2 The Western and Eastern Concepts of Self By: Asst. Prof. Noreen P. Echague, RGC, RPm I. OVERVIEW This chapter outlines the Western and Eastern concepts of self and how they differ and agree on certain perspective. The Western thoughts tend to view the self as autonomous, unitary, and stable. In contrast, in Eastern thought, the emphasis is relational rather than individualistic. The self is considered not in isolation but in relation to others, society, and the universe. One unique feature of Easter is its great reverence for nature, The Western conceptualization of the self is presented in the four aspects and divided into three periods of historical development while the Eastern concepts of the self presented based on the four great systems of Eastern thought: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. One of the most effective ways to learn about oneself is by taking seriously the culture of others. It forces you to pay attention to those details of life which differentiate them from you. -Edward T. Hall Il, LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the chapter, you should be able to: 1, Recognize how individuals view the self as a product of socialization. 2, Understand how culture and self are complementary concepts. 3. Identify the western and eastern concepts of self. 4, Understand the western and eastern concepts of self as a way of life; and 5, Examine your own conceptualization of self.B DISCUSSION Glimpse on Sociological and Anthropological Perspectives of Self Sociological Sociology is a part of everyday life, The self is a relatively stable set of perceptions of who we are in relation to ourselves, others, and to social systems. The self is socially constructed in the sense that it is shaped through interaction with other people. Monilla and Ramirez (2018), explained that the sociological perspective of the self assumes that human behavior is influenced by group life. A view of oneself is formed through interactions with other people, groups, or social institutions. How sociology impacts students’ everday lives and provide a pathway to self uderstanding of “who you are and “what you are” in contemporary society. True enough, modernization has significantly changed society, and this has affected how individual builds and develops his or her self-identity. Futhermore, according to Monilla and Ramirez, (2018), sociology as a scientific study of social groups and human relationships generates new insights into the interconnectedness between the self and other people. Hence, sociologist offer theories to explain how the self emerges as a product of social experience. Anthropological As defined by Monilla and Ramirez (2018), anthropology is concerned with how cultural and biological processes interact to shape human experience. Contemporary anthropologists believe that culture and self are complementary concepts that are to be understood in relation to one other. Also, the work of Otig, Gallinero, Bataga, et al., (2018), reported that how individuals see themselves, how they relate to other people, and how they relate to the environment are deeply defined by culture. If one finds the view that the ‘self’ is a product of society, then it is plausible that the ways of how the self is developed are bound to cultural differences as well. In short, the self as embedded in culture, Moreover, Haviland et al., (as cited in Monilla and Ramirez, 2018) explained that anthopology considers human experience as an interplay of “nature”, referrings to genetic inheritance which sets the individul's potentials, and ‘nurture’, referring to the sociocultural environment. Therefore, it could be understood that both biological and cultural factors have significant influence on the development of self-awareness among individuals within the society. This could be the answer to the question, “Who am |?”.14 Western Concept of Self Geertz (as cited in Monilla and Ramirez, 2018) defined the Western concept of self as “a bounded, unique, more or less integrated motivational and cognitive universe, a dynamic center of awareness, emotion, judgment, and action organized into a distinctive whole and set contrastively both against other such wholes and against its social and natural background” Moreover, Ho (as cited in Monilla and Ramirez, 2018) described the Westem self as an individualistic self that is deeply aware of itself, its uniqueness, sense of direction, purpose, and volition. The selfis located at the center within the individual through which the world is perceived. The self is also seen as “an entity distinct from other selves and other entities". This implies that the self belongs to the individual and to no other. The focus is always looking toward the self. The Western concept of seff is holistically defined in terms of the following aspects. This is how the term ‘self" is used in contemporary western discussion, according to Johnson and Goldin (as cited in Otig et al., 2018) 1. Western Self as Analytic - this is the “tendency to see reality as an aggregate of parts.” The “self" is an observer separate and distinct from external objects (Me versus Other). This implies that the Western way of thinking is analytic-deductive with emphasis on the causal links (part-to-whole relationships). The whole is understood when differentiated into parts. One must categorize and make distinctions to pursue cause (Monilla and Ramirez, 2018) 2. Western Self as Monotheistic - it involved the tendency toward unitary explanations of phenomena and a closed- system view of “self’ as modeled after a unitary, omnipotent power (‘Man was created by God, in His image). According to Monilla and Ramirez (2018), this is the belief in one Supreme being coexisting with the universe condenses the supernatural and human capabilities into bipolarity of both qualities and existence (e.g. beautifullugly; kind/cruel; sacred/profane; strongiweak; etc.) and categories of identity or experience (e.g., God/Satan; body/soul; love/lust; sinner/saint; etc.) 3. Western Self as Individual ic = this is a quality of western thinking where self-expressiona and self-actualization are important ways of establishing who one is, as well as in finding satisfaction in the world. Monilla and Ramirez (2018) explained that Western individualism exhibits the coexistence of favorable and unfavorable conditions inherent in personal freedom. Although the right to individual freedom provides opportunities15 for self-fulfilment, it also increases the likelihood of experiencing alienation and frustration. 4, Western Self as Material ic and Rationalistic - Western thinking tends to discredit explanations that do not use anayltic- deductive modes of thinking. According to Monilla and Ramirez (2018), the western way of thinking is focused on material "things" and favors a rational- empirical approach over magical and superstitious explanations of immaterial “things” The Historical Development of the Western Concept of Self (Monilla and Ramirez. 2018. Understanding the Self) Stage Period Historical Development 1 | Pre-christian | eThere were philosophical and theological attempts to characterize times until 1850 | the self through the concepts of soul and mind with emphasis on conscious experience of the individual, distinction between physical and mental nature of man (mind-body dualism), and the causality of human behavior, 2 1850-1940 | The establishment of experimental psychology in mid-nineteenth century led to a change in emphasis from abstract concepts of soul and mind to observable and measurable aspects of human faculties. The concept of self re-emerged within the social-interactionist framework in the early the early 1900s. 3 | 1940-present | eThere is multidirectional and continuous development of concept of self: a. Sociological and psychological theories of self encompass all three levels of self, namely inner self, interpersonal self, social self. b. Existentialists and phenomenologists, both in philosophy and psychology, engaged in holistic approach integrating the inner, interpersonal, and social aspects of self. c. At present, there is convergence in some conceptualization of the self among psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists, philosophers, and linguists whose studies focus on the actual, multivariate, and situational contexts of the self employing new frameworks and methodologies.