UTS - Anthropological Perspective of the Self PDF

The ANTHROPOLOGICAL Perspective of the Self Learning Outcomes At the end of this module, students should be able to: 1. State the meaning of the self, according to the different philosophers 2. Understand the construct of the self from various perspectives 3. Appreciate its importanc...

The ANTHROPOLOGICAL Perspective of the Self Learning Outcomes At the end of this module, students should be able to: 1. State the meaning of the self, according to the different philosophers 2. Understand the construct of the self from various perspectives 3. Appreciate its importance to one-self Introduction Every society is individualized; we feel at ease talking about individuals and we study behavior through psychology and psychoanalysis. Yet, anthropology teaches us that individual approach is only one of many ways of looking at ourselves. The anthropological view of the self-explores the role that selfhood plays in defining human society, and each human individual in that society. It considers the genetic and cultural origins of the self, the role that self plays in socialization and the types of self we generate in our individual journeys to and through adulthood. TNAHLYOROOPG ANTHROPOLOGY ANTHROPOLOGY Anthropology is the science of humanity which studies human beings in aspects ranging from the biology and evolutionary history of homo sapiens to the features of society and culture that decisively distinguish humans from other animal species. (Rafferty, 2020) UTLCEUR CULTURE  CULTURE Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. (Zimmermann, 2017) FESL SELF  SELF The set of someone’s characteristics, such as personality and ability, that are not physical and make that person different from other people. (Cambridge Dictionary, 2020) SANOYELPIRT PERSONALITY  PERSONALITY Personality refers to individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. (American Psychological Association, n.d.) LBIPYISETSONRI RESPONSIBILITY RESPONSIBILITY Responsibility is also the obligation of an individual to perform the duty of task assigned to him. (Toppr, 2019) TAETDITU ATTITUDE  ATTITUDE Attitude, in social psychology, a cognition, often with some degree of aversion or attraction (emotional valence), that reflects the classification and evaluation of objects and events. (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013) The Self in Differing Cultural Context According to Cherry (2020), personality is something that people tend to think a lot about. When we meet new people, whether through work, school, or social events, it is often their personality on which we immediately focus.  Five (5) Basic Dimensions of Personality “The Big Five” Openness People who are high in this trait tend to be more adventurous and creative. People low in this trait are often much more traditional and may struggle with abstract thinking. (Psychology: Five Big Traits, n.d.)  Five (5) Basic Dimensions of Personality “The Big Five” Conscientiousness Highly conscientious people tend to be organized and mindful of details. They plan, think about how their behavior affects others, and are mindful of deadlines. (Psych final, n.d.) While people who are low in this trait tend to dislike structure and schedules, procrastinate important tasks, and fail to complete the things they are supposed to do.  Five (5) Basic Dimensions of Personality “The Big Five” Extraversion People who are high in extraversion are outgoing and tend to gain in social situations. People who are low in extroversion (introverted) to be more reserved and have to expend energy in social settings. (The Big Five Personality Traits, n.d.)  Five (5) Basic Dimensions of Personality “The Big Five” Agreeableness People who are high in agreeableness tend to be more cooperative while those low in this trait tend to be more competitive and sometimes even manipulative. (Fraser-Thrill, n.d.)  Five (5) Basic Dimensions of Personality “The Big Five” Neuroticism Individuals who are high in this trait tent to experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and sadness. Those low in this trait tend to be more stable and emotionally resilient.  Five (5) Basic Dimensions of Personality “The Big Five” To be easily remember the 5 traits you can remember OCEAN (openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) or CANOE (conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extroversion. (The Big Five Personality Traits, n.d.) Culture and Concepts of the Self Our sense of self is at the core of our being, and consciously and unconsciously, influences our every thought, action, and feeling.  