Advanced Introduction to the Sociology of the Self

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world?s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.

Shanyang Zhao provides a unique examination of this evolving topic with a framework to address the common questions: What is self? How is self formed? and Why does self matter? Drawing a fascinating distinction between self and self-concept, Zhao regards both as part of a larger constellation named the ?self-phenomenon.? He separates social determinants of self from neurocognitive prerequisites of self. Focusing on the social determinants, he reviews how social schemas shape self-concept through three intertwined mechanisms and how social resources affect self-conscious action through social position and social capital.

Key Features:

• A clear distinction between self and self-concept


• A study of the self as both a social product and a social force


• A new framework for the sociology of the self, built on the foundation of classic works


• A close examination of three mechanisms of self-concept formation with

specifications of the scope conditions under which each mechanism operates

• An analysis of the distinctiveness of human normative selves through cross-species comparison


This Advanced Introduction will provide essential reading for scholars and researchers in sociology, social psychology, and social policy.



Shanyang Zhao provides a unique examination of this evolving topic with a framework to address the common questions: What is self? How is self formed? and Why does self matter? Drawing a fascinating distinction between self and self-concept, Zhao regards both as part of a larger constellation named the ?self-phenomenon.? He separates social determinants of self from neurocognitive prerequisites of self. Focusing on the social determinants, he reviews how social schemas shape self-concept through three intertwined mechanisms and how social resources affect self-conscious action through social position and social capital.

?Shanyang Zhao has written a high-level, but very accessible, Advanced Introduction to the Sociology of the Self. The emphasis, rightly, is on the relationship between individual and societal conceptions of the self: The self cannot exist without society and, conversely, society cannot exist without the self. The student is offered a clearly delineated and extremely useful framework for thinking about, and doing additional work on, the self and its relationship to society.?