The Self, Society & Culture PDF

THE SELF, SOCIET Y & CULTURE WHAT IS THE SELF? The self, in contemporary literature and even common sense, is commonly defined by the following characteristics: separate, self-contained, independent, consistent, unitary and private. THE SELF By Separate, it is meant that the self is distinct...

THE SELF, SOCIET Y & CULTURE WHAT IS THE SELF? The self, in contemporary literature and even common sense, is commonly defined by the following characteristics: separate, self-contained, independent, consistent, unitary and private. THE SELF By Separate, it is meant that the self is distinct from other selves. By Self-Contained and Independent, it can exist in itself. By consistent, it means that the self has a personality that is enduring and therefore can be expected to persist for quite some time. THE SELF Self is unitary, in that it is the center of all experiences and thoughts that run through a certain person. The Self is private, meaning each person sorts out information, feelings and emotions, and thought processes within the self. SOCIOLOGY AND THE SELF SOCIOLOGY studies human society and social behavior in a scientific manner. Looks at two main aspects of society: Social interaction- how people relate to one another and influence one another’s behavior. Social phenomena- observable facts or events in human society. SOCIETY Is a large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Sociologists are concerned with questions about the person in the community. They ask questions, like: “how does society influence you?” SOCIAL GROUPS AND SOCIAL NETWORK Sociologist George Simmel expressed that people create social networks by joining social groups. An example of social group is your family, your classmates. Social network refers to the ties or connections that link you to your social group. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST PERSPECTIVE Understanding the vibrant relationship between the self and external reality. Social Constructionists argue for a merged view of ‘the person’ and ‘their social context’ where the boundaries of one cannot easily be separated from the boundaries of the other. Social Constructivists argue that the self should not be seen as a static entity that stays constant through and through. Rather, the self has to be seen as something that is in unceasing flux, in a constant struggle with external reality and is malleable in its dealings with society. CONSIDER A BOY NAMED JON… John is a math professor at a Catholic university for more than a decade now. Jon has a beautiful wife whom he met in college, Joan. Joan was Jon’s first and last girlfriend. Apart from being a husband, Jon is also blessed with two doting kids, a son and a daughter. He also sometimes serves in the church too as a lector and commentator. As a man of different roles, one can expect Jon to change and adjust his behaviors, ways and even language depending on his social situation.When Jon is in the university, he conducts himself in a matter that befits his title as a professor. As a husband, Jon can be intimate and touchy. Joan considers him sweet, something that his students will never conceive him to be. His kids fear him. As a father, Jon can be stern. As a lector and commentator on the other hand, his church mates knew him as a guy who is calm, all-smiles, and always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. According to Marcel Mauss (French Anthropologist), Every self has two faces: PERSONNE and MOI MOI refers to a person’s sense of who he is, his body, and his basic identity, his biological givenness. PERSONNE is composed of social concepts of what it means to be who he is. -has much to do with what it means to live in a particular institution, a particular family, a particular religion, a particular nationality, and how to behave given expectations and influences from others. THE SELF EMBEDDED IN CULTURE Relationships. Culture influences how you enter into and maintain relationships. For example, relationships may be seen as voluntary or as duty based. It is essential for a person to choose whom to marry while some Eastern societies still practice arranged marriage. Personality traits. Culture influences whether your value traits, like humility, self-esteem, politeness, assertiveness, and so on, as well as how you perceive hardship or how you feel about relying on others. THE SELF EMBEDDED IN CULTURE Achievement. Culture influences how you define success and whether you value certain types of individual and group achievement. Expressing emotions. Culture influences what will affect you emotionally as well as how you express yourself, such as showing your feelings in public or keeping it private.  ACTIVITY In a short bond paper, paste a picture of you when you were in elementary, in high school, and now that you are in college. Below the picture, list down your salient characteristics that you remember. My Elementary Self My High School Self My College Self  ANALYSIS: After having examined your “self” in its different stages, fill-out the table below: Differences in Possible reasons Similarities in my “self ” across for the all stages of my the three stages differences in “self ” of my life me