Provide an overview of your thesis statement for your final paper. Remember: a thesis tells the reader what your paper is about. A strong thesis statement underscores the topic or topics that will be discussed. It also summarizes the main arguments of the paper. The thesis statement is what drives your whole paper. This blog assignment will require you to declare a paper type. Your thesis should revolve around what kind of paper you are writing.
Blog Bost Assignment 6: Final Paper Thesis
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55 responses to “Blog Bost Assignment 6: Final Paper Thesis”
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Type of Essay: Compare and Contrast Essay
Topic: Cooley’s looking glass self and Meads interacting self
My idea for this final paper is to go in depth with Cooley and Meads theories on the self. I really enjoyed reading about these theories earlier on in the semester and wanted to go more in depth on these theories.I wanted to do an argumentative paper but I wasn’t too sure what kind of question to come up with. (Possibly which of the two theories is better?) However ultimately I decided to stick with a compare and contrast essay. I just feel like I would be able to make a more informative essay this way by comparing these two theories.
When you think of the idea of self, what do you think about? Do you think about who you are when you are by yourself? Or do you think about who you are when you are around others? Are they the same “self” or are they different. When it comes to the self, James Cooley’s theory, the looking glass self, is the process whereby individuals base their sense of self on how they believe others view them. George Herbert Mead however believed that our thoughts, self-concept and the wider community we live in are created through communication-symbolic interaction. In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting Cooley and Mead’s theories on the self in society. I will be examining both theories in depth so we better understand them and pointing out some of the similarities of each of these theories but also some of the differences.LikeLike
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Great job! This is a really awesome idea for the final paper. I posted a video lecture on outlining and paper topics a few days ago that can help with the composition and framing of the intro paragraph and thesis statement. Take a look, I think it will help. Please let me know how I can support your project! Great work!
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Type of Essay: Interpretative Essay
Topic: James Empirical Self, the I and the Me
Overview: In my final paper I would like to focus on James’s definition/ interpretation of the “I” and the “Me”, William James empirical self refers to the two aspects of one individual, being the “I” and the “Me”. One aspect to the self was one that has experiences and the other reflects on those experiences. William argues that the “I” has full awareness and free will, it is what initiates our behavior. While the “Me” is the objective self and has three dimensions, material, physical, and social. Furthermore, I will include my own interpretation of James’s beliefs about the I and the Me while also adding my personal thoughts about what exactly the “I” and the “Me” are and how it plays an essential role in the relationship between self and society. In the final paper, I will agree with James’s main points about the concept. However, I will provide additional opinions based on how our individual experiences shape our sense of self.
Intro/Thesis: Of importance to this paper is the relationship between self and society. In this paper I will interpret William James Empirical self and provide my personal interpretation of the “I” and the “Me”. In this note, I will analyze James’s opinions about the “I” and the “Me” and how there are two aspects to one individual. Then I will describe the significance of this concept and show it further shapes the relationship between self and society. Finally, I close by arguing/ interpreting (not sure which one sounds better) that James concept of the Empirical self is the essential foundation to understanding how experiences shape our reality and our sense of self and the influence of society.LikeLike
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This is a fantastic and well designed project. Great work! Please let me know how I can support this project (if needed). In order to make it to 6 pages, you might need to bring in Mead, but you will know for sure when you start writing. Great job!
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Hi, I really like how we both share the same topic in a way but your essay type is different, and its very interesting to see how you will set your essay up. Good luck with your final paper!
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Hi Sky0605,
I enjoyed reading your overview and I can tell it was very well organized and designed in a way that will be beneficial for your paper and the theme that you’re going for. I think it’s a brilliant idea to focus on James’ idea of the self and the way he explains it because to me his theories were always fascinating and something I related to but also disagreed with in a sense. Nonetheless, I think you have a great foundation for the rest of your paper and I can tell that it will be thoughtful, complex, and well-rounded. I wish you good luck on your other finals and I hope you do great on your paper!
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Type of Essay: Compare and Contrast
Topic: James’s empirical self the “I” and the “Me,” Cooley’s “looking glass self,” and Mead’s interacting self.Overview: My final paper will focus on comparing James, Cooley, and Mead’s concepts of self. In this paper, I will define and explain each concept individually and compare Mead/Cooley, Cooley/James, and James/Mead. With this layout, I feel I can have an organized outline, get the ideas through clearly, and go in-depth about how each philosopher relates to the other.
