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To cite this article: R. Frank Falk & Nancy B. Miller (1998) The reflexive self: A sociological
perspective , Roeper Review, 20:3, 150-153, DOI: 10.1080/02783199809553881
Download by: [Florida Atlantic University] Date: 06 June 2016, At: 12:14
The Reflexive Self: A Sociological Perspective
R. Frank Falk self: that its basic nature is reflexive and they receive, process, and assimilate
Nancy B. Miller that it is defined in interaction with oth- information more quickly, and because
ers. To say that the self is reflexive is to they are more interactive with their envi-
say that the self is both subject (I) and ronment (Morelock, 1996), it follows that
object (me), the knower and the known, the developmental sequence will occur
The ability to reflect and consider who one is or put more simply, talking to oneself more rapidly for them than for their aver-
in relation to others is described as the reflex- involves being both the speaker and the
ive self. From a sociological perspective, the
age ability age peers.
reflexive self develops in the interaction with listener in an internal dialogue. For
others through a process that includes a per- example, in response to a mother's
son's self-efficacy, self-image, self-concept, query, the child who asks herself, "Why The Developing Self
and self-esteem. Operating to control incom- did I hurt my brother?" is engaging in
patible views, self-deception and self-discrep-
ancy play an important role in maintaining a self-reflection on her own motives. Two biologically-based processes,
consistent and valid self-conception. The The second major idea, that the self perception and recognition of oneself
experiences of gifted children and adoles- is defined through interaction with oth- occurring in the first few years of life,
cents are used to illustrate how the responses
of others affect a person's reflexive self. ers, implies that it is by observing the provide the basis upon which the reflex-
responses of others that a person comes ive self develops (Povinelli & Cant,
to know and judge who she is. Follow- 1995). Self-perception refers to the abil-
Downloaded by [Florida Atlantic University] at 12:15 06 June 2016
ing the example above, the parental rep- ity to transfer perceptual experiences
R. Frank Falk is a professor of sociology at rimand, "Good girls don't hit!" provides (taste, touch, etc.) into memory and
the University of Akron, specializing in social associate sight and sound with its
psychology and research methodology,
a definition of good girls for the child
Department of Sociology. Nancy B. Miller is and, at the same time, implies an evalua- source. Through self-perception, young
an adjunct associate professor in the Depart- tion of her actions. In this way, the child children learn object permanence and
ment of Sociology, also at the University of comes to see herself from the perspec- come to understand the relationship
Akron, where she teaches in the areas of between themselves and other persons
family processes and social psychology.
tive of her mother; and based on that
attitude, she learns to appraise her own and objects. Self-recognition is the abil-
behavior. ity to recognize one's own image in the
In this article, we propose a series of mirror and to begin to use words and
stages in the development of the reflex- gestures in a meaningful way, i.e. as
M uch of the research on the self
in the United States is based ive self. The sequence involves two early other people in their social world do.
on the early work of the pragmatist
philosophers: John Dewey (1922),
biologically-based stages or precondi-
tions—self-perception and self-recogni-
tion—followed by self-efficacy, self-
T hese two processes together,
self-perception and self- recog-
nition, enable children to experience the
William James (1915), and George Her-
bert Mead (1934). While Dewey was image, self-concept, and self-esteem that consequences of their actions as their
most influential in the field of educa- develop in the interaction or conversa- own. What this means is that the child
tion, James inspired psychology and tion with one's self as well as with oth- recognizes that because she dropped the
Mead stimulated sociology. As sociolo- ers (See Figure 1). In describing the glass, it broke, and because she took her
gists, we use the theoretical framework process, special emphasis is placed on brother's toy, he cried. The child knows,
of Mead, known as symbolic interac- Kinch's (1963) model of the self-image. for example, that she fell and bumped
tion, to explain how gifted children The experiences of gifted children her head. No invisible force pushed her
develop a reflexive self. and adolescents are used to illustrate how and no angry table arose to strike her.
the responses of other people affect their Further, self-recognition enables the
Symbolic interactionists focus on
self development. Because gifted chil- child to distinguish herself from other
the symbolic nature of human communi-
dren acquire language earlier, because people. This requires the ability to hold
cation and the development of self as a
a mental image
process involving communication.
in her mind or
Words and gestures, the symbols used to
remember a thing
communicate, are acquired from the
or event in its
society in which a person lives. The self
absence (Olson
is viewed as a continuous process that
& Campbell,
takes place in interaction with others
1993). Holding a
and in self-reflection—the communica-
picture of mother
tion with self about self. Because all
and father in her
interaction requires a language, which is
mind, the child
socially and culturally given, the society
begins to develop
and the individual are inextricably inter-
a catalog of oth-
twined (Mead, 1934). Self- Self- ers. With the
The pragmatists Dewey, James, and Perception Recognition
self-recognizing
Mead shared two major ideas about the capability, she is
Self- Self- Self- Self-
Efficacy Image Concept Esteem able to include
Manuscript submitted February, 1997. herself on the list.
Revision accepted November, 1997. Figure 1. Components of the reflexive self.
discrepancy that occurs between a per- at the World Conference of the World Council for
son's goals and their attainment. Recog- who a person is in relation to others. Gifted and Talented Children. Seattle, WA.
nizing this discrepancy can cause nega- One's self-esteem follows from the Higgins, E. T., Klein, R., & Strauman, T. (1985). Self-
tive emotional reactions at the inability positive or negative feelings she has concept discrepancy theory: A psychological model
to live up to personal goals. When the about herself based on the perceived for distinguishing among different aspects of depres-
judgement of others. sion and anxiety. Social Cognition, 3, 51-76.
discrepancy is too great and the respon- James, W.(1915). Psychology. New York: Holt, Rinehart
sibility assumed too oppressive, depres- As children grow and the complexity & Winston.
sion may ensue. of their interaction increases, the dimen- Johnson, C. (1992). The emergence of the emotional self:
sions of the reflexive self (self-efficacy, A developmental theory. Symbolic Interaction, 15,
The second form of discrepancy 183-202.
results from the difference between the self-image, self-concept, and self-esteem) Kinch, J. W. (1963). A formalized theory of the self-con-
actual self and the ought or moral self, become more difficult to distinguish. cept. American Journal of Sociology, 63, 481-486.
the just and principled person she They are described here as separate enti- Kinch, J., Falk, R. F., & Anderson, D. (1983). A self-
believes she ought to be. The ethical ties, yet they are understandable only in image inventory: Its theoretical background, reliabili-
relation to one another. At some point ty and validity. Symbolic Interaction, 6, 229-242.
dilemma this causes may result in social Lovecky, D. V. (1993). The quest for meaning: Counsel-
anxiety, including social avoidance and they become intertwined, woven into the ing issues with gifted children and adolescents. In L.
the fear of negative evaluations (Hig- fabric of the reflexive self. K. Silverman (Ed.), Counseling the gifted and talent-
gins, Klein, & Strauman, 1985). Influencing the self process in gen- ed (pp. 29-50). Denver, CO: Love Publishing.
eral, and the self-concept in particular, Mead, G. H.(1934). Mind, self and society: From the