In sociology, the self refers to an individual person from the perspective of that person. It is the individuals conception of himself or herself, and the underlying capacity of the person's mind or intellect which formed that conception (one's "true self"). What an individual thinks of him or herself is at least temporarily directly influenced by interactions with others: the instruction and example behaviors they provide, and the way they treat him or her. The systems of punishments and rewards one is subjected to, the opportunities provided for imitation, and the truths and myths a person is exposed to form the processess of socialization and enculturation through which the concepts, relationships, values, and norms of behaviour accepted within society are internalized by the individual, becoming integrated elements of his or her self.
See also
|