Thesis: Of importance to this paper is the relationship between self and society. In this paper, I analyze the conceptual differences and similarities between William James, Charles Horton Cooley, and George Herbert Mead. In this note, I explicate James’s empirical self the “I” and the “Me,” Cooley’s “looking glass self,” and Mead’s interacting self. Then I describe how the concepts presented by these philosophers are distinct in their own way but do intertwine in certain aspects. Finally, I close by arguing that the concepts presented by James, Cooley, and Mead are essential to understanding how we interpret the self.
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This is wonderful work! I am excited to read this paper. Please let me know if need any support on this project! well done!
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Hi, it seems like we all have the same topic of choice, I really enjoyed reading your thesis. I really enjoyed this topic which is why I chose to go more in depth with it for the final paper. Good luck with it!
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Hello! You chose a very interesting topic. I noticed many people are writing about James’s empirical self the “I” and the “Me,” Cooley’s “looking glass self,” and Mead’s interacting self as you can find lots of resources to aid in your research. Although I am not speaking on this same topic, I am still incorporating the “I” and “Me” concept as well!
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Hi lifeisbeautiful1619,
I am definitely very intrigued! Your essay is definitely very well organized already, and I enjoyed reading about how you plan on elaborating within your essay. I am writing about James, Cooley and Mead as well, but I am doing a think paper. I think that the way you plan on ending your essay will add lots of personality to it, which is great! Awesome job!
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Type of essay: Think paper
Overview: I want to focus on the theories of James, Cooley, and Mead, but I also wanted to take it out of the box a little a do some more thinking about it through a different lens. I plan on relating each of the theories and how they can be seen through social media since I feel like social media is nowadays an extension of ourselves. I especially am interested in looking at this idea through Cooley’s looking-glass self because I think a lot of people on social media fine-tune the way they present themselves specifically with other people in mind. I will also go into the I and the Me, and how that can be correlated to social media being a form of the “me” as James describes the Me as a more physical thing. Finally, Mead’s interacting self can be seen all over social media, as so many people have shaped their personalities based on who they interact with online and what groups they fall into based on their own algorithms.
Thesis: The older and very impactful theories about the self written by James, Cooley, and Mead, can still be seen as prominent in today’s age, especially through social media; each theory can be applied to how we see ourselves as an online status and how differently we view our “self” when it comes to social media.
This idea is a pretty fresh one that I haven’t fully gone through, so I’d like to hear your guys’ thoughts on it! Thanks!LikeLike
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Hello,
I think this is a great topic for your final paper! Not only is this a different take on the paper, but I feel as though you can find great information relating to your thesis. I think your thesis is strong and you will have plenty of supporting elements using James, Mead, and Cooley.
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This is a really creative and awesome paper topic. Let me know if you need help further developing your thesis. Have you watched the thesis video lecture?
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Hello! It looks like we may have similar thoughts about our papers. I see, you want to do your paper on social media in general. I wanted to choose something more specific so I thought about social media influencers. I’m excited to see more about your paper, it looks like your paper is well-thought-out.
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Hi love2dance,
I genuinely liked your idea of having this think paper on how today’s media would react these philosophers ideas. I think that this paper will be a good paper and look forward to finding out more about it. Your paper sounds very organized as well. You did an amazing job!LikeLike
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Essay Type: Compare and Contrast
Topic: The Chicago School of Symbolic Interactionism and the Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactionism and their overall connection to the self-society relationship.
Overview: For my final paper, I chose to speak on the Chicago School of Symbolic Interactionism and the Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactionism because these perspectives play a larger role in the concept of societal standards of the self. Both of these schools of symbolic interactionism stem from the social theoretical frameworks which are associated with George Herbert Mead, Herbert Blumer, and Manford Kuhn. These structures assist in formulating a perspective in regard to how society is seen as the subject in which is the result of shared symbols, gestures, and communications.
Thesis: The Chicago school of Symbolic Interactionism and the Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactionism are differing approaches in which depict the ways in which the self is in relation to society as a whole.
