Sociology Chapter 5: Self and Identity

Self-indication

Using language to think internally (Herbert Blumer, 1969). We are able to have conversations with our selves just as we can with other people. Furthermore, we can internally negotiate the meanings of objects, including our sense of self.

Fourth principle of identity theory:

We incorporate our social positions into our senses of identity; our positions become part of our senses of self

While we seek identities that are important to us...

We make changes when resources are not available to stabilize our senses of self

Commitment shapes the salience of an identity,...

Which in turn shapes how we will behave

Sentiments and behavior help to represent...

Who we are and provide information to be evaluated

Activity

It's liveliness or quietness

Potency

It's powerfulness or powerlessness

Evaluation

Its goodness or badness

Self-evaluation

Feelings or judgments we make of ourselves

Sheldon Stryker (2002) came up with the...

Five principles of the identity theory

How do we construct our senses of self?

By the roles and statuses from society

George Herbert Mead (1934) discovered that...

A large part of our internal dialogues occur as interplay between the two components or characters within ourselves: the I and the Me

(Heise, 1999, 2002, 2007; Lively and Heise, 2004; see also Osgood, 1962) proposes that there are three aspects of sentiment toward an object:

Evaluation, potency, activit

The I...

Active self. The I is the one on stage, in the moment, talking to other people

Society affects self, which...

Affects behavior

Personal characteristics

Anything we use to describe our individual nature, such as being kind or generous or athletic

As we enter new social environments...

Are behaviors, expectations, networks, and priorities change

First principle of the identity theory:

Behavior is based on an already defined and classified worls

How do we change society?

By adding new statuses and roles or modifying existing ones

We tend to believe that our thoughts...

Cause certain behaviors. However, behaviors can also change our ways of thinking.

Identity theory

Derived from symbolic interaction perspective. Emphasizes enduring nature of our thoughts about who we are.

Affective commitment

Emotional attachment to an identity

Dramaturgical sociology is most closely associated with...

Erving Goffman

The purpose of writing the stories of our lives is to...

Give people a better sense of who we arenas individuals construct the meaning of their identities using personal stories (Brockmeier and Carbaugh 2001).

Peter Burke and Jan Stets, 2009 indicated that...

Identities tie us to society because an identity is partly based on multiple roles and statuses that were constructed before we entered them

2nd basic principle of the affect control theory:

If events do not work to maintain sentiments, then individuals reidentify themselves and others

3rd basic principle of affect control theory:

In the process of building events to confirm sentiments, individuals perform the social roles that are fundamental to society

Social categories

Include identities related to social groups to which we belong, such as Canadian, woman, or Latino

Affect control theory

Incorporates elements of symbolic interactionist and identity theory to explain the role of sentiments in identity processes (Smith-Lovin, 1995). Sentiments serve as signals about how well we are producing our identities and reproducing others' identities (Heise 1985).

First basic principle of the affect control theory:

Individuals create events to confirm the sentiments that they have about themselves and others in the current situation

Role identities

Internalized expectations associated with different positions. Examples of role identities are college student, politician, and brother

Interactional commitment

Maintaining relationships with people in different social spheres related to our identities

We also assess our identities when we are with other people by...

Making sure that they correspond with our senses of self

The Me...

Organized set of attitudes toward the self, based on the views of significant others, such as friends and family, as well as society as a whole

Third principle of identity theory:

People develop their identities based on their positions in society

Second principle of identity theory:

Positions in society are among the things classified in the world

Define self:

Process in which we construct a sense of who we are through interactions with others. Changes over time.

Fundamental sentiments:

Refer to enduring affective meanings in a given society based on evaluation, potency, and activity ratings

Identity

Refers to our internalized, stable sense of who we are, including role identities, social categories, and personal characteristics (Burke 2003; Burke and Stets, 2009). Includes our understanding of our unique nature (personality) as well as our social roles

Sociologists study the...

Self

Three dimensions of self-evaluations:

Self-esteem, mastery, and mattering

Scholars examining the self-concept focus on...

Self-identities and self-evaluation

Transient sentiments

Sentiments unique to particular interactions between people. Did the person give good advice? Were they nice?

Fifth principle of identity theory:

Social behavior is derived from the shaping and modifying of the expectations of our positions

Sociologists believe that a significant part of personality is...

Socially constructed

Dramaturgical sociology

Study of how we present ourselves, playing roles, and managing impressions during interactions with other people

Self-concept

Sum total of thoughts and feelings people have about themselves as objects (Rosenberg, 1986).

Identity control theory

Tendency to seek confirmation of self- meanings. Proposes that self-consistency is as or more important to people than maintaining a positive self-image

What shapes us?

The subtle feedback that we get from others over many experiences

Why is the use of narratives and storytelling an important part of the symbolic interaction process?

They tell people who we are in terms of our characteristics and how we view certain things

Define self-identities

Thoughts about ourselves or the kind of person we see ourselves as