Benguet State University

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Social Sciences

MODULE 2 FDDavid

At the end of the lesson, the learners will

be able to:
a. Discuss the different representations
UNIT 1. and conceptualizations of the self from
various disciplinal perspectives
MODULE THE SELF b. Examine the different influences, factors
FROM and forces that shape the self
2 VARIOUS c. Compare and contrast how the self has
PERSPEC- been represented across the different
TIVES disciplines and perspectives
d. Demonstrate critical and reflective
thought in analyzing the development of
one's self and identity by developing a
theory of the self

Introduction

Activity 1. Please answer the following Diagnostic Test. This activity aims to draw out your own perceptions of
yourself and how you relate with and to the world. Since you do not yet have a clear understanding of the subject
matter, we do not expect you to elucidate much on the matter. However, we encourage you to introspect and think
deeply and clearly as your answer the following questions. Answer the questions that follow. Limit answers to 2-3
sentences per question.

Always answer with your First Name Middle Initial Last name; Course, Year and Section; Unit/Chapter,
Activity Title and ANSWERS.

For example:

Sample: Sample:

JUAN I. DELA CRUZ First Name, Middle Initial

Last Name
BSF I-C
Module 3.
Module 2. Unit 1. The Self From
Various Perspectives Activity 1.

Activity 1. Diagnostic Test Essay Activity 2.

(9 sentences using guide questions) Module 4.

Activity 2. What’s In a Name Activity 1.

Activity 2.

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Department of Social Sciences

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DIAGNOSTIC TEST
Guide Questions:
1. Title: ________

2. How do you view/look at the SELF? Include definitions, descriptions, and examples.
______________________________________________________________________________
3. In what Manner will you present the SELF to others? Are there names or titles or categories you would like to cluster the
SELF with?
______________________________________________________________________________
4. How shall you manage and care for the SELF as being member of a family, community, church, school, or any other
criteria you would like to be identified with?
______________________________________________________________________________

THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

Overview of the self

Activity 2. “What’s in a NAME?

Do you know the meaning of your name? if you have more than one name,
perhaps you know the meaning of both. Others even know the meaning of
their last name. You may cite all your names with meanings. If in case you do
not know, please ask your parents/guardians or anyone who knows the
meaning of your name or what was in your parents’ minds when they decided
ENGAGE to give you your name. You may tell a very brief story in 2-3 sentences. Again
write your answers in an intermediate pad. Write the title of the Chapter/Unit
and Activity number. Ex. The Self from Various Perspectives – Overview of the
Self Activity 2. “What’s in a Name” (then answers)
Remember: “Every name is given for a reason. Every name has a
meaning, and there are no accidental or arbitrary names.”

Complete the sentence.

Complete the following sentences. The activity is most effective if

you can spend 5-10 minutes on it several times a week over an
EXPLORE extended period of time. You may answer in your own notebook
and no need to submit. Once you have been doing the exercise
for several times, it can be valuable to look over what you’ve
recorded. This can help you notice positive changes in your
responses.

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Department of Social Sciences

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I have always wanted to...

I’m secretly afraid of…
This week I would enjoy doing…
I often look forward to…
I feel something that the future holds for me is…
I get my strength from…
One person couldn’t live without is…
I would never…
It made me feel great when…
I love when…
I find it hard to…
My dream is to one day that…

It makes me angry when…

I sometimes fear that…
This week is going to be…
Something I deeply desire is…
I flourish when…
This week I hope to…
Something I do secretly…
I find it hard to admit that…

Read the short information for the overview

EXPLAIN of self. This is just to get you ready to start
understanding yourself.

• The SELF is one of the most interesting topics that people talk about every day.

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• We may not be conscious about it but every time we mention the “I” (I will… I will go to school..I will hang
out with…). We are talking about ourselves as actors.

 Further, we always mention the “ME” as the object.

 Our Interest about our self is even more evident in the functional word variations of I and ME. Depending on our
purpose. (My, Mine, Myself etc.)
 Tell… ME about it…, Give ME… It makes me feel…)
 The self composes both the I as an actor and Me as an object
 Our consciousness of the existence of the Self has been almost automatic or reflexive and we are almost
un aware that in our everyday lives, we are constantly talking about it.

Activity 3. Photo Collage

Create a photo collage. You may choose to do it manually or
electronically. Manual: Cut-out pictures from old magazines and
EVALUATE old pictures. Electronic: Use photo collage app and use your
pictures from fb etc. Use a short bond paper. Write Activity number
and title with your name. You may also use pictures that you
associate with your identity; things you love, activities you love to
do, pictures that represent your strengths, or people that are
important to you. Make sure to have a balanced set of pictures.
(20 points)PLEASE TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR COLLAGE
FOR FUTURE ACTIVITIES’ USE.

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Department of Social Sciences

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UNIT 1.1 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES

 Unit 1.1 highlights how classical and modern philosophical models

defined the self, the evolution of these philosophical frameworks from
ancient to contemporary times, and the relevance of the philosophy
of the self to how the millennial generations define their own sense of
self.
PHILOSOPHY IN LIFE
 What is your philosophy in life? Try to think well and if you could
keep a notebook and write it on the first page. No need to submit.

