SEEING YOU SEEING ME LESSON
PLAN
Activity created by Dr. Kris Acheson-Clair, CILMAR based on sociologist Charles Horton Cooley's (1902)
concept of the Looking Glass Self.
Overview:
In 1902, sociologist Charles Horton Cooley coined the concept the “Looking Glass Self,” which he
describes as an interactive process where our perceptions of ourselves are determined by how
we believe others see us. We first imagine how we appear to others. Then, others react to us and
we interpret those reactions and adjust our self-image accordingly.
This activity uses the Looking Glass Self to enable participants to reflect on how they view
themselves in relation to how they believe others perceive them. They will first draw two self-
portraits—one that represents how they see themselves and the other that represents how they
believe others see them—and write labels surrounding those portraits to further capture their
perceptions. Then, they will debrief and reflect in small groups and as an entire group.
Objectives:
As a result of this activity, participants will be able to:
1. Compare and contrast how they see themselves and how they perceive others see them.
2. Discuss nuances of their hidden and visible identities and the stereotypes that other
people seem to apply to them.
3. Identify examples of the Looking Glass Self process of self-image development in their
own lives.
Time:
1 hour
Group Size:
Small group
Materials:
The Seeing You Seeing Me PowerPoint (in Downloads), writing utensils, and at least 2 sheets of
paper for each participant.
Intercultural Development Continuum Stages:
•Denial
•Polarization
•Minimization
•Acceptance
AAC&U Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Goals:
Cultural Self-Awareness:
•To articulate insights into own cultural rules and biases (e.g., seeking complexity; aware of
how their experiences have shaped these rules, and how to recognize and respond to
cultural biases, resulting in a shift in self-description).
