The Looking Glass Self

Labelling theory has also been used to apply the interactionist theory to society; the theory, like Mead, emphasises the importance of symbols and situations in which they are used. The main interactionist concepts are the definition of the situation – if we believe in something then it could affect the way in which we behave. The looking glass –self – this was created by Cooley who argues that we see ourselves in a way in which we think others see us. These concepts have been useful in explaining why people act in certain ways in certain situations; therefore, the labelling theory is effective in the study of society.

The looking glass self theory looks at how an individual views themselves. The theorist of this theory is Horton Cooley. The looking glass self is another theory that is separated into stages. This theory is made up of three stages. The first stage id that a person imagines how they are perceived and viewed by others. The second stage of the looking glass theory is when a person imagines how they are judged by others and this is based and concluded by the first stage of the theory which is how a person imagines they are perceived by another individual. The final stage of this theory is the experiencing of a type of feeling or reaction to the staged in one and two. Gbadebo.S.A, (2011), pp124. For example a person may believe that they are perceived as being polite and friendly to another individual. This would be the first stage of the theory (imaging how they are perceived by others).

Chapter 3 of Essential of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach by James M. Henslin discusses the topic of socialization, which is the process by which people learn the characteristics of their group—the knowledge, attitudes, skills, norms, values, and actions thought appropriate for them. Sociologists try to determine how much of a person’s characteristics comes from “nature” (heredity) and how much from “nurture” (social environment). Studying feral, isolated, and institutionalized children, such as The Skeels/Dye Experiment, have helped them understand how “society makes us human.” The theories and research of Charles Horton Cooley, George Herbert Mead, and Piaget to explain socialization into the self and mind. Cooley’s looking-glass self theory focuses on how we believe others perceive us.

As stated in the textbook, gender socialization is the outcome of countless interactions, starting with those between parents and children. At the youngest ages, of course, parents have the dominant influence over this process. But as children age, their socialization continues under a variety of influences, including their own personalities and their interactions with siblings, peers, schools, and the wider culture. In adult life, socialization more often occurs in the other institutional arenas (page 167-168).

A caterpillar that smokes from pipes and eats tarty-tarts is only the beginning of Frank Beddor’s first book in his trilogy The Looking Glass Wars. Many of us are familiar with the infamous fairy tale of Alice who stumbles upon a hole that leads her to Wonderland and meets strange characters like the Cheshire Cat and others. Now there are many differences in Beddor’s tale; not only is the Cat an assassin with nine lives but Alice-the character we grew up knowing-has a different name, Alyss Heart. She is a young girl whose kingdom of Wonderland is taken over by her blood thirsty and cruel Aunt Redd, who is truly the incarnation of evil. This book is one with many

Cooley’s concept of the “looking glass self” states that a persons identity or self worth comes directly from their social interactions. That our self image is a direct correlation as to the responses and evaluations from others in our society. There are 3 steps:

Looking-glass self was a concept that was applied. Looking glass self is how people describe who they are by how others describe them. According to C.H. Cooley, have to envision themselves through social interactions because the mind does not create the “self” (Ravelli & Webber, 2013: pg. 153). An Aboriginal said that when she was younger and first went to the school, the teacher checked attendance and when she said her name, she answered “here” in her language and the nun gave

Peer influence plays a major role in gender socialization. Peers are who people are surrounded by the most. They are usually the people who you can feel most comfortable around and can talk to them about anything. Usually they are the ones who are trusted with personal information about your life. In the British Journal of Developmental

Once a child is born, he or she learns to view the world based on the behaviors of others. The child’s primary caregivers, usually the parents, and others present in the child’s environment, such as siblings, peers, teachers, and even the media, contribute to the development of the child’s perception of himself, those around him, and society overall. This concept is called socialization. “The way we are, behave and think is the final product of socialization” and it is through socialization that we “learn what is appropriate and improper for both genders” (Crespi, 2004). This concept of gender socialization leads to the inescapable

Gender socialization takes place in our everyday lives whether we subconsciously know it or not. Gender socialization is the socially learned expectations and behaviors associated with members of each gender. For example, If I were to say it takes my friend at least 45 minutes to do their hair before school everyday, you would assume I am speaking about a friend who is a female as opposed to a friend who is male. This is because of the idea of gender socialization.

Socialization may also be thought of as the development of one’s self based on interactions with other individuals or groups that may shape our ideas, beliefs, or perspectives about the world in which we live. Charles Horton Cooley describes the “self” as the unique human ability to be able to see ourselves from the outside and to internalize the views of how others see us (Henslin 71). As Cooley describes, humans first imagine how we appear to those around us, interpret other’s reactions towards us, and then use these interpretations to develop a self-concept. However, we are not born

There is also the looking-glass self is a concept by which we think of ourselves the way people see us. By impression management, we mean that our

"Gender Socialization is the process through which children learn about the social expectations, attitudes and behaviors typically associated with boys and girls (Hanish & Fabes, 2014)". Children learn from their parents about how the world works. Children first teacher are there mother and father. If they had learned children who play with the opposite sex toy grow up into a gay man or a lesbian female, then they would believe the same acts could happen to them if they were to play with the opposite sex toy. Children not only learn about gender roles from their parents but they also learn from their peer groups. According to Doctor Laura and Richard also stated: In regard to gender development children’s gendered behavior becomes more similar to those they spend time with (Hanish & Fabes, 2014). Children learn either bad habits or good habits from their peer circle, they would change their self’s in order to be well liked by the others in their groups. Our society should not care about socialization and what's an appropriate toy for children to play

Cooley’s concept of the “looking glass self” states that a persons identity or self worth comes directly from their social interactions. That our self image is a direct correlation as to the responses and evaluations from others in our society. There are 3 steps:

While reading the article, “The Complexity of Identity: “Who Am I?” the text provoked a lot of thought provoking questions and dialogue. The text itself stated how the “looking glass self” is not a flat one – dimensional reflection, but multidimensional.” (page 9) I thought it was really vital to keep this in mind, while looking at my own identity and others. I think it is important to understand this when stereotypes come into a situation; because not everyone has a story and a reason for being and behaving in a way.