Introduction to Sociology

Professor MunshiSpring 2015

Schedule for Today, March 3

• Culture and Socialization• Hegemony• Theories of the Self

Culture, Socialization and the Self

What is culture?Everything we make as human beings:

material objects and ideas

Culture is made up of shared understandings and meanings

Culture

Culture can be a tool of domination:some groups have more power to shape and impose culture than

others

Hegemony: (GRAMSCI)domination through consent not force

[see Kanye West example of counterhegemony]

Culture, Socialization and the Self

What is socialization?Process of taking on the values and practices of a culture

Through socialization we create a self, in which we have agency and are constrained by social structure

The self is a process that changes based on cultural influences and social relationships;

our identities are constantly being shaped

Theories of the Self

Sociological understanding of the self: patterns that shift over time

Example: research shows that self-concepts have been more stable and linked to

membership in a group or institution self-concepts that are individualistic & in the moment

Theories of the Self

Symbolic interactionism: looks at how we shape each other through symbolic communication (body language, facial expressions, silences, etc.)

Social interaction and communication is required for us to develop an understanding of our selves

Theories of the Self

Charles Horton Cooley

Looking-glass self: we look into our social context to get feedback on who we are– both direct and

electronic relationships

Social mirror is powerful even if/when it is not accurate

Theories of the Self

George Herbert Mead

The self develops only through interactions with others; it is not inside you or me but between us

1) Developmental phases2) Two parts of the self (the “I” and the “me”)

Theories of the Self

George Herbert Mead

Two parts of the self (the “I” and the “me”)

I: impulsive, spontaneous behaviorMe: the rules or voice of society

The inner dialogue between the two: the self

Theories of the Self

George Herbert Mead

the “me” (what we internalize from society) gives the “I” (our impulsive self, stuck in the present) feedback about past and future

Theories of the Self

George Herbert Mead

When does the self develop?

Three developmental phases:1. Preparatory phase

2. Play phase3. Game phase

Theories of the Self

George Herbert Mead

1. Preparatory: imitations of social interaction• Social interactions teach us about social realities; move beyond the “I want”

2. Play: Acting out roles, gives us feedback about how we appear to others

3. Game: Playing roles that are connected to others

Theories of the Self

Erving Goffman (1959)

dramaturgy theory that uses theater metaphors to explain the roles we play in

society

Theories of the Self

Erving Goffman (1959)

• impression management for our audience is an everyday ongoing experience

• props (objects, body language, expressions) can be repellants or invitations

• front-stage vs. back-stage• social scripts

Theories of the Self

Question/critique:

What if there are many “me”s? What if you live in multiple cultures, or in settings with different social rules?

Theories of the SelfW. E. B. Dubois (1903)

“It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always

looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul

by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One

ever feels his two-ness,—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts,

two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose

dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.”

–from the Souls of Black Folk

Free Write

Can you think of an example of double-consciousness? You can draw from your own life experience.

How does the experience of “two-ness” impact you?

Capitalism, Culture & the Self

• goal in capitalism is to maximize profit through competition• unequal distributions of wealth• capitalist/owner interests are served, not workers

Why does this economic system continue to grow power?

Capitalism, Culture & the Self

Economic system is social, too (Marx)

• Frankfurt school explanation: culture and ideas play a role (e.g. Gramsci: hegemony)

• Culture is a type of capital (Bourdieu)

Social Institutions

• Formal systems of shared behaviors, beliefs, and social norms that organize social life

• Primary social institutions (classic):1. Family2. Education3. Government4. Economy5. Religion

Today, we could add 6> Media, 7> Health, 8> ??