WHAT I the Selt trom Varios Perspectives (B. Seolology) Objectives: 7% Re 1. Explain the relationship between self and society, ol EEL 2. Describe how society shapes the self, 3. Differentiate how the self can be influenced by the different institutions in the society specifically, the family; and 4, Practice open-mindedness in dealing with changes brought by social advancement especially te gender issues. Introduction Knowing about the philosophical standpoint of self, surely you have now made your own perspective of self which might be a product of mixed philosophical theories or a sole assertion of what you are from a philosopher's presupposition. Notwithstanding, the self which is within each human being, is affected by the kind of environment where it is involved. ‘The main culprit in its changing entity is its interaction towards other people. The saying “tell me who your friends are and 'll tell you who you are,” is an example of a social influence. Thus, it is deemed necessary to leam how the self is affected by the external forces through knowing it in its social context that is, the inevitable power that moulds self into how it becomes. Let’s start first with the definition of society. Society according to some sociologists consists of all the people who share a distinct and continuous way of life & think of themscives as one united people. It implies that group of people does not constitute a society unless it has the characteristics mentioned. As a member of the society, a child will grow and lead a life based on what the society offers to teach. The preanesaES oo ions ia ioe child’s mind. As the child interacts with the ety, he/she imbibed the society's beliefs, values and practices.awareness or the ability to see ourselves as others see us and react is learned. He argues that the self or awareness of who we are occurs in two related aspects. First is the 1 aspect which refers to the opinion of ourselves when we respond to the behaviour of others. It is known as the unsocialized self which is usually spontaneous and compulsive It is our natural self which governs our actions based on what we think should be done. A child who is eating a pizza would try to put 1 slice on his/her mouth, barely chewing it and unmindfully let some specks stay on his/her face because he/she is too hungry and just wanted to be satisfied. The I self responds immediately to what it think it should do in order to satisfy his/her hunger regardless of the reaction of others. The second is the ME aspect. It is the awareness of how others expect us to behave in a certain situation. The ME is our socialized self that makes us concerned about how people will judge us. A child learned that even he/she is hungry, a bite one at a time can still ease his/her hungriness. Chewing it slowly and wiping his/her face to take off some specks show good manner. The socialized self according to Mead is leaned based on the standards set by the society. Self in Families and Erikson's Psychosocial Theory An innocent child is born in the merciful hands of his/her family. Aside from the inherited genes from the parents, the nurturing process is the most crucial part in the formation of the child’s self. The basic human skills in line with the child’s global development are first learned at home. The parents and the other immediate members of the family introduced the child to his/her new world starting from the comers of his/her home and the elements within (language, manners, etcetera). Once the child stepped out from his/her home, a more complicated world awaits, gradually interfering into his/her originally predetermined behaviour. The school, church and government are his/her new social world. Nevertheless, everything is founded by the family. According to Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory, the absence or presence of the important persons throughout an individual's life span (starting from infancy), may result to either positive or negative behaviour. Thus, Erikson assigned specific task for cach of the individual's developmental stage: the first three stages need for the presence of the family members and the other five stages are affected by the society. If the 10Although you may contend that the self is unique that even twins differ, yet, you cannot contest the influence the society brings. A child who is raised in a jungle leams to produce sounds and move like the animals in the jungle. A human being has a distinct individual characteristic but the actions certainly infers societal impact which may be consciously or unconsciously manifested. This topic will discuss some sociological theories that will point out the sociological perspective of self. “Ce Untangling Meshed Thoughts... The Self as the Product of Modern Society ‘A modem society produces modern self. Since society is not static, it therefore aims to change for the betterment of its members. The realization of social advancement through technology is a clear indication of modernization. These can be seen through electrical appliances, gadgets, mode of ‘transportation, etc. The material things available for the members of the society would precisely change their lifestyle. The habit of going to bed and sleep early at night is modified by chatting with friends till tate at night through social media, shopping without going to the mall is quite convenient to some so as not to waste time and travelling is another social advancement. Triandis (1989 ) explains that the major determinant of social behaviour is the kind of self that operates in a particular culture. If the self is within a collectivist culture (close relationship), and is somewhat modified by the changing modem society, then the individual self is greatly influenced. Mead and the Social Self An individual learned the ABCs of daily living through his/her interaction with the immediate members of his/her family or with anyone a certain individual gets to have a direct contact with. Nevertheless, there is an aspect of an individual that would respond to a situation in a manner that is either acceptable or not to the kind of society where he/she belongs. George Herbert Mead