The document discusses theories of self-concept, identity, and how they develop and are influenced by others. It covers Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Rogers' theory of a growth-promoting climate, and Cooley's looking glass self. Self-concept involves how we see our physical, intellectual, emotional, and social selves, and is shaped by gender, culture and social interactions from a young age. Social identity and social comparison processes influence self-esteem through group memberships. Supporting transition and addressing incongruences between actual and ideal selves can promote well-being.

1. Coping with Change in Health and Social Care
Unit 25- Self concept, Theories and Identity

2. Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
• Understand the nature of self-concept and its links with self esteem
• Understand the potential impact on self-concept of major life changes
• Understand the role of the health and social care professional in
supporting transition and change

3. What are the most important things a person
needs to thrive?

4. Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
• Abraham Maslow: 1908- 1970
• Believed people are seeking to be the best they can be- spiritually,
physically, emotionally and intellectually- Self Actualisation
• Theory of Hierarchy of Needs with Self Actualisation being the aim. Once
each level has been achieved a person moves onto the next.
• “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he
is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be.
This need we call self acutalisation”

5. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

7. Case Study: Amina
• What stage of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is Amina when she first arrived
in England?
• Where is she now?
• Which needs are being satisfied by entering education?
• How would you ascertain if Amina is ready for education? What would you
ask?

8. Self Concept
• Carl Rodgers: 1902- 1987
• Starting belief that people are whole, healthy and good.
• That the ability of the self to evolve and develop throughout life, enabling us to make
positive choices in our lives.
• Strongly believed in the self actualising tendency- the desire to grow and improve our
abilities and to develop all our capabilities
• Construct our own sense of self based on our constructed reality
• Ideal self- the view of what we think “we should be”. If unrealistic or too idealistic we feel
distress as we are constantly “failing” to achieve our aim. This is incongruence (a
mismatch) between ideal self and actual self

9. The Growth Promoting Climate
• Ideal self- the view of what we think “we should be”. If unrealistic or too
idealistic we feel distress as we are constantly “failing” to achieve our aim.
This is incongruence (a mismatch) between ideal self and actual self
• To improve the self, Rogers believed a person needs congruence
(genuiness), unconditional positive regard and accurate empathetic
understanding from those around them, to enable growth.

10. Self-concept
• How we acquire our self-concept is a very complicated process.
• However a simple way if understanding self-concept is to see ourselves
as having four ‘selves’:
•Physical
•Intellectual
•Emotional
•Social.

11. Self-concept
• Physical Self
• Attractiveness
• How healthy we are
• How fit we are
• Are we generally good at sports and physical exercise.
• Intellectual Self
• How good we are at academic work, art, music etc.

12. Self-concept
• Emotional Self
• Understanding our own feelings
• Understanding others feelings
• How you get on with people
• How good you are at getting on with and
concentrating on work.
• Social Self
• Relationships with member of your own
families
• Relationships with friends and colleagues.

13. Self-concept
involves
How popular we
are with other
people
How good we are at various
work or sporting activities
How likely we are to be
successful at coping with
problems
How we compare with
other people we know
How physically attractive we
are
How fit and strong
we are
How clever we are

14. Define self concept
• How does self concept develop?
Much of self concept
is formed around
gender, age, culture,
personality and role

15. So what is the difference between self-
concept and self-esteem?
Self-concept (what we know
about ourselves
• I have brown hair
• I am overweight
• I am a student
Self-esteem (acceptance,
approval and valuing oneself)
• I hate my hair
• I hate my body
• I am not clever and feel I will not
do well at college

16. The looking
glass self
• Charles Cooley 1864- 1929
• A person’s self grows
through their social
interactions with others.
This informs them of how
other perceive them to be.

17. Who are you ? Identity
• Identity- who are you?
• Depend on role?
• Location?
• Multi faceted?
• Is it flexible?
• Is it how you see yourself or how others see you?

18. Social Identity
• Social identity- Belonging to a group gives a sense of social identity. Tajfel (1979) believed that
membership to groups (e.g. social class, family, football team etc.) are an important source of pride
and self-esteem. By associating with a particular group, we are able to discover more about
ourselves. A groups behavioural norms will become our behavioural norms. An individual can
belong to many groups
• Social Identity Theory: 3 stages- categorisation- social identification- social comparison.
• Categorisation- We categorise things to enable us to understand and recognise them, according to
societal groups- black, white, bus driver, student
• Social identification- To be a member of a group we adopt the group identity and behave according
to how we believe the group behaves. The emotional connection to the group will add to our
identification with the group and self esteem will be entwined with the membership

19. Social Identity
• Once we have categorised and identified we compare our group to others.
To maintain our self esteem we need to compare well to other groups.
• Can create an “us” and “them” mentality.
• This can create groups prejudices and rivalries where groups compete and
hostility can surface.

20. Useful Phrases
• Self Actualisation- Defined by Abraham Maslow. An innate tendency, of all human beings,
to become the best they can be in all aspects of personality, intellectual, social and
emotional life
• Self concept- The way we view ourselves. In childhood this is based on what we are told,
as we get older we include our own judgements on ourselves, behaviour, results.
• Self esteem- How we value ourselves. If we believe we are valued, we have high self
esteem, feel loved and loveable. If we have low self esteem, we believe we are worthless
and of no value to others- unloved and unloveable.
• Identity- Associated with occupational choice and social roles. Consistent sense of
sameness