MODULE 3

SOCIOLOGY

INTRODUCTION
The social aspect of the self is explored in many ways, in which social situations influence one’s views
of self. The self is not created in isolation, and people are not born with perception of oneself as good in sports,
make-up artistry, dancing, or business. Such perception are identified through observations, or interactions with
other people. “Am I beautiful?” these questions can be answered by looking at those people around. The self
has meaning only within the social context, and it is not wrong to say that the social situation defines our self-
concept and our self-esteem. We rely on others to provide a “social reality”- to help us determine what to think,
feel, and do.

1. SOCIOLOGICAL VIEWS OF THE SELF

1.1. The Self as a Product of Modern Society Among Others

With Modernization, the self becomes a “delocalized” self which is free to seek its own identity; defining
religion, theological tradition; free from customary constraints hence, deviating from the traditional way of life.
Stability of one’s self-identity is no longer based on pre-given traditional broad definition of the self.
Clifford Geertz (1973) believes that the struggle for one’s individuality is only possible in modern society
where religio-theological traditions are gradually replaced by rational and scientific calculations; and the
intimate personal affiliations are replaced by exceedingly impersonal associations brought about by urbanized
way of life. This poses certain problems as:

1. The newfound freedom threatens the very authenticity of the self (e.g. love)
2. Alienation (Marx) – human beings haunted by the very images they have created.
3. Objectification of the body (e.g. medical practice)
4. Dehumanization of self

Solution: For the individual to discover the “true” and “authentic” part of himself/herself to realize his/her
potentials, there is a need to abolish repressive social constraints.

1.2 Self as Necessary Fiction

Self as Nietzsche, is the sum of individual’s action, thoughts and feelings. Self is nothing more than a
metaphor, a representation of something abstract; symbolic. It is possible for us to remember something even if
we have not experienced. Self has a community even if it is only in memory i.e. either heard or witnessed which
did not happen to you, a true given self is not what unites these experiences, but it is the presumed unity of these
experience s that gave rise to a concept of the self.

1.3 Post-modern View of the Self

 Self is a narrative, a text written and rewritten. Self is a story. It is dynamic. Self is a product of modern
discourse that is historically and socially imprisoned by what is acceptable by norms, etc. self in post modernity
is complicated by electronic mediated virtual interaction of cyber self-such as change in appearance (in the
cyberspace). According to N. Green, self is “digitalized” in cyberspace, a virtual version of who we are. The
self is seen in websites or social media –Facebook, twitter, instagram, etc.
The following are the manifestations:

1. Information technology dislocates the self, thus, self is “digitalized” in cyberspace.

2. Global migration produces multicultural identities.
3. Post-modern selves are “pluralized” selves.

Social Construction of the Self:

Self is not discovered; it is made through the socialization process, BUT, individuals are not just hapless
victims of socialization. The individual is an active, strategizing agent that negotiates for the definition of
himself-. (Ikaw ang gumagawa ng kung ano ka”). Self is acquired socially through language, like symbols. We
construct ourselves based on our social roles through socialization agents - family, school, community, etc.

1.4 Rewriting the Self as an Artistic Creation

Nietzsche states that the unity of the self is not pre-given but accomplished through conscious effort –
transform self through beautiful work of art. Individuals must fashion, care for and cultivate themselves. We
can recreate ourselves to get hold of the present, forgive the past and plan the future.
1.5 Self Creation and Collective Identity
Memories (photographs, videos) play significant role in creating the self and identity. Memory and
forgetting are most important powers in recreating a person’s identity. Such memories of the past include
pain, triumph, etc. such experiences of the past can be linked with social transformation.
Another important aspect of this view of the self is that self-creation is formed within “imagined
communities”. Selves obtain their nature from cultural traditions, embodied in various social institutions. These
are reserved in a collective narrative which becomes the reservoir for the project o self-creation. Self-creation
along cultural lines must be done in maximum cultural recognition of differences among and between
individuals and cultural groups.
1.6 Self Creation and the struggle for cultural recognition
This is a challenge of self-identity amidst recognition of racial and ethnic identities. Self-creation is
necessarily grounded on collective solidarities. We create ourselves by struggling with cultural hassles then
owing the created self. We hide the ugly part of our cultural nature. We learn to adjust.
Beyond Self Creation
The quest or search for self-identity is a product of modern society but this is complicated by the socio-
cultural sensibilities of postmodernity, new information technologies and globalization, reconfiguring ourselves
as to gender, sex, ethnicity, and creating one’s own style, signature.
Yet the project of self-creation is embedded within imagined communities. The self constantly lives in this
paradox: to pursue self-creation within pre-given, not wilfully chosen social circumstances.

