The looking glass self is a concept drawn originally from the work of george herbert mead, encapsulating the idea that our self image the mental idea we have of who and how we are is shaped by our interactions with others. This was probably the most awkward thing that i have ever done in my entire life. It can be formulated as a conjecture that links two. The work was what got the looking glass self into the minds of sociologists. Second, cooley stresses the individuals selective application of the looking glass self. This study brought an enduring social psychology theory into the era of mass self communication. People would clutch their belongings tighter when i passed them on the street. Cooleys human nature and the social order is a landmark in the emergence of sociological social psychology.
The term looking glass self was created by american sociologist charles horton cooley in 1902, and introduced into his work human nature and the social order. This paper focuses on the relationships which exist between the lookingglass self theory of human behavior of charles. The reason this concept doesnt predict or explain constant, crippling insecurity on the part of every single person in society, like some kind of poundshop black mirror episode, is because we arent constantly engaging with it. The lookingglass self theory is also known as symbolic interactionism. The lookingglass self is a concept drawn originally from the work of george herbert mead, encapsulating the idea that our selfimage the mental idea we have of who and how we are is shaped by our interactions with others. Nov 7, 2014 this board will discuss the concept of how our self image is a reflection of how we believe other people see us. Cooley i will be talking about the looking glass self, made famous by famed american sociologist charles horton cooley. The lookingglass by anton chekhov online literature. Cooleys looking glass self in cooleys theory of the looking glass self, he states that our selfconcepts and identities are a reflection of how other people perceive us. Even though cooley was influenced by weber, cooley s examination was more psychological than webers. Our internalization of the reactions of others towards us is more important. As infants, human beings form their very selves from the reflections and responses gained by their earliest behaviors visited upon the. Charles horton cooley, in his work, human nature and the order, introduced the concept of the looking glass self in 1902. In contrast, the looking glass self is the emergence and maintenance of selfidentity, or who you think you are.
The imagination of our appearance to the other person, the imagination of his judgment of that appearance, and some sort of self feeling, such as pride or mortification. The idea behind the looking glass theory, or looking glass self, was created by charles horton cooley 1902. The imagination of our appearance to the other person, the imagina tion of his judgment of that appearance, and some sort of selffeeling, such as pride or mortification. The looking glass self theory is also known as symbolic interactionism. Cooley s work influenced that of george herbert mead and contributed to the development of symbolic interactionism. The looking glass self cooley is one of the founders of the interactionist perspective, which seeks to explain society by looking at the everyday forms of interaction between individuals. Concept of the looking glass self introduction cooley was influenced by approaches such as pragmatism and darwinism. Cooley 1902 introduced the looking glass self as an individuals selfconcept defined, in part, by societal heuristics. It is described as our reflection of how we think we appear to others. Nellie, the daughter of a landowner and general, a young and pretty girl, dreaming day and night of being married, was sitting in her room, gazing with exhausted, halfclosed eyes into the looking glass. Rich media project the looking glass self and social media duration.
The looking glass self can cause feelings of insufficient self worth and mental health issues. Cooleys concept of a lookingglass self is both compelling and very straightforward. The looking glass self is a social psychological concept, created by charles horton cooley in 1902, stating that a persons self grows out of societys interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others. Process whereby an individual develops his identity or selfconcept. It pretty much states that the way we view ourselves comes from how others perceive us. See more ideas about looking glass self, self image and self. The looking glass self 3 sympathy and understanding of anothers plight. Cooley s concept of a lookingglass self is both compelling and very straightforward. According to this theory, people first imagine how they appear to others. Our selfimage is created in the social arena and is derived from the interaction between how. Cooley s 1902 looking glass self theory and the behaviours a nd attitudes of marginalised people living in the ghetto share many aspects. This concept stems from our interpersonal perception of what another individuals impression is on us and how we form ourselves towards that initial perception.
Charles horton cooleys looking glass self explained by dr. In the eyes of the other punks on the block, i was the man. Charles cooley s 1922 idea of the looking glass self lgs is an accepted part of modern sociology. Cooley s looking glass self cooley argued that the self is a product of our social interactions with other people that involves three steps. It explains a formation of your self image through a reflection. Charles horton cooley university of massachusetts press.
