ABSTRACT
135In this chapter, we explore the concept of the ‘self’. Many people talk about the ‘self’ by referring to the idea that we are all ‘individuals’. Where does this idea come from? We look at both old and new stories about the self. How does the idea that we are all individuals relate to the sociological idea that we are whatever society makes us? We look at the way many sociologists have explained how the self comes into being using the idea of socialisation, and outline some problems with the traditional model of socialisation. We suggest that by turning this into a question of identity, we can better understand the idea that our ‘self’ has both an inner and an external quality.
