Who Am I? – Discussion Group 2

The objectives of this discussion forum are to identify a core value or belief for analysis in this and upcoming assignments and explain the relationship between the self and society via Cooley’s conceptualization of the looking glass self.

First, identify a value or belief at the core of your self-concept: You might refer back to your post in the discussion board forum from lesson 1, where I asked you to introduce yourself and to include a discussion of who you are (beginning your sentences with, “I am…”) and what makes you happy, as these aspects of your self can indicate your values and beliefs. This

(reproduced in part from

) can help you to identify values that you think are important parts of your self.

After identifying a (single; one) core value or belief of your self-concept, think about how social interactions with others influenced you to have this value or belief. In particular, focus on the influence of social group agents of socialization as reviewed in this lesson (i.e., family and peers). Then, analyze how a specific social interaction with a social group agent of socialization influenced this value or belief by way of the looking glass self. Put differently, how did at least one specific instance of the way that you thought your family or friends perceived you contribute to your having this value or belief?

In your discussion post:

• Identify the one core value or belief that you will analyze.
• Provide a brief (2-3 sentences) description of what the looking glass self means.
• Use your own words to describe this concept (do not use direct quotes and maintain academic honesty) and
• use accurate in-text citation(s) to reference the assigned course material(s) from this lesson that informs your understanding of this concept.
• Do not substitute other sources for assigned course materials.
• Reflect on social interactions that you had with a social group agent that taught, reinforced, or otherwise somehow influenced you to have this value/belief. Select one interaction to reflectively analyze by way of applying the concept of the looking glass self. Now, share you analysis with us: Be detailed and concise in describing the social interaction between you and the other person (or people), and take time to develop your application of the looking glass self in your analysis.

Note that I am asking you to share a personal experience with me and fellow classmates (something I will rarely ask of you in this course), so post wisely. While I strive to ensure that my classrooms (whether in-class or virtual) are a , I cannot ensure that what we discuss in this class will not be shared with others outside of class. Please, remember to be respectful and empathetic to others in discussions and, please, do not share fellow students’ personal experiences with others outside of class (remember, the stories stay, the lessons leave).