2. MEAD THEORY OF SELF

 George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) is an American Sociologist best known as a founder of American
pragmatism, a pioneer of symbolic interaction theory, and as one of the founders of Social Psychology.
Mead’s theory of the self maintains that the conception a person holds of himself/herself in his/her mind
emerges from social interaction with others. This is, in effect, a theory and argument against biological
determinism because of a social interaction, but is constructed and re-constructed in the process of social
experience and activity.
The self, according to Mead, is made of two components the “I” and the “ME”. The “ME” represents the
expectations and attitudes of others (the “generalized other”) organized into a social self. The individual defines
his or her own behaviour with reference to the generalized attitude of the social group(s) he/she occupies. When
the individual can view himself or herself from the standpoint of the generalized other, self-consciousness in the
full sense of the term is attained. From this standpoint, the generalized other (internalized in the “ME”) is the
major instrument of social control, for it is the mechanism by which the community exercises control over the
conduct of its individual members.
The “I” is the response to the “ME”, or the person’s individuality. It is the essence of agency in human
action. So, in effect, the “ME” is the self as object, while the “I” is the self as subject (Crossman, 2017)
In other words, the “I” is the response of an individual to the attitudes of others, while the “ME” is the
organized set of attitudes of others which an individual assumes. The “ME” is the accumulated understanding of
the “generalized other,” i.e. how one thinks one’s group perceives oneself. The “I” is the individual impulses.
The “I” is the self as subject; the “ME” is self as object. The “I” is the knower, the “ME” is the known.
Understood as a combination of the “I” and the “ME,” Mead’s self proves to be noticeably entwined within
a sociological existence. For Mead, existence in a community comes before individual consciousness. First one
must participate in the different social positions within society and only subsequently can one use that
experience to take the perspective of others and become self-conscious (Boundless, 2016)

2.1. Mead’s Three Stages of development of Self

Stage 1: The Preparatory Stage

The first stage is the preparatory stage. The preparatory stage starts 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 (Rath, 2016). If a two-year old child can “read,” what he or she has
most likely done is memorized the book that had been rea to him or her. In a noontime TV show, Vic Sotto,
Allan K, Jose Manalo, use quite foul language like “bwisit,” “bastos!” “sira ulo,” and so is the language of a
child who hears them. Does he or she have any idea of what he/she is saying or doing? No, She/he is
mimicking. She/he is in the preparatory stage. If he/she had been an older child, the scenes in the segments of
the show would cause to have any humor. It works because he/she doesn’t understand the meaning behind
his/her words, actions, or tone of voice.

Stage 2: The 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 patintero or basketball (Rath, 2016). Playing a game with
children of this age is far easier to just go with any “rules” they come up with during the course of the game
than trying to enforce any “rules” upon them. Playing the never-ending Chinese garter with girls still do not
actually have one specific set of rules the same as last time played, and yet they still play the game while
adhering to these rules. During this stage, children play “pretend” as the significant other. This means that
when they play “bahay-bahayan”, they are literally pretending to be the mommy or the daddy that they know.

Stage 3: The Game Stage

The third stage is the game stage, which is from about age seven onwards. In this stage, children can begin to
understand an 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 “bahay-bahayan”, but are pretending to a mommy or a daddy independent of
the one that resides in their home.

