Understanding the Self Lesson 2: The Self, Society and Culture

1. Lesson 2
THE SELF, SOCIETY AND CULTURE

2.  1. Explain the relationship between and
among the self, society, and culture
 2. Describe and discuss the different ways by
which society and culture shape the self.
 3. Compare and contrast how the self can be
influenced by different institutions in the
society
 4. Examine one’s self against the different
views of self that were discussed in the class.

3.  Across time and history the self has been
debated, discussed and fruitfully
conceptualized by different thinkers in
philosophy. With the introduction of social
sciences, it became possible for new ways
and paradigms to re-examine the true nature
of self. Tired of the ideas of ancient
philosophers regarding the body and the
mind, thinkers settled on the idea that
whatever relationship these two have is less
important than the fact that there is a self.

4.  In contemporary literature and in common
sense, self is associated to being separate, self
contained, independent, consistent, unitary,
and private. This means that self is distinct
from others, unique and has own identity.
Even twins have their own self identity . Self
distinctiveness allows its being self contained
with own thoughts, independence ,
characteristics and volition (choice).

5.  By consistency, it means that a particular self’s
traits , characteristics, tendencies, and
potentials are more or less the same and can be
studied, described and measured.
 Self is unitary- it is the center of all
experiences and thoughts that run through a
certain person.
 Being private – it means that each person sorts
out information, feelings and emotions, and
thoughts processes within the self. This whole
process is never accessible to anyone but the
self. It is isolated from external world.

6.  However, we might see or observed that there
is a tendency of the self and the external reality
to bump into. This external reality is the reason
of the self to have a clear understanding of
what it might be, what it can be and what it
will be?
Conclusion:
that the self is always at the mercy of the
external circumstances that bump and collide
with it. It is ever-changing and dynamic,
allowing external influences to take part in its
shaping.

7.  Social constructivists 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.
 Self should not be seen as a static(stagnant/fixed) entity
but rather as something that is in unceasing flux
(constant change), in constant struggle with external
reality and is malleable (fexible)in its dealing with
society.
 The self is always in participation with social life and its
identity subjected to influences here and there. Having
these perspectives, we can conclude that self is
multifaceted (multidimensional).

8.  As a son/ daughter/sibling – who are you as member of
the family?
 As gf/ bf
 As a friend
 As a student/ classmate-
 As a church member
 As neighbourhood
We ourselves play different roles , act in different ways
depending on circumstances.

9. Should we bother of our
shifting selves? Is it normal?
The self is capable of
adjusting and fitting itself into
any circumstances it finds
itself in.

10.  According to Mauss:
Every self has two faces: PERSONNE and MOI.
 Moi- refers to his sense of who he is, his body and his
biological givenness. Moi is person’s basic identity.
 Personne-social concepts of what it means to be who
he is. Personne has much to do what it means to live in a
particular institution, particular family , particular
religion, etc. and how to behave in given expectations
and influence from others.

11. Adjusting cultures in other
countries
Man courting a woman (tone and
mood)
 When in church
The use of language
Other adjustments in cultural ways

12.  how do children growing up become social beings? how
do twins grow from the same mother turn out so
differently when given up for adoption? more than his
givenness (personality, tendencies, propensities, among
others) one is believed to be in active participation in
the shaping of the self. The unending terrain of the
metamorphosis of the self is mediated by language.
Language is both publicly shared and privately utilized
symbol system is the site where the individual and the
social make and remake each other (Schwartz, White
and Luke 1993)

13.  Humans develop through the use and
acquisition of language and interaction with
others. The way how we information is
processed is a from of an internal dialogue in
our head. (“ Should I do this or If I do
this…Do I have other options?”) In this way
cognitive and emotional development of a
child is always a mimicry of how things are to
be done in the social world is the external
reality where he is in.

14.  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. 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 will certainly
affect the development of the self. Our potential of
becoming human depends largely on the family
starting from birth and the nurturing times of child.

15.  Human beings learn the ways of living and
therefore their selfhood by being in a family.
How kids are reared reflect their behavior and
attitude. Some attitudes and behavior may be
indirectly taught through rewards and
punishments. Others, such as sexual behavior or
how to confront emotions are learned through
subtle means like the tone of the voice or
intonation of the models. Without a family ,
biologically and sociologically a person may not
even survive or become a human person. One is
who he is because of his family for the most part.

16.  Another aspect of self is gender. Gender is
one of the loci 0f the self that is subject to
alteration, change and development. We
have observed how some people fought hard
to express, validate and assert their gender
rights. Conservatives frown upon this and
insist on the biological. 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 destiny. This forms part
of selfhood that one cannot just dismiss.

17.  On women:
Nancy Choodrow, 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.
 Should play dolls instead of guns.
 Encourage to act like fine ladies
 Behave in a fashion that befits their status as women
in society.

18.  On men;
 Behave like a man
 Holding one’s emotion/ strong at all times
 Being tough
 Fatalistic
 Not worry about danger
 Admiration for hard physical work
 Had to undergo circumcision to initiate for manhood.

19.  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.
 Things to reflect:
This gendered self - is dangerous and detrimental
in the goal of truly findings 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…