classic theory of the concept of self

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Part IIQuestion 2:

Understanding the Concept of Self

Unlike macro-sociologist like Marx, Durkheim and Weber, micro-sociologist such

as William James, Sigmund Freud, and Charles orton Coole! focused more on the

identit! of the indi"iduals and ho# indi"iduals interact #ithin different social settings$

James, Freud and Coole! all asked the same %uestion, &What is the self?' (! proposing

theories on their understandings of the &self,' #e can see that although their theories

differ from each other in terms of the definition of &self,' the! are similar in that the! all

agree that interaction #ith others and different social settings affects and shaped one)s

identit! of &self'$

William James *+.-+/+01, a historical ps!chologist and philosopher, suggests

that there are four aspects of an indi"idual)s self$ 2n his article The Self and Its Selves, he

explains that the &constituents of the Self ' are the sum of the material self, the social self,

the spiritual self, and the pure ego *+/03+4.1$

5he material self indicates that an indi"idual is #hat the person o#ns or a part of$

5he innermost part of the material self is the one)s ph!sical bod!, #e kno# that our hand

is a part of &me' not &others', and that our flesh and bone is a part of oursel"es$ 6ext is

the immediate famil! members$ James argues that the reason the famil! members are a

part of &self' is because #e are so emotionall! attached to and ha"e strong feelings for

our famil!$ When one of them dies, #e feel that a part of our "er! sel"es is missing$ 5he

last part of the material self is the collections of propert! that an indi"idual o#ns$ 7s

humans, people often ha"e strong impulse that dri"es an indi"idual to o#n propert!8 it

can be #ealth, ob9ects, and:or goods one o#ns$ Similarl! to the famil! members, #hen

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one loses a part of his:her propert!, it leads to a sense of shrinking of one)s personalit!,

and a partial con"ersion of oneself to emptiness *+/03+41$

5he social self, James suggests, is the self that is recogni;ed b! others$ From a

social perspecti"e, a person displa!s a different side of himself to different groups, #hich

result in a di"ision of the man into multiple sel"es, &A man has as many social selves as

there are individuals who recognize him and carr! an image of him in their mind'

*+/03+4


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indi"idual)s experience e"er!da!$ e also belie"es that the pure ego is similar to the ideal

of the soul, or the mind$

Charles orton Coole! *+4-+/./1, #as a sociologist famous of his theor! of

&5he >ooking-?lass Self'$ Coole! brings up a "er! interesting concept of &self' in #hich

he suggests that one)s self or identit! is based on the person)s imagination of #hat others

percei"e him:her$ e points out, e percei"e in another)s mind some thought of our

appearance, manners, aims, deed, character, friends, and so on, and are "ariousl! affected

b! it' *+/0.3+/1$ (ecause of &5he >ooking-?lass Self', one indi"idual ends up ha"ing

multiple identities across the groups and people the person interacts #ith$

Sigmund Freud *+=4-+/


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results in reduced anxiet!$ For example, if someone is in a "er! bad mood, his:her &id' is

telling him:her to punch the next person he:she sees, because it #ill make him:her feel

better$ @n the other hand, the &super-ego' is sa!ing that it is not right to do such things,

and it is sociall! unacceptable to punch an innocent person$ 2n the conflict, the person)s

anxiet! rises because his:her mind is going t#o different directions, so the &ego' 9umps in

and tries to make a solution that both &id' and &super-ego' can compromise, such as

instead of punching someone, the person can go to the g!m to punch a punching bag$ 2n

this #a!, the &id' is satisfied that the anger has gone a#a!, and the &super-ego' is

satisfied that the person did not break the rules$

5he three micro-social theorists William James, Sigmund Freud, and Charles

orton Coole! explain the concept of &self' from "er! different perspecti"es, ho#e"er,

their theories also share common ground in ho# an indi"idual interacts #ith others and

the en"ironment shapes one)s identit!$ 5he &social self' from James) theor! suggests that

an indi"idual holds multiple &identities', and s#itches these identities #hile interacting