SELF AND PHILOSOPHY

What does philosophy says about the Self? Check the following statements
and agree or disagree with each statement. No need to submit answers.
1. Different philosophers hold the same views about the self.
2. Philosophers have used empirical and rational lens in explaining
the self.
3. Philosophy of the self, as explained by modern philosophers, is
more relevant than the standpoint of ancient philosophies.
4. Philosophical views of the self are a useful guide to a better life.
5. Philosophy of the self should only be studied by older individuals
and not by younger generations.

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Read the following lesson and take note of the

important details. This is the bulk of the lesson that
is why you will find it a “long read” but these are
theories to give you several explanation about how
you come up with a view of yourself. Enjoy!

Unit I. The Philosophical Perspective of the Self

The etymological definition of philosophy is love of wisdom.

• Philosophy employs the inquisitive mind to discover the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles of everything.
• The nature of the self is a topic of interest among philosophers.

PHILOSOPHY - study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially in an academic discipline.
- a particular theory that someone has about how to live or how to deal with a particular situation.
- academic discipline concerned with investigating the nature of significance of ordinary and scientific beliefs -
investigates the legitimacy of concepts by rational argument concerning their implications, relationships as well as reality,
knowledge, moral judgment, etc.
The Greeks were the ones who seriously questioned myths and moved away from them to understand reality and
respond to perennial questions of curiosity, including the question of the self.
The different perspectives and views on the self can be best seen and understood by revisiting its prime movers and identify
the most important conjectures made by philosophers from the ancient times to the contemporary period.

THE PRE-SOCRATICS SOCRATES

The Pre-Socratics (Thales, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Heraclitus, • concerned with the problem of the self
Empedocles, etc.) were concerned with answering questions such as
• “the true task of the philosopher is to know oneself”
• What is the world really made up of? • “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
• Why is the world the way it is?
• What explains the changes that happen around us? • underwent a trial for ‘corrupting the minds of the youth’
• arché- origin or source/the “soul”/the primal matter
• the soul’s movement is the ultimate arché of all other movement • ‘the worst thing that can happen to anyone is to live but die
• arché has no origin outside itself and cannot be destroyed inside’
• explains the multiplicity of things in the world • “every person is dualistic”
• man = body + soul
• individual = imperfect/impermanent (body) + perfect &
permanent (soul)

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PLATO (ST.) AUGUSTINE

• ‘spirit of man’ in medieval philosophy
• 3 components to the soul: rational soul, the spirited • following view of Plato but adds Christianity
soul, and the appetitive soul. • man is of a bifurcated nature
• part of man dwells in the world (imperfect) and
Justice in the human person can only be attained if
yearns to be with the Divine
the three parts of the soul are working harmoniously • other part is capable of reaching immortality
with one another. • body – dies on earth; soul – lives eternally in
The rational soul forged by reason and intellect has to spiritual bliss with “God”
govern the affairs of the human person, the spirited
(ST) THOMAS AQUINAS
part which is in charge of emotions should be kept at
• man = matter + form • matter (hyle) – “common
bay, and the appetitive soul in charge of base desires stuff that makes up everything in the universe”
like eating, drinking, sleeping and having sex are • form (morphe) – “essence of a substance or thing”;
controlled as well. When this ideal state is attained, (what makes it what it is)
then the human person’s soul becomes just and • the body of the human is similar to animals/objects,
virtuous. but what makes a human is his essence
• “the soul is what makes us humans”

St Thomas Aquinas and St Augustine

Plato

MODERN PHILOSOPHY Rene DESCARTES

• Father of Modern Philosophy
• human person = body + mind
• “there is so much that we should doubt”
• “if something is so clear and lucid as not to be
doubted, that’s the only time one should believe.”
• the only thing one can’t doubt is existence of the self
• “I think, therefore I am”
• the self = cogito (the thing that thinks) + extenza
(extension of mind/body)
• the body is a machine attached to the mind
• it’s the mind that makes the man
• “I am a thinking thing. . . A thing that doubts,
Descartes & Hume
understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses, imagines,
perceives.”

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David HUME
• disagrees with the all the other aforementioned philosophers
• “one can only know what comes from the senses & experiences” (he is an empiricist)
• “the self is not an entity beyond the physical body”
• you know that other people are humans not because you have seen their soul, but because you
see them, hear them, feel them etc
• “the self is nothing but a bundle of impressions and ideas” • impression – - basic objects of our
experience/sensation - forms the core of our thoughts • idea – - copies of impressions - not as
“real” as impressions
• self = a collection of different perceptions which rapidly succeed each other
• self = in a perpetual flux and movement
• we want to believe that there is a unified , coherent self, soul, mind, etc. but ~~actually~~ it is all
just a combination of experiences.