I will begin this paper by explaining the concept of the Self-Society relationship and how that contributes to a wider lens for how individuals are shaped within the social structure. I will then explain similarities between both approaches and how they came about. With this foundational understanding implemented, I will then go into the individual approaches for the Chicago School of Symbolic Interactionism and the Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactionism in order to portray their differences. Starting with The Chicago School of Symbolic Interactionism, I am going to explain how this approach highlights the significance of situational definitions in respect to the actions and responses of people to the overall social scene. On the other hand, going into the Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactionism, I am going to explain how this approach emphasizes the concept of self in ways such as utilizing Mead’s interaction of the “I” and “Me” concept. From there I will be able to explain exactly what the “I” and “Me” is and the greater contribution in which this makes to understanding and acknowledging the self-society relationship.
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hello dominicanstar! i am enjoying the thought process of your paper! I like how you are incorporating the readings with your thesis as well as some important figures! good luck 🙂
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Type of essay: Think Paper
Topic: James, Cooley, Mead and their relationship to how social media Influencers shape the self.
Overview: I want to provide the definitions and insights of Mead, Cooley’s, and Jame’s theories of the self and connect that with social media influencers. They are called influencers for a reason, they influence people on what to buy, what to wear, and how to do their makeup. In a way, social media influencers significantly affect individuals and their sense of self. Often, people try to become like social media influencers because they show off their money, cars, and fancy/expensive merchandise knowing that people look up to them and want to live the lifestyle these influencers have. Also, going into social media influencers, I want to connect them with Cooley’s looking-glass self method. Social media Influencers look at themselves from the “me” point of view, thinking about how their viewers see them or basing their content on what their viewers want.
Thesis: Mead, Cooley’s, and Jame’s theories can be seen in today’s time, especially with social media influencers. Each of the three theories that are mentioned can be applied to the lives of social media influencers and their viewers. Each theory will apply in relation to how we see ourselves and others through a screen and the effects social media influencers have over “the self.”
I would really appreciate all your insights and what you guys think I should keep or change in my paper. I really like this idea for my paper, but I am afraid it sounds confusing. Thank you in advance for your feedback!
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This is a really awesome and unique idea. I am looking forward to reading more. You have a good draft thesis, but keep working on it.
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Hi honeybun,
I also think your thinking paper would be an amazing paper to read. I believe this paper will come out strong because of how many ways you can interpret what social media sees these philosopher’s ideas as etc. I think you have a very good outline. I hope you do great!LikeLike
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Hi, I really like your topic on how social media can influence our looking glass self. I am also going to talk about this in my essay and it is something I think goes under the radar too often. Social media plays a bigger role than most of us think when it comes to our looking glass self.
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Hi Honeybun,
After reading your overview it seems we have similar ideas for our papers, however, I really like how you’re focusing more on the social media aspect of it all. Social media is one of the biggest influences on our lives, especially when it comes to our sense of self and the way we view ourselves in society. I know you have some concerns about your paper sounding confusing but I encourage you to run with it. You have lots of strong ideas and I think this is going to make for a great paper that will be informative, educational, and also fun to read. I wish you the best of luck on your finals and I hope you do great on your paper!
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Paper Type: Interpretive Paper
Topic: Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactionism
Overview: For my paper, I want to discuss the Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactionism and their main ideas and overview of the relationship between self and society. I would like to emphasize their focus on an individual’s self-concepts, such as their thoughts, feelings, and/or characteristics that they attribute to themselves. The Iowa/Indiana School of SI emphasizes that societal structures have a significant effect on the self and human behavior. I personally believe that the ideas presented by the Iowa/Indiana school best explain the self and society relationship. I would like to follow up on these ideas presented by this school and discuss how my own personal relationship with my self and society follows the ideas of the Iowa/Indiana School of SI. Characteristics such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, etc., play a significant role in how individuals interact with society. Whenever I am asked the question, “who am I?”, I am always listing characteristics of myself in my response. For example, I am a Mexican-American woman. Although these characteristics don’t fully demonstrate who I am, they have shaped how I am perceived in society and how others perceive me, ultimately affecting the way I interact with mainstream U.S. society.
I’d like to know what others think. Is it okay to write in first person and discuss my own experiences in this paper? Thanks!
