our lifetimes, and it
depends on our interaction right now. Social interaction is central to
what we do.
The human being must be understood as a thinking being. Human
action is not only interaction among individuals but also interaction
within the individual.
Humans do not sense their environment directly, instead, humans define
the situation they are in.
The cause of human action is the result of what is occurring in our
present situation.
Our past enters into our actions primarily because we think about it and
apply it to the definition of the present situation
Human beings are described as active beings in relation to their
environment.
8
Charon, Joel M. (2004). Symbolic Interactionism: An Introduction, An Interpretation, An
Integration. Boston: Pearson. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-13-605193-0.
9. Self Identity
Identity presents in 3 categories according to Symbolic
interactionism - situated, personal and social.
Situated identity refers to the ability to view themselves as
others do. This is often a snapshot view in that it is short, but
can be very impactful. From this experience, one wishes to
differentiate themselves from others and the personal identity
comes to exist.
Personal Identity comes into existence when one wishes to
make themselves known for who they truly are, not the view
of others. From the personal identity taking place, comes the
social identity where connections and likeness are made with
individuals sharing similar identities or identity traits.
9
Hewitt, J. P. (2007). Self and Society: A Symbolic Interactionist Social Psychology (10th ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
10. Self Identity on Social Networks
With social networking sites, one can boast (or post)
their identity through their newsfeed.
The personal identity presents itself in the need for
individuals to post milestones that one has achieved, in
efforts to differentiate themselves.
The social identity presents itself when individuals
"tag" others in their posts, pictures, etc.
Situated identities may be present in the need to defend
something on social media or arguments that occur in
comments, where one feels it necessary to "prove"
themselves.
10
"Symbolic interactionist perspective on linking privacy and identity in social networking sites".
International Communication Association. Conference Papers: 1–27. 2012.