SSP1 - CHAPTER2.pptx

THE SELF AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT CHAPTER 2  THE SELF AS EMBEDDED IN CULTURE  Sir Edward B. Tylor: culture is the complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, customs and any other capabilities acquired by a human as a member of soc...

THE SELF AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT CHAPTER 2  THE SELF AS EMBEDDED IN CULTURE  Sir Edward B. Tylor: culture is the complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, customs and any other capabilities acquired by a human as a member of society.  HOW INFLUENTIAL IS CULTURE TO YOUR SELF-UNDERSTANDING?  ANTHROPOLOGY  It is the inclusive study of the human race, its culture and society, and its physical development.  Dealing with the origin of humanity, it also shares in the academic discussion of what human society is and its cultural development.  Man created culture on his own, altered it and will always have the power to change it as he deems it fit.  Anthropology understands cultures, the dynamic and evolving socially constructed reality that exists in the minds of social group members.  Culture is as dynamic as how humanity would want it to be.  SOCIOLOGY  It is the scientific study of human life, social groups, whole societies and the human world whose subject matter is our own behavior as social beings in relationship with many other people.  Culture is the meeting point of anthropology and sociology in our self-understanding, digging deep into who we see ourselves, in light of the diverse cultural influences that we have been exposed to.  Culture has influenced us so much that a very big part of who we are as a product of how culture was instilled in the very depths of our selfhood. COMPONENTS OF CULTURE 1. NORMS – are guides or models of behavior which tell us what is proper and which are appropriate or inappropriate, right or wrong.  Folkways – customary patterns of everyday life that specify what is socially correct and proper.  Mores – embody the code of ethics and standards of morality in society.  Laws – norms that are enforced formally by a political organization. 2. Values – represent the standards we use to evaluate the desirability of things. 3. Language – the system of symbols that have specific meaning in a given society. 4. Fashion, fads and crazes – are more short-lived social norms which people are expected to comply with.  TYPES OF CULTURE  MATERIAL CULTURE  includes physical objects or artifacts – things that human beings create by altering the natural environment.  This is the physical manifestation of culture itself - the goods that we buy, the products we use. HOW HAS MOBILE PHONES INFLUENCED YOUR SOCIAL SELF?  NON-MATERIAL CULTURE  consists of words people use, the habits they follow, the ideas, customs, behavior of any society and to which they strive to conform.  These material and non-material cultures are vital in the understanding of self in the society.  As we are taught the norms in our cultural context, we became aware of our identity as part of the society, ultimately seeing ourselves in the light of the society’s cultural values and goals  These two types of culture are both creations of man. HOW ARE YOUR SOCIETAL BELIEFS, VALUES AND TRADITIONS INFLUENTIAL IN YOUR MATERIAL CULTURE?  Culture is a significant factor in the continuity of a society.  The self is clearly linked to his or her culture. We can never understand people apart from it since it is the very personality of the society.  Consequently, the self mirrors this personality of culture.  In fact, our social personality is a reflection of culture itself.  It is not only significant in understanding individuals, but is very much imperative also in understanding the groundwork of the society.  MEAD’S STAGES OF THE SELF 1. Preparatory Stage  The preparatory stage lasts from the time we are born until we are about age two. In this stage, children mimic those around them. This is why parents of young children typically do not want you to use foul language around them. 2. Play Stage  From about age two to six, children are in the play stage. During the play stage, children play pretend and do not adhere to the rules in organized games like soccer or freeze tag.  MEAD’S STAGES OF THE SELF 3. Game Stage  The third stage is the game stage, which is from about age seven onwards.  In this stage, children can begin to understand and adhere to the rules of games.  They can begin to play more formalized games because they begin to understand other people’s perspective–or the perspective of the generalized other.  In this stage, when children play pretend, they may still play house, but are pretending to a mommy or a daddy independent of the one that resides in their home.  The generalized other refers to the viewpoint of the social group at large. The child begins taking this perspective into account during this stage.  GEERTZ AND HIS CONCEPT OF THE SELF AS AN UNFINISHED ANIMAL  Culture should not be seen as a complex behavioral pattern but as a set of control mechanisms – engineered programs in directing human behavior.  Man as an unfinished animal, always dependent on structures to control his behavior.  It is necessary for him to look and be governed by rules to guide him in making sure that his actions will make him a better member of society.  Culture guides the self to act on the basis of what the society dictates as good.  Culture becomes a way of gleaning towards the understanding of the self.  THE SELF IN THE WESTERN AND ORIENTAL THOUGHT  Cultural context and the activities inclusive therein, aids in the development of our self- understanding.  Cultural variations affect to varying degrees how one thinks of himself as an individual entity and as a member of society.  The conduct and thinking of individuals differ in the Western and Eastern/Oriental Perspective  Western mindset is that of individualism while Easterners are known to be more  The Self as the Product of the Modern World  The values of a society changes overtime, and if in case they do not, the society is trapped in the challenges of the modern world.  The self then, as a social construct, becomes a product of the modern society among other constructions.  “Technologies of social saturation” has become vital in the transformation of the social world, ultimately giving a make-over of the social self.  The Self as the Product of the Modern World  It has to a certain extent, questioned our ways of being, whether it be of good value or not, has led us to question the self’s authenticity.  The diversity and variations of these digital technologies in particular forced us to confront the vast array of our cultural traditions, challenging our own belief systems and values, and exposing the strengths and  The Self(ie) Generation as Culture Creators  The effect of culture in today’s younger generation must be highlighted since the Generation Z (born bet. 1995-2010), also known as the self(ie) generation, is not considered as a passive user of culture.  In fact, they have become culture creators, who practically live their lives and present themselves in the virtual world.  This generation has embraced and balanced multiple cultures that they are moving their cultural identity beyond simple definitions of race and ethnicity.  This generation’s relationship with culture has drastically changed.  They are not just consumers of culture anymore, but are considered culture creators, changers, and collaborators.  This self presentation revolves around the virtual world, including their identity and self-construal. A. In the chart below, list down examples of B. Explain how the following your country’s material and non material institutions influenced your culture that you wish to keep or change. view of your “self”. LIST OF MATERIAL 1. Family CULTURE I WISH TO KEEP I WISH TO 2. School CHANGE 3. Church (Religion) 4. Peer Group LIST OF NONMATERIAL CULTURE I WISH TO KEEP I WISH TO CHANGE 1. Family 2. School 3. Church (Religion) 4. Peer Group 5. 5. TEACHER  Using the Individualist vs. Collectivist table, choose at least 3 characteristics and write the possible pros and cons of yourINDIVIDUALIST chosen characteristics COLLECTIVIST 1. Occupational Mobility 1. Relationship prevails is higher over task Pros:___________________ Pros:___________________ Cons: Cons: ____________________ ____________________ 2. 2. 3. 3.