Genie Does Not Have A Sense Of Self Analysis

What is self? Self is a person’s essential being that distinguishes them from others. To me, self is which is unique to the individual. The social self is produced through the earliest childhood interactions. If you had no interactions with your parents or any individual, you would not have language, social norms, culture, or a perspective about the world around you. Due to this information, I believe Genie did not have a sense of self. We are not born with self; we develop one in interaction with other people. Since Genie never had a lot of interaction with her family or with society she never experienced social experiences and how she makes sense of them. Genie was always left alone in the crib or left tied to the potty chair; she was constantly

Nurture is the process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something. In Genie’s case, without nurture, she was lacking the shaping in her identity and personality. According to sociologist Charles Horton Cooley, other people are the mirror in which we see ourselves. Cooley’s Theory “the looking glass self” has three phases. In the first phase, we imagine how we appear to others, how people feel about our personality. In the second phase, most interaction with others is based on shared cultural symbols. We are able to interpret how people feel about use based on symbols. In the third phase, we develop a self-concept based on our understanding of others reaction to us. The looking-glass self concept helps understand why children like Genie, can’t develop a sense of self, because there is nobody to mirror for them to develop any time of self- awareness. Genie was isolated and never had anyone there with her to teach her social skills. Due to not having an active participation in society, Genie lacked communication and socialization skills. In conclusion, I believe Genie didn’t have a sense of self until she began to receive attention from scientist and