Lesson 2: From the Perspective of Sociology

SOCIOLOGY Other sociological approaches to understanding the self

- Discipline in the Social science. -Charles Horton Cooley
- Aim : discover the ways by which the -Erving Goffman
surrounding/environment influence peoples' thoughts, feeling
and behavior.
Oberservations of Some Sociology I am not what I think I am
George Herbert Mead I am not what You think I am
-Main interests were philosophy and psychology. I am what I think You think I am
-He wrote and published may articles and book reviews.
Mead Social Self Lesson 3: The Self from the Perspective of Anthropology
SOCIAL BEHAVIORISM - Fields of Anthropology
-Approach of George Mead -Archaeology
-The power of the environment in shaping human behavior. -Biologyal Anthropology
-The self as a “dimension of personality that is made up of -Linguistic
the: -Cultural Anthropology
- individual’s self awareness and self image” ANTHROPOLOGY
SET OF STAGES -Study of man
1. Preparatory Stage- Mead believed that a self did not exist -totallity of what it means to be human
at birth. -Looks into man’s;
- Children’s behavior are primrily based on imatation. -Physical/biological characteristics
- Symbols are the bases of communication. -Social relationships
STAGES OF FORMATION -Influences of his culture
2. The Play Stage- Skills at knowing and understanding the FIELDS OF ANTHROPOLOGY
symbols of communication: -Archaeology
- Important basis for socialization. -Biological Anthropology
- Child widens his perspective and realizes that he is not -Linguistic
alone. -Cultural Anthropology
3. The Game Stage- The child is about 8-9 y/o and does more *Human beings are similar and very different at the same
than just role-take. time.
- The child now has the ability to respond not just to one but ARCHAEOLOGY
several members of social environment. Archaeologist- scientist who studied artifacts to know how
STAGES OF SELF FORMATION these peope live their lives.
(George Mead) *Man with his digging tools carefully removing soil and
Stages Existence of Self Characteristics dirt from the particular site.
Preparatory Stage None Imitates another -Focus on the past and how it can contribute to present
Play Stage Developing Role- taking living of people.
Game Stage Present Generalized Other -”Survival”- most imporatnt aspect of human nature.
Mead Theory of the Self BIOLOGY ANTHROPOLOGY
-The self is not present at birth but begins as a central focuses on; -How human body adapts to the different
character in a child’s world environments.
- As children grow and mature, there is a change in the self. -Cause of deaths, pgysical mutation and death.
The “I” and “Me” - How the biological charateristics of human beings affect
I Self- The person initiates or performs in social action, the how they live their lives.
self functions as a subjects. LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY
-Subjective element is the I. -Ability of human to communicate
Me Self- The person takes the role of the other, the self -Language- essential part of human communication.
functions as an object. - Language identifies a group of people. -Words
- Objective element of the self is the Me. -Sounds -Writings
Other Sociological Approaches to -Symbols -Signs
Understanding the Self Linguistic Anthropologist focuses on; -Using language to
Charles Horton Cooley discover a group’s of manner of social interaction
-Use sociopsychological approach -How language is used to create and share meanings,
-Human Nature and the Social Order form of ideas, and concpets to promote social changes
-Looking- glass self or the self that is a product of social -How language and modes of communication change over
interaction. time.
Three Phases of Developing a Self CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
People imagine how: Culture- group of people’s way of life.
- they present themselves to ohthers. -Behaviors -Values
- others evaluate them. -Beliefs -Symbols
- they develop some sort of feeling about themselves. Culture Anthropologist are interested in how people
Erving Goffman- Modern American Sociology. became a product of his culture.
- The presentation of the self in everyday life. -Ways in which culture can manifest itself in people
- Used the phrase Face- work -Symbols
- to describe another aspect of the self.
-Heroes -too much individuality results distant and estrange
-Rituals feelings towards family and other people
-Values
Lesson 4: The self from the perspective of psychology 2.REAL AND IDEAL SELF-CONCEPTS.
