PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

GE-UTS: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

MODULE 1
THE SELF IN VARIOUS
PERSPECTIVES

Student Name: __________________

Course: _______________________
 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3
LESSON 1.1: Philosophical Perspectives 4
Jemimah G. Pizarro-Ompad

LESSON 1.2: Sociological Perspectives 13

Rowena Gaspay-Fernandez

LESSON 1.3: Psychological Perspectives 25

Gregorio Naldo Jr
Jemimah G. Pizarro-Ompad

LESSON1. 4: Anthropological Perspectives 36

Rowena Gaspay-Fernandez
Donald A. Delos Reyes

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 INTRODUCTION

This module is the first set for the GE-UTS (Understanding the Self) course. The
course deals with the nature of identity and the factors and forces that affect the
development and maintenance of personal identity. The directive to Know Oneself
has inspired countless and varied ways to comply. Among the questions that
everyone has had to grapple with at one time or another is “Who am I?” At no other
period is this question asked more urgently than in adolescence—traditionally
believed to be a time of vulnerability and great possibilities. Issues of self and identity
are among the most critical for the young,

The UTS course is intended to facilitate the exploration of the issues and concerns
regarding self and identity to understand one’s self better. It strives to meet this goal
by stressing the integration of the personal with the academic—contextualizing
matters discussed in the classroom and in the everyday experiences of students—
making for better learning, generating a new appreciation for the learning process,
and developing a more critical and reflective attitude while enabling them to manage
and improve their selves to attain a better quality of life.

At the end of the course, the student is expected to: 1) Manifest an understanding
of different perspectives and disciplines about the self; 2) Demonstrate an
understanding and appreciation of the different aspects of the self; 3) Create a plan
for proper self-care.

This first set, Module 1, aims to teach the students to manifest an understanding of
the different perspectives and disciplines about the self. It seeks to understand the
construct of the self from various disciplinal perspectives: philosophy, sociology,
anthropology, and psychology—each seeking to provide answers to the difficult but
essential question of “What is the self?” And raising, among others, the question: “Is
there even such a construct of the self?”

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INTRODUCTION
"Who am I?" is a very fundamental existential question.
It is an inquiry that the self addresses to the owner of LESSON 1.1
the self. The self's (you) answer to this defines how
much you know about your self and thus presents your
Philosophical
identity. It is critical as this will give meaning to your Perspectives
existence and help you navigate this world of different by: Jemimah G. Pizarro-Ompad
co-existing beings and things. "Know thyself" is
Socrates' advice to make your life worth living since, for Introduction
him, "an unexamined life is not worth living." That is his Intended Learning
mandate as a philosopher. Outcomes

Socrates and the other thinkers had long tried to Motivation: Give Me a
propose different tenets on seeking the answers to that Symbol

main inquiry "Who am I?" Philosophers from the Pre- Lesson Proper
Socratic period up to the contemporary time of Ancient Philosophy
philosophy provided different answers to related
questions "Is there a self?", "Does the self really exist?", Medieval Philosophy

"Who am I in relation to the cosmos, God, and others?" Modern Philosophy

and "In what ways do I get to know my self?" Their Contemporary Philosophy
answers to these questions are very foundational but
deep. Upon reflection, they will help you define the Application

concept of the self and identify the meaning of your self. Bullet it

This lesson will introduce you to philosophy as an Define Self

intellectual enterprise and relate it to the inquiry. Guess What
Further, this will mainly discuss the philosophers' ideas
Rubrics
on the self.
References
I believe you are ready to dig more into the ideas of
different philosophers and then complete at the end the
following learning outcomes:

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Identify the different philosophical perspectives in the conceptualizations of the self;
2. Examine the different influences, factors, and forces that shape the self proposed by
the philosophers; and
3. Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the development of one's self
and identity by developing a preliminary philosophical theory of the self.

Ready? Then you may begin, motivate yourself to learn more, and enjoy!

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 MOTIVATION
GIVE ME A SYMBOL
In the box, draw one thing that symbolizes yourself
and explain it. How and why does it symbolize you?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

Do you know that finding a symbol for yourself is one step to philosophizing the
inquiry "Who am I?" That is right!
Congratulations! You have a symbol; you already got one answer for that question.
Way to go to find more!

LESSON PROPER

When you love something, you spend time, effort, and resources to
Philosophy search, care for, and attain it. That is the mandate of philosophy. It
etymologically encourages you to ask questions and seek answers to fundamental
means “love of ideas that will give meaning to your life and existence. It encourages
wisdom”. you to ask, "Who am I?" It inspires you to love that question and the
answers to it.
In this lesson, the main question posed by philosophy
is, "How do you answer the question, 'Who am I?'" Let
us see how the philosophers of different periods WHO AM I?
sought the answers.

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 ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
Some pre-Socratic philosophers tried to seek answers by
relating the inquiry to the cosmos with the question, "Who am
I in relation to the natural world?" These early philosophers
focused on the workings of the things around us, i.e.,
elements, numbers, heavenly entities, and the microscopic
substances as the underlying principles of everything,
including the human self (Price, 2000). For example, for
Democritus, the foundation making up an individual matter or
human is a bundle of atoms.
With a shift of focus from the cosmo-centric approach to humans' inner world, the Ancient
Triumvirate, i.e., Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, began the inquiry, "In what ways do I get to
know myself?"
Socrates' answer is "Know thyself" by examining your life.
Examining life means continuous inquiry, searching for
answers, and reflecting on anything you encounter. His
reflections arrived at the dualism of the soul and body.
As Socrates' student,
(picture of Plato also upheld the immortality of the
human=atoms)
soul. Further, he believed that the three aspects of the soul,
i.e., reason, physical desire, and passion, are in a dynamic
relationship in conflict or agreement. It is the body that is
always the cause of endless trouble; thus, it should strive to
attain harmony through reason. 3 Greeks)

For Aristotle, the self is known through experiences through the senses. The self (mind) is
brought into the world as a tabula rasa (blank tablet). Thus, we are all born with empty minds.
The Post-Aristotelians maintained the dualism of the soul and body as the composition of the
self. However, they became more ethical in approaching the concept of the self. The Stoics
believed that the self should be apathetic or indifferent to pleasure. The Hedonists
encouraged the self to attain happiness by focusing on the present since everybody will die
tomorrow anyway. The Epicureans maintained moderate pleasure for the self.

Let's check if you remember the ideas of the three Greats.

In what ways do I get to know myself? According to

Socrates: ________________________________________________________________________
Plato: _________________________________________________________________________
Aristotle: __________________________________________________________________________________

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Did you get them right? I hope you did. There is still much to learn. The following sections
will tell you about medieval, modern, and contemporary philosophers' thoughts about the
self.

MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
The Medieval philosopher St. Augustine of Hippo turned the
main question into "Is the self related to a supreme
being/God? Who am I in relation to a supreme being/God?"
His time aimed to merge philosophy and religion. Thus, he
integrated the ideas of Plato and Christianity of his age. He
believed in the dualism of the self as body and soul. The
body in the temporary world becomes a proving ground for
the soul's superiority, which should be unified with God
through faith and reason (Price, 2000).
MODERN PHILOSOPHY
The Modern philosophers' approach became
anthropocentric and less reliant on handed-down knowledge (Moore & Bruder, 2002).

✓ For Rene Descartes, the mere fact that the self thinks implies that the self exists. His
phrase “cogito ergo sum” means “I think; therefore I am.” According to him, the thinking
thing, the self, can exist independently of the body.

✓ John Locke believed in Aristotle’s concept of the self (mind) as tabula rasa. For him, the
self is created by memories written on the tablet. Thus, there is a self that exists because
of memory.

✓ As opposed to Locke and Descartes, David Hume suggested that the self does not exist.
According to him, what we believe as the “self” is just a bundle of constantly changing
perceptions that we encounter. There is no unified self that forms our identity.

✓ Immanuel Kant contested Hume’s No Self theory and suggested that the self is a priori.
Thus, it exists independently of experiences and serves as the unifying and organizing
consciousness that makes sense of all aspects of identity.

✓ Sigmund Freud’s focus on identifying the structures of the self implies that the self exists.
The self is multilayered and has three personality structures, i.e., id, ego, and superego,
and has three levels of consciousness, i.e., conscious, pre-conscious, and unconscious.
All these layers shape the personality/identity of the self.
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Independent inquiries became the trend as they attempted to ask questions like "How can I
be sure that the self exists? What are the proofs that the self exists?"
Further, Gilbert Ryle and Paul Churchland did away with the concept of the mind being the
seat of self.

Ryle proposed that the seat of self is the behavior and not the mind. The self is the
pattern of behavior, the tendency or disposition for one to behave in a particular
circumstance.

The self is “I act; therefore, I am.”

Churchland believed that the self is the brain itself. The physical brain gives us the sense
of self, not the imaginary mind.

Philosophizing is a continuous process of asking a question and finding the answers. It

does take plenty of reflection. To do that, you should first review the primary concepts you
have learned. Do you remember? Then try it below.

What are the proofs that the self exists? According to

Rene Descartes: ____________________________________________________
John Locke: ____________________________________________________
David Hume: ____________________________________________________
Immanuel Kant: ____________________________________________________
Sigmund Freud: ____________________________________________________
Gilbert Ryle: ____________________________________________________
Paul Churchland: ____________________________________________________

So, what do you think? Does the self indeed exist? Remember, you must come up with your
answer for that critical existential inquiry. Reflect on it.

Moving on, learn more about the other questions about the self posed by philosophers. The
next topic tells you about the contemporary answers.

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CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY

Contemporary thinkers approached the concept of human existence and being humanistic
(Chaffee, 2016). They focused more on human experiences. Thus, the inquiry about the self
could be translated into one sample question that probes the human experience of falling in
love by the self: "What happens to you when you fall in love—physically, emotionally, and
mentally (cognitively)?"

The approach is called phenomenological. The idea is that the self has its way of experiencing
things like falling in love. It is subjective. It is a lived experience. When you fall in love, physical
(biological), emotional, and mental aspects are seamlessly woven together, unified by the
self. Thus, when you fall in love, the whole self – your body, feelings, and thoughts are in love.

For Maurice Merleau-Ponty, the self is

Edmund Husserl proposed the concepts of
the "lived body" that is the primary site
mental and physical as intertwined.
of knowing the world and experiencing
everything in it. It is the body that
experiences everything, including
falling in love.

Thus, the self is not just the mind, the

physical brain, or the behavior. The
self is the living body, the natural
synthesis of mind and biology.

Have you experienced falling in love? If you have, then maybe you can confirm the two
philosophers’ ideas about it. Reflect on it below.

What happens when you fall in love physically, emotionally, and mentally?

Husserl said _________________________________________________________

How about Merleau-Ponty? ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Now that you have explored and reflected on the different ideas of the various
philosophers regarding the self, it is time to know how to apply those learnings.

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 APPLICATION
Which among those philosophies can you relate with? Please share any personal
experiences that may relate to those views.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

BULLET IT!

Summarize your learnings into three points. Give three statements summarizing
everything you have learned from this module.
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
❖ _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

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 DEFINE SELF
How will you define the SELF using your ideas gathered from the different philosophical
thoughts of the various philosophers? Create a philosophical theory that contains your
definition - your answer to the question "What is a SELF?" Remember that the theory should
be credited to you and not to others. Thus, it should be originally yours.

GUESS WHAT
The next topic will be about the self through the lens of sociology. This self is called
SELF.

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RUBRICS for Define Self Activity
CRITERIA Needs Sufficient Excellent
Improvement 86 – 94 pts 95 – 100 pts
76 – 85 pts
Originality 40% Only 50% of the About 51-89% of About 90 – 100% of the
ideas are original the ideas are ideas are original
original
Thesis 30% The thesis is not The thesis is clearly
well-defined and stated and well-defined.
stated. Logical premises
support it.
Organization 20% There are many There are a few There are minor to no
grammatical grammatical grammatical issues. The
issues. Its issues. The flow flow of thoughts is clear.
readability is of thoughts is at The presentation of
problematic. least easy to ideas is logical.
follow.
Comprehensiveness There is, at most, More than one More than one learned
10% one learned learned concept concept is presented
concept presented is presented and and utilized. The
and utilized. utilized. concepts are
synthesized logically.

REFERENCES
Chaffee, J. (2016). The philosopher's way: A text with readings: Thinking critically about
profound ideas. Pearson.
Moore, B. & Bruder, K. (2002). Philosophy: The power of ideas. McGraw Hill International
Edition.
Price, J. (2000). Philosophy through the ages. Wadsworth Thomson Learning.

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 INTRODUCTION
In this lesson, we will explore the "self" through the lens
of sociology. It intends to facilitate the exploration of the
LESSON 1.2
issues and concerns regarding self and identity to Sociological
understand one's self better. The question of "how the Perspectives
self is being developed in the sociologist's eyes" will be by: Rowena Gaspay - Fernandez

the starting point of our inquiry. Introduction

Intended Learning Outcomes

A sociological perspective of self starts with the premise
Motivation
that a reciprocal relationship exists between self and
society. The self influences society through different Looking Glass Self Activity

activities individuals engage in, like creating groups, Processing

organizations, networks, and institutions. On the other Lesson Proper

hand, society influences the self through its shared Social Self Theory

cultures during social interactions and engagements of Looking Glass Self Theory

each member. It enables the self to take the role of Performed Self Theory

others. Application

Bullet It
Why do we need a sociological perspective anyway in
Let’s Do Some Artwork
understanding oneself? There are at least two reasons:
Guess What
(1) to help us see general social patterns in the behavior
Rubrics
of the individual, and (2) to offer insights about the social
References
world that extends far beyond explanations that rely on
individual quirks and personalities.

