SLM IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | MICO MAY M.

REGIS -CAYACO, RGC l EVSU – TANAUAN CAMPUS

TO YOU DEAR FRESHMEN:

Welcome to College Life. This course is Understanding the Self. This course is a fundamental
course in the tertiary education. This course is designed to help you understand the nature of
the self and the factors that influence and shape self-identity. These sets of modules will
contain all the necessary lessons as indicated in our course syllabus. The main purpose of
this module is to help you learn and complete your course work while you are studying at
home.

This module has icons that you should be familiar with as you work through the entire
modules of this course.

In this part you will know the contents of this

module.
Let’s Begin Here

This part of the module will tell you what are the
Let’s Hit It learning competencies that you need to achieve.

This is a short activity or review of the previous

lesson that aims to help you bridge the current to
Let’s Recall the past lesson.

In this part the new lesson will be discussed. The

concepts will help you understand the new
Let’s Learn concepts and skills.

This part contains activities and questions that can

help you translate theoretical learnings to practical
Let’s Do It application.

This part contains questions and activities that aims

Let’s Put Your to process the lessons that you learned in this
Thoughts into module. This involves activities and exercises that
Writing aims to enhance your understanding and skills
related on the topic at hand by writing about it.

This part contains questions and activities that aims

Let’s Assess Your to assess and measure the level of learning of the
Learning target competency/ies.

At the end of the module, a glossary of terms is

Glossary prepared for you to serve as your guide on the
different concepts and terms found in the module.

At the end of the module, references are also

References
provided.

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 SLM IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | MICO MAY M. REGIS -CAYACO, RGC l EVSU – TANAUAN CAMPUS

MODULE
The Self in the
2 Society

Let’s Begin Here

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help
you better understand yourself by looking into the different external influences
on the development of the self As a bonus, you will be given fun enrichment
activities. Be careful in answering the exercises and tasks by carefully reading
every given instruction. Let’s begin!

Let’s Hit It

After going through this module, you are expected to:

2.1 Explain the relationship between and among the self, society and culture
2.2 Describe & discuss the different ways by which society & culture shape
the self.
2.3 Compare & contrast how the self can be influenced by the different
institutions in the society.
2.4 Examine oneself against the different views of self.
Materials Needed:
Picture of yourself when you were:
In Elementary
In High School
In college
Paste & Scissor
Bond Paper

Duration:
3 hours/1 week

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 SLM IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | MICO MAY M. REGIS -CAYACO, RGC l EVSU – TANAUAN CAMPUS

Let’s Recall
Activity: My Self Through the Years
Direction: Cut out pictures of you when you were in elementary, in high
school and now that you are in college then paste it on a short bond paper.
Below each picture, list down your distinct characteristics that you remember.

Processing Questions:
Direction: Answer processing questions in your journal notebook.
1. What are your similar characteristics across stages?
2. What are the differences in yourself across the stages?
3. What are the possible reasons for the differences in yourself across
stages?
4. What are your insights about the activity?

Let’s Learn

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 SLM IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | MICO MAY M. REGIS -CAYACO, RGC l EVSU – TANAUAN CAMPUS

Many philosophers have discussed, debated and conceptualized the

idea of the self. Eventually with the advent of social sciences, it becomes
possible for new ways and paradigms to reexamine the true nature of the self.
Have you ever wonder if you would be a different person if you were
born in a different family? Would your choice of school affect you in the future?
Let’s find out in the following readings. Read on!

LESSON 1: THE CONCEPT OF THE SELF

Self is separate from others, it is unique and has its own identity. It is
independent because it does not require any other self for it to exist. The self
is also private, it process information, thoughts, feelings and emotions within
the self. The self is considered to be consistent, personality of the self is
enduring and can be expected to last for a while.
While the idea of the self being independent is true, it cannot be denied
that the self exists with the external reality which includes the environment,
external circumstances, community and etc. These external reality takes an
active part in shaping the ‘self’. This is the view of the social constructivist
who believes that the view of the person and their social context cannot be
separated from the boundaries of the other.
For social constructivist, the self is not static, the self is changing based
on the changes of his external realities and social influences. Your growth and
development are truly products of our interaction with external realities.

Let’s Do It

Activity: The Roles I Play

Direction: In your activity sheet, list down the different roles that you play and
have played in your life, for each role write down object that you associate to
that role and a short explanation why you associate that object to that role.
Example: daughter – broom – I help my mother with the household chores

LESSON 2: THE SELF IN FAMILIES

Family is the most prominent social institution that influences the
development of the self. Every child is born with certain givenness, disposition
coming from his parents’ genes and general conditions of life. The kind of
family that you are born in, the resources available for you when you were

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 SLM IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | MICO MAY M. REGIS -CAYACO, RGC l EVSU – TANAUAN CAMPUS

born – human, spiritual and economic certainly affect the development of the
self.
Human beings are born helpless and fully dependent to their caregivers.
In trying to achieve the goal of becoming a fully realized human, a child enters
a system of relationship which starts with the family. The following are some
of the major influences of the family on the self:
 Learn ways of living
 Language acquisition
 Ways of behaving (table manners, being respectful etc.)
 Managing emotions (can be learn through tone of voice or intonation of
the models)

Indeed, one is who he is because of his family for the most part.