Immanuel KANT
• agrees with HUME that everything starts with
perception/sensation of impressions
• there is a MIND that regulates these impressions
• “time, space, etc. are ideas that one cannot find in the world, but
is built in our minds
• “apparatus of the mind”
• the self organizes different impressions that one gets in relation
to his own existence
• we need active intelligence to synthesize all knowledge and
experience
• the self is not only personality but also the seat of knowledge
Kant

Gilbert RYLE
• denies the internal, non-physical self
• “what truly matters is the behavior that a person manifests in his
day-to-day life.”
• looking for the self is like entering LU and looking for the
“university” (explain!)
• the self is not an entity one can locate and analyze but simply
the convenient name that we use to refer to the behaviors that we
make
Ryle

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MERLEAU-PONTY
• a phenomenologist who says the mind- body bifurcation is an
invalid problem
• mind and body are inseparable
• “one’s body is his opening toward his existence to the world”
• the living body, his thoughts, emotions, and experiences are all
one.
• if you hate this subject, Merleau-Ponty understands you.
Merleau-Ponty

MY PHILOSOPHY OF SELF
Which of the philosophy of the self relates to your
own belief and explain how each view impact your
self-understanding? Write on your notebook. No
need to submit.

Activity 4. Tabulate the Philosophical

standpoints. Refer to the table below but write on
a separate sheet. Make sure you mention ALL
the philosophers (9) you studied. ( 45 points)

Philosopher Philosophy Description of their

Philosophical stand/view
1.
2.
3.

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UNIT 1.2 PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

View: short video clips on psychological theories

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V73hdaSTzWg
Psychoanalytic Theory by Sigmund Freud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYCBdZLCDBQ
Psychosocial Development by Erikson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt3-PIC2nCs
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRF27F2bn-A
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bounwXLkme4
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Write notes in your notebook on the important

details of the different psychological theories
from the watched videos. Familiarize yourself
with the psychological theories that influence
the way people understand the self and the
growth process to live life to the fullest

Read the following lecture notes. Connect with

the videos that you watched and the notes you
have taken while watching the videos.

1.2.1 FREUDIAN PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY OF PERSONALITY

According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, personality develops through a series of stages, each characterized by a
certain internal psychological conflict.

Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality argues that human behavior is the result of the interactions among three
component parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego. This theory, known as Freud’s structural theory of personality, places
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great emphasis on the role of unconscious psychological conflicts in shaping behavior and personality. Dynamic interactions
among these fundamental parts of the mind are thought to progress through five distinct psychosexual stages of development.
Over the last century, however, Freud’s ideas have since been met with criticism, in part because of his singular focus on
sexuality as the main driver of human personality development.

Freud’s Structure of the Human Mind

According to Freud, our personality develops from the interactions among what he proposed as the three fundamental
structures of the human mind: the id, ego, and superego. Conflicts among these three structures, and our efforts to find
balance among what each of them “desires,” determines how we behave and approach the world. What balance we strike in
any given situation determines how we will resolve the conflict between two overarching behavioral tendencies: our biological
aggressive and pleasure-seeking drives vs. our socialized internal control over those drives.

Conflict within the mind: According to Freud, the job of the ego is to balance the aggressive/pleasure-seeking drives of the
id with the moral control of the superego.

ID Instant gratification of basic physical needs and urges.

It operates entirely unconsciously (outside of
conscious thought).
SUPER concerned with social rules and morals—similar to what
-EGO many people call their ” conscience ” or their “moral
compass.” It develops as a child learns what their culture
considers right and wrong.
EGO the rational, pragmatic part of our personality. It is less
primitive than the id and is partly conscious and partly
unconscious. It’s what Freud considered to be the “self,”
and its job is to balance the demands of the id and superego
in the practical context of reality.

The id, ego, and superego: According to Freud’s structural model, the personality is
divided into the id, ego, and superego. On this diagram, the smaller portion above the
water signifies the conscious mind, while the much larger portion below the water
illustrates the unconscious mind.
Psychosexual Stages of Development
Freud believed that the nature of the conflicts among the id, ego, and superego change
over time as a person grows from child to adult. Specifically, he maintained that these
conflicts progress through a series of five basic stages, each with a different focus: oral,
anal, phallic, latency, and genital. He called his idea the psychosexual theory of
development, with each psychosexual stage directly related to a different physical
center of pleasure.

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Across these five stages, the child is presented with different conflicts between their biological drives (id) and their social and
moral conscience (supereg0) because their biological pleasure-seeking urges focus on different areas of the body (what
Freud called “erogenous zones”). The child’s ability to resolve these internal conflicts determines their future ability to cope
and function as an adult. Failure to resolve a stage can lead one to become fixated in that stage, leading to unhealthy
personality traits; successful resolution of the stages leads to a healthy adult.

1.2.2 THE PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT

The proponent of this theory, Erik Erikson, identified eight basic development stages that the individual has to
pass through in his life. Each of these stages has a specific psychosocial crisis that affects the development of the child.
In Erik Erikson’s theory, adolescence stage is a period of identity development. Identity formation is usually viewed
as a process that requires adolescents to distance themselves from the strong expectations and definitions imposed by
parents and other family members. To achieve an individual identity, one must create a vision of the self that is authentic and
having hold of one’s destiny in an effort to reach goals that are personally meaningful.
During each
stage, the person
experiences life crisis which
could have negative
consequences if not
properly resolved.

Erik Erikson's Stages of

Psychosocial
Development

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Unit 1.2 Psychological Perspective

1.2.3 THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT THEORY (INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT)

This theory was advocated by Jean Piaget, who believed that a child enters the world lacking virtually all the basic cognitive
competencies of the adult, and gradually develops these competencies by passing through a series of periods of development.

