Understanding the Self

Culture and the Self

BUPC-BSN 1-C

OVERVIEW OF CONTENT
I. Objective
II. What is Culture
III. Cultural Influences on the Self
IV. Differerences in Cultural Orientation
a. Individualism
b. Collectivism
V. Independent View of Self vs. Interdependent view of Self
VI. Key concept

Objective: Discuss how culture shapes our concept of Self

What is Culture

Culture refers to customary behavior and beliefs that are passed on through
enculturation, wherein enculturation is the social process which culture is learned
and transmitted. It is a way of living thus it provides infinite role in the
development of self and cultural identity.

Cultural Influences on the Self

How we see ourselves shapes our lives, and is shaped by our cultural context.
Self-perceptions influence, among other things, how we think about the world, our
social relationships, health and lifestyle choices, community engagement,
political actions, and ultimately our own and other people's well-being.

Cultural change directly affects individual and group identity as well as self-
concept. ·different cultures and varying environment tend to create different
perceptions of the “self” and one of the most common distinctions between
cultures and people is the Eastern-vs-Western dichotomy wherein Eastern
represents Asia and Western represents Europe and Northern America.
 Differences in Cultural Orientation

One’s cultural orientation has a huge influence on how the citizens of

that culture defines themselves

INDIVIDUALISM

Individualism includes the sense of independence, self-reliance and

assertiveness. Individualistic cultures are those that stressed the
needs of the individual over the needs of the group as a whole. In this
type of culture, people are seen as independent and autonomous.
Social behavior tends to be dictated by the attitudes and preferences
of individuals.

"A squeaky wheel gets the grease." When people say that the squeaky
wheel gets the grease, they mean that the person who complains or
protests the loudest attracts attention and service. If you need
something, speak up and if you want something, demand it.

"The only person you can rely on is yourself." ·Individualistic cultures

stressed that people should be able to solve problems or accomplish
goals on their own without having to rely on assistance from others.
People are often expected to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps"
when they encounter setbacks and that’s just another way of saying
that you need to be self-reliant, nobody’s gonna help you, you need to
help yourself.

 COLLECTIVISM

Collectivism focuses in interdependence, cooperation and social

harmony. In general they think, what’s good for the group takes
highest priority. In collectivistic culture, individuals are seen as
embedded within their group identity, and the notion of a separate,
autonomous self is deemphasized. Even an individual’s physical
appearance is often seen as not only a reflection of the individual’s
own internal self but also a representation of the family, extended
family, and perhaps even the Asian community as a whole.

“A nail that stands out gets pounded down” or “the raised nail gets
hammered down." The saying means that if one is like the others no
harm will occur, but if you stick out, you’ll get attacled. I mean, that’s
exactly the opposite of how Americans feel. Americans want people to
stand out, they want their children to stand out, they want them to
speak up but here in Asian cultures if you’re different you’re gonna get
pounded down because you need to conform with the rest of the
group. Like you’re one of us.

Individualism stresses one’s goals and personal ideas. This concept

emphasizes that each person should live the life they want to, act on
their judgment and pursue their values in a way they prefer. On the
other hand, collectivism stresses group goals and group think; thus,
collectivism values what is best for personal relationships and the
entire group over the individuals that are part of it.


INDEPENDENT vs. INTERDEPENDENT VIEW OF SELF

When we talk about independent view of the self, they see the self as
this distinct thing from some of their other roles like mother, father,
sibling, classmate and teacher, and also friends. But in
interdependent view you cannot untangle these things, my role as a
sibling, my role as a friend, my role as a classmate is much more
entangled in how I view myself.

KEY CONCEPT:

Different cultures have different orientations and those orientations

greatly influence how we view ourselves.