BICOL UNIVERSITY POLANGUI CAMPUS

POLANGUI, ALBAY

GEC 11 │ UNDERSTANDNG THE SELF

WEEK: __2__

STUDENT’S NAME: __________________________________________

YEAR AND BLOCK: __________________________________________

DATE RECEIVED: __________________________________________

INSTRUCTOR’S NAME: _________MRS. ROSARIO A. GONZALES_____________

 I. OVERVIEW

Module 2, we will examine the different influences, factors and forces that shape the self.
What is the relationship between external reality and the self? In the famous Tarzan story, the little boy named Tarzan was
left in the middle of the forest. Growing up, he never had an interaction with any other human being but apes and other animals.
Tarzan grew up acting like apes and unlike human persons. Tarzan became an animal, in effect. His sole interaction with them
made him just like one of them. Disappointedly, human persons will not develop as human persons without intervention. This story,
which was supposed to be based on real life, challenges the long-standing notion of human persons being special and being a
particular kind of being in the spectrum of living entities. After all, we are special because of the soul infused to us. We are
embodied spirit according to Socrates. We must use this gift our intellect and the capacity to rationalize things but at the end of the
day, our growth and development and consequentially, our selves are truly products of our interaction with external reality.

II. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the week, the student should be able to:

 Examine the different influences, factors and forces that shape the self.
 III. DISCUSSIONS AND
SELF LEARNING
ACTIVITIES (SAA)

What is the self?

The self, in contemporary literature and even common sense, is commonly defined by the following characteristics:

 Separate -Stevens (1996). By separate, it is meant that the self is distinct from other selves. The self is always unique and has its own identity. One cannot be
another person. Even twins are distinct from each other.
 Self-contained- self is also contained with its own thoughts, characteristics and volition.
 Independent - because in itself it exists.
 Consistent - It is consistent because it has a personality that is enduring and therefore can be expected to persist for quite some time. Its consistency
 Unitary – in that it is the center of all experiences and thoughts that run through a certain person.
 Private – Each person sorts out information, feelings and emotions, and thought processes within the self. This whole process is never accessible to anyone but the
self.

Social constructivists argue that the self should not be seen as a static entity that stays constant through and through. Rather, the self has to be seen as something that is
in unceasing flux, in a constant struggle with external reality and is malleable in its dealings with society. The self is always in participation with social life and its identity
subjected to influences here and there. Having these perspectives considered should draw one into concluding that the self is truly multifaceted.

The Self and Culture

Marcel Mauss - every self has two faces: personne and moi.

Personne – has much to do with what it means to live in a particular institution, a particular family, a particular nationality, and how to behave given expectations and
influences from others.
Moi – refers to a person’s sense who he is, his body, and his basic identity, his biological givenness. Moi is basic identity.

Language – a salient part of culture and ultimately, has a tremendous effect in our crafting of the self. This might also be one of the reasons why cultural divide spells out
differences in how one regards oneself. In one research, it was found that North Americans are more likely to attribute being unique to themselves and claim that they are
better than most people in doing what they are doing. Japanese people, on the other hand, have been seen to display a degree of modesty. If one finds himself born and
reared in particular culture, one definitely tries to fit in a particular mold. If one finds himself born and reared in a particular society or culture, the self will have to adjust
according to its exposure.
The Self and the Development of the Social World

Recent studies, however indicate that men and women in their growth and development engage actively in the shaping of the self. The unending terrain of metamorphosis of
the self is mediated by language.

Schwartz, White, and Lutz (1993) – Language as both publicly shared and privately utilized symbol system is the site where the individual and the social make and remake
each other.

Sociological Theories of the Self

Psychic wholeness- the idea that each person is distinct one, bounded and coherent one being.

o Looking Glass Self

Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929) said that people change or develop their respective concept of self as they engage in social interaction.

-His idea contained in his concept of looking glass self- a process by which a person develops his self- image based on how others treat him.