Thesis:
The Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactionism offers a great perspective on the self and society relationship, emphasizing that societal structures have a significant effect on human behavior. This relationship is reflected in my own life, as my gender, race, and ethnicity has greatly determined how I am perceived and how I perceive myself in society.LikeLike
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This is a wonderful idea. Great job. This is an awesome start. I think your thesis needs to be refined, but great start!
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Type Of Essay: Compare and Contrast
Topic: Classic Perspectives on the Self: James, Cooley, MeadAfter reviewing the materials and the video posted with the instructions for the final paper, I decided that a compare-and-contrast essay would be the best fit. Within this essay, I plan to compare the ideas of self as proposed by James, Cooley, and Mead amongst each other. I will also do the same in reference to contrasting the concepts as well. I think this will allow readers to gain a better perspective on what these concepts are while highlighting the main differences and similarities. Before comparing and contrasting, I plan to discuss each view separately to give readers insight into the concepts themselves. After this, I will follow the compare and contrast formatting. I hope this makes sense. I have a clear thought in my head but am having a hard time putting it into words.
Thesis:
Of the importance to this paper is the relationship between self and society. On this note, I will be introducing the concepts of William James, Charles Horton Cooley, and George Herbert Mead. Then I describe the significant similarities and differences between all three concepts using a compare and contrast format. Following this, I will mention the importance of understanding each concept. Finally, I close by arguing that each concept is relatively similar but has its own influences on what determines its definition of the self.LikeLike
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Hi Aramoto, I think you have a strong paper idea. This topic will give you a lot to write about as all perspectives have a lot to dig deep into. I think you have a good thesis because I know exactly what to expect. It is divided into essential components and seems very straightforward. I think it would be interesting to see how you compare and contrast each and realize which one is best if any.
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This is great. However, in your thesis, you should tell the reader what the importance of understanding each concept is. Be clear and overt.
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Hi, we both have very similar ideas to how we want to write our paper. Your outline of what you want to do is clean and easy to understand so you should do great! Best of luck!
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Hi, You and I are both writing about very similar things. Your outline is clear and direct and you seem excited to work on the project. This looks like it will be a strong paper. Best of luck!
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Type of Essay: interpretive essay
Topic: James’s empirical self the “I” and the “Me, symbolic interaction
Overview: My goal is to focus on the meaning of the “I” and the “me” and how it follows us through our lives. The “I” is known as our spontaneous reactions to people and situations while the “me” are known as roles that we play according to the situation we are in. It is what is expected behavior from society. I want to emphasize the idea that we always have the versions of our “I” and our “me” with us but we mainly present the “me” side and hide our “I”. The fact that we notice when someone is acting unusual in public shows that we are used to presenting the “me” side and taking up social roles and behaviors. For example, laughing at a funeral can be seen as a spontaneous reaction because it is not a social norm to do so. I want to explain how both are very important to the sense of self yet we are constructed to show one more than the other. I would like to provide personal experiences to strengthen my ideas and interpret how these two sides do exist.
Intro draft: I will interpret the meaning of James Mead empirical self the “I” and the “me”. I will explain my opinions on the two versions and how they are established throughout our lives. We are constantly presenting our social roles/societal expectations (me) while we often hide our spontaneous self (I). Society has a huge influence on what we give meanings to and how we react to situations, society shapes the self and mead’s “I” and “me” support that idea.LikeLike
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You have wonderful ideas here. Your thesis needs more detail and clarity. When I write interpretive literature I usually develop my thesis towards the end. So I understand why your intro is still a working piece. Have you developed your thesis any further? Send it to me via email if you have.
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Type of Essay : Compare and Contrast/Experimental
Topic : I will be discussing the differences and similarities between Charles Cooley, William James, and George Mead.
These individuals had the most impact on how I look at self and society, I believe it is crucial for others to understand it as well. I will explain and touch on Cooley’s looking-glass self and the steps that are subconsciously being taken into place with our relationship with society. Also, William James’s I versus Me will be touched on and correlated back to Cooley. Finally, I will wrap up by addressing George Mead and his thoughts/perspectives on the different stages of life. As I compare these ideas, I will be conducting an “experiment” by interviewing some different figures in my life and touching on the ideas of James and Cooley. I will then conclude by tieing the experiment’s results and the way we use James, Cooley, and Mead within our society in different settings and environments.
