INTRODUCTION TO UNDERSTANDING THE SELF.pdf

The self is highlighted as the The self is used as an “object”. “actor”.  Some believed that the self is a product of natural processes to which people are inherently predisposed. The self is studied structurally and functionally. The natural ba...

The self is highlighted as the The self is used as an “object”. “actor”.  Some believed that the self is a product of natural processes to which people are inherently predisposed. The self is studied structurally and functionally. The natural basis of the self is anchored on BIOLOGY, and explains that human traits are passed from one generation to another. GENETICS- primarily deals with heredity as a process, as well as with the characterizations.  Nature is what we think of as pre-wiring and is influenced by genetic inheritance and other biological factors. Those who adopt an extreme hereditary position are known as nativists. Their basic assumption is that the characteristics of the human species as a whole are a product of evolution and that individual differences are due to each person’s unique genetic code. Freud’s theory of aggression as being an innate drive (called Thanatos) (Mcleod, 2024).  Self is viewed as the product of various nurturing factors in the context of one’s life. Social Sciences have provided a plethora of insights and explanations about the self, both on the micro and macro levels. Different social sciences stress how group life (formal and informal) affects the attitude and behavior of the individual, and emphasize on the impact of various social institutions to the self-construct of a person.  Contrary to nativists, are empiricists or the environmentalists. Their basic assumption is that at birth, the human mind is a tabula rasa (a blank slate) and that this is gradually “filled” as a result of experience (e.g., behaviorism) Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory states that aggression is learned from the environment through observation and imitation. This is seen in his famous bobo doll experiment (Bandura, 1961) ((Mcleod, 2024). “I am my father’s daughter, not a daddy’s girl.” “I don’t care how old I am, I’ll always be a mama’s boy.”  In general, ‘identity’ is used to refer to one's social ‘face’ – how one perceives how one is perceived by others. ‘Self’ is generally used to refer to one's sense of ‘who I am and what I am’ (Hammel, 2006). Both the concepts of self and identity evolve out of social interaction (Millward & Kelly 2003), but because we are not merely ‘stamped out’ by society, we are active participants in our own self/identity construction (Bakhurst & Sypnowich 1995, Sartre 1956).  IDENTITY- “the qualities, beliefs, etc., that make a particular person or group different from others …or the distinguishing character or personality of the individual (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Identity distinguishes or compares one from another.  SELF- “refers to “the person that someone normally or truly is…or the entire person of the individual. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Self refers to the total characteristics or qualities of a person both known and unknown to others (but known to oneself).   -Developmental and social scientists have identified SOCIAL FACTOR as an agent of one’s being. This are influences of the significant people in one’s life. Family, Peers, School, Church, Neighbors, etc.) As the child expands their social connections, more and more characteristics are being integrated.  The process of building up one’s identity becomes more complex and dynamic, but all these things happen unnoticeably and many intances, unconsciously.  The process of character and traits integration as the formation of personality. Personality is the individual patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. One may share commonalities with other, but will still possess an identity that sets them apart form others.  These INFLUENTIAL SOCIAL GROUPS shape one’s identity through MODELLING, IMITATION, TRAITS INTEGRATION. MODELLING- When a person observes the behavior of another and then imitates that behavior, they are modeling the behavior. This is sometimes known as observational learning or social learning  IMITATION- The exact replication of something (behavior)  Broadly includes physical and communal elements present in everyday surroundings, and are invariably dealt with by individuals in a specific geographic region or area.  HEREDITY- a biological process by which certain traits and characteristics are passed from one generation to another. Relatively fixed and permanent.  It refers to the inclination of a person to form and construct a specific that will set them apart from others. Social scientists like sociologists may refer to these individuals as non-conformists or deviants.