Structure and process of the self schema: an analysis of narrative constructions of self in cognitive sociology

Abstract

By embarking on an investigation of the elf within a cognitive sociological framework, this thesis emphasizes the interdependent relationship between self and society, and explores the structure and process of the self as a schema. Self schemas are structured as a result of the social structure we use to make sense of the social world around us which are internalized through cognitive socialization. This thesis u e gender as a primary illustration of these structures by comparing men's and women's narrative constructions of self in terms of cognitive and emotion language. Processes of the self schema can be characterised by the continuous internal conversation we have between different parts of ourselves, the "I" and the "me," which are also made available for inquiry through narrative. Therefore, language serves as the conduit through which individuals negotiate the ongoing tension between structural boundaries and dynamic processes of their self schemas.