2.2. The Looking-Glass Self: Our Sense of Self is Influenced by Others’ View of Us

The concept of the looking-glass self-states that part of how we ourselves come from our perception of how
others see us (Cooley, 1902)
According to the American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929), the degree of personal
insecurity you display in social situation is determined what you believe other think of you. Cooley’s concept of
the looking-glass self, states that a person’s self grows out of a person’s social interaction with other. The view
of ourselves comes from the contemplation of personal qualities and impression of how others perceive us,
actually, how we see ourselves does not come from who we really are, but rather from how we believe other see
us (Isaksen, 2013).
Sometimes, the influence other people’s appraisals of ourselves on our self-concept may be so strong that
we end up internalizing them. For example, we are often labelled in particular ways by other, perhaps
informally in terms of our ethnic background, or more formally in terms of a physical or psychological
diagnosis. The Labelling bias occurs when we are labelled and others views and others view and expectation of
us are affected by that labelling (Fox & Stinnet 1996) For example, if a teacher knows a child has been
diagnosed with a particular psychological disorder, that teacher may have different expectation of the child’s
behaviour than he or she would if not aware of that label.

2.2.1. Social Comparison Theory: Our Sense of Self is Influenced by Comparison with Others

Self-concept and self-esteem are also heavily influenced by the process of social comparison (Buunk &
Gibbons, 2007) Social comparison occurs when we learn about our relative social status by comparing our own
attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those others. These comparison can be with people who we know and
interact with, with those whom we read about or see on TV, or with anyone else we review as important,
However, the most meaningful comparison we make end to be with those we see as similar to ourselves
(Festinger, 1954).
NAME: ____________________________________________________________ DATE: ____________
COURSE/YEAR/SECTION:___________________________________________SCORE:____________

How do you negotiate your self-identity in the different social contexts you are into? Use the space provided
inside the box.

Negotiating My Self-Identify
Test I: Multiple Choices. Encircle the letter of your chosen answer.

1. It represents the self as subject, and the individual’s impluses.

A. “I” B.”Me” C.”You” D.”We”

2. In this stage, children can begin to understand and adhere to the rules of games
A. Game B. Language C. Play D. Preparatory

3. He is known for his concept of looking-glass self

A. Cooley B. Mead C. Erikson D. Freud

4. This occurs when one is labelled, the others’ view and expectation of an individual are affected by that
labelling
A. Internalized prejudice C. Self-Labelling
B. Labelling bias D. Social comparison

5. This occur when individuals turn prejudice directed towards them by others onto themselves
A. Internalized prejudice C.Self Labeling
B. Labeling bias D. Social comparison
Test II: Essay. Describe some aspects of your self-concept that have been created through social comparison.
Write down your thoughts and feeling in no less than 300 words.
 MODULE 4
ANTHROPOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

A group of brilliant Filipinos went to the United States as exchanges students. They were hosted by a
prestigious public university in Illinois. During the orientation, the students were introduced to a huge buffet
canteen of the university, and they were supposed to have hunch in that canteen for the duration of their first
American meal in the buffet canteen at the adjacent to the food line while clutching on one another and
everyone else in the line. Perhaps irritated by the clinging Asian to close him, one American gentlemen turned
his back and said firmly to the Filipino students “Distance please!”
This section deals with the Anthropology perspective of understanding the self. Anthropology is generally
defined as the study of humankind in all times and places. There are many branches of anthropology: this
includes archaeology, primatology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology and many other applied
anthropology. This section however, will only deal with the modern trends in anthropology especially in
understanding humankind in relation to their culture. Let us begin our study with the recognition of our own
cultural practices.

1. ANTHROPOLOGY

Anthropology is a study of all aspects of human condition. This includes human history, the present
human condition, and even the future possibilities. It also examines the biology, interactions in society,
language and especially culture (Kottak, 2009) Anthropology explores the interconnectedness and
interdependence of human cultural experience in all places and ages. This kind of broad and holistic perspective
of anthropology inquiry equips the anthropology the ascendancy in explaining human nature (Haviland, et,al,
2014).

