Instructions:

"CHANT, ACT, AND PLAY"

1. Divide the class into 11 groups.

2. Let each group pick ONE philosopher whom they will be portraying in class.

3. Each group will think of a chant or slogan that they will recite.
4. They will also act as the "real" philosopher.

5. Lastly, they will present a short play about the philosopher's assumption/theory/
philosophy.
Projection
Content

creativity
SOCIOLOGY

"Not only is the self entwined in society; it owes society its existence in the most literal sense."

-Theodor Adorno

Activity 2
"MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL"

Make a short video presentation by asking your family members, friends, classmates, and even
strangers to say something about their impressions on you. It can be positive or negative.

The Self As a Product of Modern Society Among Other Constructions

Sociologists are concerned with questions about the person in the community. For example, They
ask questions like: "How does society influence you?" "How do you affect society?" More importantly, "Who are you
as a person in the community?" Sociology posits that socially formed norms, beliefs, and values come to exist within
the person to a degree where these become natural and normal (Elwell, 2003), thus, developing the person's
self-identity.

Modernization has significantly changed society, and this has affected how an individual builds and
develops his or her self-identity. Pre-modern society was centered on survival. People behaved according to social rules
and traditions while the family and the immediate environment provided supervision on how to get through life.

A Holistic Approach In Understanding The Self

 21
Choosing where to live, what line of work to do, and even who to marry was very limited
(Hermannsdóttir, 2011).

Modernization, however, has improved people's living conditions. A person in the modern society is free to choose
where to live, what to do, and who to be with. However, stability has also decreased as traditions and traditional support
systems, such as the family, have decreased in importance. In modern societies, individualism is dominant, and developing one's
self-identity is central (Giddens, 1991).

Key characteristics of modernity

are:

According to Giddens (1991), the most patent, major characteristics of modernity

1. Industrialism,t he social relations implied in the extensive use of material

power and machinery in all processes of production;

2. Capitalism, a production system involving both competitive product markets

and the commodification (putting a price tag) of labor power.
3. Institutions of surveillance, the massive increase of power and reach by
institutions, especially in government; and

4. Dynamism, the most evident characteristic of a modern society. Dynamism is characterized as having vigorous activity and
progress. In a modern society, life is not a predetermined path with limited options based on location, family, or gender,
it is a society full of possibilities. Everything is subject to change, and changes happen much more rapidly than ever before in
human history.

Social groups and social network

Sociologist George Simmel expressed that people create social networks by joining social groups. A social
group is described as having two or more people interacting with one another, sharing similar characteristics, and whose
members identify themselves as part of the group. An example of a social group is your family, your barkada, your
classmates. Meanwhile, social network refers to the ties or connections that link you to your social group (Khan Academy, WEB).
The connection you have with your family is your blood relation; the connection you have with your barkada is your friendship; and
the connection you have with your classmates is the common interest to learn.

A social group is either organic or rational. An organic group is naturally occurring, and it is highly
influenced by your family. This is usually formed in traditional societies because there is little diversity in these communities.
Sociologist George Simmel stated that you join these groups because your family is also a part of it, in the first place. He called it
organic motivation. Simmel noted that the positive effect of organic groups is rootedness. This means the foundation of the
social network runs deep, thus, giving the person a sense of belongingness. The downside, however, is that organic groups imply
less freedom and greater social conformity. You are expected to act and behave according to your community's
standards (Allan, 2012).
 Rational groups occur in modern societies. Modern societies are made up of different people coming
from different places. The family in modern societies is not the main motivation when joining rational
social groups. Rational groups are formed as a matter of shared self-interests; moreover, people join these groups
out of their own free will. Simmel called this rational motivation. Rational groups imply greater freedom, especially
the freedom of movement. Relationships based on self-interest are not as embedded as organic relationships.
Interests change and when they do, group members change. The relationship between rational social networks is
tenuous, and the feels no meaningful connection with the others (Allan, 2012).

Mead and the Social Self

"A multiple personality is in a certain sense normal."

person

-George Herbert Mead

Have you ever watched someone do something? Of course you have. Even as babies we watch
others, like mom or dad, do something. Why do we do that? It's how we learn. We learn to do things; we learn what's
safe and what's not. When we watch other people, we learn a lot about ourselves. Moreover, when we watch others,
we also come to understand people. We understand why they behave the way they do; what identity they claim;
and what role they play in society.
On the other hand, while you get to know yourself and understand others by watching people, how
can you understand yourself? Can you "watch" yourself as objectively as you do the others? This is the
question that sociologist George Mead explored.
George Herbert Mead was a sociologist from the late 1800s. He is well known for his "theory of the
Social Self." Mead's work focused on how the "self" is developed. His theory is based on the perspective that the self
is a product of social interactions and internalizing the external (i.e., other people's) views along with one's personal
view about oneself. Mead believed the "self" is not present at birth; rather it develops over time through social
experiences and activities.

Developing the self

Mead developed a concept that proposed different stages of self-development. These stages are
language, play, and game.
According to Mead, self-development and language are intimately tied. Through shared understanding of
symbols, gestures, and sound, language gives the individual the capacity to express himself or herself while at
the same time comprehending what the other people are conveving Language sets the stage for self-development.
The second stage for self-development is play. At this level, individuals role-play or assume the
perspective of others. Role-playing enables the person to internalize some other people's perspectives;
hence, he or she develops an understanding of how the other people feel about themselves (and about
others, too) in a variety of situations.

Meanwhile, the game stage is the level where the individual not only internalizes the other people's
perspectives, he or she is also able to take into account societal rules and adhere to them. According to Mead, the
self is developed by understanding the rule, and one must abide by it to win the game or be successful at an activity.

Two sides of self: "I" and "Me"

Mead sees the person as an active process, not just a mere reflection of society. He further proposed two
interactive facets of the self: the "I" and "me." The "me" and the "I" have a didactic relationship, which is like a
system of checks and balances. According to Mead, "me" is the product of what the person has learned while
interacting with others and with the environment. Learned behaviors, attitudes, and even expectations comprise the
"me." The "me" exercises social control over the self. It sees to it that rules are not broken.

"T"
On the other hand, the "I" is that part of the self that is unsocialized and spontaneous. It is the individual's
response to the community's attitude toward the person. The presents impulses and drives. It enables him or her
to express individualism and creativity. The "I" does not blindly follow rules. It understands when to possibly
bend or stretch the rules that govern social interactions. It constructs a response based on what has been learned by the
"me."

who i am
how people

Jun
loving

boring See me

on the inside on the outside