claimed that how people behave is conditioned by the social context in which behaviour occurs. He stated that self -assigned task for each stage is not fulfilled with the help of the family members and significant others from the society, the individual will suffer from maladjustments. The bottom line however, is that, the way the individual will behave in the society is still the result of what kind of nurture he/she receives from his/her family. ‘The family therefore, should be consistent in guiding the child no matter how strong the social world is. The changes the child may encounter in his/her self should be well filtered by the family so as conflict may not arise. From that premise, the family is the most important scaffold the child has; the self that the child possesses forms its realistic visage from the family who moulded him/her into what he/she becomes. Gender and Self Dolls for girls and toy cars for boys. In some hospitals or lying in maternity clinic, midwives would use blue nametag for a newly bom infant who is a boy and pink for a girl, The way children are disciplined and taught with household responsibilities are based on their gender, either by virtue of their properly functioning reproductive organs or by the sexual preference their parents honed them to be. The self is developed through the instilled child-like perceptions and actions that are later voluntarily leamed and manifested throughout the lifespan. Furthermore, the social standards and culturally founded lifestyle set for any gender became parts of the developed self. Can you think of an experience in your childhood where you were thought to behave or do something because you are a boy or a girl?OWNET 1 the seit trom Variows Petspeotiver (©. Mathropology) Objectives: 1. Explain the relationship between the self and contemporary Anthropology; 2. Describe self as embedded in culture; 3. Identify variations among and within Asian culture; and 4. Take responsibility and pride in promoting Philippine culture. Introduction: Going home after six o'clock in the evening is a no-no, eating meals together is a must, kissing the hands of the elders as a sign of respect, courtship is done in the women’s house, and wearing of black dress/shirts during mourning are examples of Philippine culture. What are the cultural practices do you have at home? Are these the same with the culture of your ancestors? Why or why not? In what ways culture affects the formation of your self and in understanding the self? “fae Untangling Meshed Thoughts... The Self and Person in Contemporary Anthropology Including Variations in Culture Living in a society where modernization is inevitable, the way of life is obviously affected. Asking permission to be late in going home is a text away, eating meals together is an important bonding time only during special occasion, as everyday is a busy day that any member of the family can eat meals ahead of the others, courtship can be done through cell phone, ete. Culture is said to be dynamic where modifications are open, yet, anthropology studies the wholeness of human being’s way of life, by not only looking into the present but also the past. According to Clifford Geertz (American Anthropologist), the 13Concept of culture is the definition of a human being. Because of his/her culture, he becomes the person he/she at Present without forgetting the past. The actions of the person is the representation of the latter’s culture, a text that can be read so to speak. It should be remembered however that the development of self is not a sole labour and does Rot grow as a lone entity but rather a result of how the self is immersed in the consensual Teactions of the people around it towards the perpetual changes happening in the society. As mentioned in the study of Sociology, the modern society produces a modem self. This includes cultural variations based from the past and the modem self at present happens within the tutelage of the group where it belongs. History would tell us that our Philippine culture is a product of the influence of other Asian countries. Even at present the influence of K-Pop is greatly manifested in the millennial fashion and choice of music. It’s a common knowledge also that varied Asian cuisines gradually take a special place in Pinoy menus. In social media, Filipino expressions and gestures are popularly compared with other countries as found in FB or Instagram memes. Can you think of other cultural practices which you believe are taken from other culture? How about within the Philippines? There are surely cultural practices known only in Visayas, in Mindanao or in Luzon. Can you share some? The Self Embedded in Culture ‘The self is surely influenced by the culture instilled by the older generations particularly in the family, to the developing self even during infancy. The self is encapsulated with the shared customs, traditions and values until such time that it produced its own identity. Nevertheless, the development does not happen in just a wink of an eye but honed through years of either voluntary or involuntary cultural influences not only from the closed system of family authority but also from the outside forces (school, community, religion, etc.). “I am who I am because of the time.”WNIT LI The felt from Various Petspectives (D. Psychology) Objectives: 1. Describe the different ideas in Psychology about the self, 2. Compare and contrast the different ideas about the self; and 3. Foster honesty in making self-evaluation. Introduction: “Is this me?” “Am I that good?” These are examples of a doubting self that needs confirmation from other people. Sometimes, a person is aware that he/she is not what he/she wanted to project, but putting a boundary to the amount of self- overtness is a way of detending the self from preconceived notions of harm. Looking at the self based on mental processes and behaviour is within the realm of Psychology. The self is well represented by the thoughts and actions shown by a person. The beauty here rests on how a person share his/her thoughts as these are not directly observed unlike the actions that can be directly seen. The importance