Culture is traditionally defines as systems of human behavior and thought. This covers all customs,
traditions and capabilities of humans as they function in society. In other word, cultures are thise complex
structures of knowledge, beliefs, arts, religion, morals, law, language, traditional practices and all other aspects
needed by human to function in society.
Culture is symbolic. When our ancestors learned to use tools and symbols to originate meaning of
significant events in life and in society, those tool and symbols become an integral part of the culture.
Cultural therefore, is learned and is very much integrated in one’s customs and beliefs. It is engrained in
the patterns and systems of one’s life. Hence, if culture considers all aspects and elements of the self, people
must be on guard than culture can be adaptive or maladaptive. On the one hand, communities shall continue to
assess whether the practices ,rituals and customary actions are still continue to manifest the key central values
that the individual and the community want to demonstrate. On the other hand, communities may also try to get
rid of the cultural practices that will only extinguish the identity and good will of the community.
In order to do this, we have to understand the concept of enculturation. Broadly defined, enculturation is
the transmission of culture from one generation to the next. Unlike biological hereditary transmission, cultural
transmission is done through observation, use of language adaptation to environment, rituals, and formal and
informal education. Every member of the cultural practices that will only extinguish the identity and good will
of the community

2. THE SELF AND PERSON IN CONTEMPORARY ANTHROPOLOGY

The anthropology self takes a holistic dimension of the individual person. It considers both the biology
and environment aspects of the person. The genetic component plays a significant role in the cultural
development of an individual. Anthropologist even suggest that the genes of the person living in a particular
community are already a necessary component for the enculturation of the person. In the same way,
environment exposure is also a vital component in the creation of the cultural self. Some anthropologist claim
that environmental exposure start soon after birth. However, contemporary anthropologist suggest that the
environmental exposure start during conception. The child inside the mother’s womb already hears the
language, taste the food and feels the mother’s emotion. These experiences hen are solidified as soon the child
is born.
The growing years of the child is very crucial in anthropology perspective. This is the time when the
child develops the psychology construct of dependency or independency. In many western cultures where
independency is the cultural emphasis, the child is usually provided with a room and is rained to be independent
by giving less physical contact from parents or carers especially the mother, thus developing he sense of
dependence on significant others and the immediate community (like the family). These rearing practice are the
key to the development of the neuromotor functions of the child and this neuromotor circuitry is fundamental in
the formation of self-awareness.

2.1 SELF-AWARENESS
Anthropology defines self-awareness as “that which permit one to assume responsibility for one’s own
conduct, to learn how to react to others, and to assume a variety of roles’ (Haviland, 2003). It has been observe
that a child starts to conceptualize mush earlier by children sleeping with parents and are exposed to a variety of
stimuli like touch and the like. Stimulation is maximized when the child is in closed contact with the mother or
carer and all the other member of family. This develop the neural circuitry or hard wiring of the brain faster
than with the children with less stimulation. This is particularly advantageous for us Filipinos because most of
the time our cultural practice is to sleep with our parents until at least school age.

