The Anthropological Self

Anthropological Self

• Anthropology is the study of humans, derived from "anthropos" (human) and "logos" (study).
• The discipline explores the similarities and differences in human cultures and biology.
• Anthropologists study human populations across all time periods and regions.
• It's a holistic, multi-faceted field aiming to understand human behavior through observation and explanation.
• Anthropology is concerned with both human culture and the physical/social traits that shape it.
• Cultural comparisons are common in anthropological research.
• Different cultures shape the concept of "The Self" uniquely.

Key Terminologies in Understanding the Self

• Dialectic: a relationship where two elements influence each other, causing mutual change.
• Dialogical: the mind's capacity to imagine different viewpoints during internal dialogue, influenced by external dialogue
• Generalized Others: An individual's understanding of how they are viewed by others, based on societal norms and expectations.
• Structure: Influential factors (social class, religion, gender, etc.) that determine an agent's decisions and limitations.
• Reflexibility: An agent's ability to recognize the impact of socialization on their social standing
• Individuals with low reflexibility are easily influenced, while those with high reflexibility drive change.
• Culture: A unique human attribute that distinguishes humans from animals, encompassing all acquired knowledge and experiences.
• As Maciver and Page define it, culture is the realm of styles, values, emotional attachments, and intellectual pursuits.
• Is considered to be the entire "social heritage" passed down within a group.

Disciplines and Specializations

• Anthropology: The study of humans and their ancestors through time, focusing on physical characteristics, environment, social relations, and culture
• Sociology: The study of the development, structure, interaction, and behavior of human groups

Specialization

• Sociocultural
• Linguistic
• Physical
• Archeological
• Simple
• Traditional
• Non Industrial Societies
• Social institutions (economy, education, family, etc.)
• Social stratification (age, gender, race, social class)
• Social change
• Social problems

Man and Culture

• Culture shapes individuals significantly.
• Culture is humanity's cumulative creation and an instrument for achieving goals (B. Malinowski).
• Culture encompasses knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws, customs, and acquired capabilities (Edward B. Tylor).
• As Robert Bierstedt notes, culture comprises the ways we think, act, and possess within society

Key Characteristics of Culture

• It is socially learned, not inherited.
• Behavior is acquired through learning, not instinct.
• Culture is a Social Product
• It doesn't exist in isolation but emerges and evolves through social interactions within a society.
• It is Shared between members, establishing common values, ideas & behavior standards, although not uniformly applied.
• Culture is Transmissible
• Cultural traits are passed down across generations via language rather than genes.
• Culture is Dynamic and Adaptive, undergoing constant changes and growth while maintaining a degree of stability.

Elements and Details of Culture

• Cognitive element: encompasses the vast knowledge about the physical and social world societies possess.
• Beliefs: Accepted ideas or principles, often tied to emotional or spiritual certainty.
• Values: measures of desirability of how good something is
• Norms
• shared rules dictating appropriate (or inappropriate) behavior, which can be prescriptive or proscriptive.
• Signs include signals and symbols representing existence, events, and conditions.
• Non-normative behaviors: are patterns that are not compulsory, often unconscious, and related to normative behaviors and symbols.
• Culture exists distinctly in every society
• Can be highly diverse and unequal.
• Across the globe, some cultural similarities exist like religious practices or pursuing an occupation.

Dynamics of Culture

• The content of material and non-material components of culture are often referred to as "the content of culture".
• Cultural lag indicates the time difference between when an invention is introduced and when it is accepted into a culture.
• Culture can undergo maladjustment due to sudden change in some parts.

