The Self from Different Perspectives (Part 3)
Summary
The Anthropological Perspective of the Self
1. Definition of Anthropology
 Cultural Anthropology
2. Definition of Culture
 Tylor
 imbalife.com
 Acronym: CULTURE
3. Components of Culture
4. Ways by Which Culture is Learned or Acquired
Anthropology
 a combination of two words originally from Greek, "anthropos"
meaning "human," and "logy," referring to "the study of;"
 the scientific study of humans, encompassing various aspects
such as their biological evolution, cultural diversity, social
structures, behaviors, and adaptations;
 a dynamic and broad field of study in which anthropologists
(scientists who study humans, their societies, cultures, and
behaviors) conduct anthropological studies, and identify
aspects of being human as their focus;
 made up of two general subdivisions or large categories,
physical anthropology, also known as biological anthropology,
and cultural anthropology, which have evolved into distinct
fields of study.
Cultural Anthropology
 the branch of anthropology dealing with the origins, history,
and development of human culture, and including in its scope
the fields of archaeology, ethnology, ethnography, and
linguistics
 the study of human cultures, beliefs, customs, rituals,
languages, and social practices
 the sum of the beliefs, values, symbols, and activities learned
and shared between members of a group and binding them as
an identifiable group.
Edward Burnett Tylor
 An English anthropologist, Sir Edward Burnett Tylor is regarded
as the founder of cultural anthropology.
 His most important work, Primitive Culture (1871), influenced
in part by Darwin's theory of biological evolution, developed
the theory of an evolutionary, progressive relationship from
primitive to modern cultures.
 In his book, Tylor defined culture as: "...that complex whole
which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and
any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member
of society.”
 This definition of culture emphasizes its comprehensive nature,
embracing various aspects of human life and social
organization.
 It highlights that culture is not limited to tangible artifacts but
also includes intangible aspects such as knowledge, beliefs,
morals, laws, and customs.
 It suggests that culture is learned and passed down through
generations via socialization, which involves the transmission of
knowledge, belief, etc from one generation to the next within a
society. Tylor's definition laid the groundwork for the
anthropological study of culture and remains influential in the
field to this day.
Culture is a comprehensive concept encompassing different
aspects of human life and social organization, including both tangible
and intangible elements. Culture is learned and transmitted across
generations through socialization. Tylor's definition established the
foundation for studying culture in anthropology and continues to be
impactful in the field.
Definition of CULTURE
Edward Tylor
 is a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art,
morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits
acquired by man as a member of society.
Imbalife.com
 is the customary ways in which groups organize their ways of
behaving, thinking, and feeling and which they transmit from
one generation to another
A Definition of Culture Using the Acronym "CULTURE":
C Customs and Traditions:
 Culture includes customs and traditions that are passed down
from generation to generation within a society.
Customs
typically refer to specific behaviors or actions that are
habitual or customary within a society, such as greeting
customs or dining etiquette.
Traditions
often encompass a broader set of cultural practices, beliefs,
rituals, and customs.
U Understanding and Beliefs:
 Culture involves the shared understanding and beliefs that
shape the worldview and behaviors of individuals within a
society.
worldview
is the comprehensive framework of beliefs, values, attitudes,
and assumptions through which an individual, group or culture
interprets and understands the world.
L Language and Communication:
 Culture embraces the language and communication styles used
by a society, which play a crucial role in expressing ideas, etc.
T Tools and Technology:
 Culture encompasses the tools and technology developed and
utilized by a society, reflecting its knowledge, innovation, and
adaptation to the environment.
U Uniqueness and Diversity:
 Culture acknowledges the uniqueness and diversity of human
societies, with each community having its own set of cultural
practices, norms, and identity.
R Rituals and Rites of Passage:
 Culture involves rituals and rites of passage that mark
important events or transitions in individuals' lives, reinforcing
social bonds and values.
Rituals
are a set of actions, often repeated in a specific sequence,
and are performed for cultural, religious, or social purposes.
Rites of passage
are ceremonies that mark a person's progress from one
phase of life to another.
E Expressions and Artifacts:
 Culture is expressed through various forms of art, music,
literature, and other artifacts that reflect the values, beliefs,
and creativity of a society.
Traditional cultural expressions
are elements of a society's culture passed down through
generations, such as art, music, dances, literature, often
embodying its cultural heritage.
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE
A. Material Culture
 refers to the tangible artifacts, tools, objects made from tools,
and technology produced by a society.
 It includes architecture, clothing, food, art, technology, and
other material products that reflect cultural values,
preferences, and practices.
B. Non-Material Culture
 refers to the intangible aspects of culture, including knowledge
and ideas, values and beliefs, norms, traditions and rituals, and
social institutions.
1. Knowledge
 refers to the information, understanding, and skills
acquired through education, experience, and
exposure.
2. Ideas
 Are the conceptual thoughts, innovations,
philosophies, and theories that shape the way
individuals and societies perceive and interact with
the world around them.
3. Values
 are fundamental beliefs or principles that guide
behavior and decision-making within a culture.
 closely interrelated with norms, they reflect what is
considered important, desirable, or morally right
within a society and shape individuals attitudes and
priorities.
 Common cultural values may include concepts such
as family, freedom, justice, equality, honesty,
respect, and loyalty.
4. Beliefs
 are ideas, convictions, or assumptions held by
individuals or groups about the nature of reality, the
supernatural, morality, and other philosophical or
metaphysical concepts.
 Beliefs can be religious, spiritual, ideological, or
philosophical in nature and influence people's
worldview, behavior, and identity.
5. Norms
 are social rules or expectations that govern behavior
and regulate interactions within a society.
 They prescribe what is considered acceptable or
appropriate behavior in different contexts, such as
social, familial, religious, or professional settings.
 There are three types of norms: folkways, mores,
and laws which vary in their formality, severity of
consequences for violation, and method of
enforcement.
Types of Norms:
1. Folkways
 are informal, everyday norms that govern
routine behavior in a society.
 They include norms related to etiquette,
manners, dress codes, and social conventions.
 They are often based on tradition, custom, or
habit and are generally less severe than mores
or laws.
2. Mores
 are more deeply ingrained cultural norms that
are considered essential to the functioning and
well- being of society.
 They reflect moral and ethical values and often
carry a strong sense of right and wrong.
 Violating mores can lead to more significant
social consequences, such as ostracism,
stigma, or legal repercussions, depending on
the severity of the transgression.
3. Laws
 Laws are formal, codified norms that are
enforced by a governing authority, such as a
government or legal system.
 They are backed by the threat of sanctions or
punishment for non-compliance.
 Unlike folkways and mores, which may vary
across cultures and subcultures, laws are
typically standardized and apply uniformly
within a jurisdiction.
6. Traditions
 often encompass a broader set of cultural practices,
beliefs, rituals, and customs.
 Passed down from generation to generation within a
society, they often hold symbolic significance and
are associated with specific events, holidays, or
occasions.
 Examples of traditions include family rituals, cultural
celebrations, and customary ways of doing things
within a society.
7. Rituals
 are a set of actions, often repeated in a specific
sequence, and are performed for cultural, religious,
or social purposes.
 can range from everyday routines like greeting
customs to more elaborate ceremonies such as
weddings, funerals, or religious rites.
  Rituals and customs are specific expressions or
manifestations of traditions, serving to reinforce and
maintain cultural continuity, identity, and cohesion.
8. Social Institutions
 Social institutions are formalized structures or
systems within a society that fulfill essential
functions and roles, such as family, education,
religion, government, economy, and healthcare.
 These institutions shape individuals' experiences,
opportunities, and relationships and play a crucial
role in transmitting and continuing cultural norms
and values.