Cognitive Development Process

Assimilation. It is the process of taking in new information about objects by trying out existing schemes on objects that fit
those schemes.
Accommodation. It is the process of modifying schemes as the infant tries out familiar schemes on objects that do not fit
them.

Four Stages of Cognitive Development

1. Sensorimotor Stage (from birth to 2 years)
 Emphasizes that learning is based on sense perceptions and where the child is un aware of his environment
2. Pre-Operations Stage (from 2 to 7 years)
 children now use symbols like mental images, words, and gestures to represent ob jects and events.
3. Concrete Operational Stage (from 7 to 11 years of life)
 they can now acquire certain logical structures that allows them to perform mental operations.
4. Formal Operational Stage (from 11 onwards)
 mental operations are now applied to verbal or logical statements and not limited to concrete objects.

(please check again the video and the table below to learn this theory)

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Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
(Pre-conventional morality) (Conventional morality) (Post-conventional)
At the pre-conventional level (most At the conventional level (most Individual judgment is based on self-chosen
nine-year-old and younger, some adolescents and adults), we begin to principles, and moral reasoning is based on
over nine), we don’t have a personal internalize the moral standards of valued individual rights and justice. According to
code of morality. adult role models. Kohlberg this level of moral reasoning is as far
as most people get.
Instead, our moral code is shaped by Authority is internalized but not
the standards of adults and the questioned, and reasoning is based on Only 10-15% are capable of the kind of abstract
consequences of following or the norms of the group to which the thinking necessary for stage 5 or 6 (post-
breaking their rules. Authority is person belongs. conventional morality). That is to say, most
outside the individual and reasoning people take their moral views from those
is based on the physical around them and only a minority think through
consequences of actions. ethical principles for themselves.

Stage 1. Obedience and Punishment Stage 3. Good Interpersonal Stage 5. Social Contract and Individual Rights.
Orientation. The child/individual is Relationships. The child/individual is The child/individual becomes aware that while
good in order to avoid being good in order to be seen as being a rules/laws might exist for the good of the greatest
punished. If a person is punished, good person by others. Therefore, number, there are times when they will work
against the interest of particular individuals.
they must have done wrong. answers relate to the approval of
others. The issues are not always clear-cut. For example,
Stage 2. Individualism and Exchange. in Heinz’s dilemma, the protection of life is more
At this stage, children recognize that •Stage 4. Maintaining the Social important than breaking the law against stealing.
there is not just one right view that is Order. The child/individual becomes
handed down by the authorities. aware of the wider rules of society, so • Stage 6. Universal Principles. People at this
Different individuals have different judgments concern obeying the rules in stage have developed their own set of moral
viewpoints. order to uphold the law and to avoid guidelines which may or may not fit the law. The
principles apply to everyone.
guilt.
E.g., human rights, justice, and equality. The
person will be prepared to act to defend these
principles even if it means going against the rest of
society in the process and having to pay the
consequences of disapproval and or imprisonment.
Kohlberg doubted few people reached this stage.

1.2.4 THEORY OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT (Lawrence Kohlberg)

Lawrence Kohlberg (1958) agreed with Piaget’s (1932)

Theory of Moral development in principle but wanted to
develop his ideas further. He used Piaget’s storytelling
technique to tell people stories involving moral dilemmas. In
each case, he presented a choice to be considered, for
example, between the rights of some authority and the needs
of some deserving individual who is being unfairly treated.

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1.2.5. WILLIAM JAMES' CONCEPT OF SELF: THE ME-SELF AND THE I-SELF
• The self is divided into two categories: the “I-Self" and the "Me-Self".
• The "I-Self" refers to the self that knows who he or she is.
• James believed that the "I-Self" is the thinking self.
• The “I-Self” reflects the soul of a person or what is now thought of as the mind and is called the pure ego.

• The "Me-Self" is the empirical self. It refers to describing the person’s personal experiences and further divided into
sub- categories: material self, social self, and spiritual self.
• The material self consists of things that belong to a person such as the body, clothes, house etc.
• The social self refers to whom and how a person acts on social situations.
• The spiritual self refers to the most intimate and important part of the self that includes the person’s purpose, motives,
emotions, values, conscience, and moral behavior.
• James believed that the path to understanding the spiritual self is through introspection.
• Another aspect of self-understanding is self- concept.
• Self-concept refers to the image of oneself.
• Psychologist Carl Rogers defined the self as a flexible and changing perception of personal identity.
• The self develops from interactions with significant people and self-awareness.
• According to Rogers, human beings are always striving for self- fulfillment, or self-actualization.
• When the needs of the self are denied, severe anxiety may result.
• Central to achieving self-actualization is the development of self-concept.
• Roger's suggest that there are two components of self-concept: real self and ideal self.
• Real self consists of all the ideas, including the awareness of ‘what I am’ and ‘what I can do’.