Intro Draft : Of the importance to this paper is the relationship between self and society. In this paper, I will be addressing the similarities and differences between Charles Cooley, William James, and George Mead. In this note, I will be sharing the importance of their ideologies on society as well as how their Philosophies are being affected by different roles in our lives. Then I describe the significant role Cooley, James, and Mead have on society in the present time. Finally, I close by arguing the need to incorporate all three of their perspectives and how we could incorporate it into our everyday lives to become a more confident society.LikeLike
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Type of Essay: Compare and Contrast
Topic: The Chicago School of Symbolic Interactionism and the Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactionism. The connection between both schools and which school provides the best description of the self-society relationship.
Overview: For my paper, I chose to talk about the Chicago School of Symbolic Interactiosim and the Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactiosim. The reason I chose this topic to do my final paper on is that I personally found it interesting how similar and different both schools’ definitions are to themselves. I also want to dive deeper into both schools and truly find out which school provides the better description.
Thesis: The Chicago School of Symbolic Interactionism and the Iowa/Indiana School of Symbolic Interactionism have many similarities and differences, in the end, which school provides the best description and meaning of “self” in connection to society?
-My plan for the paper is to first focus just on the schools individually. This will allow me to explain each side as they are described in the article. I will then talk about the connections between the two schools which will lead to the differences. I plan to finish by gathering the information I found to answer my question of which school provides the better description. I would appreciate some tips and feedback as it was hard to find a topic for this article.LikeLike
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This is a great overview and draft. Be sure to focus on your thesis and make it as clear as possible.
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Paper type: Think Paper
Overview: I will be analyzing and interpreting the transparent glass self, interacting self and empirical self concepts in relation to famous individuals on reality television shows and social media. I plan on elaborating on all three concepts while identifying how they are being applied by individuals to maintain their popularity among society. Through my think paper, I will include my personal opinion and speak about current popular individuals such as famous singers, actors and influencers. I plan on speaking about famous individuals who are very popular among television shows, contemporary music and social media because they tend to do things for attention that non-famous individuals do not do.
Thesis: Mead, Cooley and James emphasize the important factors that must be considered when defining the self through their theories. Each of their theories shape society through socialization, thoughts and actions. In contemporary societal norms and values, Mead’s, Cooley’s and James’ conclusions can easily be identified, especially with famous individuals. Their findings can explain identify why famous individuals act, think, speak and dress the way that they do.
I am unsure on whether or not I should speak about an individual celebrity or if to speak about many. I would definitely appreciate some feedback about what sounds more interesting or more specific! Thank you!
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Hi Spring!,
I think you have a very interesting topic for your paper. I think that it would be best to focus not so much on individual people, but more on fame itself and how fame affects the view of the self for both the celebrity and the viewer. I like your idea of staying relevant, and I think that could be brought in with both the insecurity of someone famous since they need viewers to stay famous and the effects on the self for viewers as a result of whatever method the famous person employs. Either way I would say definitely go into the view of the self for both.LikeLike
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This sounds like a really interesting paper. I am little unsure about what you mean when you outline the “transparent glass self”? Are you talking about Cooley and the looking glass self? With think papers I usually write the paper first and then construct my thesis. So I see how/why your thesis is a little underdeveloped here. Keep working on it. Do you have a new draft? send it to me. I think connecting these concepts and theories to famous individuals is a great idea, but it is hard to give feedback without reading the examples you have in mind. You can write about individual celebs or fame as a whole, just pick one and go with it.
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Paper Type: Think Paper
Overview: I would like to analyze James empirical self, Cooley’s looking glass self, and Mead’s interactive self as they each relate to social constructs that affect the way that we view ourselves. A social construct is an idea that has been created and accepted by society. Social constructs affect our overall status in society and determine where we fall in the hierarchical system in America. The way that we are perceived in society does affect the way that we see ourselves, and I will use each theory of self to better understand why that is. The social constructs that I will focus on are race, gender, intelligence, beauty, and “coolness” in relation to each theory. I argue that these theories of the self must be looked at in order to understand the drastic affects that social constructs have on the view of the self. We are social beings, and each theory proposes a different and important idea as to just how social we are. Clearly, Mead believes that we are wholly social in our view of the self, but James and Cooley’s senses of the “I” and the “Me” are also important to consider.
