Anthropological View Of The Self PDF

Anthropological view of the Self Overview : This lesson will help us to investigate the complexities of human being both in biological and culturally identity. This lesson will provide an answer to questions about ourselves, past, present and future dif...

Anthropological view of the Self Overview : This lesson will help us to investigate the complexities of human being both in biological and culturally identity. This lesson will provide an answer to questions about ourselves, past, present and future differences. Questions about: What makes us Human? Why people do what they do? How people love in society and how they make a meaningful life?  Sociological and Anthropological both study human social interaction, cultural practices, patterns of daily life. Sociology concern about social groups , how people are different, culture, analyze structural inequalities. Anthropology begins by analyzing earliest origin to modern social and  The Self and Culture French Anthropologist Marcel Mauss Every self has two faces. 1. Moi is a person’s basic identity. A person’ s sense of who she/he is. His biological givenness.  2. Personne composed of social concepts of what it means to be who he /she is. -what it means to live in a particular institution, particular family, particular nationality and how to behave given expectations and influences from others. Social constructivism “ language is important “ An element of culture and has tremendous effect in crafting of the self. This is how it divides and regards differences about the self. Note: A self is born into a particular society or culture, the self will have to adjust according to its exposure.  Clifford Geertz(1973) He defined what culture is ; He said Culture is a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means which people communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes towards life.  Accdg to him: Concept of culture has an impact on the concept of man. 1. Culture governs behavior. 2. Man is precisely dependent upon social mechanism control Therefore: Man is defined by his genetic potentials shaped into actual accomplishment made possible by culture. Anthropologist sees the holistic approach and understand the human self. The interconnection and interdependence of biological and cultural aspect of human experience. And human experience is the interplay of both nature and nurture. Both have significant in the development of the self. Anthropology and the self It provide insight into the human nature of self based on the continuous understanding of the basic element s of culture. (Peacock, 1986) British Anthropologist ( Edward Taylor) culture is a complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, arts, customs and law, technology. Culture guides behavior , it is how people makes sense of their experiences and behave according to socially shared ideas.  Self concept was used in the context of ethnic identity. 1. sameness of the self with others 2. certain conscious sharing of certain characteristics (elements of culture)  There are two ways how self concept viewed in different societies. 1.Egocentric Self is autonomous and distinct individual. Person is a replica of all humanity but capable of acting independently from others. e.g. America Self should be assertive and 2. Sociocentric Self is contingent on a situation or setting. Self is viewed as the center dependent that there is no intrinsic self that can possess enduring qualities. (Robbins, 2012) Self is interdependent with a group. Person is being define in a particular social groups and it defines the boundary of the self. Interdependence is more valued than independence. According to Anthropology From the similarities and our differences in characteristics people construct their social identities.  The self and the development of the world Questions: How people actively produce their social worlds? How do children growing up become social beings? How do twins coming out from the same mother turn out to be different? “ Men and women in their growth and development engage actively in the shaping of the self”. “language” as both publicly shared and privately utilized symbol system is the site where the individual and the social make and remake each other( Schwartz, White and Lutz 1993) References: Alata,EJ.P.,Caslib,B,N,Jr.,Serafica,J.PJ, Pawilen,R.A. Understanding the Self. First Edition,2108. Sampaloc Manila: Rex Bookstore,Inc Beilharz,Peter, and Trevor Hogan.2002.Social Self, Global Culture: An Introduction to Sociological Ideas. New York: Oxford University Marsella, Anthony J., George A. De Vos, and Francis L K. Hsu, 1985 Culture and Self: Asian and Western Perspectivs.Tavistock Publictions Mead, George Herbert. Mind Self and Society. From the standpoint of Social Beahviorist: Chicago : Univesity of Chicago Stevens, Richard. 1996. Understanding of the Self. Califirnia :SAGE Publication Triandis (1989). The self and social behavior in differing cultural contexts.Psychology Rev.963806520 Wei-Ming, T. (1985) Selfhood and Otherness in Cofucian Thought. In Marcela(ed). Culture and Self: Asian and Western Perspectives. Tavistock Publications.