Material and Non-Material Culture

• Material cultures comprise human-made objects (tools, buildings, bridges, etc.) that are externally focused; is used to refer to civilization.
• Non-material culture (values, language, beliefs, customs) reflects the internal nature of individuals

Functions of Culture and Cultural Needs

• Culture serves as society's shared knowledge base and influences attitude, values, goals, career paths, behaviors, personality.
• Survival needs lead to culture responses with the cultural repsonse being the response to a basic need
• Metabolism leads to commissariat
• Reproduction lead to kinship
• Bodily comforts lead to shelter
• Safety leads to protection
• Movement leads to activities
• Growth leads to training
• Health leads to hygiene

Identity and Culture

• Identity is a set of characteristics that defines an individual's unique personality throughout life
• Identity involves self-identification by oneself and others (Erikson, 1950)
• It is historically and culturally shaped self-image of a group formed against other groups (Van-M eiil, 2008).
• The anthropological view emphasizes that individual identity mirrors group identity (La Fontaine, 1985).
• But the self is a continued process of experience, not an entity (Morris, 1994).
• An individual's mental representation between self and others is universal (Spiro, 1993).
• But it depends on the person and is influenced by the culture (Shweder & Bourne, 1984).
• Culture takes place between self and his cultural environment (Morris, 1994)
• The word identity refers to selfsameness (ethnic identity) acquired during childhood.

Construal of the Self & Emotions

• Independent construal of self is shaped through internal traits, abilities, values, and preferences (Markus and Kitayama, 1991)
• Interdependent Construal is expressed through understanding the self in the relationships with others (Markus, and Kitayama, 1991)
• Socially disengaged emotions separate self from social relationships, while socially engaged emotions connect self and relationships (Markus and Kitayama, 1991)

Key Concepts of Individual in Anthropology

• Individual is a member of human kind (biologistic)
• Self is the locus of experience (psychologistic)
• Person is agent-in-society (sociologistic)

Understanding of Self Via Important Cultural Concepts

• Universality is something that is common across cultures Cultural diversity means differences in cultural patterns and practical environment
• These concepts can be displayed as factors;
• Environment
• Isolatation
• Technology
• Diffusion
• Themes

Understanding Other Perspectives

• States that cultures differ. So traits should be based on their cultural setting
• Ethnocentrism refers to behaviors of one's own group as the right way, judging others by the standards Xenocentrism refers to be best is if they are foreign
• Subculture is a subgroup that makes them distinct form the society
• A counterculture can show opposition the certain standard of the culture
• Culture shock shows disbelief when encountering certain practices different from his own
• Noble Savage is romantic

Approaches to Analyzing Culture

• Analyzing culture needs values, seeing behavior and shaped by culture
• Functionalist trait exists because it serves important social
• Ecological compares structure of societies that have the same hunting skills
• Ideology seeks to to find out certain values for reasons

Symbolic Culture

• Consists of symbolic actions
• Culture of opulence
• Culture of corruption
• Culture of sabotage
• Cult of poverty etc

Psychological Self

• The Japanese word for "mind" or "spirit“ is also part of kokology and is used as a relational psychology rest.
• A series of questions can stimulate someone's mind.
• The perspectives include;

Perspectives

• Psychodynamic
• Neuroscience
• Behavioral, cognitive
• Humanistic perspectives

Perspectives Explained

• Psychodynamic Perspective: Forces from emotional and motivational states impact mental states.
• Sigmund Freud said it functions from childhood all through life.
• Neuroscience: Studies function of the body
• Behavior: How that looks and the functions of that system etc.
• It is possible to elicit any desire

Major types of Behavioral Learning

• Classic conditioning
• Operant etc. "
• A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.- B. F. Skinner
• Cognitive: How people think etc
• Cognitive elements are common elements with each element.

Humanistic Elements

• Strive naturally
• Free will
• Self changes person
• "The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.' Carl Rogers

Self Psychology

• Trait beliefs of a group etc
• Way their traits differ
• Balance
• Two basic traits/questions "Who am I" What do others think of me"

"I" Self

The subjective knower

"ME" SELF

• The object that is known
• Humanistic psych. Carl Rogers was a proponent

Self Concept

• Theory is humanistic , personality traits and expression express are all connected.
• Can express all these through "Who am I Am I good"
• Are all possible to show and express what you might want
  • That self Influences how one thinks feels and act

Factors That Effect This

• Such as trait and influences
• Positive effects are self esteem This is called real. The effects are who someone really is