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Socialization describes the process[br]by which people learn the attitudes,

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values, and behaviors that are appropriate[br]and expected by their culture and community.

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and it typically occurs [br]through the observation of

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and interaction with the [br]people we are surrounded by.

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And this can include those [br]who are close to us,

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like our family, friends, and teachers,

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but it can also include everyone else[br]that we come across in our daily lives:

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our doctors, nurses, celebrities [br]that we see on TV and in the movies,

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even the people standing in line [br]next to us at the supermarket.

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They all have something to teach us about[br]how we should act within our community.

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But socialization also shapes[br]our self-image, or how we view ourselves,

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and sociologist Charles Cooley[br]used the term "looking glass self"

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in order to describe this process.

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And he theorized that our view of ourselves

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comes not only from our direct [br]contemplation of our personal qualities

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but also from our perceptions about[br]how we are being perceived by others.

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And Cooley thought that this [br]happened through three steps.

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First, we imagine how we must appear

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to others (to our families or friends,[br]or just people on the street).

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Second, we imagine how they must evaluate[br]us based on their observations of us.

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So do we come across as intelligent?[br]or funny? or shy? or maybe just awkward?

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And third, we develop[br]feelings about ourselves

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based on our impressions of their [br]evaluations and their observations.

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And one critical aspect of this theory that [br]want to point out is that Cooley believed

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that we are not actually being [br]influenced by the opinions of others,

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but instead, we are being influenced

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by what we imagine the opinions[br]of other people to be.

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So according to this theory,[br]we might develop our self-identities

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based on both correct and incorrect [br]perceptions of how others see us.

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So let's say that we have this teacher[br]and they're grading a paper very harshly,

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they're grading it very critically,[br]and they're doing this because they think

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that the student who wrote this paper[br]actually has a lot of potential,

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so they're grading that student's paper[br]harshly in order to help them reach it.

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So let's say our student [br]gets their paper back

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and notices that it's full of red ink [br]marks and corrections from the teacher.

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How might that student interpret this?

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And how might that[br]influence their self-image?

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First, they might observe that the teacher[br]criticized them harshly on this paper.

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Second, they think that the teacher

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probably did so because they see [br]the student as not being very intelligent.

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And then finally, our student[br]comes to the conclusion

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that based on this, they're probably [br]not very good at literary analysis.

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So here, the student is acting [br]on an incorrect perception

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of what they think the teacher believes.

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And because our attitudes can [br]often influence our behaviors,

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this might result in the student[br]putting less effort into the class

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instead of more effort,[br]like the teacher originally wanted.

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But this doesn't have to [br]be the end of our story

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because it can also be influenced[br]by future interactions.

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So let's say that the student[br]talks to the teacher after class

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about why they graded so harshly.

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At that point, the teacher might explain

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that they think that the student[br]is on the right track

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but that they need to put in[br]a little bit more effort.

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So because of this additional interaction,

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the student was able [br]to revise [their] perceptions

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and this could lead the student[br]to developing a different self-perspective.