Let’s Do It

Activity: Things I Learned from My Family

Direction: In your activity sheet, list down at least five things that you have
learned from your family, it should be specific.
Example: Learning how to wash the dishes.

LESSON 3: THE SELF AND CULTURE

A French Anthropologist Marcel Mauss theorized that the self has two
faces: personne and moi.
Moi – a person’s sense of who he is, his body and his basic identity.
His biological givenness. The part of a person that is stable
allthroughout.
Personne – social concepts of what it means to be who he is, how to
live in a particular institution, family, religion, nationality and how to
behave under given expectations and influences from others.
Let’s have Ron as an example, Ron is a doting father to his two
beautiful daughters. At work, he sports a professional look and behavior. In
different circumstances, Ron could portray different personne, but his being
Ron – his moi is retain.

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 SLM IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | MICO MAY M. REGIS -CAYACO, RGC l EVSU – TANAUAN CAMPUS

Likewise, different culture allows human being to have different

personne. Cultural divide spells out the differences in how one regards
oneself. North Americans are likely to attribute being unique to themselves
and claim to be better than most people in doing what they love doing,
Japanese are said to be modest, Filipinos hospitable. If one finds himself born
and reared in a particular culture, one definitely tries to fit in a particular mold.
If a self is born in a particular culture or society, the self will have to adjust
according to its exposure.

Let’s Do It
Activity: Imagine..
Direction: As a proof of your understanding about how ones culture
influences the development of the self, give an example scenario or situation
that portrays it. Example is the story of Ron in the above text.

LESSON 4: GENDER AND SELF

Another important aspect of the self is gender. Gender is one aspect of
the self that is subject to alteration, change and development.
From the point of view of social sciences and the self, it is imperative to give
one the leeway to find, express and live his identity. This forms part of
selfhood that one cannot just dismiss. One lives in a society and identifies
himself as who he is by also taking note of gender identities.
This account illustrates that our gender partly determines how we see
ourselves in the world. Oftentimes, society forces a particular identity unto us
depending on our sex and gender. The gendered self is the shaped within a
particular context if time and space. The sense of self that is being taught
makes sure that an individual fit in a particular environment. This is
detrimental in the goal of truly finding one’s self, self-determination and growth
of the self.
Gender has to be personally discovered and asserted and not dictated
by culture and society.

Let’s Do It
Activity: What Are My Gender Roles

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 SLM IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | MICO MAY M. REGIS -CAYACO, RGC l EVSU – TANAUAN CAMPUS

Direction: Draw a person like the illustration below in your activity sheet and
follow the instruction on the box.

Write your Name

Write the Gender Write the Gender

Roles that you play Roles that you
right now. SHOULD PLAY
Write your Gender
Ex. Doing the without the
laundry because I influence of society.
am the eldest Ex. Helping the
daughter men in the house to
Ex. Fetching water look for a living.
because I am the Ex. Helping the
only boy in the woman in the
family. house with the
household chores

Let’s Put Your Thoughts into Writing

Activity: Journal Writing

Direction: On your journal notebook, write Journal Entry No. 2. You are going
to write your significant learning in this module. Share your reflections while
doing all the activities and important takeaways. Below is your guide question.
1. What factors affected your self-development? How did these factors
influence your self-development? Be specific.

Let’s Assess Your Learning

Direction: Answer the questions below in your answer sheet. Answer briefly
and direct to the point, maximum of six sentence per item.

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 SLM IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF | MICO MAY M. REGIS -CAYACO, RGC l EVSU – TANAUAN CAMPUS

1. How would you describe yourself?

2. What are the influences of your family in your development as an

individual?

3. Think of a time when you felt you were your ‘true’ self. What made
you think you were truly who you are during this time of your life?

4. Following the question above, can you provide a time when you felt
you were not living your “true self”? Why did you have to live a life
like that? What did you do about it?

5. What aspects of your self do you think may be changed or you

would like to change?

Glossary of Terms

References
Alata, Eden Joy Pastor, Bernardo Nicolas Caslib Jr, Janice Patria Javier
Serafica, and R A Pawilen. 2018. Understanding the Self. Sampaloc,
Manila: Rex Bookstore.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

CATHERINE BORCE HOMECILLO
San Juan Elementary School, SD
San Carlos City, Region VI
Icons Illustrator

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