1.2.6. CARL ROGER’S PERSONALITY THEORY

Personality Development

Central to Rogers' personality theory is the notion of self or self-concept. This is defined as "the organized, consistent
set of perceptions and beliefs about oneself."
The self is the humanistic term for who we really are as a person. The self is our inner personality, and can be likened
to the soul, or Freud's psyche. The self is influenced by the experiences a person has in their life, and out
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interpretations of those experiences. Two primary sources that influence our self-concept are childhood experiences
and evaluation by others.
According to Rogers (1959), we want to feel, experience and behave in ways which are consistent with our self-image
and which reflect what we would like to be like, our ideal-self. The closer our self-image and ideal-self are to each
other, the more consistent or congruent we are and the higher our sense of self-worth.
A person is said to be in a state of incongruence if some of the totality of their experience is unacceptable to them
and is denied or distorted in the self-image.
The humanistic approach states that the self is composed of concepts unique to ourselves. The self-concept includes
three components:
Self-worth

Self-worth (or self-esteem) comprises what we think about ourselves. Rogers believed feelings of self-worth
developed in early childhood and were formed from the interaction of the child with the mother and father.

Self-image

How we see ourselves, which is important to good psychological health. Self-image includes the influence of our body
image on inner personality.

At a simple level, we might perceive ourselves as a good or bad person, beautiful or ugly. Self-image affects how a
person thinks, feels and behaves in the world.

Ideal Self

This is the person who we would like to be. It consists of our goals and ambitions in life, and is dynamic – i.e., forever
changing.

The ideal self in childhood is not the ideal self in our teens or late twenties etc.

Positive Regard and Self Worth

Two Faces Illustrating High Self Esteem Saying - I am the best

Carl Rogers (1951) viewed the child as having two basic needs: positive regard from other people and self-worth.

How we think about ourselves, our feelings of self-worth are of fundamental importance both to psychological health
and to the likelihood that we can achieve goals and ambitions in life and achieve self-actualization.

Self-worth may be seen as a continuum from very high to very low. For Carl Rogers (1959) a person who has high
self-worth, that is, has confidence and positive feelings about him or herself, faces challenges in life, accepts failure
and unhappiness at times, and is open with people. A person with low self-worth may avoid challenges in life, not
accept that life can be painful and unhappy at times, and will be defensive and guarded with other people.

Rogers believed feelings of self-worth developed in early childhood and were formed from the interaction of the child
with the mother and father. As a child grows older, interactions with significant others will affect feelings of self-
worth.Rogers believed that we need to be regarded positively by others; we need to feel valued, respected, treated
with affection and loved. Positive regard is to do with how other people evaluate and judge us in social interaction.
Rogers made a distinction between unconditional positive regard and conditional positive regard.

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Unconditional Positive Regard

Unconditional positive regard is where parents, significant others (and the humanist therapist) accepts and loves the
person for what he or she is. Positive regard is not withdrawn if the person does something wrong or makes a mistake.
The consequences of unconditional positive regard are that the person feels free to try things out and make mistakes,
even though this may lead to getting it worse at times.People who are able to self-actualize are more likely to have
received unconditional positive regard from others, especially their parents in childhood.

Conditional Positive Regard

Conditional positive regard is where positive regard, praise, and approval, depend upon the child, for example,
behaving in ways that the parents think correct. Hence the child is not loved for the person he or she is, but on condition
that he or she behaves only in ways approved by the parent(s). At the extreme, a person who constantly seeks
approval from other people is likely only to have experienced conditional positive regard as a child.

Congruence

A person’s ideal self may not be consistent with what actually happens in life and experiences of the person. Hence, a difference
may exist between a person’s ideal self and actual experience. This is called incongruence.

Where a person’s ideal self and actual experience are consistent or very similar, a state of congruence exists. Rarely, if ever, does
a total state of congruence exist; all people experience a certain amount of incongruence.

Congruence Circles Illustrating Self Actualization

The development of congruence is dependent on unconditional positive regard. Carl Rogers believed that for a person to achieve
self-actualization they must be in a state of congruence.

According to Rogers, we want to feel, experience and behave in ways which are consistent with our self-image and which reflect
what we would like to be like, our ideal-self.

The closer our self-image and ideal-self are to each other, the more consistent or congruent we are and the higher our sense of
self-worth. A person is said to be in a state of incongruence if some of the totality of their experience is unacceptable to them and
is denied or distorted in the self-image.

Incongruence is "a discrepancy between the actual experience of the organism and the self-picture of the individual insofar as it
represents that experience.

As we prefer to see ourselves in ways that are consistent with our self-image, we may use defense mechanisms like denial or
repression in order to feel less threatened by some of what we consider to be our undesirable feelings.

A person whose self-concept is incongruent with her or his real feelings and experiences will defend because the truth hurts.

MY PSYCHOLOGICAL VIEW OF SELF

Think of significant activities/events/memories that you

remember of yourself as you were growing up. I know you
have a lot but just pick one for each theory learned You will
use these memories in the next section (evaluate).