Ready to learn more about sociological perspectives? If that is so, at the end of this lesson,
you will be able to achieve the following intended learning outcomes:

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Identify the conceptualizations of the SELF based on the perspective of Sociology.
2. Reflect on one' social self development through creative arts.

To achieve the outcomes above, start by participating in the Looking-Glass Self

Activity and sharing your insights in the processing.

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 MOTIVATION
A. LOOKING-GLASS SELF ACTIVITY
1. Choose two partners. Your partner may be a roommate, a friend, a classmate, a sibling,
a relative, or anyone you are comfortable with. For each partner, choose one topic that
you will discuss with each other. You may select one topic from the choices below.
a. When was the last time you had a heart-to-heart talk? Why? How was it?
b. As an adolescent, how did you face the challenge of the quarantine period?

2. After your discussion, answer the questions in the box. Write at least one sentence
about each of your partners.

What I think of my partner? What do I think my partner thinks

of me?

B. PROCESSING
✓ After sharing with your partners, what are your common things with your chosen
partners?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

✓ When you answered what your partner might think of you, did your answer match what
your partner thinks of you?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

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The looking-glass self is just one of the sociological concepts of the self. Learn
more by reading and reflecting on the lessons below.

LESSON PROPER

Sociology is best defined as

Sociologically, the "self" is a product of social interaction.
the science of society, social This perspective also explains how "the self" emerges
institutions, and social
relationships, specifically: the
as a product of social experience. This social experience
systematic study of the happens when we start to socialize. In this process of
development, structure,
interaction, and collective
socialization, we acquire our social identities. Also, we
behavior of organized groups of tend to internalize the values and roles expected of us in
human beings. Hence, sociology
studies social life, social change,
our social world. Conklin (as cited by Lilly, 1984) says
and the causes and that society transmits its cultural values for us to function
consequences of human
behavior in a social context.
properly as its members.

Let us try to understand how the self is developed based on the three sociologists'
perspectives: George Mead's social self theory, Charles Cooley's looking-glass self theory,
and Erving Goffman's performed self / dramaturgical approach.

1. SOCIAL SELF THEORY

First, let us talk about George Herber Mead's theory.
George Mead's social self is considered one of the most
important sociological approaches to the development of
self. He conceptualizes the role of the mind in a social
process. He also believed that the self emerges from the
social experience. The self is not part of the body and
does not exist at birth. Thus, the self starts to develop
when we interact with others. For Mead, existence in a
community comes before individual consciousness. SOURCE: The Granger Collections no 0006475

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The social experience involves communication and the exchange of symbols. It is we, people,
who create the meaning of a symbol. This meaning emerges based on our interaction with it.
For example, to elaborate on this idea, the symbol '#' means a 'number sign' for the older
generation. However, the present generation gave it new meaning and called it a 'hashtag.'
Another example is when a guy and a lady are always together; different meanings could be
attached to their relationship depending on who perceives it. They could be seen as friends,
lovers, or siblings.

Furthermore, Mead believed that the self is reflective and reflexive. It is evident when in
social interaction. An example is when you want to understand the motive of another person.
Mead implies that to understand someone's intention, you must imagine the situation from the
other person's point of view. By taking the role of the other, the self becomes reflective and
reflexive.
_________________________________________________________________________
Mead's theory posits stages of self-development.

The first stage is called the preparatory stage, which takes place between 0 – 3 years
old. At this point, the children do not have a self because they imitate the people
around them. As the children learn the language, they learn the symbols as well. For
example, when babies are hungry, they cry. The mother will say "dede," and the one
giving it is "mama." In this process, the baby learns that the way to address hunger is
to have "dede" provided by "mama." The "mama" and "dede" are the languages, while
the mother and the object "dede" are the symbols.

The second stage is the play stage which occurs between 3 – 5 years old. Role-taking
happened in this stage. Children begin to assume the perspective of their significant
other mentally. The self is developing and emerges through pretend play. A classic
example of this idea is when children play "bahay-bahayan." The boy pretends to be
the father, the girl takes the role of the mother, and there is an imaginary baby. The
imaginary baby represents the child in their family. Children internalize the parts of
their parents. The portrayals of the roles of a mother and a father are reflections of
their perspectives of how their mother and father perform their functions in the
family.

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 The third stage is the game stage which takes place between 5 – 8/9 years old. At this
stage, children consider tasks and relationships simultaneously. They take the
perspective of several others and can take the rules of society. It is learned through
group games. For example, they play taguan. They establish the rule. For instance, one
will volunteer as the taya, and others will hide. The last to be found by the taya will be
the next taya. Thus, rules and roles are learned in the process. But still, the self is not
fully formed in this stage.

The fourth stage is the generalized other stage. According to Mead, the self is formed
when a person takes the perspective of generalized others. Generalized others are the
general attitude or perspectives of a community that a person may take to
him/herself. In short, it is the general expectations of society. People tend to use these
expectations to shape their behaviors. Examples are society's expectations for a
mother, a father, etc. At this point, the person develops a less fragmented sense of
self. An example of this is when a woman looks at the mirror; she judges the reflection
based on the general perspective dictated by society (e.g., media, culture) on how the
woman should look.

Let us check how much you have remembered from Mead's Stages of Development.
Try filling in the boxes below.

Give at least two characteristics of self in each stage.

Preparatory stage Play stage Game stage Generalized others stage

Were you able to give at least two learnings from each stage? That's good, then. Let
us learn more about Mead.
For Mead, the self is a complex reflection of the society around it. Instead, he believes that
the self is not a social robot; the self is an active process. He postulates that the self has two
interactive sides: the "I" and the "Me." It is the dual nature of the self or the belief that we
experience the self as both subject and object.

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 Me is the socialized aspect of the self. It I is part of the self that is unsocialized,

contains the learned behaviors, attitudes, and unpredictable, and spontaneous. It is the part
expectations of others and society that the of you where you do not mind what society
individual assumes. Here, you tend to think expects from you. You only concern about
beyond yourself. Your concern does not yourself. The individual's identity is based on
revolve around yourself alone; instead, you their response to the "me." It is the
consider society's expectations of you. It is the subjective self.
objective self.

2. LOOKING GLASS SELF THEORY

The second concept we will discuss is the Looking Glass Self theory
of Charles Cooley. According to Charles Cooley, people's self-
understanding is constructed, in part, by the perception of how
others view them. An example is when someone tells you that you
dance well, you will internalize it, and in turn, you will tell yourself that
you are a good dancer. It is a process called "the looking-glass self."
The self is built within social settings. The people we interact with
become the mirror through which we view ourselves. For example, your friends, teachers,
classmates, neighbors, parents, and siblings have varying perceptions of you. You tend to
collate and internalize these perceptions and develop one description of yourself. What if
these people give you opposing views about yourself? For example, your teacher viewed you
as a diligent student while your father viewed you as "tamad"? Cooley said that even those
opposing views about ourselves are continually internalized. We tend to integrate it into our
attributes.
The theory also explains that favorable views of people around us help us to develop a
positive self-concept. On the other hand, if we think that others perceive us negatively, we
also develop a negative self-concept or pessimistic view of ourselves.