Symbols
 Symbols are tangible (material) or intangible (non-material)
representations that carry meaning within a society.
 They serve as a means of communication, expressing ideas,
values, beliefs, and norms.
1. Material symbols
 are physical objects such as flags, religious artifacts,
national monuments, physical artworks, currency, and
clothing.
 often serve as visible manifestations of abstract ideas,
beliefs, values, or identities within a culture.
2. Non-material symbols
 are abstract and conceptual.
 They play a significant role in shaping perceptions,
identities, and social interactions within a society.

Language
 a system of communication consisting of verbal (spoken or
written) and nonverbal elements (gestures, facial expressions),
is an example of a non-material symbol.
 plays a central role in transmitting culture, as it allows
individuals to convey ideas, share knowledge, express
emotions, and communicate social norms and values.

WAYS BY WHICH CULTURE IS LEARNED OR ACQUIRED:

1. Imitation
 is human action by which one tends to duplicate more or less
exactly the behavior of others.
2. Indoctrination
 takes place in the form of formal teaching or training which
may take place anywhere.
3. Conditioning
 means the individual acquires certain patterns of beliefs,
values, behaviors, or actions further reinforced by a system of
reward and punishment.
4. Acculturation
 is the process by which societies of different cultures are
modified through fairly close and long continued contact.
5. Amalgamation
 is the intermarriage of persons coming from different cultural
groups, resulting into some kind of biological fusion.