2.2 SELF BEHAVIORAL ENVIRONMENT

In order to strengthen the identity of the self, one must to able to grasp the different behavioural
orientation. These are concept that will help situate the self in different behavioural conditions. The four
environmental orientation are: object orientation, spatial orientation, temporal orientation and normative
orientation
Object orientation position the self in relation to the surrounding objects. The self should be able to act
responsively to the cultural object around. Take for example the T’boli, an indigenous group from South
Cotabato. They learn to respect the trees, the lakes, the falls and the animals of the forest. They believe in the
spirit of the forest hence they consider the woods as a holy ground where no leaf shall be turned as one walks
through.
3. THE SELF EMBEDDED IN CULTURE
When the self is able to distinguish what is acceptable behaviour and what is not, it only follows that the
self is already able to recognize the differences of one’s self-embedded in culture. Psychological anthropologist
recognize the thin line that distinguishes the cultural self and the “actual self”. The latter includes all the feeling,
thoughts, experiences, biological and psychological constitutions, language and memory. However the actual
self is also being shaped by all these same elements and more. Therefore what remains in this distinction is the
solid identity of the self to everything else.
The claim of the self is embedded in culture can only be embraced when the self recognizes its relation
to everything else. The complexity of cultural identities of peoples, things and events shall be recognize and
respected by the self. The individual self must remain reflexive of the similarities and unique difference of
everything around it. This shows that the self should not maintain the individual, independent and autonomous
entity but that self should be able to maintain his/her solid culturally reflexive identity in relation to everything
and everyone else. Anthropology recognizes the movement of this understanding toward plurality and
multiplicity of thoughts, beliefs, convictions, and practices.
This can be illustrated by few examples. One perhaps is the attitude of some indigenous people (IP)
especially the IP students enrolled in big university where they do not want to be recognized as IP or they do
not want to be identified as IP. This may lead to cultural degradation
Cultural degradation or more horribly cultural genocide mean the loss of a particular culture due to
assimilation or loss of interest. Assimilation happens when a dominant culture, the Ilocano culture for example,
is overshadowing the inferior culture meaning the culture possessed by lesser population living within the
Ilocano communities: the inferior culture will eventually lose its identity. As he result, we will not be surprise
when children do not know anymore how to speak their own indigenous dialect, or perform the ritual that were
used to be performed by the elders, or play traditionally instruments that were played by the indigenous
musicians, or to cook the indigenous delicacies prepared by tradition chefs to mention a few.
A very obvious example of cultural degradation is that brought about by excessive exposure to media in
various forms. Television for instance influences language, traditions, beliefs, knowledge and even
personalities. In judging beauty for, media proposes the following criteria:

 Face must be beautiful and unpimpled

 Hair must be black and silky
 Skin color must be fair and flawless
 Body must be slim and toned. Etc.

“Culture is also not a force or causal agent in the world, but a context in which people live out their
lives” (Clifford Geertz, 1973).
In conclusion, Anthropology liberates the self from the fallacies of dominant ideas. In this most
liberating science, the self is no longer seen as an entity with inmate ideas, ready to face the world, and as if
programed to respond to the demands of time. Likewise, the self is not seen as a blank state” ready to encode all
the details of everyday experience, so that it becomes limited only to hat is written on that slate. In
anthropology, the self is recognized as (1) biologically attuned to respond to his or her environment, (2)
variably self-aware of the mechanisms of the elements of culture working within self, and (3) self-reflexive of
the uniqueness and difference of all other selves and everything else around.
 ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

NAME: ____________________________________________________________ DATE: ____________

COURSE/YEAR/SECTION: ___________________________________________SCORE:____________

1. Mandala. Mandala is a Sanskrit word which means “disk” or a geometric that represents the universe.
In psychoanalysis, the term mandala is a circular figure that is usually filled with the person’s drawing
of his/her dreams or figures that represent the person’s search for the completeness and self-unity.

For this activity, you need to prepare 1 whole sheet of paper. Draw a big circle on the middle of the paper.
Make sure to maximize the space of the paper. Inside the circle, draw the most significant cultural influences
(e.g. materials, activities, celebrations, beliefs, influential person, etc) that have helped shape yourself into what
you are now.
NAME: ____________________________________________________________ DATE: ____________
COURSE/YEAR/SECTION: ___________________________________________SCORE:____________

2. Concept Map. Create an organized diagram that connects all the following terms:
Anthropology
a) Community
b) Culture
c) Human beings
d) Normative orientation
e) Rituals
f) Self
g) Self-awareness
h) Social issues
i) Tribes

Concept Map: Anthropology

 ASSESSMENT

NAME: ____________________________________________________________ DATE: ____________

COURSE/YEAR/SECTION: ___________________________________________SCORE:____________

True or False. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

A.________ Anthropologist emphasized that the self is purely cultural beings whose thoughts and actions are
prescribed by society