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 Try reflecting on your self-concept by identifying the views of others about you.

Give at least 5 favorable and 5 unfavorable views of other people about you.

Favorable Views Unfavorable Views

How did it go? Did you gain more understanding of your self-concept? We hope
that you did. It is how the looking-glass self influences the formation of the self-
concept. Let us move on and tackle Goffman's concept of the performed self.

3. PERFORMED SELF
Lastly, we have the concept of Erving Goffman with his performed self
in self-construction. Constructing situations and drama is rooted in his
belief that life is like a theatrical play. According to him, "people
routinely behave like actors on a stage. There are roles, scripts, and
actions. Daily life is a series of stagecraft rules." He believes that the
meaning of life is constructed through interactions. That is why he
proposed the concept of interaction order. Interaction order is what
we immediately do in the presence of others. For example, what do
you do if you see your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend? Nagtatago ka ba? Mag-iiba ka ba ng daan?
Thus, it is the first thing you do when seeing the other person.

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 Moreover, the dramaturgy concept focuses on how individuals take on roles and act them
out to present a favorable impression to their "audience." According to him, we want to
control how others view us. He called this process impression management. We wear
different masks depending on the social situation to control how
others view us. We adapt what we are depending on whom we
are interacting with. Juggling with the masks happened when two
different social groups met. When the presentation of self is too
different, the person will need clarification about what mask to
wear. It is rooted in Goffman's belief that we do not have a true
self. Thus, there is no identifiable performer behind the role.
Shakespeare also agrees with comparing life to a theater by
saying, "All the world is a stage and all men and women
merely player: they have their exits and entrances. And one
man in his plays many parts." Shakespeare also viewed life
as a stage; we are only actors and actresses. We have exits
(which can be our death) and entrances (where birth can be
considered our entrance) because we are not permanent
here. So, there are times that we lose important people, and
we come to meet new ones (Parang yung ex mo na pumasok at lumabas lang sa stage ng
buhay mo, toink!). And we play many roles: friend, daughter/son, sibling, boyfriend/girlfriend,
mother/father, and many more. In every role, we possess a variety of masks as well.

Let's check on your roles. Fill in the blanks below and consider the different masks
you wear for each role.

Who are you as:

Son/Daughter: ____________________________________________________
Friend: ____________________________________________________
Student: ____________________________________________________

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How many masks do you wear? Do they differ from each other? Your reflections will
help you understand your performed self better.

Further, Goffman has his ideas about impression management and stages for role
performance. In his concept of impression management, he proposed the following
components of how we control peoples' impressions of us.

_________________________________________________________________________

Front stage - people play different roles throughout their lives and display various behaviors
depending on where they are and the time of the day. It is where we act.

Backstage – when people engage in backstage behavior, they are free of the expectations
and norms that dictate front-stage behavior. In short, this is what we do if no one is looking.
_________________________________________________________________________

Goffman added that each situation’s definition lends itself to a different approach, and the
consequences are real. He also points out that the self is a social construction dependent
on a situation.

Now that you have learned about the three sociological approaches
on the concept of the self, test your self about how much you have
grasped about social self. Do the activities below.

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 APPLICATION
Which of the abovementioned theories best explains the development of your social self?
Please explain.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

BULLET IT!

Summarize your learnings into three points. Give three statements summarizing
everything you have learned from this module.
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

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 LET'S DO SOME ARTWORK
Reflect on your process of social self development. Express it by creating any piece of art
you choose (e.g., poem, image collage, songwriting, painting, etc.) Please include a brief
explanation of your work. You may use extra paper (or surface) if the space here is
insufficient.

GUESS WHAT
The next topic will be about the self through the lens of psychology. This self is called
SELF.

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RUBRICS for Let’s Do Some Artwork Activity
CRITERIA Needs Sufficient Excellent
Improvement 86 – 94 pts 95 – 100 pts
76 – 85 pts
Content There are, at most, More than two More than two learned
Comprehensiveness two learned learned concepts concepts are presented
50% concepts are presented and utilized. The
presented and and utilized. The presentation of content
utilized. presentation of shows critical and
content merely reflective thoughts.
shows logical
organization but
is not reflective.
Presentation of The artwork is The artwork is
Artwork 30% almost meaningful and clearly
meaningless. It and logically reflects the
does not reflect process of self
the process of self development as defined.
development as
intended.
Organization of There are many There are a few There are minor to no
Explanation 20% grammatical grammatical grammatical issues. The
issues. Its issues. The flow flow of thoughts is clear.
readability is of thoughts is at The presentation of
problematic. least easy to ideas is logical.
follow.

REFERENCES
Giddens, A. (2008). Modernity and self-identity: Self and society in the late modern age.
Polity Press.
Lanuza, G. (2004). The constitution of the self and identity. In R. David (Ed.), Nation, self,
and citizenship: An invitation to Philippine sociology. Anvil Publishing.
Lilly, R. (1984). Study Guide to Accompany Sociology: An Introduction [by] John Conklin.
MacMillan.
Stets, J. E. & Burke, P. J. (2003). A sociological approach to self and identity. In M. Leary
and J. Tangney (Eds.), Handbook of self and identity (p. 1-47). Guilford Press.

24 | P a g e
INTRODUCTION
Understanding the self or knowing one’s self is vital in
life. Various perspectives explain the self and guide us LESSON 1.3
to know ourselves more, like philosophy, anthropology,
sociology, etc.
Psychological
Aside from guiding us in knowing ourselves better, all
Perspectives
those perspectives have a common factor. They tell us by: Gregorio S. Naldo Jr.
Jemimah G. Pizarro-Ompad
that we can better understand how our surroundings
and past can shape our self or personality. Put another Introduction
way, those mentioned perspectives highlight the
Intended Learning
importance of external factors. But how about
Outcomes
understanding yourself in terms of your inner being -
your thoughts, behaviors, and actions? Your behavior Motivation: Personality Test
and attitude change over time depending on various Lesson Proper
factors such as the environment, current thoughts,
The Me and I Self
beliefs, plans, how you view yourself, and the like.
Global and Differentiated
This module aims to help you deepen your Self Models
understanding of who you are - as a real person. It will
Real and Ideal Self
help you explore yourself and embrace or Concepts
acknowledge your perceived strengths and
Multiple and Unified Self
weaknesses to grow. Moreover, the topic will help you
examine yourself through various psychological factors True and False Selves
like your personal identity (real vs. ideal self), social The Self is Proactive and
roles (friends, family, etc.), traits and values, problem- Agentic
solving skills, or responses to the possible stressors in
Application
life. It will focus on guiding you to understand your
psychological self. Bullet it

Portrait of My “Self”
With all these, you will be able to know or examine how
your identity has been shaped by those factors Guess What
mentioned above, plus your experiences (past and Rubrics
future) in life. Moreover, you will also learn that
References
knowing yourself will benefit you and the people
around you.
Please note that you will be encouraged to act genuinely and truthfully to answer all the
activities listed below. Expect many self-report activities since we now deal with “knowing
yourself” using the psychological perspective. Hence, the first person you can ask about your
personality is YOU.