The Self from Different Perspectives (Part 4)


The Psychological Perspective of the Self
1. Definition of Terms
2. Changes in the Nature of Self-Understanding within the
Following Life Stages:
1. Early Childhood
2. Late Childhood
3. Adolescence
4. Adulthood
Psychology
 has its roots in ancient Greek, derived from the combination of
two Greek words: “psyche” meaning “soul” or “mind,” and
“logos” meaning “study” or “knowledge;”
 is the scientific study of the mind and behavior, encompassing
the biological influences, social pressures, and environmental
factors that affect how people think, act, and feel
 seeks to understand how people see, think, feel, and behave in
different situations, and applies this knowledge to enhance
well-being and address psychological issues.
Definition of Terms (Santrock, 2014)
1. The Self
 consists of all the characteristics of a person.
2. Identity
 refers to who a person is, representing a synthesis and
integration of self-understanding.
3. Personality
 refers to the enduring personal characteristics of
individuals
 it encompasses the self and one’s identity.
4. Self-understanding
 is the cognitive representation of the self, the substance of
self-conceptions
 Ex.: I’m a 22-year-old, single Filipina working student,
passionate about animal rights.
 based in part on roles and group membership (Harter,
2012; 2013)
 provides underpinnings for the development of identity
Changes in the Nature of Self Understanding within the Following Life
Stages:
1. Early Childhood (Harter, 2006; 2012; 2013)
 (from birth to around 8 years old)
Self-understanding is characterized by:
A. Using concrete/observable descriptions
 Ex: I can count, I can write my ABCs, I live in a big
house.
B. Physical descriptions
 Ex: I have brown hair, She has black hair, I’m taller
C. Unrealistic positive over-estimations of personal
attributes
 In early childhood, children often have an unrealistic
tendency to overestimate their personal attributes in
a positive way.
 Ex: They might believe they are the best at
everything they attempt, even if evidence suggests
otherwise
Young children may overestimate their abilities because:
 they have difficulty differentiating their desired and actual
competence
 they cannot yet generate an ideal self (what a person wants to
be) that is distinguished from a real self (what a person actually
is)
 they rarely engaged in social comparison (the idea that people
determine their own social and personal worth based on how
they stack up against others)
 they are unable to recognize that they can possess opposite
attributes.
2. Late Childhood
 (approximately 9 to 12 years old)
Older children start to:
A. Describe themselves using traits
 Ex.: popular, nice, helpful, smart, dumb
B. Use social descriptions
 references to social groups
 Ex: Dance Troupe Member, Girl Scout
C. Engage in social comparison
 thinking what they can do in comparison with others
D. Distinguish between real and ideal selves
 differentiating their actual competencies from those
they aspire to have
E. More realistic because of increased social comparison
and perspective-taking
3. Adolescence
 (roughly 12 to 20 years old)
Adolescent self-understanding is characterized by:
A. Abstract and idealistic thinking
 Ex.: I’m sensitive, I’m idealistic
B. Self-consciousness
C. Contradictions within the self
 Adolescents differentiate their concept of the self
into multiple roles in different relationship contexts.
D. The fluctuating self
 The adolescent self continues to be characterized by
instability until the adolescent constructs a more
unified theory of self
E. Real and ideal selves
 Possible self includes what they might become, and
what they are afraid of becoming.
F. Self-integration
 This is achieved in late adolescence or emerging
adulthood, which results in an integrated sense of
identity
James Marcia’s Theory on Identity Status
 describes a person’s position in the development of an identity.
(Kroger, Martinussen, & Marcia, 2010)
Two Dimensions of Identity Status:
1. Exploration refers to a person’s investigating various
options for a career and personal values.
2. Commitment involves making a decision about which
identity path to follow, and making a personal investment
in attaining that identity.
4 Statuses of James Marcia’s Identity Status Theory:
A. Identity Diffusion
 is when a person has not explored different identity options and
has not made a commitment to any particular identity path.
B. Identity Foreclosure
 is when a person has not explored different identity options,
but has made a commitment to a particular identity path.
C. Identity Moratorium
 is when a person is still exploring and has not yet made a
commitment to any particular identity path.
D. Identity Achievement
 is when a person has explored and has made a commitment to
a particular identity path.

4. Adulthood
 (20 to 60+ years old)
A. Importance of self-awareness becomes an important
developmental task in adulthood.
 Ex.: awareness of strengths and weaknesses
B. Possible selves
1. Young adults:
 What they would like to become; oftentimes
unrealistic at first
2. Middle-aged:
 Possible selves in terms of areas in which they
already have performed
 (ex.: being good at my work, having a good
marriage)
 trying to attain hoped-for selves
3. Older Adults:
 Concerned with maintaining what they have and
preventing/avoiding health problems and
dependency (Smith, 2009)
 Life Review (thinking about the past? regrets?)