-He suggested that the looking-glass self is life-long mental process that is characterized by three phases.

First phase- how one imagines how he appears to others.

Second phase- one will imagine how others will judge his appearance.

Third phase – the development of emotional reaction based on what one perceives others judgement to be such as pride or shame.

Looking glass self is also responsible for the evaluation of one’s self. Two important dimensions of this evaluation are self-esteem and personal efficacy.

Self-esteem- is the belief that one is good and valuable to others.

Social comparison or comparing – a person can also evaluate himself through comparing his performance, ability, or characteristics with others.

A person cannot compare himself with the rest of the members of society; he can only compare himself with those whom he shares similar characteristics such as in
terms of age, gender, marital status, profession, race or income.

Personal efficacy - based on this principle, a person believes that he can rise above obstacles or challenges and eventually achieves his goal.
Dramaturgical Analysis, the study of social instructions in terms of theatrical performance. If one imagines himself doing what goes on in the theater of everyday life. As
people interact, they behave like actors by following a script that they have learned from their parents, teachers and friends. The script essentially dictates a person how to
behave.

Erving Goffman (1992-1982) – he provided additional dimension to understand the self and socialization. According to him people in their everyday life are very much like
actor performing in a stage.

Mead and Vygotsky

Lev Vygotsky
Theory of Social Behaviorism

George Herbert Mead

IV. SUMMARY/KEY POINTS
 Social experience plays essential role in the development of self.
Looking glass-self theory emphasizes that self-concept is based on how others treat the individual.
People evaluate themselves through social comparison.
Self-esteem and personal efficacy are important aspects of self-evaluation.
As people move from situation to another, they drastically change their self-expression.
The self is the product of social experience, it is not part of the body and does not exist at the time of birth.

V. END OF MODULE
ASSESSMENT (EMA)

Answer the following questions cogently but honestly. Write your answers in the space provided.

1. What are your best positive traits?

2. What are the influences of family in your development as an individual?
3. Is there a time when you felt you were not living your “true self”? Why did you have to live a life like that? What did you do about it?
4. What social pressures help shape yourself? Would you have wanted it otherwise?
5. What aspects of your self do you think may be changed or you would like to change?

VI. LOOKING AHEAD

Let’s have an activity and let us see the different influences, factors and forces that shape the yourself.
My Self Through the Years
Make a video presentation of you when you were in elementary, in high school, and now that you are in college. If pictures are not available draw how you see
yourself at the time. Below the picture, list down your salient characteristics that you remember. Minimum of 3 minutes- Maximum of 7 minutes.
My Elementary Self My High School Self My College Self
Analysis

After having examined your “self” in its different stages, fill out the table below:

Similarities in all stages of my “self” Differences in my “self” across the three stages Possible reasons for the differences in me
of my life

VII. Self and Module

Evaluation
 Rate your learning experience in using this module according to the following scale.

Put a star mark on your response.

____4 – I learned a lot from this module.

____3 – I learned just right.

____2 – I still need guidance on certain topics.

____1 – I did not understand anything.

VIII. References

Books and Websites:

Alata,Caslilb, Serafica & Pawilen (2018). Understanding the Self. Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Bookstore, Inc. (RBSI).
Milagros F. Frando, PhD & Lalaine Arceno-Isip (2019). Understanding the Self. Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.

Jvorpiano (2019) GE Foundation Workplace Skills Program: Module One Understanding the Self. Participant Booklet.
Retrieved from
https://www.coursehero.com/file/42959242/Module-1-Understanding-Self-Participant-Booklet-v4pdf/

Del Rosario, Ronuel, L. (December 12, 2018.) Understanding the Self from Various Philosophical Perspective
Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/shinpaiwa/understanding-the-self-lecture-1-philosophical-perspectives?qid=704304a1-451e-4db8-83fe-25abbcffe289&v=&b=&from_search=1

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