therefore of understanding the self lies on the awareness, acceptance and trust of a person to share his/her experiences leading to the manifestation of outward behaviour. In this topic, you will have ample moments to search for your self underneath the “flesh and skin.” The motives for self: disclosure depend on how you tend to perceive the purpose of such disclosure. “Cie Untangling Meshed Thoughts... The Self as a Cognitive Construction Jean Piaget who is a constructivist claimed that people formed their own ideas of the world around them through their own experiences and they tend to create reflections, new leaming and insights through such experiences. The self based on constructivists’ 16‘view is founded on mental process rather than observable behaviour. What the mind dictates about self is the truth which is an established knowledge from the past and present information or events. If you think you are beautiful/handsome today because a lot of friends/acquaintances confirmed it plus the fact that you've been voted as muse or escorts in many clubs/organizations before. ‘This is the awareness of yourself that you gained based on what you have experienced. A traumatic experience in the past results to a doubting or even an obsessive personality at present is a construct based on that experience. Several theories support the contention of self from a cognitive construction. Layers of the Self (Freud). Sigmund Freud believes that the self is multi-layered, which is consist of the id, ego and superego. The id is considered as the unconscious part of ourselves and the childish one which responds immediately to the instincts. The id according to Freud operates on the pleasure principle which drives the person towards the satisfaction on whatever wishful wants regardless of its consequences. Just like a child, the person is focus only on the gratification of wants and not realistic nor logical to any effects. As long that there is satisfaction, the self experiences pleasure and if the opposite ‘occurs, the self experiences displeasure. On the other hand, the ego as part of the layers of self operates on the reality principle which decides on how to satisfy the id in a realistic way. The satisfaction of the id is cither compromised or postponed so as to be in line with the societal norms. If the id’s purpose is only to gain satisfaction in whatever way, be it chaotic or through force, the ego works by reason and behave according to the rules. The last layer which is the superego is considered the conscience and at the same time the ideal self. It is the one that controls the id and leads it towards the conduct of proper values and morals especially those that are social taboos. It makes the ego feel guilty (conscience) if it gives in to the demands of the id and presents an ideal behaviour to show. Striving for perfection is within the superego but somehow, the id is so strong that the ego is influenced. ‘The self tends to behave according to what is more convincing, be it for satisfaction in order to feel pleasure, to act according to what is acceptable based on Values, or to do which is reasonable that pleasure be attained without violating any moral values. ; 17Me Self and I Self (W. James). James divided the self into two: the Me and 1 ‘The Me self is developed based on the experience and what is perceived as needed in a certain situation. It is the material, social and spiritual component of the self. It is the aspect where the self desires for possessions, being loved, appreciated and admired by others, as well as acting with the chosen values and morals with intellect, which will eventually lead to the enhanced self-image of the Me. The I according to James is the ego and the thinking self. It is the decision maker and determines the next Me, Furthermore, it provides continuity of the past, present and future self as it thinks and decides for what should be done to improve the self-image through the achievement of material, social and spiritual self. Global vs Differentiated Models of Self. The global self is more on the esteem of a person as it refers to the general value that a person places on him/her self (Suls & Krizan, 2003). The self knowledge that a person labelled for his/her self is the global self sach as telling to the self that “I am worthy of love, I like myself or T am sensible.” What can you claim as your global self? The differentiated self on the other hand is the person's ability to hold on to his self (who he is and who he is not) despite the pressures around him/her. There are times wherein a person may conform or not conform with the decisions of others without the feeling of jeopardizing his/her own goals and values. Have you experienced exercising your differentiated self? Real Self vs Ideal Self (Carl Rogers). Cari Rogers viewed self as the person's inner personality that is influenced by his/her experiences as well as the interpretation he/she made out of such experiences. The interpretation may Jead that person to feel self worth based on the congruency of that experience to his/her real and ideal self. The feelings, thoughts and behaviour the person show to others and whom he/she thinks his/her real image, is the person’s real self, The person's ideal self is what he/she wants tobe. It could be his/her desires, ambitions or goals. These are dynamic, i. e., changing. ‘The ambitions the person: wants in the past is no longer his/her ambitions at present. Rogers claimed that the closer the real self with the ideal self, the more consistent or congruent the self becomes and it’s the time the person has the higher self-worth.Multiple vs Unified Self. A person has the capacity to carry multiple roles: a Student, a daughter/son, a friend, teacher/mentor, etc., without losing his/her own identity. One can unify his multiple self in such a way that he still knows how to think and behave into his/her original self with or without the people around him/her where his/her multiple roles originated. It should be remembered however that the capability of doing multiple roles is in the matter of time management and discipline and should not be treated as changing self