Thesis: Of importance to this paper is the relationship between self and society. In this note, I analyze the relationship between William James’ empirical self, Charles Horton Cooley’s looking glass self, and George Herbert Mead’s interactive self as they relate to social constructs created by society. Then I describe the significant effects of social constructs on the way that we see ourselves. Finally, I close by arguing that these theories of the self are imperative to understanding why.LikeLike
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This is a wonderful overview and draft of your thesis. Great job! Keep working hard!
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Type of essay: Compare and Contrast
Topic: James empirical self the “I” and the “me”, Cooley’s “looking glass self” and Mead’s “interacting self”Overview: My final paper will focus on comparing the similarities and differences between James, Cooley, and Mead. I will not only compare them and contrast them but first I will introduce who these people are and what they came across while observing and researching what they believe in. This outline will definitely have a good outcome!
Thesis: Of importance to this paper is the relationship between self and society. In this paper, I will be comparing and contrasting the ideas of self between William James, Charles Cooley, and George Mead. In this note, I speak of each of these men’s ideologies individually and then come together to compare their similarities between them, as well as differences.
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Type of essay: Compare and Contrast
Topic: James empirical self the “I” and the “me”, Cooley’s “looking glass self” and Mead’s “interacting self”
Overview: My final paper will focus on comparing the similarities and differences between James, Cooley, and Mead. I will not only compare them and contrast them but first I will introduce who these people are and what they came across while observing and researching what they believe in. This will of course create a much more comfortable understanding of who these men dictate as when they’re describing their ideas. Then having the similarities and differences will be the cherry on top due to it showing the understanding of what was gathered and understood from these men and what their common places would be. The differences will also show what they thought during their time as well. I will also interpret their ideas on what I write about what their ideas are. This outline will have a good outcome and I’m so excited for it. I believe this is going to be a very good assignment.
Thesis: Of importance to this paper is the relationship between self and society. In this paper, I will be comparing and contrasting the ideas of self between William James, Charles Cooley, and George Mead. In this note, I speak of each of these men’s ideologies individually and then come together to compare their similarities between them, as well as differences. Then my understanding of this will come in to show the interpretation but the facts about this.LikeLike
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This is a great overview and draft of your thesis. The only thing I would say is don’t leave any mystery in the thesis. Tell me what your interpretation is.
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Type of Essay: Compare and Contrast
Topic: James’s empirical self the “I” and the “Me,” Cooley’s “looking glass self,” and Mead’s interacting self.I want to look back at the three theories of James, Cooley, and Mead. This subject was very interesting to me because of how similar these three constructs intertwine, and yet how they are so incredibly different. I felt as though the compare and contrast method would be the best considering the fact that these constructs are very close to each other and I would be able to take an in-depth look at all three of them.
When you think about how well you know your “self”, what comes to mind? What specifically runs through your head when you hear the word “self”? Do you think about what type of person you are, or what type of person other people think of you? Well, today I am going to look at three different constructs as to what your “self” is. We will be looking at William James’ empirical self, James Cooley’s looking-glass self, and George Mead’s interacting self and how each of them are both similar and different from the other.
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The looking glass self describes the way individuals base their self-based on how they think other people see them. The concept of the looking glass self was proposed by sociologist Charles Horton Cooley, what it highlights is the crucial role that social interaction plays in shaping individuals self-perception and identity. This paper will investigate what the looking glass self is and everything that plays a factor into how we perceive our self to be. We are going to look at how we form what we think our looking glass self is, why how we perceive our looking glass self is so important, and the impact social media has on our looking glass self.
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Type of Essay: Compare and Contrast / Interpretive
Topic: James’s empirical self the “I” and the “Me,” Cooley’s “looking glass self,” and Mead’s “interacting self” as well as my own interpretation of all three.