Pshychology- the field of the social sience. CARL ROGERS-American Psychologists who proposed
-deals with the: the personality theory known as the Pearson-Centered
-description Theory.
-explanation Types of Self Concept:
-prediction and - Self-concept is how a person thinks about or perceives
-control of behavior himself.
-Existence of the state of consciousness in human beings. 1. Real self concept – refers to all information and
-People exists independently of the perceiving human perception the person has about himself;
mind. Answer the question “ Who am I?”
The mind – body problem of philosophy is one issue in 2. Ideal self-concept – model version the person the has of
the field of knowledge. himself;
-specifically for psychology is the famous Nature- - what the person aims for himself to be Answer the
Nurture Controversy. question
Willian James- American Philosopher and Psychologist. “Who do I want to be?”
-known for being one of the great pragmatists and Theory Self Discrepancy Theory of Higgins
of the Self. -stated that people use internalized standards to which
-studies of human thoughts concluded that thoughts have they compare Themselves
five characteristics: Self-guide – provide directions for how the person should
1. All human thoughts are owned by some personal self. present himself
2. All thoughts are constantly changing or are never Self-discrepancy – may cause emotional discomfort to
static. the individual;can be manifested as guilt or worst as
3. There’s continuity of thoughts as its focus shifts from indifference,
one object to another. 3.MULTIPLE AND UNIFIED SELVES.
4. Thoughts deal with objects that are different from and Multiple Selves Theory- there exists individual different
independent of consciousness itself. aspect of the self.
5. Consciousness can focus on particular objects and not -a person who is able to make sense of sometimes
others. confusing and conflicting aspects
-believed that self is made up of two parts: -integrate them into a single, unified self.
ME self ( empirical ME) considered as separate object or Unified being is essentially connected to consciousness,
individual awareness and agency.
-person refers to when discussing or describing their -considered a well-adjusted person, success and failures
personal experience. should be accepted and understood.
I self ( Pure Ego or the thinking self) knows and -A person who is able to deal with and accept the
recognized who they are and they have done. complexities and perceived unfairness that exist in life.
-it is similar to the person’s soul or mind. 4.TRUE AND FALSE SELVES
-Considered to a non-substance D. W. Winnicott – English pediatrician and
ME SELF divided into three components: psychoanalyst.
1. The Material Self – consists of things or object that - studied child development through play he observed
belongs to the person. children as having true and false self.
2. The Social Self– refers to who the person in a -True self which the self is seen as creative,
particular social situation. experiencing each day of their lives, appreciating being
3. The Spiritual Self – concrete or permanent; subjective alive, real;I
and intimate part of the self. -ntegrated and connected to the whole of existence.
OTHER SELVES IN PSYCHOLOGY -Individual who recognizes his strengths and accepts his
1.GLOBAL AND DIFFERENTIATED SELF MODEL. limitations and never afraid to try all over again
Global Self – represents the overall value that a person False Self manifested as a form of defense.
places upon himself; -lacks spontaneity ( voluntary action; naturalness)
- the product of all experiences that he had in the society. -masks that hides the true person (for fear of the pain of
- affects how he views and feels about himself. rejection and failure)
- expected for a person to be born. -person is forced to comply (with social norms and
- grow up in the presence of others. standards)
- his Global Self is the product of all experiences that he -person form superficial(external) but productive social
had in the relationships.
society. -According to Winnicott, TRUE AND FALSE SELVES
MURRAY BOWEN –American Psychiatrist and are present in all individuals.
