ABSTRACT
This chapter defines the self and describes how it develops. It explains how people's identities guide their plans and behavior. The chapter addresses four questions: How is self-esteem assessed? What are the major sources of self-esteem? How is self-esteem related to behavior? and What techniques do people employ to protect their self-esteem? Role taking is crucial to the genesis of self because through it the child learns to respond reflexively. The chapter addresses two key theoretical ideas. The ideas are that the formation of the self-schema involves the adoption of role and social identities, and a person's self-concept is shaped by the reactions that they receive from significant others during social interaction. The self-concepts most likely to enter the situated self are those distinctive to the setting and relevant to the ongoing activities. The chapter also explains how the self influence the planning and regulation of social behavior.
