Lesson Title 2: The Self from

Various Perspective:
Anthropological View of Self

Source: Theories of Psychology by Feist and Feist

• What is culture?
• How culture affects oneself?
• What do you think is interesting
about your own culture?
• When people from other
countries think about your OBJECTIVE
culture, what do they usually
think of?
• If you could change one thing
about your culture, what would
it be?
• Anthropology holds a holistic view of
human nature. It is concerned with how
cultural and biological processes
interact to shape the self.
• Anthropology considers human
experience as an interplay of “nature
referring to genetic inheritance which ANTHROPOLOGY
sets the individual’s potentials and
“nurture” which refers to sociocultural
environment
• Both biological and cultural factors
have significant influence in the
development of self
It is “an historically transmitted
pattern of meanings
embodied in symbols, a system
of inherited conceptions
expressed in symbolic forms by WHAT IS
means of which men CULTURE?
communicate, perpetuate,
and develop their knowledge
about and their attitudes
toward life” (Geertz 1973).
COLLECTIVIST
Characterized by emphasis on
cohesiveness among individuals and
prioritization of the group over the self.
The Self in
Collectivism views the group as the Different
primary entity, with the individuals lost
along the way. Harmony and the
Cultural
interdependence of group members Context
are stressed and valued.
 INDIVIDUALIST
Characterized by individualism, which
is the prioritization or emphasis, of the
individual over the entire group. The The Self in
individual identifies primarily with self, Different
with the needs of the individual being
satisfied before those of the group.
Cultural
Looking after and taking care of Context
oneself, being self-sufficient,
guarantees the well-being of the
group.
• "I" identity.
• Promotes individual goals,
initiative and achievement.
TRAITS OF
• Individual rights are seen as INDIVIDUALISM
being the most important.
Rules attempt to ensure self-
importance and individualism.
• Independence is valued; there is much
less of a drive to help other citizens or
communities than in collectivism.
• Relying or being dependent on others TRAITS OF
INDIVIDUALISM
is frequently seen as shameful.
• People are encouraged to do things on
their own; to rely on themselves
• People strive for their own successes.
• Each person is encouraged
to be an active player in
society, to do what is best
for society as a whole rather TRAITS OF
than themselves. COLLECTIVISM
• The rights of families,
communities, and the
collective supersede those
of the individual
• Rules promote unity,
brotherhood, and
selflessness.
• Working with others and TRAITS OF
cooperating is the norm; COLLECTIVISM
everyone supports each
other as a community,
family or nation more than
as an individual.
People in individualist
cultures are susceptible
WEAKNESSES OF
to loneliness, and THE TWO
people in collectivist CULTURES

cultures can have a

strong fear of rejection.
• Are Your an Individualist or a
collectivist?
• Do you do whatever you want
to do regardless of how it will HOW WOULD
impact others? Or, do you do YOU
what is best for others, DESCRIBE
regardless of how you feel
YOURSELF?
about it personally?

• Where do you fall on that

spectrum of individualism and
collectivism?
 ASSIMILATION
Is the process of embracing a new culture
and regarding the same as part of the The Social
existing culture. If there is any similar Process of
culture that tends to overlap with the
newly introduced culture, such as old
Culture
culture is being replaced with a new one.
ACCULTURATION
is the social process of
embracing the new culture, The Social
but this new culture does not Process of
necessarily replace the Culture
existing culture.
 AMALGAMATION
as a social process of
culture pertains to The Social
complete blending of Process of
cultures, which leads to Culture
the birth of the new breed
of culture..
 The Self in a Family
What is a relationship?

It is an interaction between two or

more people.

