New Sources of Self

New Sources of Self investigates the self and its origins, functions, development, and expression. A central theme in this book is that the psychobiological capacities of individuals are in the process of being replaced in ""modern"" society by the electromagnetic capacities of technology, by the decision-making and control capacities of business systems, and by the physical capacities of modern industrial machinery. Some of the consequences of this replacement are explored. This monograph is comprised of seven chapters and begins by reexamining the assumption, that self and society are intertwined and challenging the necessity of the social order being the primary source of ""human nature."" The next chapter considers the delineation and measurement of the self-system, the cybernetics of self-control, and the sociological and psychological perspectives of self. The argument that the separation of self and society is tragic is also analyzed, together with some contemporary social movements as ventures in the private construction and private use of self; the processes by which self is linked to social structure and whether these processes are operative in the large-scale organizations typically found in a complex industrial society; and some sources and uses of self. This text will be of interest to sociologists, psychiatrists, clinical and social psychologists, and psychiatric social workers.

1. Introduction2. Self-structure and Social Structure A Reexamination The Emergence of Self The Presentation of Self3. Self-system: Delineation and Measurement The Cybernetics of Self-Control The Sociological Perspective The Psychological Perspective An Operational Definition of Self-system Twenty Statements Test Operational Definitions of Social Takes Psyche Takes and Social Takes Long Takes and Short Takes4. Self and Society Separated: The Tragic Version The Tragic Version Alienated Labor The Moral Order The Organization Man Marcuse Sociotechnics The Generation of Self in Modern Society5. Society Without Self: The Rational Version The Rational Version Short Takes and Self-Systems The Looking-Glass Process The Sociology of Knowledge Language and Self Role Models Social Control and Self-Structure Advertising and Motivation in a Short Take Society Differentiation and The Set of Social Identities Processual Discontinuity and Self-structure Rites of Passage Solidarity Disengagement Routines The Dramaturgical Society Summary6. New Sources of Self Computer Technology and Shrinking Middle Class Cadre The Underground Church as a Source of Self The Freak Community as Neo-Gemeinschaft The Zodiac Identities Encounter Groups and Sensitivity Groups The Higher Learning Mass Communication Retirement Communities7. Private Uses of Self Corruption: Theory Social Uses of Psychogenics The Protestant Ethic The Epicurean Ethic Camp Corruption: Practice Style Exploration Activism Instrumental The Rackets An Inventory The Politics of Experience: R. D. LaingReferencesIndex