In the case of a parent frequently calling their child stupid, the effect would be significant. Hence, we should develop a selfimage that is more based on our own evaluations rather than how we believe others look at us. Charles cooleys 1922 idea of the looking glass self lgs is an accepted part of modern sociology. According to cooley, the individual comes to know or define himself through the process of.
According to cooley, the individual comes to know or define himself through the process of internalizing his. The looking glass self is a social psychological concept that was created by charles horton cooley in 1902 and it involves the idea that a person shapes their own self concept out of how they. Christynjo carranza introductory sociology spring 20 ms. Meads theory of self and cooleys looking glass self. We imagine what judgements that person makes of us. The looking glassself, a concept created by charles cooley.
Cooley noted what read bain confirmed in the 1930sthat children know other people as objects, and call others by name, before they sense themselves as separate entities. Second, they imagine how others judge them based on that appearance. Cooleys looking glass self in cooleys theory of the. Cooleys most significant contribution was his idea of the lookingglassself. Nellie, the daughter of a landowner and general, a young and pretty girl, dreaming day and night of being married, was sitting in her room, gazing with exhausted, halfclosed eyes into the lookingglass. Silvia and phillips 20 showed selfawareness sa was influenced by presenting stimuli that both explicitly increase sa e. Charles cooley and the looking glass self we see our self as someone that others see we imagine how those others judge, evaluate, or assess our self we react to that imagined judgment, evaluation, or assessment.
The theoretical intersection of the lookingglassself and social. As you briefly validate which one of the following do you like best, i interpret cooley s looking glass self theory as the most applicable and feasible for my own overall personal understanding. To further explain would be how oneself imagines how others view himher. Cooleys 1902 looking glass self posits that the selfconcept is built, in part, by how a person. One of the founders of sociology in the united states, charles horton cooley 18641929 is perhaps best known for his concepts of the lookingglass self and the primary group. The notion of the lookingglass self is composed of three principal ele ments. The concept disregards the existing differences between the groups of people in the society, implying that people overlook their likes. The looking glass self got its start in 1902 in the human nature and the social order, which was published work by cooley. Coser, 3057 as the analogy indicates, the individual would be unable to see herself without the lookingglass, so to would individuals be. The looking glass self california state university. The lookingglass self is a social psychological concept that was created by charles horton cooley in 1902 and it involves the idea that a person shapes their own self concept out of how they. Even though cooley was influenced by weber, cooleys examination was more psychological than webers.
Process whereby an individual develops his identity or self concept. The self arises in a social process of communicative interchange as it is reflected in a. The concept of the looking glass self describes how an individual develops his or her identity in response to how he or she understands others perceptions of himself or herself. He went on to propose that selfmonitoring is only the first step of a dynamic social and psychological process. The lookingglass self refers to the way in which the reactions and perceived judgements of others to ourselves provide us with feedback about ourselves and develop our sense of self. Individuals within society are dependent upon one another not only for economic and political reasons, but also for reasons of self identity lyons.
This idea states that ones identity is the result of interpersonal interactions. Pdf marginalized through the looking glass self the. A chavarin stc whs charles cooley early member of the chicago school of sociology conceptualized how individuals gain a sense of self each to each a looking glass, reflects the other that doth pass the. This is best illustrated through cooleys analogy of the lookingglass, each to each a looking glass, reflects the other that doth pass. The concept of the looking glass selfoffers insight not only into our own thinking, but also to how we form our identity based on how others see us. It can be explained as the reflection of what we think we appear in front of others or how we are viewed and conceived by others. As infants, human beings form their very selves from the reflections and responses gained by their earliest behaviors visited upon the other, or any participant in ones earliest socialization. This work made the looking glass self the main topic in sociology on self concept.
The social self is simply any idea, or system of ideas, drawn from the communicative life, that the mind cherishes as its. The notion of the looking glass self is composed of three principal elements. The theory of the looking glass self states that your perception of yourself is an amalgam of how you feel others perceive you. Most famous for its introduction of the ideas the lookingglass self, the book presents his psychological view how a society operates. In 1902, a sociologist named charles horton cooley devised a concept called the lookingglass self, which posits that s persons sense of identity is shaped by interaction with social groups and the ways in which the individual thinks he or she is perceived by others. Third, people have an emotional reaction to that imagined judgment, such as. Through the looking glass of telecopresent others shanyang zhao temple university the impact of others in telecopresence on the formation of self has not been well studied, and existing research on the self in cyberspace has focused mostly on issues related to the presentation of self. Cooley s 1902 looking glass self posits that the self concept is built, in part, by how a person. Through the looking glass of telecopresent others shanyang zhao temple university the impact of others in telecopresence on the formation of self has not been well studied, and existing research on the self in cyberspace has focused mostly on. Cooleys work influenced that of george herbert mead and contributed to the development of symbolic interactionism. Cooleys looking glass self in cooleys theory of the looking. As you briefly validate which one of the following do you like best, i interpret cooleys lookingglass self theory as the most applicable and feasible for my own overall personal understanding. Part of thehigher education and teaching commons,social psychology commons, and the.