as this would already connotes different selves is equal to different personality leading to a disorder. The question of whether it is possible to unify self depends on how the person may carry his/herself in different situations. True Self vs False Self (D. Winnicott). Winnicott stressed that a person’s true self started to manifest while he/she was just an infant where the teal self existed. The infant cries when hungry or has a feeling of discomfort and smile or laugh when tickled or being played. As the infant grows, the false self gradually develops when compelled by a situation. Winnicott saw it as a defensive facade which is somehow calculated and done only when necessary. Have you experienced showing your false self? If yes, in what particular situation?WNIT I the seit trom Various Perspectives (€. Castern and Western Thoughts) Objectives: momtntenirimae 1. Differentiate the concept of the self between oriental and western thoughts; 2. Create a representation of the Filipino self, and 3. Appreciate the influence of both western and eastem philosophies in shaping the self. Introduction: The self is conceptualized in varied ways from different perspectives. All over the world, although there are notions of the existence or just a silhouette of the term self, the explanations vary much based on the times, the place, and the lifestyle. The eastern and western thoughts regard self differently although there are in reality the gradual flow of influence from western to eastern concepts of self and vice versa, Take for example the collectivism of Easter people when it comes to solving a certain task which 1s related to the belief that many heads (selves) are better than one. The Westem people would practice individualism as it’s their principle to solve a task by their own and no longer need others to do it for them. How about you? Do you prefer collectivism over individualism? Why or why not? There are other ways by which Eastem and Westem thoughts looked at self which you are going to understand as you continue reading the subsequent subtopics. & a 8 w “Cie Untangling Meshed Thoughts... ewe matiercom The Self in Western Thoughts Westem philosophers focus on the uniqueness of self in relation to individuality, thus, believing in the independency from others. Individualism occurs not because the 2Self is form in alienation with other human beings nor its preference to a solitary and lonely world but rather, its assertion for distinctiveness of identity, referring it to the self The freedom to express self in words and actions is common, as self is giventhe leeway to be satisfied by doing such and if ever there are some things to be changed, the self welcomes changes. Based on culture, what do you think are the other ways by which westem people express their selves? The Self in Eastern Thoughts ‘The self in the East is always regarded in relation with others and not compelled to autonomous entity separated from social sphere. The I of the self is always looked at the level of We especially when it comes to family members or circle of friends. The significant others are always the underpinnings in understanding the development of self. ‘The acceptance of what is at the present is one indicator that Eastern people can stay even without a lot of changes as long as they are with their social support system. The more the merrier is the bottom line for the self in collective sense. Cunfacianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Filipino Psychology The Confucian self is seen as not static for it is aiming for a virtue of selflessness, thus, it undergoes a process of development. Confucius claimed that a person may have self or does not have self. If a person did service and he is very much aware of its purpose, then that person has self and regarded his/her action as selfishyess. But if that person choose to do service above self; that is considered as no selivat all of ean be regarded as subdued self. The self according to Confucius operates with social relationships. How a person shows his/her being gentleman (noble and selfless) to others, would determine the nature of social order and balance. Buddhism on the other hand, rejects the notion of having self and instead follows the doctrine of no-self. The self is regarded by the Buddhists as an illusion and the cause of sufferings. To attain the state of Nirvana (place for perfect happiness and peace), a person should renounce self a8 it prevents in attaining Nirvana. Hinduism believes in the existence of unchanging and independent self which is considered as the true self (Atman) that knows the nature of self and witness to all that happens. The feeling of consciousness is the true Self, it is 22 hedifferent from mind and body as these will perish during death but the true self remains. The one which is impermanent and continuously changing is considered as the non true self such as the body and thoughts that keep on changing due to development. Taoism as another philosophy follows thelrutes of the Tao which is in harmony with the nature or the universe, It is not confided to the actions of a person in relation to others but it aims to attain a balanced life with the society and nature, for it gives a person a freedom to attain the ideal self of selflessness without forgetting the existence of self. As long that equality, unselfish motives and unbiased ideas are practiced, the person is behaving in complementary with other beings, thus, in harmony with the universe. Filipino Psychology focuses on the cultural orientation of a person and his/her ideas based on experiences. The Filipino’s self which includes his/her thoughts, feelings and ideas basically developed from constant communication with significant others. The attainment of the desired inner self is gained through pakikipag kapwa tao or having good relationship with others. Success is based on the standards of society. Other people always matter in the decision making as Filipinos consider. the social norms. The self changes in adjustment to the changing society. The experiences made the self either strong or weak depending on the foundations brought by experiences.