B.________ Cultural encompasses all aspects of the human being including art, language

C._________ Religion is NOT part of culture because anything that pertains to God and faith is holy and cannot
be subjected to scientific experimentation

D._________ In recognition of the uniqueness of the other person, one must be able to respect cultural practices
that involve violence and repression

E._________ Normative orientation speak of the self as reflexive of ethnical norms of the community.
 MODULE 5
PSYCHOLOGY INTRODUCTION

Most people would say that they do not want to talk about themselves. But in actuality, most people like
hearing life stories of another person as a chance to talk about themselves or to relate self to others. The famous
line of “Me, Myself and I” is often used in movies, animation and even in social media- as caption to pictures or
as shout-outs

The psychology of self focuses on the representation of an individual based on his/her experiences.
These experiences are either from the home, school and other groups, organizations or affiliation he/she
engaged in. Seemingly, the “self is one of the most heavily research areas in social and personality psychology,
where concepts are introduced that beyond our physical attribute, lies our psychological identity. Questions of
‘who am I” or “what am I beyond my looks?” are thoughts of many that continuously search for a deeper sense
of self which can be traced back from some time of human history. “Drawing on caves suggest that sometimes
during the dawn of history, human beings began to give serious thought to their nonphysical, psychological
selves. With the advent of written history, writers would describe this awareness of self in term of spirit, psyche,
or soul”(Parajes & Sehunck,2002)

1. THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTION

Cognitive Construction is a cognitive approach that focuses on the mental processes rather than the
observable behaviour. This approach will assist individual in assimilating new information to their existing
knowledge and will enable to make the appropriate modification to their existing intellectual framework to
accommodate their new information

1.1 WILLIAM JAMES AND THE ME-SELF, I-SELF

With the initiative of Wilhelm Wundt, the father of Scientific Psychology, scientific method in studying
what Aguirre et al. (2011) mentioned as ‘phenomenon of the consciousness’ urged interest in further studies of
the self and its role in human behaviour. It is in this time that William James’ classic distinction between the
self as knower (or pure ego) and self as known (or the empirical self) provides a useful scheme within which to
view the multitudinous aspects of self-functioning (oxfordbibliographies.com.2013)
W. James suggest the “total self of ‘Me’, being as it duplex” is composed of “partly subject” As a
consequence, he differentiated between the self as knower, or the “I”, and the self as known, or “Me”. He
referred to the “I” as pure ego and suggested that this component of self is consciousness itself. The “Me”, on
the other hand, is one of the many things that the I may be of, and it consists of three components, one physical
or material, one social, and one spiritual (Pajares & Schunck, 2002)
Material Self consists of things that belongs to us or that we belong to. Things like family, clothes, our
body, and money are some of what make up our material selves.
 Social Self our social selves are who we area in a given social situation. For James, people change how
they act depending on the social situation that they are in. James believed that people had as many social
situation they participated in.
Spiritual Self is who we are at our core. This spiritual self is more concrete or permanent than the other
two selves. The spiritual self is our subjective and intimate self. Aspects of an individual’s spirit self, include
things like his/her personality, core values, and conscience that do not typically change throughout a life
time.

1.2 GLOBAL VERSUS DIFFERENTIATED MODELS

There had been postulation that one’s self may be fragmented into different parts and different selves which
may be in conflict or need regulation from each other. Although W. James gave a very interesting perspective
on the self, and was even among the first writers to coin the term ‘Self-Esteem’, other theories emerged to study
on the selfhood as an integrated part of one’s psyche. In the past 30 years self-esteem has become deeply
embedded in popular culture (Brown & Marchall, 2006) It is a person’s overall self-evaluation or sense of
sense-worth.
Global Self-Esteem (a.k.a Trait self-worth) refers to temporary feelings or momentary emotional reactions to
positive and negative events where we feel good or bad about ourselves during these situation or experiences.
State Self-Esteem (a.k.a. Feelings of Self-worth), refers to temporary feelings or momentary emotional
reactions to positive and negative events where we feel good or bad about ourselves during these situations or
experiences.
Domain Specific Self-Esteem (a.k.a Self-evaluations) is focused on how people evaluate their various
abilities and attributes. This is making distinction or differentiation on how good or bad people are in specific
physical attributes, abilities and personal characteristics.