Independent and Interdependent Selves Independent Construal of Self To maintain the independence of the individual as a separate, self-contained entity. Focused on personal, internal attributes individual ability, intelligence, personality traits, goals or preference suppressing them in public and confirming them in private. While personality traits are relatively stable over time, they can and often do gradually change across the life span. (Sussex Publishers, LLC.) Self-construal refers to the way in which a person thinks about and defines the self. Importantly, self-construal is not only a way of viewing oneself but also a way of understanding one’s relationship to the larger social word (Independent Self-Construal, n.d.)  Independent and Interdependent Selves Interdependent Construal of Self To fit in and maintain the interdependence among individuals. The self in unbounded, flexible, and contingent on context. (Intercultural chapter 13 & 14, n.d.). The most salient self is defined in relationships. For example, a woman may have very different personal qualities when at work that when she is at home with her children. Independent and Interdependent Selves All of this does not mean that people with an interdependent construal of self have no knowledge of their personal attributes that are unique to themselves and independent of context. Rather, these internal attributes are less salient in consciousness, just as we don’t automatically define ourselves in terms of our relationships. (Social Perception and Social Cognition, n.d.) Independent and Interdependent Selves Consequences Self-Perception Several studies have supported the notion that with an independent self, internal attributes are most salient and less salient for interdependent selves. People in different cultures have strikingly different construal of the self, of others, and of the interdependence of the 2. These construal can influence, and in many cases determine, the very nature of individual experience, including cognition, emotion, and motivation. (Markus & Kitayama, n.d.) Consequences Social Explanation Self-construal serves as a cognitive template for interpreting behaviors of others as well. Those with independent selves assume other people are the same, while interdependent selves assume the opposite. Consequences Social Explanation The study of Wei, Mlao, Cai, & Adles (2012) examined the effect of self- construal and co-consumption others on consumer complaining behavior following a service failure. Based on an experimental study with a sample of 202 in a restaurant context, MANCOVA results revealed significant effects of self-construal on voice response and switching behavior. The results also showed a significant interaction effect of self-construal and the presence of co-consumption others on switching behavior. The findings shed light into the intrapersonal and interpersonal dynamics at work when consumers react to service failure. Consequences Achievement Motivation or Need for Achievement Independent Construal – excellence linked to individual’s tendency to push himself or herself ahead and see individual success. (Giacomin, 2017) Interdependent Construal – excellence sought to achieve broader social goals. Motivated by collective or group achievement. Consequences Achievement Motivation or Need for Achievement Giacomin (2017) defines Interdependent and independent self- construal refer to different cognitive representations of the self that people may hold. Those with an independent self-construal view internal attributes, such as traits, abilities, values, and attitudes as central to their sense of self. Those with an interdependent self-construal, in contrast, view their close relationships, social roles, and group memberships as central to their sense of self (Giacomin, 2017). Consequences Self-Enhancement A collection of psychological processes by which individuals reinforce or enhance their self-esteem (Chapter 13 Global, n.d.). Consequences Social Connotation of Emotion (Positive and Negative) Socially disengaged emotions tend to separate or disengage the self from social relationships and to promote the perceived independence of the self from those relationships. Socially engaged emotions further engage and assimilate the self in the relationship and enhance the perceived interdependence of the self with relevant others. Consequences Social Connotation and Indigenous Emotions (Culture-specific Emotions) Happiness – most generic, unqualified state of feeling good (relaxed, elated, and calm). People experience this feeling when they have successfully accomplished the cultural task involving either independence or interdependence. INEHIROSPALIT RELATIONSHIP  The Self in Family What is a relationship? It is an interaction between two or more people. It is the way in which two or more people, talk to, behave and deal with each other (English Language Learners Definition of relationship, n.d.) RELATIONSHIP Who are involved in a Family Relationship? ❑ Parents ❑ Siblings ❑ Grandparents ❑ Aunts and Uncles ❑ Cousins ❑ Others? ASSIGNMENT What is your role/responsibility in your family? ❑ How would you describe it? ❑ How do you think it came about? ❑ What life experiences have helped to shape