Application of the Looking Glass Self

Although many people do not often realize it, we are constantly seeing ourselves through other’s eyes.  This is the main theme for Charles Horton Cooley’s the looking-glass self.  Cooley states that "we imagine our appearance to others, imagine their judgments of us, and then have self-feelings resulting from those judgments."  In Stretesky and Pogrebin’s “Gang-Related Gun Violence and the Self,” the ways in which other’s views influence the actions of gang members is observed.  Gang members feel a need to become a certain type of male in order to be viewed a certain way by fellow gang members.  I experienced a similar need to adopt a particular appearance when obtaining a job at Anytime Fitness.

Even though I am studying exercise physiology and have participated in athletics all of my life, I felt a need to be seen as an athletic fitness guru to the members of Anytime Fitness, in order to boost my confidence while working there and feel as though I “fit in.”  Similarly, gang members felt a need to portray themselves as masculine, stating, “masculinity was constantly invoked in relation to self and identity” (176).  In order to achieve this fitness status, I felt a need to dress in athletic apparel (e.g. Under Armour or Nike) so that those working out at Anytime Fitness would identify me as being knowledgeable in the fitness realm.  Following Cooley’s the looking-glass self, I would imagine how I appeared to others in the fitness gear, imagine their judgments, and then have self-feelings that I was appropriate for the job.  Even though many people state that they do not care what others think about them, viewing other’s judgments of us is part of everyday life.  Its impact can even result in us changing or modifying our behavior in order to appear a particular way.

Racial Segregation In Education

Although many people like to believe racial segregation is a thing of the past, it is still very prevalent in today’s world.  Education systems, including teachers during class instruction, often reinforce racial segregation, even though they may not realize they are doing so.  I experienced such segregation when attending a Catholic school for nine years; this school was mainly composed of white students.  Although most teachers at my school were not outright racist, they did subtly treat the few black students at my school differently.

When explaining a topic in class, teachers were often less patient with black students.  If they did not understand what the teacher was explaining, the teachers would often act annoyed and reluctant to explain it to them again.  On the other hand, if a white student did not understand, they would say “that’s okay, let me explain it a different way” and then try to effectively help the student.  I was never sure whether or not my teachers realized what they were doing, but either way, I do not believe they realized that they were shaping children’s views on race.

As stated by Van Ausdale and Feagin, “adult definitions and reconstructions of children’s activities have a strong influence on children’s lived realities” (39).  If teachers are becoming frustrated with black students or belittling their ability to learn, this can heavily influence white students’ views of blacks.  “Children as young as three invent complex combination as racial meaning for themselves and for others,” and if teachers are depicting black students as less intelligent, students may also begin to believe this racial categorization (38).  This can result in accidental racism in children’s views of whites and blacks.  Thus, teacher’s and other adult’s interactions with others can heavily influence the racial views of those around them.  A teacher must take caution to treat all students fairly and avoid accidental or purposeful racism and unfair treatment, so as to not influence the racial views of his/her students.

Gender Inequality In the Workplace

Inequality can be seen in all aspects of life, including the workplace; Christine L. Williams discusses such inequality in her book Inside Toyland.  In order to conduct research on social inequality, Williams obtained jobs at two toy stores and found clear cut evidence of inequality, including gender inequality.  Some of the happenings she observed are things that I, myself, have experience throughout my various jobs.  The most prominent being gender separation of tasks and her reasoning for this separation.

Throughout high school I worked at a local country club as a hostess in the dining area; I was one of three hostesses, all female.  A hostess in any restaurant setting is typically a female and is often seen as “female work.”  Williams refers to this phenomenon as “gendered” jobs, meaning that “qualities culturally associated” with men and women are built into job descriptions (54).  Women are often associated with “dexterity, passivity, [and] nurturing orientation” (54).  Due to this fact, women are often hostesses because society believes that they can make guests feel more welcome and communicate with them, due to their nurturing demeanor.  Williams also experienced this in her experience at the toy stores; she states that, “only women were regularly assigned to work as cashiers at the Toy Warehouse” (56).  Interaction at stores mainly occurs with cashiers as people are purchasing their items, thus women are seen as “more fit” for this job.

I also experience the appeal of women’s “nurturing behavior” when working at The University of Illinois in the summer camps department.  Parents would often call with complaints, and when a parent was angry enough, my boss (a male) would often ask if I would be willing to speak with them.  This was not because he was avoiding a conflict, but rather because people often respond to females better in an argumentative setting.  Men are portrayed as having the characteristics of “leadership, physical strength, and aggression,” and due to this, they can often be seen as attacking a customer (54).  By having a “nurturing” female speak with an upset customer, the problem may be resolved easier and more calmly.

This desire to have women as the front-stage workers, who work with customers, comes from the societal expectations of all who are involved in the customer service experience.  Thus, “job segregation…reflects the dynamic outcome of conflict between workers’ desires, managers’ interests, and customers’ expectations” (56).  In other words, despite what positions workers may wish to have, customers believe women should be hostesses or cashiers, and thus managers assign them to such positions.