#ith different groups and social settings$ 5he &>ooking-?lass Self' from Coole!)s theor!

suggests that an indi"idual)s identit! is depended on ho# the person thinks others

percei"e him:her$ (ecause #e are unable to full! see oursel"es, #e can onl! depend on

the reflecti"e surface such as mirror and glass to see oursel"es$ 2n Coole!)s &>ooking-

?lass 5heor!', the &reflecti"e surface' is other people)s e!es$ (ecause of that, the person

ends up ha"ing multiple identities from different people$ Freud suggests that the &super-

ego' is the ci"ili;ed mind and often culturall! shaped$ (ecause of the &super ego', an

indi"idual is able to beha"e properl! in different social settings$

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5o practice these three theories, let)s gi"e an example3 7 college professor, #ho is

also a husband and a father$ 5he sub9ect holds three identities3 college professor,

husband, and father$ 7s a professor, he performs in front of the classroom, grades

assignments, and attends facult! meetings$ 7s a husband, he gi"es financial support to the

famil!, and is romanticall! in"ol"ed #ith his #ife$ 7s a father, he takes care of his

children, gi"es them emotional and economic support, and goes to their soccer games$

From James) &social-self' perspecti"e, this man holds three different identities

because he acts differentl! to#ard three distinct audiences, and s#itches his roles back

and forth to fit different social scenarios, such that he #ill not act like a professor #ith his

children or act like a husband #ith his students$ From Coole!)s perspecti"e, this person

acts in different #a!s because of ho# he belie"es other people percei"e him$ 2n the

students) e!es, he is a professor, in his #ife)s e!es, he is a husband, and in his children)s

e!es, he is father$ From different audience)s e!es, he embraces different roles of himself

and acts according to #hat he belie"es other people think he is$ From Freud)s "ie#, the

&super-ego' tells the man #hat he should do, since the &super ego' is the product of

ci"ili;ation$ 5he man assigns readings and grades home#ork as a professor, and goes to

his son)s soccer game as a father because the &super ego' tells him is it #hat he suppose

to do$ 2n case he ma! #ant to 9ust lie on the couch all da! as his &id' tells him, the &ego'

#ill suggest that he can go to the soccer game this Sunda! and his #ife can go next

Sunda! so that he #ill still ha"e to chance to lie on the couch all da! next Sunda!$ 2n the

end, ho# the man performs differentl! to#ards different groups of people depends on

#hat the &super-ego' learned from the societ!, and #ith some help from the &ego'$

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William James, Charles orton Coole!, and Sigmund Freud are three micro-

theorists #ho are interested in the concept of &self'$ 7lthough their theories of &self' all

come from different perspecti"es, and differ in their understanding of the #a! societ!

shapes indi"iduals) identities, the! all address the important influence on self-identities

from the en"ironment$ Some theories ma! seem easier to make sense of than others, but

none of these is entirel! right or #rong $ 7s James, Coole! and Freud all once asked,

hat is theself ?) the concept of &self' is still remains a m!ster!$

Aeference3

James, William$ &5he Self and its Sel"es$' +/0$ Bp$ +4.-+44 in Social Theory% The

*ulticultural and +lassic ,eadings, fourth edition, edited b! C$ >emert$ (oulder,Colorado3 West"ie# Bress$

Coole!, Charles $ &5he >ooking-?lass Self$' +/0.$ Bp$ +/ in Social Theory% The*ulticultural and +lassic ,eadings, fourth edition, edited b! C$ >emert$ (oulder,

Colorado3 West"ie# Bress$

Freud, Sigmund$ &5he Bs!chical 7pparatus and the 5heor! of 2nstincts$' +/00-+/


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Freud, Sigmund $ &Ci"ili;ation and the 2ndi"idual$' +/emert$ (oulder,

Colorado3 West"ie# Bress$

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classic theory of the concept of self

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