Introduced and edited by daniel sharp, looking glass self is a new spec. Discuss the principle aspects of charles horton cooleys. I liked that lookingglass self of threatening thug. She was pale, tense, and as motionless as the lookingglass. He suggests that one formulates an idea of ones self based upon information gathered from the reactions of and interactions with others. Researchers have generally assumed that any congruence found, which we shall term the looking glass effect, is the result of a process of internalization gecas 1982. I hate looking in the mirror for more than two minutes at the most. An example would be ones mother would view their child as flawless, while another person. The perspective might be called introspectionist sociology, premised as it is on the idea that. An intellectual biography of a preeminent american sociologist one ofthe founders of sociology in the united states, charles horton cooley18641929 is perhaps best known for his concepts of thelookingglass self and the primary group.
This study brought an enduring social psychology theory into the era of mass selfcommunication. The looking glass self by christynjo carranza on prezi. He went on to propose that self monitoring is only the first step of a dynamic social and psychological process. The looking glass self california state university, northridge. The concept of the looking glass self demonstrates that selfrelation, or how one views oneself is not a solitary phenomenon, but rather includes others. Apr 09, 2017 rich media project the looking glass self and social media duration. Understanding charles cooleys looking glass self tim. Cooleys looking glass self cooley argued that the self is a product of our social interactions with other people that involves three steps. Pdf on may 16, 2010, emad rahim and others published marginalized. He noted the reflexive selfconsciousness of our experience, how we continually monitor our self from the point of view of others.
The liabilities of a looking glass self orientation among young adolescents, self worth in adolescents is based mainly on their peers approval of. This self is different from the self that is manifest as both body and being different from the self that is tangible, touchable, and lives in particular earthly locations, the self expressed within specific human relations. Lookingglass self definition the lookingglass self is the process by which people evaluate themselves based on how others see them. The lookingglass self is created through the imagination of how ones self might be understood by another individual. An intellectual biography of a preeminent american sociologist one ofthe founders of sociology in the united states, charles horton cooley 18641929 is perhaps best known for his concepts of thelooking glass self and the primary group. He noted the reflexive self consciousness of our experience, how we continually monitor our self from the point of view of others. Being tough impressed certain girls, and earned the respect of my homeboys. Just like the reflections in a mirror, the self depends on the perceived responses of others. Cooley used the term to explain the process of socialization. In other words, we define ourselves by how we think other people define us.
According to susan harters the perceived directionality of the link between approval and self worth. According to sociologist charles horton cooley, individuals develop their concept of self by observing how they are perceived by others, a concept cooley coined. I deeply appreciate your business and am honored to assist you. Looking glass self is a term coined by the sociologist charles horton cooley, and refers to his proposal that the individuals perception of himself is based on how he believes that others perceive him. But according to glenn jacobs, he also deserves to be remembered as the first scholar of his generation to develop a viable concept of the social. But according to glennjacobs, he also deserves to be remembered as the first scholar of hisgeneration to develop a viable concept of the social. What does cooley mean by saying that a person brings the. When i get ready in the morning i am usually watching tv and doing my hair or im on the phone with my mom. The weaknesses of the concept include the insistence on the subjective society to cause people to behave in a certain way possibly forcing them to ignore their values to please others.
It is postulated that that the younger the person, and the closer the relationship to the person judging himher, the more powerful the lookingglass self effect will be. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Empirical tests of the looking glass approach to self construction have largely focused on the congruence between how any person ego views herself and how others alter view ego. In shibutanis view, the lookingglass self means simply that each persons orientation toward himself is a reflection of the manner in which he is treated. This theory applied not only to the individual but to the macrolevel economic issues of society and to those macrosociological conditions which are. He describes that ones perception of self is dependent on the thoughts of others.