LESSON 2

ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

Introduction

The Origin of Self explores the role that selfhood plays in defining human society. It
considers the genetic and cultural origins of self, the role that self plays in
socialization and language, and the types of self we generate in our individual
journeys to and through adulthood. Edwards argues that other awareness is a
relatively early evolutionary development, present throughout the primate clade and
perhaps beyond, but self-awareness is a product of the sharing of social models,
something only humans appear to do. The self of whom we are aware is not
something innate within us, it is a model of our self-produced as a response to the
models offered to us by other people. Edwardes proposes that human construction
of selfhood involves seven different types of self. All but one of them are internally
generated models, and the only non-model, the actual self, is completely hidden
from conscious awareness. We rely on others to tell us about our self, and even to
let us know we are a self.

Learning Outcomes

After the learning session, the students are able to:

1. increase awareness of the various dimensions of anthropology and its

influence on self-concept;
2. understand how each culture develop a unique cultural lens;
3. examine their own cultural identity from a global perspective; and
4. demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing how culture influences
our beliefs and behavior through an essay.

Learning Content

In anthropology, the self-came to be understood as a process that orchestrates an

individual's personal experience following which s/he becomes self-aware and self-
reflective about her or his place in society.

This chapter seeks to explore the role selfhood plays in defining human society, and
each human individual in that society. It considers the genetic and cultural origins of
self, the role that self plays in socialization and language, and the types of self we
generate in our individual journeys to and through adulthood.

Anthropology
  The study of human societies and cultures and their development
 it is concerned with how cultural and biological processes interact to shape
human experience

Self as Embedded in Culture

 Self-concept refers to all understanding and knowledge of oneself. The

components of self-
 Culture is the set of unwritten norms of conduct that guide the behavior of a
group
 Edward Taylor-defined the culture that it is a complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and
habits acquired by man.

Material and Non-material Culture

Sociologists describe two interrelated aspects of human culture: the physical

objects of the culture and the ideas associated with these objects.

Material culture refers to the physical objects, resources, and spaces that people
use to define their culture. These include homes, neighborhoods, cities, schools,
churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, offices, factories and plants, tools, means
of production, goods and products, stores, and so forth. All of these physical aspects
of a culture help to define its members' behaviors and perceptions. For example,
technology is a vital aspect of material culture in today's Filipino Society. Students in
highly urbanized cities must learn to use computers to survive in college and
business, in contrast to young adults in the ethnic societies who must learn to build
weapons and hunt.

Non‐material culture refers to the nonphysical ideas that people have about their
culture, including beliefs, values, rules, norms, morals, language, organizations, and
institutions. For instance, the non‐material cultural concept of religion consists of a
set of ideas and beliefs about God, worship, morals, and ethics. These beliefs, then,
determine how the culture responds to its religious topics, issues, and events.

Two Anthropological Perspectives of the Self

1. Egocentric-a concept of the self where the self is seen as an autonomous

and distinct individual.
2. Socio-centric-according to this view, there is no intrinsic self that can
possess enduring qualities.

Three-Phased Rite of Passage by Arnold Van Gennep

 1. Separation Phase-in this phase, people detach from their former identity to
another
2. Liminality Phase-in this phase, a person transitions from one identity to
another
3. Incorporation Phase-in this phase, the change in one's status is officially
incorporated

Key Terms

Social Identities-people construct their self-identity from the similarities and

differences in characteristics among individuals.

Example: You have categorized yourself as a student, the chances are you will
adopt the identity of a student and begin to act in the ways you believe students act
(and conform to the norms of the group).

Self-identification- it is difficult to achieved. It may be attained by kinship, family

membership, gender, age, language, religion, ethnicity, personal appearance, and
socioeconomic status.

Family Membership-the most significant feature to determine a person's social

identity.

Example: A person’s social identity can be determined based on the influence of

his/her family background (history, status, traits, or even resources)

Language-viewed as an essential for the maintenance of group identity.

Example: As people become members of a social group and learn to share that
group's identity, they need to adapt to the group’s language.

Religious Affiliation-an important marker for group identity in a given society.

Example: In a predominantly Catholic country, the majority of Filipinos qualify

themselves as members of the Roman Catholic Church.

Name-an important device to individualize a person and legitimize him or her as a

member of a social group.

Example: When you were born, you were given a name documented through a birth
certificate to legalize your birth.