Overview: My final paper will revolve around the concept that James, Cooley, and Mead all created around the topic of self and the way it affects us as individuals but also within society as a whole. I’d like to provide insight into each of their theories as well as how they all differ from one another despite certain similarities here and there. In addition to that, I’ll also be providing some of my own interpretations surrounding the idea of how we view ourselves and others in the world as it may relate to or differ from the teachings of James, Cooley, and Mead. All of their theories and the way they each interpreted and formulated their thoughts around the idea of self were always fascinating to me as we continue to learn about it in class and so I wanted to bring in a lot of elements in my essay that I think will be informative, educational, interpretive, but also fun and interesting for my audience to think about. Each of these men and their theories is so unique and really allow us to delve deep into what we believe is the self for ourselves and also others, and I want to focus on that and how we can interpret it through comparison and contrast in addition to some of my own interpretation.
Intro/Thesis: Finding our sense of self in the world can be hard, but never is it impossible. As people, we live our lives through self-discovery, influence, and experience. It’s because of this that we often learn the most about ourselves and how we interact with each other on a social level, as a community of people all just trying to find themselves. This is where William James, Charles Cooley, and George Mead come into play. These philosophers set the foundation of what the self in society means, each relating in some aspects but completely different in others. James broke new grounds with his explanations of the nature and purpose of the self, while Cooley made some corrections and advances to those ideas building off of the way we as individuals see ourselves and the world around us. Mead on the other hand fundamentally changed the strategy entirely by rethinking the causes, natures, and effects of the self. With that being said, of importance to this paper is the relationship between self and society. In this note, I analyze the relationship between William James’ empirical self, Charles Cooley’s looking-glass self, and George Mead’s interactive self as they relate but also differ to social norms and how we view ourselves within them. There will be a discussion of comparison and contrast between all three theories as well as some of my own interpretations. Then, I will describe how these theories can be interpreted differently as they pertain to us as individuals but also as a whole. Lastly, I close by arguing that each of these theories of the self are important to understanding how we interpret the self as it pertains to us as individuals but also as a society in the grand scheme of things.
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Hi BugzBunny,
I enjoyed reading your thesis. I also chose to write a compare and contrast essay on James, Mead, and Cooley. I found it helpful as a reader to see how you describe in depth their theories because it sets up your essay neatly to then talk about them in separate paragraphs.LikeLike
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Overview:
For my final paper, I would like to do a compare and contrast essay on William James, Charles Horton Cooley, and George Herbert Mead. In my essay, I will first talk about William James and his interpretation of the “I” and “me” because it differs from Cooley and Mead. After talking about the individual, I will then introduce Cooley and his idea on how self-concept is not built in solitude, but instead within social settings. Since Cooley and Mead share similar ideas, I will explain Mead’s idea that a person’s personality consisting of self-awareness and self-image is a product of their social experiences. Lastly, I will highlight the differences between the three and also any similarities.
Thesis:
William James, Charles Horton Cooley, and George Herbert Mead were influential American sociologists and philosophers that developed different ideas about the self and society. James is well known for his pragmatic and functionalist perspective which highlighted individualism and believed that conscious experience was essential for understanding behavior. He called this the “I” and “Me”. Furthermore, Cooley emphasized the importance of social interaction and an individual’s self-concept through social interactions. Mead, similar to Cooley, also believed that a person’s self is obtained through interactions with others, but he emphasized the importance of meaning, language, and thought in shaping human behavior. Even though their ideas differ in some way, they all contribute to the development of sociological thought in society and have shown to be important.LikeLike
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Hi Alj, I really liked your idea for your final paper, I really think your thesis so far its good, and really liked your overview of how you’re planning out your paper. Makes it really exciting to see how you’re comparing all these three philosophers.
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I am also doing a compare and contrast essay on this topic. I think your thesis does a great job of breaking down and deciphering the main characteristics between all three theorists. I think the topic of the self developing is so broad and so open to interpretation as well. I’m excited to see how you tells us about social interactions, socialization, and many other things!
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Type of Essay: Compare and contrast
Overview: I will be writing about the three philosophers that I had made me wonder more about myself and how there are different theories on how people look at it. I will be doing more research on the theories of William James the “I” and “Me”, Charles Horton Colleys “Looking-Glass self”, and George Herber Meads’s interacting self. These three men have made me look at these theories of the “I”, “Me” and myself in different positive ways that I think connect very well in today’s society. James, Cooley, and Mead all show different perspective on what the self means. For example, James believes that theres two different objectives for the “I” and the “Me”. Cooley talks about how when he means looking glass self is just us mirroring ourselves with a society which I believe is the most common one in society nowadays. Lastly, Mead discusses how the self is constantly growing and how it’s always impacted and changed depending on the group and place that we’re at.