Professor of Psychiatry. 5.THE SELF AS PROACTIVE AND AGENTIC
-developed the Family Therapy and Systhemic Therapy Albert Bandura-proponent of the personality theory
concept of differentiated self ( separate feelings and known as the The Social Cognitive Theory.
thoughts ). -human beings are proactive, (positive)
A balance should be maintained for: -self regulating, (self-governing; free)
-too much togetherness creates friction and conflict and -self-reflective (engaging ion self-reflection)
prevents the development of the person’s sense of self -self-organizing (self-organized)
-the person seen as proactive and agentic : (means that he
has the capacity to exercise control over his life)
-Triadic Reciprocal Causation Paradigm, how human Ren- signifies the Chinese culture’s emphasis on the or
beings are affected by the interaction among the heart as the most important instead of the head on
environmental events, human nature.
-behavior and personal factor - a reflection of the person’s own
FEATURES OF HUMAN AGENCY understanding of humanity.
1.Intentionality – the actions performed by the person - guides human actions and to go against the ren, means
intentionally or with full awareness of his behavior. abandoning what is truly human, for it is ren that makes
2. Forethought - the person’s anticipation of likely life worth.
outcomes of his behavior; determined which one will most REN
likely lead to a positive Li - Propriety Xiao - Filiality
Outcome. -To guide human actions, -Is a virtue of reverence and
3.Self-reactiveness - the process which the person is rules of propriety should respect for family.
motivated and be followed. -Reverence for parents and
regulates his behavior; within his ability to achieve his -Rules involved adherence to family, is
goal. the rituals of the community. demonstrated by
3. Self-reflectiveness – the person looking inward and “to master oneself and return bringing honor to the family,
evaluating his motivations, values, life goals and other to propriety is humanity” making something to himself
people’s effect on him; -Confucius to earn the respect of others.
4.Self-efficacy - the person’s belief that capable of
behavior that will produce the desired positive results. Yi - Rightness

SELF-REGULATION It is the right way of behaving

- a person engages in self-regulated behavior ( when he --Yi is unconditional
reactively attempts to minimize discrepancies between. and absolute.
-what he has already accomplished and “ Do not do to others what you do not want them do to you.” -
-what he still wants to achieve Confucius.
-allows the person to set goals The Self in Eastern Thought Collective
-challenging his capabilities collective self is ingrained into the individual.
-making hiim a wiser and -it observes that strong bonds of unity are formed and
-self- actualizes individual developed.
Lesson 5: Self in Western and Eastern Thought -In society, this fosters nationalistic attitude as long as this
THE SELF IN WESTERN THOUGHT is what the group believes.
-”I think therefore I am”. Rene Descartes, in his view the -It means individual members are non-entitles and there is no
person/ self exists regarless of his environment. sense of self but what is present is collective self.
-Immanuel Kant, believe that the self is capable of
actions that entitles it to have rights as an autonomous Physical Self -refers to the concrete dimensions of the body
agent. tangible aspect of the person can directly observed and
- Western thought of self introduces the ecological self. examined.
-sees the self as a process that is undergoing development. Physical Characteristics - the defining traits or features of the
-The self here is dynamic, different and unique in each person’s body easily distinguished with the naked eye.
individual and is constatantly exposed to an ever changing Puberty: A Period Of Rapid Physical Changes
world. (Santrock) puberty is not the same as adolescence and ends
INDIVIDUALISTIC SELF prior to the end of the adolescent period.
-It is a reslut of a process of introspection and reflection. Judaism- holds a positive and natural outlook towards
- The self decides that since he marital sex which they consider as blessed by God and
has only one life to live and that
pleasure for both men and women.
death is inevitable, he should make
the most of this life he was given.
-"the right of the individual to
freedom and self-realization“.
CONFUCIAN THOUGHT
-Confucius or Kong Zhongni of China was known in the
west.
-Born in the period of Zhou Dynasty, 551 BCE in the
small state of Lu.
-Confucius was known as ‘Master Kong’ and as‘Great
Sage and Teacher’.
-Humanistic social philosophy, its primary focus is on
human beings and the society in general.
-The philosophical concept is centered on the:
-ren (human goodness) which can be manifested through
the li (propriety), xiao (filiality) , yi
(rightness).