25 | P a g e
At the end of this lesson, expect that you will be able to achieve the following

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Identify the different ideas, concepts, and factors in psychology about self.
2. Analyze how these factors, concepts, and ideas affect the formation of the self; and
3. Examine yourself using the knowledge about self from the psychological perspective.

After learning about this module's goal, it is better to start motivating

yourself by taking the personality test below.

MOTIVATION
PERSONALITY TEST
1. Go to the link below and follow the instructions before taking the personality test.
[Link]
2. After taking the test, copy and paste the result to a letter-sized paper (Word doc.).
3. Make a reflection on the result of your personality test. Is there anything on the results
that surprised you? What are those, and why?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

4. What values or characteristics from your test result do you think are most valid and most
untrue to you? Why?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

DO YOU KNOW THE BENEFITS OF TAKING PERSONALITY TESTS? THEY WILL GIVE YOU SOME
INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF, I.E., STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, INTEREST, DISLIKES, ETC.
THEY ARE ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT COULD BE USED TO UNDERSTAND YOURSELF MORE. NOTE,
HOWEVER, THE RESULT OF THESE TESTS SHOULD NOT DICTATE WHO YOU ARE AND WHO YOU
WANT TO BE. SO, TO GAIN MORE UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR INDIVIDUALITY, EXPLORE THE
CONCEPTS OF PSYCHOLOGY ABOUT THE SELF.
26 | P a g e
[Cite your source here.]
 LESSON PROPER
Psychology is the field of social sciences that deals with
describing, explaining, predicting, and controlling
Some questions to
ponder: behavior (Ciccarelli & Meyer, 2006). Psychology further
believes that the world of material things, including
Unlike Any other
perspectives in
people, exists independently of the perceiving human
explAining the self, whAt mind.
do you think is the
primAry reAson why Some issues in the field of knowledge are:
many versions of the
self exist in psychology? ❖ “The Mind-Body Problem” – Philosophy

WhAt role do indiviDUAl ❖ “Nature vs. Nurture” – Psychology, e.g., IQ and

differences plAy in Personality of a person
knowing oneself?
Psychology is the study of human behavior and mental
processes. Hence, the concept of the SELF is one of the
most well-explained concepts in psychology. Many famous psychologists have provided their
explanations of the self and human behavior. Some of them were William James, Murray
Bowen, Carl Rogers, D.W. Winnicott, and Albert Bandura.

THE “ME” AND “I” SELF

James is an American Philosopher and psychologist, and the first educator
to offer a psychology course in the United States. He is considered to be a
WILLIAM JAMES (1842-1910)
leading thinker of the late nineteenth century, one of the most influential
philosophers of the United States. He is the "Father of American psychology
“ He is also known for his Theory of the Self. He published several books,
including The Principles of Psychology in 1980 – where his theory of the self
is explained.

For William James, thoughts have five characteristics:

1. Some personal self owns all human thoughts.
2. Thoughts are constantly changing or are never static.
3. There is a continuity of thoughts as their focus shifts
from one object to another.
4. Thoughts deal with objects different from and independent of consciousness itself.
5. Consciousness can focus on particular objects and not others.

27 | P a g e
The self comprises the “Me” and the “I” self. The “Me” can be considered a separate object
or individual that the person refers to when discussing or describing their experiences, e.g.,
“She is smiling at ME.” and “The gifts were sent to ME.” The “Me is the receiver. While the “I”
is the self that knows and recognizes who they are and what they have done, e.g., “I won the
game.” and “I borrowed the book from her.” The “I” is the doer.
Further, James went on to group the various
components of the empirical “Me” self into three
subcategories: (a) the material self, (b) the social self, SELF
and (c) the spiritual self.
a) Material self – consists of one’s body, valued “I” “ME”
possessions, and loved ones. It identifies the self Pure ego or Personal experience
most clearly in terms of material possessions. thinking self 1. Material Self
Linked to “soul” 2. Social Self
or mind 3. Spiritual Self
b) Social self – consists of the recognition that the self
can get from others.

c) Spiritual self – one’s own understanding of selves as creatures who think, feel, act, and
experience life.

The “I” self is considered a pure ego, like the soul or mind, a non-substance that cannot be
studied objectively. It comprises the totality of the person’s identity. It considers the
individual's past, present, and future selves.

GLOBAL AND DIFFERENTIATED SELF MODELS

Global self
Your global self is the product of all your experiences in society, which accounts for the kind
of person you are. It represents the overall value that you place upon yourself. It affects how
you view and feel about yourself. It is inevitable for you to be born and grow up in other
people's presence. Thus, your surroundings can strongly influence you. That is how your
global self is formed. The saying goes, “Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who
you are.” That is your global self.
Differentiated Self
Your differentiated self is your individuality. It is what makes you unique and distinct from
your global self. While your friends are into ball games, you are into music, which makes
you different. Not all birds of the same feather that flock together are of the same beak.
The term self-differentiation, which forms the differentiated self, was first introduced by
Murray Bowen. Self-differentiation is owning and distinguishing your thoughts and feelings
from others. It involves retaining the self while connecting with others, even how different

28 | P a g e
those others are. While two forces affect the person, i.e., togetherness and individuality, a
balance should be maintained between them. Thus, there is a need for you to know your
global and differentiated self.

REAL AND IDEAL SELF-CONCEPTS

Real Self Ideal Self

▪ The real self is what you ▪ This is the self that you CARL ROGERS (1902-1987)

are intrinsically. think you want to be, strive

to be, and feel you are
expected to be.

▪ It`s the self that feels ▪ This self is borne out of

most true to what and influences outside of you.
who you really are, the It is the self that holds
honest self that leaves values absorbed from
most comfortable in your others; a culmination of all
skin. those things that you think
you should be and that you
feel others think you An AmericAn Psychologist

should be. Proposed the personAlity

theory known As the Person-
Centered Theory
▪ It may not be perfect, but ▪ You want to accommodate
He stAted thAt the term Self-
it`s the part of you that those expectations
concept is used to refer to how A
feels most real. And it`s because you believe you person thinks About or perceives
himself
the one you need to will be more loved and
Self-Concept: The Real Self And the
learn to love the most. accepted if you do.
Holding the values of Ideal Self.

others is not a conscious

decision but, rather, a
process of osmosis. For
the most part, you are not
even aware of it.