Thesis: When thinking of yourself or who your “self” might be, it’s never too deep or very much thought about. Three philosophers have come up with different ideas of how we can all describe ourselves and how we might all have different ideas about the “self. James, Cooley, and Mead all have different thoughts on how our “self” is always evolving or how it stays the same or even how we mirror ourselves depending on how others view us.
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Your essay’s overview and thesis statement provides a clear understanding of what the essay will be about, which is a comparison and contrast of three philosophers’ theories on the concept of the self. You have also provided a brief summary of each philosopher’s perspective on the topic, which is a good start to your essay. However, to make your essay stronger, it may be helpful to include specific examples and evidence from the philosophers’ works to support your comparison and contrast. This will help to demonstrate a deeper understanding of their ideas and show how they relate to contemporary society.
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Type of Essay: Interpretive essay
Overview:
“Empirical Self, the I and the Me” is a seminal work by William James, one of the most influential American philosophers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In this essay, James explores the nature of the self, distinguishing between the “I,” which is the subject of experience, and the “Me,” which is the object of experience. He also discusses the “empirical self,” which is the sum total of a person’s experiences and memories. James argues that our sense of self is constantly changing and evolving and that it is influenced by a variety of factors, including our physical environment, our social interactions, and our own subjective interpretations of those experiences.Thesis:
William James’ “Empirical Self, the I and the Me” provides a thought-provoking analysis of the nature of the self, emphasizing the importance of both subjective experience and social context in shaping our sense of identity. James’ exploration of the “I” and the “Me” highlights the distinction between the subject and object of experience, while his discussion of the “empirical self” underscores the dynamic and constantly evolving nature of our sense of self. Ultimately, James’ essay challenges us to consider how our own experiences, interactions, and interpretations shape our understanding of who we are.LikeLike
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The type of essay I chose to do was a compare and contrast essay on Cooley’s looking glass self and Mead’s interacting self which I see others have done too.
I plan to uncover the differences and similarities between the two perspectives. The looking glass self has always been one of my favorite subjects in sociology so I would love to compare it to Mead’s theory. They were both super influential and paved the way for future generations to understand how we develop ourselves in society. I think everyone has their own idea of their “self” and it would be interesting to dive a bit deeper in terms of researching how we construct our self. The two theories seem super similar, but also different so I’m a little scared about getting six pages, but I think we can do it!
Here’s what I have so far:“While Cooley and Mead shared some similarities in their views, they also had some differences in their emphasis and main focuses. Cooley’s looking glass self is developed from observing how individuals are perceived by others, and Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism describes how the self develops through interactions with other people, which is a product of social experience. It can be determined that while both theories emphasize the importance of social interaction in shaping individual behavior, Cooley’s theory places greater emphasis on the role of feedback and interpretation of social cues, while Mead’s theory highlights the importance of symbols and language in the formation of the self”.
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The paper type that I plan to focus on is Compare and contrast. I will talk about the Chicago school of Symbolic interactionism and Iowa/Indiana school of Symbolic interactionism. My plan is to talk about the Symbolic interactionism first and explain what it is aside from the topics of Chicago and Indiana/Iowa. I will then explain the separate theories individually and explain how they are each different. I will then compare them to one another and explain how they are different and how they are similar. I will then explore which I think is the best theory explaining the behavior of people according to their environment and the response to it.
Thesis: Of importance to this paper is the relationship between self and society. In this paper I will analyze the two different theories, seeing their similar aspects as well as analyzing what is different and what differentiates them from one another. I will begin by describing the theories individually, starting with the Chicago School symbolic interactionism, which is mainly attributed to Mead and Blumer, a Mead follower. The Iowa and Indiana school of symbolic interactionism is associated with Manford Kuhn, a sociologist from the University of Iowa. Then I describe the significance of these theories to determine which one provides a better structure. Finally, I close by disclosing which one might work better and what strong points each had to offer.LikeLike
Self and Society 
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