1.3 REAL AND IDEAL SELF CONCEPTS

The self as the regulating center of an individual’s personality and self-processes under the guide of id,
ego, superego, functioning (Pajares & Schunck, 2002) rocked Psychology as the biggest breakthrough in
understanding the psychological self. From this milestone, prominent psychologists followed with their own
perspective of the self to contest the roles and functions of ego as the self. These were the landmarks of
Contemporary Psychology and the understanding of the internal processes of man. A group of psychologist
called for renewed attention to inner experience, internal processes, and their capacity. These perspective assert
the overall dignity and worth of human beings and their capacity for self-realization (Hall, Lindzey, Loehlin, &
Manosevitz, 1997)
Karen Horney with her Feminine Psychology, established that a person has an ‘ideal self’, ‘actual self’
and the ‘real self’, she believed that everyone experience basic anxiety through which we experience conflict
and strive to cope and employ tension reduction approaches. Hall, et al. (1997) mentioned that Horney believed
people develop a number of strategies to cope with basic anxiety. Because people feel inferior, an idealized self-
image-an imaginary picture of the self as the possessor of unlimited powers and superlative qualities, is
developed. On other hand, the actual self, the person one is in everyday life, is often despised because it fails to
fulfil the requirement of the idealized image. Underlying both the idealized self and the actual self is the real
self, which is revealed only as a person begins to shed the various techniques developed to deal with basic
anxiety and to find ways to resolving conflicts. The real self is not an entity but a ‘force’ that impels growths
and self-realization.
Carl Rogers with his Person-Centered Theory, establish a concept of self, involving the Real Self (a.k.a
Self-concept) and Ideal Self. The Real Self includes all those aspects of one’s being and one’s experience that
are perceived in awareness (though not always accurately) by the individual (Feist, Feist & Robert, 2013) It is
the part of ourselves where we feel, think, look and act involving our self-image. On the other hand, the Ideal
Self revolves around goals and ambitions in life is dynamic, the idealized image that we have developed over
time. This is what our parents have taught us considering: what we admire in others, what our society promotes,
what we think are in our best interest.

A wide gap between the ideal self and the real self indicates incogruence and an unhealthy personality
(Feist et al.., 2013). If the way that I am (the real seld) is aligned with the way that I want to be (the ideal self)
then I will feel a sense of mental well-being or peace of mind. If the way that I am is not aligned with how I
want to be, the incongruence, or lack of alignment, will result in mental distress or anxiety The greater the level
of incongruence between the ideal self and real self, the greater is the level of resulting distress.

1.4 MULTIPLE VERSUS UNIFIED SELVES

Postmodern psychology content that man has an identity that shifts and morphs in different social
situation and in response to different stimuli, as Kenneth Gergen argues that having a flexible sense of self in
different context is more socially adaptable than force oneself to stick to one self-concept (etlsites.uga.edu,
2016, danie law)
Theorist believed that there is no one answer to the question. “Who am I?” as one person can undergo several
transition in his life and create multiple versions of himself. However, there is still the contention of the
importance of mental well-being, of maintaining a unified, centralized, coherent self. Multiple Selves, according
to K. Georgen are that capacities we carry within us from multiple relationship. These are not ‘discovered’ but
‘created’ in our relationships with other people.
Unified Selves, as strongly pointed out in Traditional Psychology emphasizes that well-being comes
when our personality dynamics are congruent, cohesive and consistent. It is understood that a person is
essentially connected with selfhood and identity. In a healthy person the ego remains at helm of the mind,
coherent and organized, staying at the center (ctlsites.uga.edu,2016, danielaw)

