Sociological and Anthropological Perspectives

GE 111: Understanding the Self
The Self, Society,

and Culture
Ms. Myael T. Ursolino, RPm

The Story of Tarzan
The self is commonly defined by
the following characteristics
The self is separate, it is The self is unitary because it is

always unique and has its own the center of all experiences and
identity. thoughts that run through a
The self is self-contained and certain person.
independent because in itself it The self is private. Each person
can exist. sorts out feelings, emotions, and
The self is consistent because information within the self. This
it has a personality that is process is never accessible to
enduring and is persistent. anyone but the self.
Social constructionist perspective
The relationship between the self and external reality.
Social constructionists argue for a

merged view of 'the person' and their
'social context' where the boundaries of
one cannot easily be separated from
the boundaries of the other.
The self is always in participation with
social life and its identity subjected to
influences here and there.
Social constructionist perspective
The self is truly multifaceted.
We ourselves play different roles, act in

different ways depending on our
circumstances. Are we being
hypocritical in doing so? Are we even
conscious of our shifting selves?
According to what we have so far, this is
not only normal but also is acceptable
and expected.
Personne and moi
From French anthropologist Marcel Mauss
Moi refers to a person's sense of who

he is, his body, and his basic identity, his
biological givenness.
Personne is composed of the social
concepts of what it means to be who he
is.
The Self and Culture
The self will have to adjust according to its exposure.
Cultural divide spells out differences in

how one regards oneself.
North Americans think they are better
than most people.
Japanese people, on the other hand,
display a degree of modesty.
If one finds himself born and raised in a
particular culture, one tries to fit in a
particular mold.
The Self and the Development of
the Social World
The unending terrain of metamorphosis of the self is

mediated by language.
Men and women in their growth and

development engage actively in the
shaping of the self.
"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".
Mead and Vygotsky
For Mead and Vygotsky, the way that

human persons develop is with the
usage of language acquisition and
interaction with others.
Process of information = internal
dialogue
Cognitive and emotional development
of a child is a mimicry of what is done in
the social world.
Mead and Vygotsky
They treat the human mind as

something that is made through
language.
For Mead, this takes place in a child
through language and 'role-play'.
Through this that a child delineates the
"I" from the rest.
Mead and Vygotsky
For Vygotsky, a child internalizes real-

life dialogues that he has had with
others. They apply this to their mental
and practical problems along with the
social and cultural infusions brought by
the dialogues.
Self in Families
While every child is born with certain

givenness, disposition coming from his
parents' genes and general condition in
life, the impact of one's family is still
deemed as a given in understanding the
self.
Human persons are one of those beings
whose importance of family cannot be
denied.
Self in Families
Learning is critical in our capacity to

actualize our potential of becoming
humans.
In trying to achieve the goal of
becoming a fully realized human, a child
enters a system of relationships, most
important of which is the family.
Self in Families
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.
Some behaviors and attitudes may be indirectly
taught through rewards and punishments.
One is who he is because of his family for the
most part.
Gender and the Self
Gender is one of those aspects of the self

that is subject to alteration, change, and
development.
From the point of view of the social sciences
and the self, it is important to give one the
leeway to find, express, and live his identity.
One goes into the society and identifies
himself as who he is by also taking note of
gender identities.
Gender and the Self
Oftentimes, society forces a particular

identity unto us depending on our sex
and/or gender.
In the society, there is a tendency for
girls to imitate the role of mothers and
reproduce the same kind of mentality
of women as care providers in the
family
Gender and the Self
Men on the other hand are taught

early on how to behave like a man.
Holding in emotions, being tough, not
to worry about danger, and
admiration for hard labor.
Circumcision plays another social
role by initiating young boys into
manhood.
Gender and the Self
The gendered self is then shaped

within a particular context of time
and space. Gender has to be
personally discovered and asserted
and not dictated by culture and the
society.
End of
Lesson 2

Sociological and Anthropological Perspectives

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GE 111: Understanding the Self

The Self, Society,

Ms. Myael T. Ursolino, RPm

The self is separate, it is The self is unitary because it is

The relationship between the self and external reality.

Social constructionists argue for a

The self is truly multifaceted.

We ourselves play different roles, act in

From French anthropologist Marcel Mauss

Moi refers to a person's sense of who

The self will have to adjust according to its exposure.

Cultural divide spells out differences in

The unending terrain of metamorphosis of the self is

Men and women in their growth and

For Mead and Vygotsky, the way that

They treat the human mind as

For Vygotsky, a child internalizes real-

While every child is born with certain

Learning is critical in our capacity to

Human persons learn the ways of living and

Gender is one of those aspects of the self

Oftentimes, society forces a particular

Men on the other hand are taught

The gendered self is then shaped

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