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Activity 5. Create a table showing the following: a) different ways the

different psychological theories suggest on how to view the self; b)
how you were able to form a view of yourself using the different
theories and using your past experiences. Remember to apply the
theories as you think of your answers. For instance, were you fixated
in any of the stages of development according to Freud’s
psychoanalytic theory? Remember to answer very briefly (up to 2
sentences only) (30 points)

Psychological Theory How Self is Viewed According to How you view/viewed yourself using the theory
the Theory and a significant event/memory while growing up

1. Psychoanalytic Theory (Sigmund Freud)

2. Psychosocial Development (Erik Erikson)

3. Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)

4. Moral Development (Kohlberg)

5. The Me-Self And The I-Self (William James)

6. Personality Theory – Self-Concept (Carl

Rogers)

UNIT 1.3 SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

The Sociological Perspective of the Self: The Self as a Product of Society

The Self as a Product of Social Interaction

Activity 6. Remember the photo collage you created in the Introductory

Part. I hope you took a photograph of your collage. Pick a partner from
your classmates and share your photograph, each taking note of other
persons in the pictures. Submit a separate sheet indicating your name
and the name of your partner. Identify all persons in his/her photograph
and indicate that person’s influence and significance in your partner’s life
(20 pts).

Read a real-story below. Take note of important details

so you could use them when you answer the next
activities.

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The old man was horrified when he found out. Life had never been good since his daughter lost her hearing when
when she was just two years old. She couldn’t even talk --- just fluttered her hands around trying to tell him things. Over the
years, he had gotten used to that. But now,,, he shuddered at the thought of her being pregnant. No one would be willing to
marry her; he knew that. And the neighbors, their tongues would never stop wagging. Everywhere he went, he could hear
people talking behind his back.

If only his wife were still alive, maybe she could come up with something. What should he do? He couldn’t just kick
his daughter out into the street. After the baby was born, the old man tried to shale his feelings, but they wouldn’t let loose.
Isabelle was a pretty name, but every time he looked at the baby, he felt sick to his stomach. He hated doing it, but there was
no way out. His daughter and her baby would have to live in the attic.

Unfortunately, this is a true story. Isabelle was discovered in Ohio in the 1938 when she was about 6 ½ years old,
living in a dark room with her deaf-mute mother. Isabelle couldn’t talk, but she did use gestures to communicate with her
mother. An inadequate diet and lack of sunshine had given Isabelle a disease called rickets. Her legs were so bowed that
as she stood erect the soles of her shoes came nearly flat together, and she got about with a skittering gait. Her behavior
toward strangers, especially men, was almost that of a wild animal, manifesting much fear and hostility. In lieu of speech she
made only a strange croaking sound. People first thought that Isabelle was mentally impaired because she scored practically
zero on an intelligence test. But after a few months of intensive language training, Isabelle was able to speak in short
sentences. In about a year, she could write a few words, do simple addition, and retell stories after hearing them. Seven
months later, she had a vocabulary of almost 2,000 words. It took only two years for Isabelle to reach the intellectual level
that is normal for her age. She then went on to school where she was “bright, cheerful, energetic… and participated in all
school activities as normally as other children.”

Time to learn the explanations behind this story in

relation to SELF. Enjoy knowing the theories that would
enlighten you further as you journey in the discovery and
understanding of the self that God created you to be!

I. Society Makes Us Human

A. There has been and continues to be considerable debate over whether “nature” (heredity) or “nurture” (social
environment) most determines human behavior. Studies of feral, isolated, and institutionalized children indicate that although
heredity certainly plays a role in the “human equation,” it is society that makes people “human.” People learn what it means
to be and, consequently, become members of the human community through language, social interaction, and other forms of
human contact.

1.Feral (wild) children have occasionally been found: children living in the woods who may have been raised by
wild animals. These stories lead one to wonder what humans would be like if left untouched by society.

2. Isolated children show what humans might be like if secluded from society at an early age. Isabelle’s story cited
in this lesson is an example. Although initially believed to be retarded, a surprising thing happened when she was
given intensive language training. She began to acquire language and in only two years she had reached the
normal intellectual level for her age. Without language there can be no culture or shared way of living.

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3. Institutionalized children show that traits such as intelligence, cooperative behavior, and friendliness are the
result of early close relations with other humans. Research with children reared in orphanages and cases like
Genie—the 13½-year-old who had been kept locked in a small room for years—demonstrates the importance of
early interaction for human development.

B. The Harlow’s studies of monkeys reared in isolation have reached similar results. They concluded that if isolated
for that longer than six months, the more difficult adjustment becomes.

C. Babies do not “naturally” develop into human adults; although their bodies grow, human interaction is required for
them to acquire the traits we consider normal for human beings. The process by which we learn the ways of our
society, through interaction with others, is socialization.

II. Socialization into the Self and Mind

A. People are not born with an intrinsic knowledge of themselves or others. Rather, as the theoretical insights of Charles
Horton Cooley, George Herbert Mead, Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, and Carol Gilligan demonstrate, they develop
reasoning skills, morality, personality, and a sense of self through social observation, contact, and interaction.

1. Charles H. Cooley (1864-1929) concluded that human development is socially created—that our sense of self
develops from interaction with others. He coined the term “looking glass self” to describe this process.

(1) According to Cooley, this process contains

three steps: (1) we imagine how we look to
others; (2) we interpret others’ reactions (how
they evaluate us); and (3) we develop a self-
concept.
(2) A favorable reflection in the “social mirror”
leads to a positive self-concept, while a negative
reflection leads to a negative self-concept.
(3) Even if we misjudge others’ reactions, the
misjudgments become part of our self-concept.
(4) This development process is an ongoing,
lifelong process.