1.5 TRUE SERSUS FALSE SELVES

Donald W. Winnicott, distinguished what he called the “true self” from the “false self” in the human
personality, considering the true self as based on sense of being in the experiencing body and the false self as a
necessary defensive organization, a survival kit, a caretaker self, the means by which a threatened person has
manage to survive (Klein, 1994)

True Self has a sense of integrity, of connected who wholeness that harks to the early stage False Self is
used when the person has no comply with external rules, such as being polite or otherwise following social
codes. The false self constantly seeks to anticipate demands of other in order to maintain the relationship. The
Healthy False Self is functional, can be compliant but without the feeling that it has betrayed its true self. The
Unhealthy False Self fits in but through a feeling of forced compliance rather than loving adaptation
(changingminds.org 2016) False Selves, as an investigated by Heinz Kohut (1971) can lead towards narcissistic
personality, which identifies with external factors at the cost of one’s own autonomous creativity.

2. THE SELF AS PROACTIVE AGENTIC

Social Cognitive Theory takes an agentic view of personality, meaning that humans have the capacity to
exercise control over their own lives. People are self-regulating proactive, self-reflective, and self-organizing
and that they have the power to influence their own actions to produce desired consequences. People
consciously act on their environment in a manner that permits growth toward psychological health. An adequate
theory of personality, according to G. Allport must allow for poractive behaviour (Feist et al., 2013)
Agent Self - The agent is known as the executive function that allow for actions. This is how we, as
individuals, make choices and utilize our control in situation and actions. The agent self, resides over everything
that involves decision making, self-control, taking charge in situations, and actively responding. A person might
desire to eat unhealthy foods. However, it is his/her agent self that allows person to choose to avoid eating then
and make a healthier food choice (Baumeister & Bushman 2011).
Human agency is not a thing but an active process of exploring, manipulating and influencing the
environment in order to attain desired outcomes. According to Albert Bandura) forethought (setting goals,
anticipation of outcomes of actions, selection of behaviors to produce outcomes and avoiding undesirable ones),
self-reactiveness (monitoring progress toward fulfilling choices), self-reflective (examination of own
functioning, evaluation of the effect of other people’s action on them) these lead to self-efficacy, the belief that
they are capable of performing actions that will produce a described effect (Fiest, et al 2013)

Self-Efficacy lies in the center of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. It is the measure of one’s ability
to complete goals. People with high self-efficacy often are eager to accept challenges because they believe they
can overcome them. While people with low self-efficacy may avoid challenges, or believe experience are more
challenging than they actually are (appsychtextbk.wikispaces.com, 2014)
 ACTIVITY 1

Make a collage of your “Ideal Self” and “Real Self”. Use cut-out magazine pictures or use your drawing skills
to create a collage that represents your “two selves”. Next, have a friend or family member make a collage of
your “Actual Self”. Compare them an see what you will learn about yourself

ACTIVITY 2

Pick any song you think is relevant. This can be pop, R&B, classic, rock, country or whatever you like. Write
the lyrics down and analyse how the Multiple Selves were depicted in the song
 ASSESSMENT

NAME: ____________________________________________________________ DATE: ____________

COURSE/YEAR/SECTION: ___________________________________________SCORE:____________

Test I: Multiple Choices. Encircle the letter of your chosen answer.

1. It refers to the ‘self’ as the pure ego

a. “I” b. “Me’

2. He was among the first who coined the term ‘self-esteem’

a. George Berkeley b. William James

3. He proposed that ideal self is one’s aspiration to become

a. Mischel b. Rogers

4. He contends that a person has multiple rather than unified selves

a. Gergen b. Freud

5. The differentiated model of self is stating the presence of

a. permanent reactions b. temporary reactions
Test II: Essay. Which among the theories on ‘Self as a Cognitive Construction’, explains best your personality
dynamics? Write down your thoughts and feelings in no less than 300 words.