Study Guide in Understanding The Self Module 2 The Self From Various Perspective/ The Self As

a Product of Modern Society Among Other Constructions

Module No. 2
MODULE TITLE

The Self From Various Perspectives

The Self As a Product of Modern Society among Other Constructions

MODULE OVERVIEW

In this chapter, the student will understand the construct of the self from various disciplinal
perspectives. The student will also reflect on a concrete experience on a holistic point of view.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, you are expected to:

 Discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from various
disciplinal perspectives;
 Compare and contrast how the self has been represented across different disciplines and
perspectives;
 Examine the different influences, factors, and forces that shape the self; and
 Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the development of one’s self
and identify by developing a theory of the self.

LEARNING CONTENTS

Different Perspective in the Explanation of Self

 The Self As a Product of Modern Society among Other Constructions
Key Characteristics of Modernity
Social groups and Social Network
 Mead and the Social Self
Developing the Self
Two Sides of self: “I” and “Me”

LEARNING POINTS

THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF MODERN SOCIETY AMONG OTHER

CONSTRUCTIONS

Sociologists are concerned with questions about the person in the community. For example,
they ask questions, like “ How does society influence you?” How do yo affect society?” More
importantly, “Who are you as a person in the community/” Sociologist posits that socially formed

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 1

Study Guide in Understanding The Self Module 2 The Self From Various Perspective/ The Self As
a Product of Modern Society Among Other Constructions

norms, beliefs, and values come to exist within the person to a degree where these become natural
and normal (Elwell, 2003), thus developing the person’s self-identity.
Modernization has significantly changed society, and this has affected how an individual
builds and develops his or her self-identity. Pre-modern society was centered on survival. People
behaved according to social rules and traditions while the family and the immediate environment
provided supervision on how to get through life.

Key Characteristics of modernity

According to Giddens (1991), the most patent, major characteristics of modernity are:
1. Industrialism, the social relations implied in the extensive use of material power and machinery
in all processes of production;
2. Capitalism, a production system involving both competetive product markets and the
commodification (putting a price tag) of labor power.
3. Institutions of Surveillance, the massive increase of power and reach by institutions,
especially in government; and
4. Dynamism, the most evident characteristic of a modern society. Dynamism is characterized as
having vigorous activity and progress. In a modern society, life is not a predetermined path with
limited options based on location, family, or gender, it is a society full of possibilities. Everything
is subject to change, and changes happen much more rapidly than ever before in human history.

SOCIAL GROUPS AND SOCIAL NETWORK

Sociologist George Simmel expressed that people create social networks by joining social groups.
Social group is described as having two or more people interacting with one another, sharing similar
characteristics, and whose members identify themselves as part of the group. An example of a social group
is your family, your barkada, your classmates. Meanwhile, social network refers to the ties or connections
that link you to your social group.

Two types of social group

 Organic Group
Naturally occurring and it is highly influenced by your family. This is usually formed in traditional
societies because there is little diversity in these communities. Sociologist George Simmel stated that you
join these groups because your family is also a part of it, in the first place. He called it organic motivation.

 Rational Groups
Occur in modern societies. Modern societies are made up of different people coming from different
places. Rational Groups are formed as a matter as a shared self-interests; moreover, people join these groups
out of their own free will. Simmel called this rational motivation.

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 2

Study Guide in Understanding The Self Module 2 The Self From Various Perspective/ The Self As
a Product of Modern Society Among Other Constructions

MEAD AND THE SOCIAL SELF

“A multiple personality is in a certain sense

normal.”

-George Herbert Mead

George Herbert Mead was a sociologist from the late 1800s.He is well known for his
“theory of the Social Self.” mead’s work focused on how the “self is developed. His theory is
based on the perspective that the self is a product of social interactions and internalizing the
external (i.e., other people’s) views along with one’s personal view about self. Mead believed the
“self” is not present at birth; rather it develop over time through social experiences and activities.

Three Stages of Self-development According to Mead:

1. Language stage- through shared understanding of symbol, gestures, and sound, language gives the
individual the capacity to express himself or herself while at the same time comprehending what the other
people are conveying.
2. Play stage- at this level, individuals role-play or assume the perspective of others. Role-playing enables the person
to internalize some other people’s perspectives; hence he or she develops an understanding of how the other people
feel about themselves (and about others, too) in a variety of situations.
3. Game stage- the level where the individual not only internalizes the other people’s perspectives, he or she is also
able to take into account societal rules and adheres to it. According to Mead, the self is developed by understanding the
rule, and one must abide b it to win the game or be successful at an activity..

TWO SIDES OF THE SELF: “I” and “ME”

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 3

Study Guide in Understanding The Self Module 2 The Self From Various Perspective/ The Self As
a Product of Modern Society Among Other Constructions

According to mead, “me” is the product of what the person has learned while interacting
with others and with the environment. Learned behaviors, attitudes, and even expectations
comprise the “me”. The “me” exercises social control over the self. I sees to it that rules are not
broken.
On the other hand, the “I” is that part of the self is unsocialized an spontaneous. It is the
individual’s response to the community’s attitude towards the person. The “I” presents impulses
and drives.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

See Assignment Tab

REFERENCES

Otig, Vergie S. (2018). A holistic approach in understanding the self. Malabon City: Mutya Publishing
House.

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 4