SOC 105 Chapter 18: The Dissolution of the Self – Kenneth Gergen

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 105
• Professor: Carmen Schifellite

Document Summary

The dissolution of the self kenneth gergen. We show different sides of our self, depending on the situation. Sheer diversity and nature of the changing environments the individual encounters in contemporary society make it difficult to sustain an authentic self of personal depth. Gergen believes that as we come to know more about others and how the world works, we change and are changed. Romanticist view of the self one that attributes to each person characteristics of personal depth: passion, soul, creativity, and moral fiber. This is necessary to the development of deeply committed relations, dedicated friendships, and life purposes. Both of these views are no longer used due to the forces of social saturation: furnishes us with the multiplicity of incoherent languages of the self. For everything we know to be true about ourselves, voices within respond with doubt.