AdriannaShoemaker

September5,2016
SOCY525
Dr.Brashears

Provocation on Self

The Self as Sentiment and Reflection (Cooley):

Ive been thinking a lot about the looking-glass self, and the three principal elements, and
thinking of scenarios in which I use these in my own life. One that comes central to mind is my
relationship with my Ultimate Frisbee coaches. I play on the Club Ultimate team here at USC,
and last year we changed coaches. However, I wasnt playing with these coaches until this year,
because I was abroad for half of my junior year, and then was injured the second half of the year.
Now, I serve as the President and one of our captains, but also am balancing being coached by
new individuals for the first time. As I play, I often picture what the coaches are seeing. When I
come off the field, I perceive that they think that Ive done badly because I made some
questionable plays, and I suppose I feel that mortified feeling. Whether or not it is justified
depends on the day; they sometimes say that I played well, while other times they give me strict
things to work on. Regardless, in this setting, I see the looking glass self scenario play out over
and over, I imagine how I appear to my teammates, to my best friend who is also a former
captain, to the coaches, and even to people who come and watch the practice.

The Self as Social Structure (Mead)

One thing Im wondering, is can the self change? On 184, Mead writes The individual
possess a self only in relation to the selves of the other members of his social group. So, is my
self different when Im around my family then when Im around my friends at USC? I feel like
there are some aspects of me that remain the same, but some that vary dependent upon who I am
around, and I cant decided whether these are conscious or unconscious changes. Does it matter
whether these are conscious or unconscious changes? Our self is developed through the three
stages of social development. So, I wonder if we are more uncomfortable with our selves in
settings that we did not practice in the imitation and play stages of social development.

Young Childrens Racial and Ethnic Definitions of Self (Ausdale and Feagin)
This sentence really stood out to me: It is better, in their world, to submit to the adults
definitions of racial matters than to attempt to enter an argument. It makes me wonder how
many boundaries and limitations adults put on children, instead of attempting to understand their
thought processes and conclusions. Rita wasnt wrong to say that she was mixed, but her teacher
shut her down because he/she did not understand where she was coming from. In how many
other interactions do we do this to children, and what effects does this cause? Any long term
effects? Adults shut down children imaginations if what they see/hear does not fit what they
understand as race/ethnicity (this socially constructive race/ethnicity).

Becoming a Gendered Body (Martin)

Since I started high school (maybe even middle school), I always wore spandex under dresses to
prevent people from seeing my bottom. However, I never thought about the physicality impact of
it, even from a young age. The fact that girls may not be able to run around the playground or
play sports with their friends simply because of what they were wearing, and that may affect
whether or not they enjoy sports or become active outside.
AdriannaShoemaker
September5,2016
SOCY525
Dr.Brashears

The controlling voice section is interesting to me with the election that is ever so
prevalent. Bernie Sanders was known for yelling on stage, but it was thought of in an endearing
way by many. However, I can only imagine that if Hilary Clinton had yelled like that, she would
have received a remarkable amount of criticism. She receives enough criticism for being bossy
and cold, and these are adjectives that many men do not have to deal with. It seems as though
this gendered inequality starts from a very young age, but I hadnt made that connection before
in such a direct way.