Source: Theories of Psychology by Feist and Feist

 WHO ARE INVOLVED IN A FAMILY
RELATIONSHIP

Parents Grand Aunt

Siblings Uncle Cousins Others
parents
• School
• Household Roles/
Responsibilities Responsibilities
• Family Time of Teenagers
• Employment
• How would you
describe it?
What is your
• How do you think it
role/
came about? responsibility in
• What life experiences your family?
have helped to shape
it?
• Showing appreciation
• Giving affection
• Being committed
Ways to
• Spending time together
Strengthen
• Building traditions
Family
• Utilizing creative problem
Relationships
solving
• Practicing constructive
communication
FREEDOM WANTED
❑ Who you hang out
How is your personal
with attitude and
□ What you do
behavior affecting
your family?
□ When you come

home
RESPONSIBILITY REQUIRED
□ Choose good friends
How is your personal
□ Don’t get into attitude and
trouble behavior affecting
your family?
□ Come home at a
reasonable time
 RESPONSIBILITY, TRUST &
FREEDOM
□ Being responsible builds trust.
□ Trust gains you more
How is your personal
attitude and
freedom. behavior affecting
□ What you do with your your family?
freedom builds more trust.
□ If you are trustworthy, you will

have more responsibilities.

❑ Provides a source of identity
❑ Strengthens family bonds

❑ Offers comfort and security Why are

❑ Opportunity to teach values
traditions
important?
❑ Chance to pass on cultural

heritage
❑ Creates lasting memories
 THE SELF FROM
VARIOUS
PERSPECTIVE:
SOCIOLOGICAL
VIEW OF SELF
Keith Ayrand R. Titular, RPm
 OBJECTIVES

Describe the self as a product of modern

society among other construct
Compare and contrast how the self can be
influenced by different institutions in the society
Apply the learning of this concept in real-life
situation
• How do you
define self?
• What could be
considered as
social institutions?
• What is the
relationship of the
self and culture?
THE FIVE MONKEYS EXPERIMENT
 The Self as a Product of Social Interaction
• The self is not present at birth.
• It develops only with social experience wherein
language, gestures, and objects are used to
communicate meaningfully
• The sociological perspective of the self assumes
that human behaviour is influenced by group life.
• A particular view of oneself is formed through
interactions with other people, groups, or social
institutions.
It is defined by the following
characteristics: (Stevens,
1996).
The Self?
o Separate: distinct from
others;
o Self-contained and
independent:
distinctness allows it to
have its own thoughts,
characteristics, and
volition
▪ Consistent: a particular
self’s traits,
The Self?
characteristics,
tendencies and
potentialities are more or
less the same;
▪ Unitary: the self is the
center of all experiences
and thoughts;
▪ Private: the self is isolated
from the external world.
Society is a group of individuals involved
in persistent social interaction, or a large
social group sharing the same
geographical or social territory, typically
subject to the same political authority
and dominant cultural expectations. It is
also universal, pervasive and has no
defined boundary or assignable limits. It is
the vibrant relationship between the self
and the external reality. This
phenomenon is known as social
constructivism. “Social constructionists
argue for a merged view of ‘the person’
and ‘their social context’ where the
boundaries of one cannot easily be
separated from the boundaries of the
other” (Stevens 1996, p.222).
 The Self and Culture
Two Faces of the Self (Marcel Mauss)

• Moi refers to a person’s sense of who

he/she is, their body, and basic identity.

• Personne is composed of the social

concepts of what it means to be who
he/she is, and has much to do with
what it means to live in a particular
institution, a particular family, a
particular religion, a particular
nationality, and how to behave given
the expectations and influences from
others.
 The Looking Glass Self
Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929)

• The people whom a person

interacts with become a mirror
in which he views himself
• Since these perceptions are
subjective, there might be some
wrong interpretations of how
other people evaluate him/her
• It would be critical if he/she
thinks others judge him/her
unfavorably because he could
develop a negative self-image
The Self and the Development of the Social World
George Herbert Mead – “I” and “Me”

• The “I” is the subjective

element and the active
side of the self
• It represents the
spontaneous and unique
traits of the individual
• The “I” is the response of
the individual to the
“Me”
Part 1: Apply the concept of
“Looking Glass Self” in yourself.

“Looking Glass of Myself”

Part 2:
Journal Entry: Myself and the People Around Me
Direction: Paste at least three pictures of you together
with the person/people who brought significant social
changes in your life. This may include those who help
you build your self-esteem, efficacy, and contributes
experiences for a better development of yourself.
Write a brief explanation.