Book Theme: Rise of the Avatar

Mead suggests that the self emerges through social interaction, particularly when we are able to take on the roles and perspectives of others--that is, to see ourselves through their eyes. Please answer the following questions when you complete the reading.

The United Nations estimates that more than half of the world’s population now lives in cities. More than century ago, Georg Simmel reflected on the effects city living had on the minds of urbanites in “The Metropolis and Mental Life.” As you read the essay, answer the following questions.

Simmel wrote about different social types that individuals become through their interactions with others, including “the poor,” “the renegade,” and “the man in the middle.” Each of these social types reflects elements of the wider social structure, or the networks and contexts in which the individual lives and operates. Simmel’s most famous social type is the stranger. Read Simmel’s writing and then answer the following questions about this issue of distance.

Goffman’s most famous work is also one of the most influential books in all of sociology. As you join Goffman on his journey into the everyday, expect to find yourself recalling some of your own failed efforts to manage impressions. Answer the following questions after completing the reading.

Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble is a seminal text in gender, feminist, and queer theory. Her argument about the performativity of gender--that is, gender is not a fixed identity but rather something that we act out over time--is also a sophisticated critique of feminist politics, which she outlines in the excerpt included here. Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions.

In this reading, Giddens is concerned about the challenges of living in a modern world for our senses of self. As you read, please consider the following questions:

Turkle is concerned with what happens to our senses of self and our relationships when we’re always connected to stimulating communication technologies. After you complete the readings, please respond to the questions below.

Hall examines the meaning and social construction of cultural identity, highlighting how people construct identities through shared history, culture, and power. As you read, consider the following questions.