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UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

MODULE 3: Unfolding
the Social Self

This module focuses on the social aspects of the self. As social beings, individuals
interact with others and relate themselves to other people. Social institutions and
environments significantly contribute to one’s identity and self-development. Among
millenial learners, technology and the internet have significantly influenced their social
environments and, consequently, their sense of self. In this module, the cultural, digital,
and economic aspects of one’s life and how they influence a person’s social self will be
put to light. This module aims to provide learners with a deeper understanding of
themselves through a socio-cultural perspective.

Section 1: The Social Self

This section discusses the social and environmental factors that shape oneself. This
included environmental systems, cultural orientations, and other social factors that play
a crucial role to one’s self.

 The Self and Its Social Agency

 Human development is largely influenced by membership in crucial social
groups that shape various aspects of the self; from belief systems, values
orientation, and behavior.

 At the beginning of life, one already belongs to a social group: his/her family. It

is the most pervading influential social group that impacts the self in its entire course
of development. The views one holds about the world, values upheld in making
choices ane decisions, and the habits and persistent behavior one carries have
been formed in the context of one’s family and home environment.

 Next to family, schools and the general academic environment form a

sgnificant part of the social self. Worldviews expand as one gets exposed to more
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people in different social learning environment. Knowledge and social skills gained
from mentors, relatives, and peers contribute to how the social self is harnessed.

 Aside from one’s family and school environments, communities also shape

one’s social self to a large extent.

 The social seld inevitably changes as one accomodates and eventually

assimilates beliefs promoted by the society as he/she thinks, appreciates, and
behaves according to standards set by micro and macrosystems.

 Culture

 “Culture is the complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, law, art moral,
custom, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”

(Tylor, 1871)

 To further understand the nature of culture and its influences on oneself, the
following models illustrate how culture functions in relation to one’s social self.

 Biological Systems Theory

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 Urie Bronfenbenner’s (1935) Biological Systems of Development explains
an individual’s social development, using biological, environmental, and ecological
lenses.
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 Individualism-Collectivism Model

 Another model that highlights the impact of

culture to the self is the Individualism-Collectivism model proposed by Hazel
Markus and Shinobu Kitayama (1991).

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 According to the model, individualism as an orientation focuses on one’s
individual attributes and personal distinctiveness. People who
are individualistic are observed to be competitive and self-reliant. On the other
hand, the collectivist orientation values relationships and harmony. People who are
collectivistic prioritize interests to maintain healthy relationships.
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 I vs. Me

 One’s behavior when he or she is alone differs from his or her behavior
when he or she is with others.

 This is what Herbert Mead (1934) posited in his theory of the social self.
He posited that the self is divided into 2 parts: the I which is known as the
unsocialized self, and the Me which is known as the socialized self.

 The I is manifested when one acts naturally for his/her own motivations
and not because of others. On the other hand, the Me is the awareness of how
others expect one to behave. This is also known as the social self.

 These different models present ideas on the process of the self’s social
development. Studying these models helps in understanding oneself and other
people. It is not ideal, however, to generalize a certain culture based on these
models.

Section 2: The Socio-Digital Self

This section examines the role of technology and the internet in shapong an
individual’s social self, with emphasis on the use of social media platforma and
membership in virtual communities. This section highlights the crucial role of the
internet in forming the self and identity of millennial learners.

 The Self in the Age of Technology

 Social media is defined as the websites and applications that make it easier to
create and share information, ideas, and interests. It also allows people to create
other forms of self-expression via virtual communities and networks.

 Through the use of social media, people may act differently since interaction in
social media does not happen face-to-face and there is no physical presence
required. This is called online disembodiment. With this, people are less likely to
display their real “selves” to others, especially to strangers.

 Digital Identity
 People generally have role identities. These are the characters and roles an
individual creates as a member of a particular social group. Following this definition,
“self” is composed of identities ranked by importance. The greater the commitment
of an individual to a particular identity, the greater the importance of this identity.
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 In an online environment, one’s role identity is vitally important in order for
him/her to project himself/herself in the said environment. Amidst the technological
tools and channels surrounding individuals and online activities that people engage
in, one’s online identity enables him/her to participate in a virtual society.

 However, participation in virtual environments may entail changes that may

affect a person’s sense of self. In some cases, people present themselves
differently in online interactions as compared to the face-to-face interactions they
engage in.

 Online Disinhibition Effect

 When people adopt fake identities, they are likely to engage in behaviors that
they would not do in real life interactions, known as online disinhibition. 

 There are 2 main categories of behaviors that fall under online disinhibition:

1. Benign disinhibition. It occurs when people tend to self-disclose more on

the internet than they would in real life or go out of their way to help someone or
show kindness.

2. Toxic disinhibition. People take part of this when they use rude

language, bully or threaten others on online platforms, and go to websites with
contents of violence, crime, and pornography.

 Managing Responsible Online Behavior

 How can one behave responsibly online? The following are some suggestions:
1. Do not post or send anything that will embarrass you. 
2. Avoid posting statements when experiencing strong emotions. 
3. Do not hang out with the “wrong crowd” online. 
4. Do not hang out with the “wrong crowd” offline.
5. Be careful with over sharing, especially confidential information that may
be used irresponsibly.
6. Respect other people in the online community. 

Section 3: The Material/Economic Self

This section focuses on how people maintain extensions of themselves through
material possessions and maintenance of particular lifestyles. In the context of what the
society values as needs and wants, this section discusses how an individual acquires
goods, the factors that shape his/her economic decisions, and what these things say
about one’s sense of self.
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 People are likely to purchase products that can relate to their personality. Material
possessions signify some aspects of one’s sense of self and identity.

 Possessions, tell a lot about their owners. Thus, one’s sense of self and identity is
influential on how an individual chooses to purchase his/her wants and how he/she
makes economic decisions that will address his/her personal and social needs

 The decisions that go into the purchase of items and certain services is dependent
on a number of factors, including financial constraints, availability of items and
services, and the influence of family and friends.

 However, the most important factor is determining whether these items and
services fall under:

 Wants. Synonymous with luxuries. People buy them for reasons that do not
warrant necessity.

 Needs. These are importants for survival. Food, clothing, and shelther are
basic needs so people purchase them out of necessity.

 In the process of acquiring material goods, people generally consider 2 things:

 Utility. Concerned with how things serve a practical purpose.

 Significance. Concerned with the meaning assigned ro the object. It is also

concerned with how objects become powerful symbols or icons of habit and ritual
which can be quite separate from their primary function.

 To further understand the term significance, Roland Barthes studied the concept

of semiology or the study of signs. According to him, it is through objects that people
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assert their identities. This idea suggests that objects, aside from contributing to how
individual identities himself/herself, also signify relationships of people with others
based on what they possess.

 The possession of material things also indicates one’s status in the society. These
personal choices build one’s material and economic self which is an extension of
his/her social identity.