Anthropological Perspective of the Self - PDF

ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF – THE h. SES SELF AS EMBEDDED IN CULTURE Prepared by: Bianca Patricia Reyes, RPm Personal naming - is a universal practice with numerous cross-cultural Anthr...

ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF – THE h. SES SELF AS EMBEDDED IN CULTURE Prepared by: Bianca Patricia Reyes, RPm Personal naming - is a universal practice with numerous cross-cultural Anthropology variations that establishes a child’s birthright and social - is the systematic study of humans, with the goal of identity. knowing our evolutionary origins, our distinctive natures - A name is an important device to individualize a as species, and the vast diversity of our modes of social person and to have an identity. life in the world and over time. - it holds a holistic view of human nature. It is concerned Rites of Passage with how cultural and biological processes interact to - The changes in our status and identity are marked by shape the self. three phases: - It considers human experience as an interplay of 1. Separation – people detach from their identity to be nature (the genetic inheritance which sets the able to attach to another individual’s potentials) and nurture (the sociocultural 2. Liminality – a person transitions from one identity to environment). another - Both biological and cultural factors have significant 3. Incorporation – the change in one’s status is officially influence in the development of the self. incorporated > There are 2 major ways of categorizing the self: The Self(ie) Generation as Culture Creators 1. Egocentric concept of the self - The Generation Z or the “Selfie” generation is not - suggests that each person is defined as a replica of all considered as passive user of culture. humanity but capable of acting independently from - In the research of Jose Villa entitled, “Cross-cultural others. Gen Z), he found out that: - the self is viewed as autonomous and as a distinct individual with inherent characteristics. a. Majority of the Gen Z will define their cultural identity - one example: Americans. They believe that as an in a diverse means/manner, an exact opposite of the individual, they should be assertive and independent. generations who came before them. 2. Sociocentric concept of the self b. This generation has embraced and balanced multiple - the self is viewed as dependent on the situation or cultures that they are moving their cultural identity social setting; our identity is attached to the social beyond simple definitions of race and ethnicity. (We setting we belong into or to the social class/group that basically adapt cultures from others) we are in. - one example: Filipinos who value kin ties and submission to authority figures. Identity toolbox - it refers to the features of a person’s identity that s/he chooses to emphasize in constructing a social self > Self-identification may be attained by: a. Kinship & family membership b. gender c. age d. language e. religion f. personal appearance g. ethnicity