Anthropological Perspective of the Self PDF

ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE Identity toolbox SELF – THE SELF AS EMBEDDED IN CULTURE - it refers to the features of a person’s identity that s/he Prepared by: Bianca Patricia Reyes, RPm...

ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE Identity toolbox SELF – THE SELF AS EMBEDDED IN CULTURE - it refers to the features of a person’s identity that s/he Prepared by: Bianca Patricia Reyes, RPm chooses to emphasize in constructing a social self Anthropology > - is the systematic study of humans, with the goal of Self-identification may be attained by: knowing our evolutionary origins, our distinctive a. Kinship & family membership natures as species, and the vast diversity of our modes b. gender of social life in the world and over time. c. age - it holds a holistic view of human nature. It is d. language concerned with how cultural and biological processes e. religion interact to shape the self. f. personal appearance - It considers human experience as an interplay of g. ethnicity nature (the genetic inheritance which sets the h. SES individual’s potentials) and nurture (the sociocultural Personal naming environment). - is a universal practice with numerous cross-cultural - Both biological and cultural factors have significant variations that establishes a child’s birthright and social influence in the development of the self. identity. There are 2 major ways of categorizing the self: - A name is an important device to individualize a 1. Egocentric concept of the self person and to have an identity. - suggests that each person is defined as a replica of all Rites of Passage humanity but capable of acting independently from - The changes in our status and identity are marked by others. three phases: - the self is viewed as autonomous and as a distinct 1. Separation – people detach from their identity to be individual with inherent characteristics. able to attach to another - one example: Americans. They believe that as an 2. Liminality – a person transitions from one identity to individual, they should be assertive and independent. another 2. Sociocentric concept of the self 3. Incorporation – the change in one’s status is officially - the self is viewed as dependent on the situation or incorporated social setting; our identity is attached to the social The Self(ie) Generation as Culture Creators setting we belong into or to the social class/group that - The Generation Z or the “Selfie” generation is not we are in. considered as passive user of culture. - one example: Filipinos who value kin ties and - In the research of Jose Villa entitled, “Cross-cultural submission to authority figures. Gen Z), he found out that: a. Majority of the Gen Z will define their cultural PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF identity in a diverse means/manner, an exact opposite of Prepared by: Bianca Patricia Reyes, RPm the generations who came before them. Psychology – is the scientific study of human thoughts b. This generation has embraced and balanced multiple cultures that they are moving their cultural identity and behavior. beyond simple definitions of race and ethnicity. (We basically, adapt cultures from others) Self-awareness - is your ability to perceive and understand the things that make you who you are as an individual, including your personality, actions, values, beliefs, emotions, and thoughts. WILLIAM JAMES – THE THEORY OF THE SELF - William James is a well-known psychologist and he formulated a theory of awareness. He dissected the components of the self, dividing into: A. “I” - the self as the knower - thinking subject – conscious of the environment and of the self B. “Me” - the self as known; when we become ourselves the object of our own thinking - it is divided into three types: 1. Material self - refers to the aspect of oneself related to physical possessions (e.g., body, clothes, belongings) - can be a source of our self-esteem 2. Social self - the aspects of oneself that are influenced by the social environment (e.g., reputation, social roles, and relationships) in the mind of others, which makes up one’s reputation in the society 3. Spiritual Self - is the most important and most intimate part of the self - it refers to the person’s innermost being, their thoughts, feelings, and experiences that define who experience mental well-being and peace of mind they are as a unique individual > However, when a person experiences incongruence, it CARL ROGERS – SELF THEORY will result in mental distress or anxiety. Self-concept – refers to how one perceives himself DONALD WINNICOTT Self – a flexible and changing perception of personal True self identity; it develops from our interactions with our - represented by our real feelings and desires significant people and self-awareness. False self I. Real self - a side of us that has changed its behavior, repressed - consists of all the ideas, including the awareness of feelings, and pushed needs aside in order to survive “what I am” and “what I can do” - its function is to hide and protect the true self - it encompasses our thoughts, feelings, appearance, two kinds of false self: and behavior, representing who we truly are. a. Healthy false self II. Ideal self - enables us to function in society by exhibiting good - refers to the image of ourselves that we strive to manners and social graces, even if we don’t feel like it become, shaped by our learning and experiences over - is a shield that preserves our true self until we’re time around individuals we can trust - the version of ourselves that we aspire to be b. Unhealthy self The Importance of Alignment - it is the product of forced compliance rather than a - according to Rogers, the fundamental motive of genuine desire to adapt to society human beings is to self-actualize. - it can lead to narcissistic and addictive behaviors Self-actualization UNIFIED VS. MULTIPLE SELF - is the goal of the self Unified self - involves reaching one’s full potential and achieving the - refers to the idea that an individual has a single, highest level of being. cohesive identity. - to achieve this, Rogers suggested that they must be in Multiple self a state of congruence - the concept of multiple selves posits that individuals Congruence have various subselves or identities that emerge in - refers to the alignment between of an individual’s different situations. actual behavior or self-image (real self) and with their ALBERT BANDURA – PROACTIVE AND AGENTIC SELF ideal self or who they aspire to be. - Bandura suggests that humans have the ability to act Incongruence and make things happen because we are proactive (you - there is a lack of congruence react with what the environment gave you. The > when there is a congruence, an individual will environment does not just influence you, you can influence the environment, too) and agentic (you have the ability to decide on your own). the main agentic features of human agency: 1. Intentionality - is the ability to make something intentionally. 2. Forethought - enables the person to anticipate the likely consequences of prospective actions 3. Self-reactiveness - enables one to make choices and choose appropriate actions 4. Self-reflectiveness - gives the person an ability to reflect upon oneself and the adequacy of one’s thoughts and actions. Self-efficacy - according to Bandura: it is the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations. - it is a part of our self-system The four ways that self-efficacy is achieved are: Mastery experiences - performing a task successfully strengthens our sense of self- efficacy. Social modeling - witnessing other people successfully complete a task is another important source of self-efficacy. Social persuasion - people could be persuaded to believe they have the skills and capabilities to succeed. Psychological & physiological responses - Our responses and emotional reactions to situations Loving, also play an important role in self-efficacy. Me.G.