An academically enriching lecture programme was organized by the Department of Sociology, Jagannath Barooah University, on 2nd April, 2026 centered on the theme “Self-Identity and Me: A Sociological Exploration.”. Dr. Anannya Gogoi, Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology, Dibrugarh University was invited to deliver the lecture.
The programme was attended by the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jyoti Prasad Saikia, other distinguished members of the university, including the Registrar, Dr. Utpal Jyoti Mahanta; the Academic Registrar, Dr. Surajit Sharma; the Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities, Dr. Minakshi Phookan Hazarika; and the Dean of Student Affairs and Mentor of the Department, Mr. Subhasish Sharma. Other faculty members present included Dr. Mousumi Gogoi, Dr. Raghupratim Rakshit, Ashima Ahmed Saikia, Kabyashree Barua, Anwesha Dutta, and Namrata Borah.
Undergraduate and Postgraduate students of the Department actively attended the programme.
The session was moderated by Mr. Madhujya Handique, Assistant Professor of the Department.
At the outset, all dignitaries were ceremonially felicitated with the traditional Fulam Gamucha, and it was carried out by faculty members of the Department Miss Anannya Buragohain, Miss Porismita Bhattacharya, and Miss Sujata Baruah.
The session commenced at 12:00 PM and was formally inaugurated by the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jyoti Prasad Saikia, who, in his welcome address, emphasized the relevance of reflexive selfhood in contemporary society.
Miss Pratyasi Barua, Assistant Professor of the Department introduced the esteemed speaker through a reflective account of her academic contributions and institutional engagements, situating her work within broader sociological scholarship.
In her lecture, Dr. Gogoi engaged deeply with the sociological theorization of the self, particularly through the lens of George Herbert Mead’s conceptual distinction between the ‘I’ and the ‘Me.’ The ‘I’ was articulated as the spontaneous, agentic, and creative aspect of the self, while the ‘Me’ was conceptualized as the socially conditioned dimension, internalizing norms, values, and expectations through processes of socialization. This dialectical interplay underscored the idea that the self is not pre-given but emerges through continuous interaction and reflexivity within the social world.
The lecture further incorporated psychoanalytic and developmental perspectives to deepen this understanding. Drawing on Sigmund Freud, the speaker examined the structural tensions between the Id, Ego, and Superego as indicative of the negotiation between instinctual drives and societal regulation. Additionally, insights from Erik Erikson were invoked to situate identity formation within a life-course framework, emphasizing the staged and processual nature of psychosocial development and the ongoing quest for identity coherence.
Through these theoretical engagements, the lecture illuminated how identity is fluid, contingent, and continuously negotiated within specific cultural, institutional, and interactional contexts.
Complementing this analytical perspective, the Registrar also shared experiential reflections, thereby bridging abstract theory with lived institutional realities.
The session was further enriched by an interactive segment, where students actively engaged with the speaker through questions and reflections. This dialogic exchange created a participatory academic space, enabling the co-construction of knowledge and fostering deeper reflexive engagement with the theme.
The programme concluded with a formal vote of thanks delivered by Mr. Sanju Kakoti, Hod of the Department, marking the end of an intellectually stimulating and reflexive academic engagement.