Theorizing the Social Self - Essay Example

? No. No. Theorizing the Social Self Introduction It has been observed that the society, its behavior and nature have significant influence on the formation of individual selves. At the same time, extreme discrimination between men and women also tends to influence the manner in which women treat their own selves and present themselves within the society eventually affecting their true and actual behavior and preferences. The present study focuses on this aspect and brings in an understanding towards the role of the social structures in the development of the selves combining The Interactionist Theory of Self Formation and the Feminist Theory of Gender. Exposition The study has been focused on an understanding of some public issues as obtained from published sources related to the combined knowledge of the Interactionist Theory of Self Formation and the Feminist Theory of Gender. The intention of this study has been to understand the implications of the social structures in the formation of individual selves. This has taken into consideration certain writings that include the Women, Church, and State by Matilda Joslyn Gage, Votes for Women by W.E.B. Du Bois, Women and Economics by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Women in Public by Elsie Clews Parsons, The Vindications: The Rights of Men, The Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft, and As to Humanness by Gilman. These studies are relevant for this particular study since they reveal the nature of the society and, hence, their influences towards the formation of the self, bringing forward the discrimination of men and women in the society. Analysis To begin with, it would be appropriate to understand the concepts of Interactionist Theory of Self Formation and the Feminist Theory of Gender followed by an analysis of the cases as obtained from the published sources. According to the Interactionist Theory of Self Formation, .”..the self is a basic concept in symbolic interactionism. The essential feature of the self is that it is a reflexive phenomenon. Reflexivity enables humans to act toward themselves as objects, or to reflect on themselves, argue with themselves, evaluate themselves, and so forth” (Symbolic Interactionism - Self-concept Formation, 2012). The feminist theory of gender has a focus on the struggle of women in the society for their recognition in the midst of the male culture dominations prevailing around. The understanding relies on the thought that “patriarchy privileges men by taking the male body as the 'standard' and fashioning upon it a range of valued characteristics (such as good health, mastery, reason and so on) and, through a comparison, viewing the female body as deficient, associated with illness, with lack of control and with intuitive rather than reasoned action” (Annandale & Clark, 1996, p. 19). Women, Church, and State: Matilda Joslyn Gage Gage had herself worked on the recovery of feminist recognition and focused on the fact that women are in need to “rediscover their history all over again” (Gage, 2007, p. 201). Gage, who paid significant attention on the women recognition, however, reflects a story where “neglect and active suppression” had been received by her owing to her criticisms on “culture dominations” (Gage, 2007, p. 201). She had written a book, Women, Church, and State, where she significantly disclosed how the nuisance of men had to be suffered by women, how the women used to be ill-treated and made to work day and night, but providing them with lesser facilities in comparison to men. Such a case, according to her, has been relevant in several regions like New York, Paris, France, and Germany among others. Be it the compensation for the work or the quality of treatment including food that were provided to them, all were found to be degraded for women. Gage, who criticized and brought forward these issues, had suffered herself negligence to such levels that eventually she herself reached a stage from where other socialists had to help her recover her recognition (Gage, 2007, pp. 201-204). The case of Matilda Gage reflects on the harshness of humankind towards gender discrimination making the females suffer while the males enjoyed their existence considering their own set rules. At the same time, it is realized that when an individual intends to create objections, he or she is made to suffer equally, thus, affecting his or her social structure as well. Votes for Women: W.E.B. Du Bois: Du Bois through the writing Votes for Women had brought about the distinctions among the white and black women stressing that “there is not the slightest reason for supposing that White American women under ordinary circumstances are going to be any more intelligent, liberal, or humane toward the black, the poor and unfortunate than the white men are” (Du Bois, 2007, p. 379). It can be understood in this context that there is an influence of the behavior of the white men that enable white women to consider their thoughts and decisions towards others. In other words, this can be associated with the Interactionist Theory of Self Formation and can also be combined with the Feminist Theory of Gender. The self formation and, hence, the social structure of the while women, reflected through their behavior towards the black, the