Few ideas are as taken for granted in modern society as the notion that people have selves. "The Self in Society" provides students with a thought-provoking set of readings to ignite their curiosity about this assumption. Most sociology courses aim to examine the relationship between the individual and society, but give scant attention to the individual side of the equation. Beginning with the established classic statements on the self, the readings trace the social origins of the idea that people have unique destinies they must understand and fulfill. They consider how to approach the self as a topic of study. They investigate how culture and individual experiences shape the personal self. The readings relate to sociological subfields such as race and ethnicity, sex and gender, religion, and inequality. They examine the possibility of selfhood among animals, and introduce recent research from neuroscience. Discussion questions and further readings after each chapter promote additional study. Whether used alone or as a supplement to a traditional text, "The Self in Society" can be a key to enhancing the sociological imagination.
Selections in "The Self in Society" are organized in three topical chapters, each prefaced with an introduction by the editor:
- Classic Perspectives on the Self
- Who am I? Self and Identity as a Problem
- New Directions in the Study of the Self
Leslie Irvine teaches sociology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She received her PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Primarily a social psychologist, her research interests include the self, the emotions, human-animal interaction, relationships, and gender. She is the author of Codependent Forevermore: The Invention of Self in a Twelve Step Group (1999; University of Chicago Press), If You Tame Me: Understanding our Connections with Animals (2004; Temple University Press), and Filling the Ark: Animal Welfare in Disasters (2009; Temple University Press).