29 | P a g e
MULTIPLE AND UNIFIED SELVES
Multiple Selves Theory Unified Selves Theory
Suggests that there are different It is essentially connected to
aspects of the self. consciousness, awareness, and
The self is a whole made up of parts. agency.
Success and failures should be
accepted and understood to be
considered a well-adjusted person.

Multiple selves result from the different selves, e.g., social self, cultural self, physical self,
material self, political self, “I” and “Me” self, real and ideal self, differentiated and global self,
and others. Sometimes, these selves may contradict or agree with each other. You may
experience this when there are internal conflicts. Nevertheless, these selves should still be
integrated to make the whole self function and move well within your context—this
integration forms the unified self.
_________________________________________________________________________
So far, it is expected that you have already learned about the eight kinds of self.
Check on your learning by doing some reflections below.

Reflecting on the above discussion, give personal example of the following:

“I” and “Me” Self:

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Global and Differentiated Self:

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Real and Ideal Self:

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Unified and Multiple Selves:

_______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

30 | P a g e
How many selves do you have? If you give each of them a name, what will they be? I believe
you are creative enough to think of many names that will fit each self you have. Then how
about a name for your true selves and false selves?

TRUE SELVES AND FALSE SELVES

D.W. Winnicott proposed the existence of the true and false self. The true self is what you
fully know about yourself. That is what you are without the false self. The false self, however,
is the mask, the superficial, that is being presented to society to protect the true self from
being hurt and judged.

True Self False Self

True self is one in which Manifested as a form of DONALD WOODS WINNICOTT
(1896 – 1971)
the self is seen as creative, defense
spontaneously
experiencing each day of Lacks spontaneity, is dead
your life, appreciating and empty.
being alive, real,
integrated, and connected A mask that hides the true
to the whole of existence. you for fear of the path of
rejection and failure.
High level of awareness in English pedi tr n nd
psycho n lyst who w s
the person of who you are, False selves usually
espe lly influen l in object
including your strengths surface when you are rel tions theory nd
and weaknesses forced to comply with developmen l psychology.

existing social norms and He looked into the

Enjoys winning and standards. signIFICAnce of “P y” s n
impor nt w y to observe
success and learns from
children/people s h ng true
mistakes and failures. It can sometimes enable nd f lse selves.
you to form superficial but
productive social
relationships.

31 | P a g e
 GIVE 2 SAMPLES OF YOUR TRUE SELF MENTION TWO OF YOUR FALSE SELF

Having a false self does not mean that you are a fake person. It is just a self that you actively
use when the need arises. For Bandura, that is because you, as a human being, can actively
choose and make decisions given the different situations.

THE SELF IS PROACTIVE AND AGENTIC

ALBERT BANDURA
Bandura believes humans are perceived as proactive
agents of experiences through our agency. Humans play a (1925 – PRESENT)

big role in self-development, adaptation, and self-renewal

through these agents or agencies. It is said that human
agency has four features. These features are intentional,
forethought, self-reactiveness, and self-reflectiveness.
▪ Intentionality - We humans plan things intentionally, or
we do things intentionally. By doing this, we wait for possible
outcomes. We make plans, actions, and decisions based on
our life intentions. We, as humans, are interested in different
things. We make ourselves interested in what we do, acting
with our intentions.
▪ Forethought - enables us to anticipate the
consequences of our actions. We expect different
expectations; therefore, we likely think better before we do
something or decide in the future.
▪ Self-reactiveness - involves making choices. We make Born:4 December 1925 (present)
different choices, and we make choices after thinking about
the consequences.

▪ Self-reflectiveness - allows us to reflect on our

decisions, choices, and consequences.

32 | P a g e
 In his Triadic Reciprocal Causation
Paradigm, he explains how humans
interact with environmental events,
behavior, and personal factors (Feist
& Feist, 2008)—learning through
modeling and observation. Human
nature is plastic and flexible.

Learning about the different selves will make you realize why
sometimes you behave and think differently in various situations. That
helps you understand yourself better. Now let’s check how many of the
concepts proposed by the theorists you have grasped. You may apply
your learnings by answering the activities below starting with the
Application.

APPLICATION

Which among those perspectives in psychology in defining the self is most true or applicable
to you? Share any personal experiences relating to your chosen view.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

33 | P a g e
 BULLET IT!

Summarize your learnings into three points. Give three statements summarizing
everything you have learned from this module.
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
❖ _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

PORTRAIT OF MY “SELF”
Draw a representational portrait of yourself on the left side of the box below. On the right side
of the box, write your answer to the “Who are you?” question based on what you have learned
from psychology's different views of the self.

34 | P a g e
 GUESS WHAT
The next topic will be about the self through the lens of anthropology. This self is called
SELF.

RUBRICS for Portrait of My “Self” Activity

CRITERIA Needs Sufficient Excellent
Improvement 86 – 94 pts 95 – 100 pts
76 – 85 pts
Content There are, at most, More than two More than two learned
Comprehensiveness two learned learned concepts concepts are presented
50% concepts are presented and utilized. The
presented and and utilized. The presentation of content
utilized. presentation of shows critical and
content merely reflective thoughts.
shows logical
organization but
is not reflective.
Presentation of The portrait is The portrait is
Portrait 30% almost meaningful and clearly
meaningless. It and logically represents
does not represent the self as defined.
the self as
intended.
Organization of There are many There are a few There are minor to no
Explanation 20% grammatical grammatical grammatical issues. The
issues. Its issues. The flow flow of thoughts is clear.
readability is of thoughts is at The presentation of
problematic. least easy to ideas is logical.
follow.

REFERENCES
Ciccarelli, S.K. & Meyer, G.E. (2006). Psychology. Pearson.
Feist, J. & Feist, G. (2008). Theories of personality. McGraw-Hill Education.

35 | P a g e
INTRODUCTION
This lesson will help you explore the self as a product of
one's culture. Thus, the cultural self. Your cultural self is a LESSON 1.4
by-product of your interaction with your culture, which is
present in your community or society. Culture is mainly Anthropological
passed down from your community into you across time
and space through a narrative style, including behaviors,
Perspectives
ideals, practices, and beliefs. One example is when your by: Rowena Gaspay-Fernandez
mom or dad would tell you stories during meal time about Donald A. Delos Reyes
their struggles and hardships and how they overcame
Introduction
them, but of course, you have already heard of these
stories many times. Intended Learning
Outcomes
However, nowadays, cultural influences are not just
products of transmitting beliefs, practices, and behaviors. Motivation: Say “I Love
You!”
Today, culture has a very complex nature. It is no longer
confined within the boundary of physical interactions. Lesson Proper
Unlike the old ways, the people would gather around the
Approaching Culture
fire and tell stories of their experiences, heroism, and
difficulties. Culture today has become more fluid and Filipino Culture in the
dynamic because of digital developments and the internet. Global Village
We are now in a global village wherein the internet has The Culture and the
become our communication facilitator and exchange of Filipino Self
almost everything, from ideas to material things. We no
Application
longer need to be physically present to communicate and
share things worldwide. We only need our devices to join Bullet it
the digital world and, thus, the global culture. The changing Show Me Diagram
digital landscapes lead to boundless intercultural and
cross-cultural interaction. It now influences cultural make- Guess What
up and affects the construction of self. Rubrics

Learn more about the cultural self, and we hope that at the References
end of this lesson, you will be able to achieve the following:

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Identify how the SELF developed based on the anthropological lens;
2. Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the cultural influences in the
development of your SELF by creating a diagram.