poor and the unfortunate clearly represents how individual selves are influenced by the social structures. Women and Economics: Charlotte Perkins Gilman Gilman had created revolution with her writings that she managed to continue and reach out to the world breaking through the rules and restrictions decided by her husband on her life. In her book, the Women and Economics, she tried to focus on “women’s subordination and its function in evolution” (Gilman, 2007, p. 380). She wanted to initiate the need and understanding towards the care that women required in terms of their health as well as childbearing. She focused on the huge tasks that women are made to undertake in each day of their lives and that something needed to be done to lessen the “burden of working women” (Gilman, 2007, p. 380). Gilman also tried to illuminate how men considered making use of women as media for earning wealth making them their business partners, and if women were unable to produce wealth, they were of no use to the men (Gilman, 2007, p. 381). Thus, Gilman related women with economics since men treated women as an economical commodity. However, the women have never been compensated suitably for the manner in which they were used by the men (Gilman, 2007, pp. 381-381). As Gilman said, “In spite of her supposed segregation to maternal duties, the human female, the world over, works at extra-maternal duties for hours enough to provide her with an independent living, and then is denied independence on the ground that motherhood prevents her working” (Gilman, 2007, p. 381). The studies and reflections of Gilman as presented through her book Women and Economics clearly consider the manner in which men treat the women affecting their self formations. Women in Public Life: Elsie Clews Parsons Women in Public Life is a book written by Elsie Clews Parsons who through her writings brought about the differences and discrimination that she witnessed between males and females in the public. This included differences in college curriculum. She talked about the “agitation” of the women in her times in regard to the discrimination and differences and the similarity or differences in the opportunities that were present for the men and the women in the society (Parsons, 2007, p. 402). The nature and responsibilities of the women have been found to be more severe than that of the men as reflected by Parsons. She discussed in her writing as to how the women had to deliver their duties in their homes, and had no opportunities to escape from their responsibilities, the facilities that were on the other hand available to men (Parsons, 2007, pp. 400-403). Women were supposed to look after their family members, help in the household works, and make everyone happy at home. However, the fact association of emotions, birth, growth, and affections related more with women, yet they were never given the justice and the social appreciation by the society as a whole. Even if they tried their best to present themselves honorably or produce themselves as equal in front of the men, yet treatment towards them would never change. The discrimination would always remain between the males and the females and the men kept on enjoying the facilities while the women only suffered (Parsons, 2007, pp. 403-405). The Vindications: The Rights of Men, The Rights of Women: Mary Wollstonecraft Wollstonecraft in the book The Vindications: The Rights of Men, The Rights of Women, had discussed the rights and involved duties of mankind where she states that “the society is formed in the wisest manner, whose constitution is found on the nature of man, strikes, in the abstract, every thinking being so forcibly, that it looks like presumption to endeavour to bring forward proofs; though proof must be brought, or the strong hold of prescription will never be forced by reason; yet to urge prescription as an argument to justify the depriving men (or women) of their natural rights, is one of the absurd sophisms which daily insult common sense” (Wollstonecraft, 2001, p. 118). The study reflected significantly on the character of man that could be related to the profession to which he is involved (Wollstonecraft, 2001, p. 124). The study has been focused on the fact that in the present times the differences between the men and women need to be considered carefully since bodily strength could no more be a reason for discrimination. The influence of the society in molding the nature of mankind has been discussed in the study that focused how women also became powerful and that they were not only created to serve the men in the society. However, it has also been mentioned by Wollstonecraft that women often tend to lose their gravity and simplicity in the midst of attaining power. There are instances where in spite of the women being educated and independent, they have been ruled or dictated by the men in the society. According to Wollstonecraft, it is the women who need to come out themselves of such stages in their lives and feel dependent on their own selves in order to get rid of the tyrannical attitude of the male dominations (Wollstonecraft, 2001, pp. 149-161). Thus, the study has reflected on the effects of the social structures in the formation of the individual selves, considering the discrimination of men and women. As to Humanness Charlotte Perkins