B. George H. Mead (1863-1931) agreed with Cooley but added that play is critical to the development of a self. In play,
we learn to take the role of others—to understand and anticipate how others feel and think.

1. Mead concluded that children are first able to take only the role of significant others (parents or siblings, for
example); as the self develops, children internalize the expectations of other people, and eventually the entire group.
Mead referred to the norms, values, attitudes, and expectations of people “in general” as the generalized other.

2. According to Mead, the development of the self goes through stages: (1) imitation (children initially can only mimic
the gestures and words of others); (2) play (beginning at age three, children play the roles of specific people, such as
a firefighter or the Lone Ranger); and (3) games (in the first years of school, children become involved in organized
team games and must learn the role of each member of the team).

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3. He distinguished the “I” from the “me” in

development of the self: the “I” component is the
subjective, active, spontaneous, creative part of
the social self (for instance, “I shoved him”), while
the “me” component is the objective part—
attitudes internalized from interactions with others
(for instance, “He shoved me”).

4. Mead concluded that not only the self, but also

the mind is a social product. We cannot think
without symbols, and it is our society that gives us
our symbols by giving us our language.

A large part of the self is the influence of culture.

Read the next part bearing in mind our culture as
Filipinos.

The Self and Culture

 Remaining the same person and turning chameleon by adapting to one’s context seems paradoxical.
 French Anthropologist Marcel Mauss: self = personne and moi
o Moi refers to a person’s sense of who he is, his body and his basic identity.
o Personne, on the other hand, is composed of the social concepts of what it means to be who he is
o Personne has much to do with what it means to live in a particular institution, a particular family, a particular
religion, a particular nationality, and how to behave given expectations and influences from others.
o Example: In the Philippines, many people unabashedly violate jaywalking rules. A common Filipino treats
road, even national ones, as basically his and so he just merely crosses whenever and wherever. When
the same Filipino visits another country with strict traffic rules, say Singapore, you will notice how suddenly
law-abiding the said Filipino becomes.
 Language is another interesting aspect of this social constructivism. The Filipino language is incredibly interesting
to talk about. The way by which we articulate our love is incredibly interesting to talk about. The way by which we
articulate our love is denoted by the phrase, “Mahal kita.” This, of course, is the Filipino translation of “I love you.”
The Filipino brand of this articulation of love, unlike in English, does not specify the subject and the object of love;
there is no specification of who loves and who is loved. There is simply a word for love, mahal, and the pronoun kita,
which is a second person pronoun that refers to the speaker and the one being talked to. In the Filipino language,
unlike in English, there is no distinction between the lover and the beloved. They are one.

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 The word, mahal. in Filipino, the word can mean both “love” and “expensive.” In our language, love is intimately
bound with value, with being expensive, being precious. Something expensive is valuable. Someone whom we love
is valuable to us.
 Our language is also gender-neutral. In English, Spanish, and other languages, the distinction is clear between a
third person male and third person female pronoun. He and she; el and ella. In Filipino, it is plain, “siya.”
 In these varied examples, we have seen how language has something to do with culture. It is a salient part of culture
and ultimately, has a tremendous effect in our crafting of the self. This might also be one of the reasons why cultural
divide spells out differences in how one regard oneself.

The Self and the Development of the Social World

So how do people actively produce their social worlds? How do children growing up become social beings? How do
twins coming out from the same mother turn out to be terribly different when given up for adoption? More than his givenness
(personality, tendencies, and propensities, among others), one is believed to be in active participation in the shaping of the
self. Most often, we think the human persons are just passive actors in the whole process of the shaping of selves. That men
and women are born with particularities that they can no longer change. Recent studies, however, indicate that men and
women in their growth and development engage actively in the shaping of the self. The unending terrain of metamorphosis
of the self is medicated by language. “Language as both a publicly shared and privately utilized symbol system is the site
where the individual and the social make and remake each other” (Schwartz, White, and Lutz 1993).

Mead and Vygotsky

 For Mead and Vygotsky, the way that human persons develop is with the use of language acquisition and interaction
with others.
o The way that we process information is normally a form of an internal dialogue in our head.
o Those who deliberate about moral dilemmas undergo this internal dialog. “Should I do this or that?” “But
if I do this, it will be like this.” “Don’t I want the other opinion?”
o And so cognitive and emotional development of a child is always a mimicry of how it is done is the social
world, in the external reality where he is in.
o Both Vygotsky and Mead treat the human mind as something that is made, constituted through language
as experienced in the external world and as encountered in dialogs with others. A young child internalizes
values, norms, practices, and social beliefs and more through exposure to these dialogs that will eventually
becomes part of his individual world. For Mead, this takes place as a child assumes the “other” through
language and role-play.

Self in Families
Apart from the anthropological and psychological basis for the relationship between the self and the social world, the
sociological likewise struggled to understand the real connection between the two concepts. In doing so, sociologists focus
on the different institutions and powers at play in the society. Among these, the most prominent is the family.