Ready?
Then you may begin, motivate yourself to know more, and enjoy learning!

36 | P a g e
 MOTIVATION
SAY, "I LOVE YOU!"
How many languages can you say the phrase "I love you"? List down as many as you can.
If you want, you can learn more by exploring other cultures using the World Wide Web.
Name of Language Phrase Equivalence of "I love you"

Do you know that language is one cultural product? It is one of the cultural
identifications that tell others about your culture. Your global interactions
allowed you to learn other languages and, thus, cultures. So, what is culture?
Let us start the lesson by defining it.

LESSON PROPER

Culture is the primary topic of anthropology,

particularly cultural anthropology. Anthropology
focuses on everything about human beings, i.e.,
society and culture. It is the social "science of
humanity" (Nicholas et al., 2023). Culture, thus, is
human property. It is everything that is human-made,
e.g., language, ideas, beliefs, customs, codes,
institutions, tools, techniques, works of art, rituals, and
ceremonies, among other elements (White, 2022).

37 | P a g e
APPROACHING CULTURE
There are several approaches to studying the culture. These are the emic, etic, and the
combination of the two approaches. The table below shows the main construct of these
approaches.

Approaches Description

Emic an approach to studying human culture that focuses on the

group/community members' participation. These members serve as the
primary source of information in describing, identifying, and analyzing
their culture.
"insiders' perspectives"
“mula sa aking/aming pananaw”
Etic is an approach that generates information based on existing theories and
perspectives from the outsider's point of view.
"outsiders' perspectives"
“mula sa pananaw na iba at impuwesyado ng mga pwersa ng
lipunan”
Combination of Emic a combination of the insiders' and outsiders' perspectives in
and Etic understanding the specific group or community.

Concerning the construction of the self, the culture that influences and is embedded in the
self depends on the individual's three approaches. For example, in the Philippines, "Juan
Tamad" depicts a man sleeping under a guava tree with his mouth open. Outsiders interpret
it as an idle man who does not exert effort to get the guava fruit instead of waiting for it to fall
into his mouth.
However, based on the community's culture, it can be interpreted as a diligent man or
"masipag" from the insiders' perspective (emic). It shows a man resting under the tree amid
the sun's heat because he got up at 4:00 in the morning to work in the rice field. It is a typical
practice of Filipinos to work in the rice fields in many agricultural areas in the country. As a
Filipino and from the insiders' view, which one will you accommodate as you construct
yourself? Would you define yourself as "Juan Tamad" or "Juan Masipag"? Salazar proposed
this emic perspective as a form of pantayong pananaw. In this pananaw, the owner of culture
and experience should be the one to provide the proper construction of the identity and,
therefore, the self (Salazar, 2000).
Another example is how outsiders interpret our eating of shrimp paste ("bagoong" whether
alamang or isda). They view it as that Filipinos are eating rotten fish (nabubulok na isda). But
for us, it is one of our delicacies. You also may be an outsider of another's culture. Thus, you
may also have an etic perspective. For example, if you are a Tagalog, you may interpret a

38 | P a g e
Visayan language as disrespectful because of the absence of the courteous words "po" and
"opo." It does not mean, however, that Visayan people are disrespectful. To understand other
cultures, you must use the emic perspective by going inside their culture and positioning an
insider's view.

Can you think of a time when you used the etic perspective in interpreting other people’s
beliefs, behavior, practices, languages, and the like? You may list as many as you can.

1.__________________________________________________________________
2.__________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
4.__________________________________________________________________
5.__________________________________________________________________

Learning about etic and emic perspectives helps you understand and respect other cultures.
It also enables you to accept cultural diversities. In the next section, you will understand the
role of cultural diversity in the global culture.
FILIPINO CULTURE IN THE GLOBAL VILLAGE
The global village hosts numerous cultures and
“Diversity in the world is a basic
subcultures. It showcases cultural diversity. The Filipino
characteristic of human society,
culture itself manifests this diversity. The existence of
and also the key condition for a
about 76 to 78 major Philippine language groups, with lively and dynamic world as we see
more than 500 dialects, implies our diverse cultures. In today.”—Jintao Hu
the global context, these varied Filipino cultures
contribute to the emerging global identity, which
continuously becomes more diverse over time. Jintao Hu, China's former president, explains
diversity is a fundamental element of human nature. It is a key to a lively and dynamic world
today. Thus, cultural diversity results from an exchange of experiences between individuals
of different cultures. The exchange of cultural knowledge becomes possible because of the
wireless connection in the worldwide web. In the boundless digital world, people affect each
other's cultural identity equally. The culture becomes more fluid and diverse.
Consequently, the rise of global identity becomes more observable among the present
generation. You may or may not be aware of it, but you of the present generation manifest
this global culture. Your culture shows the influence of other cultures. What you have now is
not the pure Filipino culture but an acculturated and enculturated one. Thus, you share some

39 | P a g e
common cultural traits with others. Note, however, that you still retain distinct cultural
identifications.

Name at least three influences of other cultures on you.

Name of Country Influences (it can be beliefs, practices, or behaviors)

_________________________________________________________________________
Your answers in the table show that your Filipino culture and, thus, your Filipino self have already
been influenced by the cultures you have been exposed to. But do not forget that you still have a
distinct Filipino identity. In the next topic, you will be reminded of these cultural identifications.
How much do you know about your Filipino identity?

______________________________________________________________________________________

THE CULTURE AND THE FILIPINO SELF

Who are you as a Filipino? What cultural beliefs,
Filipino Bayanihan Practice
practices, traditions, values, and rituals are embedded
in your construction of self? If you ask about your
cultural identity, can you trace where and how it
started? Or can you still identify which among your
identities are genuinely Filipino and which are the
influences of other countries' cultures?
Would you mind looking at the different aspects of your
culture that might be present or might have influenced
your self-construction? First, Filipinos hold a collectivist culture. Collectivists find no difference
between personal and group (collective) goals (Triandis, 1989). If they distinguish between
individual and group goals, they prioritize the group goals rather than personal ones. People
highly influence the construction of the self of most Filipinos within their immediate community.
Consequently, many Filipinos consider the feedback they may receive from other people.
Filipinos' collective mind's framework explains Filipinos' anxiety when they fail to live
according to the expectations of their ingroups, such as their family, tribe, coworkers, co-

40 | P a g e
religionists, and the like. The collectivist view is also reflected in the "kapwa" psychology,
festivals, rituals, dances, arts and crafts, etc. The Filipinos value their kapwa as much as they
value their self. The kapwa always influences the construction of the self.