Gilman had also in the writing As to Humanness considered certain animals like the sheep, the buffalo, the goat to derive to the attitudes of men and women discussing about the behaviors of these animals, the way the mothers are known to take care of their children, and the mental sequences (Gilman, 1971, pp. 9-13). Here, the writer has stressed on the fact that human beings have been “so taken up with the phenomenon of masculinity and femininity, that our common humanity has largely escaped notice” (Gilman, 1971, p. 13). According to Gilman, it is only in the severe matters of life and death that humans consider humanity. These are the moments where there are no discriminations between males and females and that all creatures are supposed to behave in the same manner (Gilman, 1971, p. 14). Gilman through this writing completely focused on the comparison of humans with animals, and tried to put an understanding on the “development of this humanness” (Gilman, 1971, p. 17). In this regard, the study has mentioned about the role that women play in the daily affairs and how women have been “always the place of a preposition” to men (Gilman, 1971, pp. 19-20). It has also reflected on that fact that human minds are difficult to be altered for several generations (Gilman, 1971, p. 21). Thus, the study has brought into focus the influences of the social structure in developing the self behaviors in men as well as in women and that the humanity needs to be more concerned rather than discriminate males and females. A Critical Overview Although the above mentioned cases reflect on how the Interactionist Theory Of Self Formation as well as Feminist Theory of Gender focus on gender roles, yet it can be mentioned at this point, that none of these studies could actually bring about a revolution in the society clearing all differences between the males and the females. These cases or studies emerged as an understanding of how the social structures are influential in developing the individual selves. In this context, however, the studies have been apt in discussing why the writers believed that the social structures were responsible. The studies make it clear that women have always been treated as minor in comparison to the men and their lives have always been under the rules and dictations of the male society. This eventually led to the development of their lower attitudes that only focused on the delivery of responsibilities and duties towards their families and close ones. This, in other words, reflect on the necessity of the Feminist Theory of Gender that focuses on the ill treatment that women have been encountering, which has led them to forget their choices and preferences and keep on suffering physically and mentally under the pressures of the males and the society. Thus, for an understanding of the combined theories of the interactionist and feminist views, the above studies can be said to have been significantly relevant. However, whether just an understanding of the society would be able to alter the feeling and attitude of the society or not, still remains a question in doubt. Conclusion The study has been focused on an understanding of how the social structures might be responsible for the formation of individual selves. From the above study that has been based on certain public issues as obtained through publishes sources, it can be concluded that social structures in the manner they created discriminations between men and women and the manner women have been suffering all through their lives serving the men, the families and the society, are responsible as to how the humans present themselves in front of others, how men treat women and, in short, how the formation of self occurs. The above studies, hence, combine both the theories of Interactionist Theory of Self Formation as well as the Feminist Theory of Gender towards an understanding of the power of social structures. References Annandale, E., & Clark, J. (1996). What is gender? Feminist theory and the sociology of human reproduction. Sociology of Health & Illness, 18(1), pp.17-44. Retrieved on April 9, 2012 from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9566.ep10934409/pdf Du Bois, W. E. B. (2007). Votes for Women. Classical Sociology Theory. Edited by M. S. Kimmel. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 379. Gage, M. J. (2007). Selection from Women, Church, and State. Classical Sociology Theory. Edited by M.S. Kimmel. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 201-206. Gilman. C. P. (1971). As to Humanness. The Man Made World. Our indocentric culture. New York: Johnson Reprint Cooperation, pp. 9-25. Gilman, C. P. (2007). Women and Economics. Classical Sociology Theory. Edited by M.S. Kimmel. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 380-388. Parsons, E.C. (2007). Women in Public Life. Classical Sociology Theory. Edited by M.S. Kimmel. New York: Oxford University Press, pp.400-405. Symbolic Interactionism – Self-concept Formation. (2012). Retrieved on April 9, 2012 from: http://family.jrank.org/pages/1675/Symbolic-Interactionism-Self-Concept-Formation.html Wollstonecraft, M. (2001). The Vindications: The Rights of Men, The Rights of Women. Edited by D.L. Mac Donald & Kathleen Scherf. Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press, pp. 117-125, 149-165. Read More