it? RELATIONSHIP How can your attitude and behavior affect your family relationships? They will either help STRENGTHEN or DESTROY them. Responsibility, Trust, Freedom “Being responsible builds trust. Trust gains you more freedom. What you do with your freedom builds more trust. If you are trustworthy, you will have more responsibilities.” (Family Relationships, n.d.) Family- Relationships Cycle TNSOSAIDIRT TRADITIONS  Building Family Traditions What are traditions? ❑ Behaviors and activities you participate in over and over again. ❑ Traditions can be big or small and are unique to each family. Why are traditions important? ❑ Provides a source of identity (Family Relationships, n.d.) ❑ Strengthens family bonds ❑ Offers comfort and security ❑ Opportunity to teach values ❑ Chance to pass on cultural heritage ❑ Connects the generations ❑ Creates lasting memories (Family Relationships, n.d.) TAPNDAITAO ADAPTATION SRIDYITVE DIVERSITY  Anthropology and its Subdisciplines THE SELF and THE PERSON in CONTEMPORARY ANTHROPOLOGY The academic discipline of anthropology, or “four-field” anthropology, studies human species and its immediate ancestors includes four main subdisciplines or subfields – sociocultural, archeological, biological, and linguistic anthropology. Each subdiscipline studies adaptation, the process which organisms cope with the environment. Anthropology is a systematic exploration of human biological and cultural diversity. GRYHAPONETH ETHNOGRAPHY GLYONETOH ETHNOLOGY 1. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY Cultural anthropology is the study of human society and culture which describes, analyzes, interprets, and explains social and cultural similarities and differences. It explores the diversity of the present and the past. Ethnography and ethnology are two different activities which can study and interpret cultural diversity. 1. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY Ethnography requires fieldwork to collect data, often descriptive and specific to group. On the other hand, ethnology uses data collected by series researches, usually synthetic and comparative. 2. ARCHEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY Archeological anthropology reconstructs, describes and interprets human behavior and cultural patterns through material remains. These materials remain such as plant, animal and ancient garbage provides stories about utilization and actions. 3. BIOLOGICAL, or PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY Biological, or Physical Anthropology focuses on these special interest, human evolution as revealed by the fossil, human genetics, human growth and development, human biological plasticity and the biology, evolution, behavior and social life of monkeys, apes and other nonhuman primates. 4. LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY Linguistic anthropology studies language in its social and cultural context across space and over time. Universal features of language are analyzed and association between language and culture are evaluated. It also studies how speech changes in social situations and over time.  The Self Embedded in the Culture Culture refers to customary behavior and beliefs that are passed on through enculturation (Kottak, 2008), wherein enculturation is the social process which culture is learned and transmitted. Culture is a social process that is learned and passes from generation to the next. Culture depends on images, which have a specific significance and incentive for individuals who share a culture. Cultural traditions take regular marvels, including organic desires, and transforming them specifically headings. Everybody is cultured. Social orders are coordinated and designed through predominant monetary powers, social examples, key images and core values. Cultural mean of adjustment has been urgent in human evolution. Cultures oblige people, yet the activities of people can change cultures. Culture defined: Culture is shared, symbolic, natural, learned, integrated, encompassing and maladaptive and adaptive. Csordas (1999) elaborated that the human body is not essential for anthropological study but the paradigm of embodiment can be explored in the understanding culture and the self. The body is not an object to be studied in relation to culture, but is to be considered as the subject of culture, or in other words as the existential ground of culture. On the other hand, Geertz (1973) described culture as "a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life”. The interpretation of the symbols in each culture is essential which gives meaning to one’s action. Each culture has its own symbols and has its own meaning; one must need to comprehend those meanings keeping in mind the end goal to understand the culture. On must disconnect the components of culture, discover the relationship among those components, and portray the entire framework in some broad way. THANK YOU!