Ge Self Understanding the Self PDF

Ge self Understanding the Self Prepared by: Ms. Cantago Sociology Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequence of human behavior. Sociology posits that socially formed norms, beliefs, and values come to exist within the person to a degree where...

Ge self Understanding the Self Prepared by: Ms. Cantago Sociology Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequence of human behavior. Sociology posits that socially formed norms, beliefs, and values come to exist within the person to a degree where these become natural and normal (Elwell, 2003), thus, developing the person’s self-identity Sociology Pre-modern society was centered on survival. People behave according to social rules and traditions while the family and the immediate environment provided supervision on how to get through life. Choosing where to live, what line of work to do, and even who to marry was very limited. Key Characteristics of modernity According to Giddens, the most patent, major characteristics of modernity are: 1. Industrialism- the social relations implied in the extensive use of material power and machinery all in process of production; 2. Capitalism- a production system involving both competitive product markets and the commodification (putting a price tag) of labor power. Key Characteristics of modernity According to Giddens, the most patent, major characteristics of modernity are: 3. Institution of surveillance – the massive increase of power and reach by institutions especially in government 4. Dynamism- the most evident characteristic of a modern society. Dynamism is characterized as having vigorous activity and progress. Society full of possibilities. Social groups and social network George Simmel expressed that people create social networks by joining social groups. Social groups is described as having two or more people interacting with one another, sharing similar characteristics, and whose members identify themselves as part of the group Example: family, barkada, classmates Social network refers to the ties or connections that link you to your social group Example: blood relation, friendship, interest to learn Two types of social group 1. Organic Group Organic group naturally occurring and it is influenced by your family. This is usually formed in traditional societies because there is little diversity in these communities. George Simmel stated that you join these groups because your family is also a part of it, in the first place. He called it organic motivation. Advantage: rootedness- runs deep, thus, giving the person a sense of belongingness Disadvantage: imply less freedom and greater social conformity Two types of social group 2. Rational Group Rational group occur in modern societies. Modern societies are made up of different people coming from different places. Rational groups are formed as a matter of shared self- interest; moreover, people join these groups out of their own free will. Simmel called this rational motivation - Interest change and when they do, group members change - The relationship between rational social networks is tenuous, and the person feels no meaningful connection with the others “A multiple personality is in a certain sense normal” Developing the Self Mead developed a concept that proposed different stages of self- development. These stages are language, play, and game. According to Mead, self-development and language are innately tied. Through shared understanding of symbols, gestures and sound. 1. Language gives the individual the capacity to express himself or herself at the same time comprehending what the other people are conveying. Language sets the stage for self-development. Developing the Self 2. Play , individual role-play or assume the perspective of others. Roleplay enables the person to internalize some other people’s perspectives; hence, he/she develops an understanding of how the other people feel about themselves (and about others, too) in a variety of situations. 3. Game stage is the level where the individual not only internalizes the other people’s perspectives, he/she is also able to take into account societal rules and adheres to it. According to Mead, the self is developed by understanding the rule, and one must abide by it to win the game or be successful at an activity Two sides of self: “I” and “Me” 1. I -Is the part of the self that is unsocialized and spontaneous. It is the response to the community’s attitude toward the person. - Impulses and drives, enables to express individualism and creativity - Not blinded to follow the rules Two sides of self: “I” and “Me” 2. Me -product of what the person has learned while interacting with others and with the environment. -Learned behaviors, attitudes, and even expectations -Exercise social control over the self. -It sees to it that rules are not broken  Ge self Understanding the Self Prepared by: Ms. Cantago Anthropology “ Indeed, much of the self is learned by making new memories out of old ones.” – Joseph Ledoux Anthropology is the study of people, past and present. It focuses on understanding the human condition in its cultural aspect. Anthropology is concerned with understanding how humans evolved and how they differ from one another. A unit but unitary Anthropologist and professor, Katherine Ewing (1990), described the self as encompassing the “physical organism, possessing psychological functioning and social attributes.” Neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux (2002) conceptualized the implicit and explicit aspects of the self Explicit – conscious Implicit- not immediately available to the conscious Self is not static, it is added to and subtracted from by genetic maturation, learning, forgetting, stress, ageing, and disease.  Self as representation Ewing (1989) asserted that a self is illusory. “People construct a series of self- representations that are based on selected cultural concepts of person and selected ‘chains’ of personal memories. Each self-concept is experienced as whole and continuous, with its own history and memories that emerge in a specific context to be replaced by another self-representation when the context changes. It is the mental entities that are supposed to represent the self. People from all cultures have been observed to be able to rapidly project different self- representations, depending on the context of the situation. The person is ‘unaware of these shifts; however, he/she will still experience wholeness and continuity despite these shifts. The Self Embedded in Culture Cultural anthropologists have argued that the self is culturally shaped and infinitely variable. “Cultural traditions and social practices regulate, express, and transform the human psyche, resulting less in psychic unity for humankind than in ethnic divergences in mind, self, and emotion” Cultural psychologists distinguished two ways of how the self is constructed. These are the independent and interdependent constructs. Construal is an interpretation of the meaning of something; hence, in this sense, the meaning of “self” The Self Embedded in Culture The independent constructs is a characteristic of individualistic culture, such as in North America and Europe. Individualistic culture represents the self as separate, distinct, with emphasis on internal attributes or traits, skills and values. The interdependent constructs is typical of the collectivist culture in East Asia stressing the essential connections between the individual to other people. Developmental psychologist Catherine Raeff (2010), believed that culture can influence how view : relationships, personality traits, achievement, and expressing emotions. Relationship Culture influences how you enter into and maintain relationships. For example, relationships may be seen as voluntary or as duty-based. In western societies, it is essential for a person to choose whom to marry while some Eastern societies still practice arranged marriage. Personality Traits Culture influences whether (and how) you value traits, like humility, self-esteem, politeness, assertiveness, and so on, as well as how you perceive hardships or how you feel about relying on others. Achievement Culture influence how you define success and whether you value certain types of individual and group achievements. Expressing Emotions Culture influence what will affect you emotionally, as well as how you express yourself, such as showing your feelings in public or keeping it private.