The Looking-Glass Theory

Adolescence is a turbulent time for most people. Perhaps the reason for this is the socialization that adolescents undergo, which is causing them to shift the way that they have always viewed themselves and the world. Additionally, as the individual’s place in the world is changing, so too is their body, and the way that others see them. In respect to Cooley’s theory of the Looking-Glass Self, it is now more difficult for the individual to interpret how others see them, because they are still trying to determine how they see themselves. When thinking of Mead’s theory of the “I” and the “me”, adolescents are not fully capable yet of taking the place of the “other”, and therefore struggle with socialization. Additionally, in this stage, a new agent of socialization, the peers, play a larger role in the socialization of the individual. With all of this going on, adolescence is arguably the stage in life in which individuals undergo the most socialization in the shortest amount of time, as they make the biggest social transition of their lives. The Looking-Glass theory is founded on an …show more content…
It is at this point that peers have the largest influence on an individual’s socialization. The school and the family still play a large role in socializing an adolescent, however, the adolescent most likely holds the peer’s opinion and influence in the highest regard. At this point, it is also possible that the individual experiences workplace socialization for the first time, as the possibility opens up for them to get a job. Another new agent of socialization in an individual’s life is mass media, as this is the time that they will most likely begin using social media, as well as paying attention to major news outlets. With so many new social pressures in their lives, it is no wonder that adolescents have a difficult time trying to maintain social