What do you know about Second, Filipinos use various symbols in our dances,
Filipino Time? practices, rituals, and arts and crafts. These symbols
mirror the society that produced them. The symbols
may also help the present generation identify,
understand, and validate the previous generation's
culture. The symbols can be a story, act, idea,
calligraphy, or object. As we continually use the
symbols handed to us by the previous generation, we
preserve the future generation's culture.
A classic example of a symbol handed to us is the
Manunggul Jar. It embodies much information about
the previous generation's culture. It reflects our
ancestors' beliefs, practices, rituals, and traditions.
Manunggul jar is significant in the construction of our
identity as Filipinos. Hence, Manunggul Jar reflects
the Filipinos' depths and craftmanship.
Let us now uncover the
hidden meaning that
the Manunggul jar
represents. The
Manunggul Jar is a core
symbol of being Filipino, especially in the indigenous culture.
The jar incorporated a belief system in the dimensions of a
human being: the physical (labas), internal (loob), and depth
(lalim) (Covar, 1999). Like the jar, our ancestors believed the
human body is the container of the person's soul/spirit (kaluluwa). In the container (katawan),
the conscience (budhi) is intertwined with the soul/spirit.
The conscience (budhi) could be either good or bad. It affects the soul/spirit of the
person. The lid cover depicts two people sitting on the boat; one is the passenger, and the
other is paddling. The passenger represents the soul of the person who died and is buried in
the jar. The other one is called the "sundo," a spirit responsible for fetching the soul of the
dead and guiding their travel to the next life. The sundo is paddling to the next life. It
represents our ancestors' beliefs about life after death, the "sundo," and the traveling soul.

41 | P a g e
 Manunggul jar symbolizes our culture and
Check this link for more information
communicates our ancestors' rituals, beliefs,
about the Manunggul jar:
practices, and values. It explains that the belief
[Link] about life after death is ingrained in us. Hence, we
v=Q98iXlxDf1g value the way we live our lives on earth. The
functions of the self of the Filipinos are always
connected to the spiritual realm. Since the soul/spirit will travel to its destination, Filipinos
need a clear and good conscience (budhi) to have a smooth sail toward eternal life.
Furthermore, culture provides mechanisms
The Filipino indigenous creation story “Si Malakas at
for stability and change. It explains how
Maganda” coming out of the split bamboo shows
diverse people and their structure, both in
Filipino’s belief on the connection between humans
and nature.
the past and today, came into being. It is
evident in the "creation narrative." The
diversity of culture creates different
"creation" stories. It explains the diversity of
life in a consistent manner of ideas. While
commonly seen as depicting the
relationship between humans and their
environment, it mainly reflects people's
deep connection to other living things and
the earth. Like "creation" stories, culture is
one of social science's primary organizing
principles, accounting for the diversity of life
on earth.

How diverse is the creation narrative? Can you think of another creation narrative aside
from “Malakas at Maganda”? List as many as you can.
1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________

Also, culture provides us with the lens or standards for looking at other cultures. As discussed
previously, this etic perspective becomes our automatic filter when we attempt to understand
the outgroups. It is because, unconsciously, we are programmed by our culture. Our parents,
friends, and relatives from the same community merely pass on their beliefs and practices to

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the present generation. These beliefs and practices are readily available tools, hence the
"automatic" lens we use to interpret other people's behaviors, events, and situations.
However, this cultural lens we carry is one of the culprits for our biases (i.e., stereotypes,
prejudices, and discriminations) against members of the outgroups. Remember, however,
that the existence of diversity in the global village should make us aware of these automatic
filters. We must understand that culture forms the cultural self with its own characteristics and
identification and that no culture is superior to others.

Now that you have learned about the cultural self and how it
is formed, test your learning through application.

APPLICATION
Imagine this as your identity box. Put the beliefs, practices, arts, tools, and other cultural
products in each labeled compartment according to its categories.
Cultural products that Filipino cultural products Filipino cultural products
you believe are purely that you believe are that you believe
Filipino influenced by other influence other cultures
cultures

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 BULLET IT!

Summarize your learnings into three points. Give three statements summarizing
everything you have learned from this module.
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

SHOW ME DIAGRAM
Direction: Draw a diagram of your reflection on how cultural influences affect the
development of your self. Give five sentences explaining your output.

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 GUESS WHAT
The next module will be about the aspects that make up the self. The first topic is about the
physical and sexual aspects of the self. This aspect is summarized as
SELF.

RUBRICS for Show Me Diagram Activity

CRITERIA Needs Sufficient Excellent
Improvement 86 – 94 pts 95 – 100 pts
76 – 85 pts
Content There are, at most, More than two More than two learned
Comprehensiveness two learned learned concepts concepts are presented
50% concepts are presented and utilized. The
presented and and utilized. The presentation of content
utilized. presentation of shows critical and
content merely reflective thoughts.
shows logical
organization but
is not reflective.
Presentation of The presentation The presentation of the
Illustration 30% of the illustration is illustration is clear and
a mess and not clean.
clear.
Organization of There are many There are a few There are minor to no
Explanation 20% grammatical grammatical grammatical issues. The
issues. Its issues. The flow flow of thoughts is clear.
readability is of thoughts is at The presentation of
problematic. least easy to ideas is logical.
follow.

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REFERENCES
Covar, P.A. (1999). Tao, kultura at lipunang pilipino. In A.B. Chua, R.B. Tolentino, E. Guieb
III, L. Sicat, R. Torres-Yu, & D. Tolentino (Eds.), Linangan (pp. 437-448). University of the
Philippines Press.
Nicholas, R.W., Keyes, C.F., Hopkins, N.S., Ghannam, F., Feeley-Harnik, G., Esterik, P.V.,
Paul, R.A., Östör, Á., Jeganathan, P., Delaney, C.L., Kuper, A.J., Smith, E.A., Kolata, A.L.,
Hannerz, U., Seeger, A., Leslie, C.M., Hill, J.H., Robotham, D.K., Fernandez, J.W., …Tuttle,
R.H. (2023, March 14). Anthropology. Encyclopedia Britannica.
[Link]
Salazar, Z.A. (2000). Ang pantayong pananaw bilang diskursong pangkabihasnan. In A.
Navarro, M.J. Rodriguez, & V. Villan (Eds.), Pantayong pananaw: Ugat at
kabuluhan,pambungad sa pag-aaral ng bagong kasaysayan (pp. 79-125).: Palimbagan ng
Lahi.
Triandis, H.C. (1989). The self and social behavior in differing cultural contexts. Psychological
Review, 96 (3),506-520.
White, L. A. (2022, August 5). Culture. Encyclopedia Britannica.
[Link]

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