 While every child is born with certain givenness, disposition coming from his parents’ genes and general conditions
of life, the impact of one’s family is still deemed as a given in understanding the self. The kind of family that we are
born in, the resources available to us (human, spiritual, economic), and the kind of development that we will have
certainly affect us as we go through life.
 Human persons learn the ways of living and therefore their selfhood by being in a family. It is what a family initiates
a person to become that serves as the basis for this person’s progress. Babies internalize ways and styles that they
observe from their family. The same is true for ways of behaving. Notice how kids reared in a respectful environment
becomes respectful. as well.
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 Without a family, biologically and sociologically, a person may not even survive or become a human person.
Gender and the Self
 Another important aspect of the self is gender. Gender is one of those loci of the self that is subject to alternation,
change, and development.. One maneuvers into the society and identifies himself as who he is by also taking note
of gender identities. A wonderful anecdote about Leo Tolstoy’s wife that can solidify this point is narrated below:
Sonia Tolstoy, the wife of the famous Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, wrote when she was twenty-
one, “I am nothing but a miserable crushed worm, whom no one wants, whom no one loves, a
useless creature with morning sickness, and a big belly, two rotten teeth, and a bad temper, a
battered sense of dignity, and a love which nobody wants and which nearly drives me insane, “A
few years later she wrote, “It makes me laugh to read over this diary. It’s so full of contradictions,
and one would think that I was such as unhappy woman. Yet is there a happier woman than I?”
(Tolstoy 1975)

 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/or gender. In the Philippines, husbands for the most
part are expected to provide for the family. The eldest man in a family is expected to head the family and hold it in.
Slight modifications have been on the way due to feminism and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
activism but for the most part, patriarchy has remained to be at work.
 Nancy Chodorow, a feminist, argues that because mothers take the role of taking care of children, there is a
tendency for girls to imitate the same and reproduce the same kind of mentality of women as care providers in the
family.
 Men on the other hand, in the periphery of their own family, are taught early on how to behave like a man. This
normally includes holding in one’s emotion, being tough, fatalistic, not to worry about danger, and admiration for
hard physical labor.
 The gendered self is then shaped within a particular context of time and space. The sense of self that is being
taught makes sure that an individual fits in a particular environment. This is dangerous and 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 the society.

Activity 7. Essay.
Answer the essay questions that follow. Answer very briefly
and in a concise manner.
Remember the lessons learned in sociological and
anthropological perspectives of the self as you answer.

Activity 7. Essay Questions: Write your answers in a separate sheet. Answer very briefly and concise. (25 points)

1. How important is socialization in the development of the self?

2. How do you view yourself if you will base it on the theories of Cooley and Mead and Vygotzky?
3. What are the roles our significant others play in our lives?
4. How is culture shaping our identity? Cite a significant part of your culture that you can clearly see its influence in your
life and explain how.
5. How does society impose a particular identity on us based on our gender? Cite a concrete example from your own
experience.

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References:

Alata, E. et al Understanding the Self. Rex Bookstore. Manila.

Brawner, Daisy G. et al (2018). Understanding the self. C & E Publishing, Inc 839 EDSA, South Triangle,
Quezon City

Bandura, A. (1999). Social Cognitive Theory of Personality. In Pervin and John (eds) Handbook of Personality
Theory and Research. 2 nd ed. Guilford Press 134 — 194.

Chafee, J. (2013) Who are you? Consciousness, Identity and the Self. fn the Philosopher's Way: Thinking
Critically about Profound Ideas. Pearson. 106 — 169.

Demetrio, Fernando & Zialcita. (1991). The soul, 95-97, One is not enough. 99-101. The Soul Book. GCF Books.

Henslin, J.M. Essentials of Sociology. A Down-to-Earth Approach 6th Edition. Pearson. USA.

Instructor’s Manual for Henslin, Essentials of Sociology, 11/e

Macayan, Jonathan V. et al (2018). Understanding the self. C & E Publishing, Inc 839 EDSA, South Triangle,
Quezon City

Mcleod, Saul. 2014. Carl Rogers. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-

rogers.html#:~:text=Personality%20Development-
,Personality%20Development,perceptions%20and%20beliefs%20about%20oneself.%22&text=The%20self%20
is%20influenced%20by,out%20interpretations%20of%20those%20experiences.

Taag. Gregorio C. et. al (2018). Understanding the Self/ IPM Publising House. Bulacan.

18 Self-Esteem Worksheets and Activities for Teens and Adults (+PDFs).

https://positivepsychology.com/self-esteem-worksheets/

Del Rosario, R. Understanding the self lecture 1 - PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES.

https://www.slideshare.net/shinpaiwa/understanding-the-self-lecture-1-philosophical-perspectives

Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-

psychology/chapter/psychodynamic-perspectives-on-
personality/#:~:text=Freud%20believed%20that%20the%20nature,phallic%2C%20latency%2C%20and%20geni
tal.

Image of Freud’s Psychosexual Development. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHtyNhdAUes

Image of Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages. https://studylib.net/doc/8131732/erikson-s-psychosocial-stages-

summary-chart

Videos: Psychological Theories

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V73hdaSTzWg
Psychoanalytic Theory by Sigmund Freud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYCBdZLCDBQ
Psychosocial Development by Erikson
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt3-PIC2nCs
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRF27F2bn-A
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bounwXLkme4
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

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