BICOL UNIVERSITY POLANGUI CAMPUS

POLANGUI, ALBAY

GEC 11 │ UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

WEEK: __3__

STUDENT’S NAME: __________________________________________

YEAR AND BLOCK: __________________________________________

DATE RECEIVED: __________________________________________

INSTRUCTOR’S NAME: _________MRS. ROSARIO A. GONZALES________

 I. OVERVIEW

Anthropology:
 The Self and Person in Contemporary Anthropology
 The Self Embedded in Culture
Module 3 discusses the building identity of the self embedded in culture. There are various anthropologist that will be discussed in this module. Let us first read the
write ups of Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz (1997) in her compilation of distinctively Filipino traits. Go through it and rate your level being a Filipino.
How Filipino Are You?
You are a Filipino if:
1. Your names consist of repeated syllables such as Junjun, Lingling, and Monmon; and you call the parents of your friends and your own parents’ friends “Tito” and
“Tita”.
2. Your house is having a living room decorated with framed diplomas, certificates, and plaques; you recycle plastic shopping bags as garbage bags; and you keep a
(tabo) dipper in your bathroom.
3. You think a meal is not a meal without rice; that sandwiches are snacks, not meals; and you feel compelled to anyone who sees you eating with the words “Let’s eat.”
4. You collect items from airlines, hotels, and restaurants as souvenirs; and you feel compelled to give pasalubong to all your friends and relatives each time you return
home from a trip.
5. You are a fashion victim; you can’t make a purchase without haggling; you can’t resist buying items on sale – even if you don’t need them.
6. You point with your lips; you greet one another by raising your eyebrows or tossing your head; you cover your mouth when you laugh; you respond to a “Hoy!” or a a
“Pssst!” in a crowd; and instead of “I beg your pardon?” you say “Ha?”.
7. You are always late; and you say “Maybe” or “I’ll try” when actually you mean “No”;
8. In bathing you use pumice stone (panghilod) to clean the body,
Source: NeniSta. Romana-Cruz, You Know You’re a Filipino if…A Pinoy Primer, 1997.

These practices or traits apparent to every Filipino and unique among Filipinos. It cannot be considered as culture without it being practiced by a large or significant
number of a people. In the same manner, for a trait to be distinctively unique, it must be culturally different from the rest of other societies. Otherwise, it must be regarded as
simply a personal habit, not out of one’s adherence to socially-accepted behavior. Filipino traits showed the likelihood of formation of self-concept that identifies with the
prevailing cultural identity by which one belongs.

II. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the week, the student should be able to:

 Compare and contrast how the self has been presented across the different disciplines and perspectives.
III. DISCUSSIONS AND
SELF LEARNING
ACTIVITIES (SAA)
ASSIMILATION – the process of
embracing a new culture and regarding
the same as part of the existing culture.

AMALGATION – a social process of

culture pertains to the complete blending
of two cultures, which leads to the birth
of the new breed of culture.

Different Ways of Accepting Culture: of anything that comes from societies

Ethnocentrism- the belief that
one’s own culture is relatively
superior compared to the culture of
another.
-By embracing this belief system,
most people of this society usually
develop psychological trauma
known as “xenophobia” or the
fear
other than their own. A person may
also experience “culture shock”.
Culture shock is a situation where an
individual encounters a culture very
much different from his own, which
leads to his own disorientation or
disorganization (Panopio and
Raymundo, 2004:72).
Xenocentrism- the belief that one’s
own culture is relatively inferior
compared to the culture of another
society.
People having this kind of belief are
apparently more accepting and
accommodating to other culture, and
would take outside culture as part of
their own. Most sociologist call this
mindset as “colonial mentality”.
 IV. SUMMARY/KEY POINTS

Culture is a way of living thus it provides infinite role in the development of self and cultural identity.
Cultural change directly affects individual and group identity as well as self- concept.
Culture humanizes the self. The self adheres to the cultural standards (particularly normative) set by each society.
Ethnocentrism and xenocentrism are indicators of the influences of culture to the self.
Assimilation, enculturation, acculturation, deculturation, and amalgation directly affect the formation of sense of self.

V. END OF MODULE
ASSESSMENT (EMA)

“You” Through the Eyes of Others

This activity has three parts that try to compare how we look at ourselves against how people perceive us depending on how we present ourselves to them. For the first
part, list ten to fifteen (10-15) qualities or things that you think define who you are around the human figure representing you.
 For the second part, in the space below, write “I am _________________(your first name),___________________ nickname . Who do you think I am based on what you
see me do or hear me say?” Pass your questions to those around you to minimum of at least five persons. Ask them to send message briefly description about you and only
those they observe.

Third part, analysis. Compare what you wrote about yourself to those written about yourself. What aspects are similar and which are not? What aspects do you think are
not really part of your personality? Write your answers below.

VI. LOOKING AHEAD

Do a research or ask from your parents or elder siblings and list ten (10) things to boost your self-esteem or improve your self-concept. Cite your sources. Analyze which
of those tips are more likely to backfire and make someone conceited or narcissistic and revise them to make the statements both helpful to the individual as well as society
in general.
 VII. Self and Module
Evaluation

Rate your learning experience in using this module according to the following scale.

Put a star mark on your response.

____4 – I learned a lot from this module.

____3 – I learned just right.

____2 – I still need guidance on certain topics.

____1 – I did not understand anything.

VIII. References

Books and Websites:

Alata,Caslilb, Serafica & Pawilen (2018). Understanding the Self. Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Bookstore, Inc. (RBSI).
Milagros F. Frando, PhD & Lalaine Arceno-Isip (2019). Understanding the Self. Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.

Truzo, Nathaniel, Diamal, Regina and Mier, Nara (2017). Module 3 Anthropology and the Study of Culture.
Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/NaraMier/module-3-anthropology-and-the-study-of-culture

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