Mind’s On – Think/Share Questions

1. Mind’s On – Think/Share Questions • How are people influenced by figures in the media? • What determines your daily actions? • If you ‘illegally’ download music/movies/etc., are you stealing?

2. Developmental Theorists and Online Culture

3. Travis Hirschi • Containment Theory is an aspect of social control • Based on the argument that we are inherently selfish and animalistic • Despite that we control these urges due to our internalization of societal values

4. Inner Containment: Based on our self-esteem and moral development • Outer Containment: Social control coming from external forces such as parents, teachers, the law, etc. • Discussion Question: Which ‘containment’ impacts your daily decisions more?

5. A criticism of the Internet is that its anonymity allows us to hide from our Outer Containments

6. WHAT THE? Discussion Question: “I am not what I think I am and I am not what you think I am; I am what I think you think I am”

7. George Herbert Mead’s “I” And “Me” • Theory: The mind is defined through mental processes and we act accordingly based on what we observe • This separates the “true self” and the “social self”

8. The “I” is the True Self • We are aware of ourselves and our social situation • What we don’t know is how we’ll react until after the action has taken place • “I don’t know what I’ll do in the moment”

9. The “Me” is the Social Self • This is understood when we reflect on our situation • This also includes social interaction • In the context of social networking we put ourselves as part of the whole, not our true self • “I know what I wrote, and if I don’t like it later I’ll delete it”

10. Self Assessment • Draw a good old Venn Diagram • On the left side make a list of the ways you see yourself • On the right side make a list of the ways you think others see you • Which ones make it into the middle? Which ones stand alone?

11. Charles Cooley – The Looking Glass Self Theory: Our self-image based on imaging how other see us • We imagine how we appear to others • We envision their judgement of that appearance • Our sense of self develops through this interaction

12. To Cooley, we take our social cues from others’ reaction and then create the person we are • In the context of work, we modify our behaviour – even our career – based on others perception • Usually the result of continually internalized information

13. Mind’s On – Theorist Review • Travis Hirschi – We are animalist by nature and control ourselves by Inner Containments and Outer Containments • George Mead – The “I” (True Self) and “Me” (Social Self). The True Self is how we react to observances/events, the Social Self is how we reflect upon it and how we see ourselves within it • Charles Cooley – The Looking Glass Self: How we envision our appearance to others, how we imagine other see (judge) us, how that alters our sense of self

14. Article And Connections • Looking Glass Self – Reflection Activity • Do the Pre-Questions as a class • Read on own and do the following questions

15. Social Bond Theory – Travis Hirschi • This theory has its roots in Durkheim’s anomie theory • If we have strong connections in society, control is more likely to be present • Weak connections result in deviance

16. Attachment to conventional others, such as parents, teachers, and peers leads us to avoid their disapproval (source of conscience) • Commitment to conformity and social goals • Involvement with positive social activities increases conformity – “idle hands are the devil’s workshop” • Belief in the rightness of conventional rules, and the degree to which they should be followed

17. Textbooks! • Read the case on pg. 197 • Do questions 1,2 • Also answer the following: • How does your answer to #2 connect to the Containment Theory (in regards to someone’s involvement in criminal activity) • Apply each stage of the Social Bond Theory to an event such as this being organized online – How might that compare to it being organized in ‘real’ life?