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Anthropology and the Concept of Self

This document discusses perspectives on the self from anthropology and psychology. It explores four subdisciplines of anthropology - cultural, archaeological, biological, and linguistic anthropology. Cultural anthropology studies diversity across cultures through ethnography and comparison. The document then examines definitions of self from different anthropological and psychological views, including the self as having explicit and implicit aspects, being shared or private, and influenced by culture, relationships, and personal identity.

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29 views3 pages

Anthropology and the Concept of Self

This document discusses perspectives on the self from anthropology and psychology. It explores four subdisciplines of anthropology - cultural, archaeological, biological, and linguistic anthropology. Cultural anthropology studies diversity across cultures through ethnography and comparison. The document then examines definitions of self from different anthropological and psychological views, including the self as having explicit and implicit aspects, being shared or private, and influenced by culture, relationships, and personal identity.

Uploaded by

Basty
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Anthropological Perspective of the Self

What is Anthropology?

- Is the study of what makes us human.


- Anthropos (Human)
- Logos (Study)

Sub Disciplines of Anthropology

- Cultural
- Archeological
- Biological (Physical)
- Linguistic

Cultural

- Explores the diversity of past and present


- Ethnography (based on field work)
- Ethnology (based on cross-cultural comparison)

Archeological

- Interprets human behavior through material remains

Biological (Physical)

- Scientific study concerned with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings and other non-human
primates.

Linguistic

- Language in its social and cultural context across time and space.

What is Perspective?

- A particular way of viewing things that depends on one’s experience and personality.

What is Self?

- “Physical Organism, possessing psychological functioning and social attributes.” –Katherin Ewing (1990)
- The self is not static; it is added and subtracted from genetic maturation, learning, forgetting, stress, ageing and
disease.” –Ledoux (2002).

Self (According to Steven (1996)

- Separate
- Unitary
- Independent
- Private
- Consistent
- Self-Contained

2 ASPECTS OF SELF
Explicit – Aspect of the self that you are consciously aware.

Implicit – not immediately available to the consciousness.

Self in Culture

- Shared
- Symbolic
- Natural
- Learned
- Integrated
- Encompassing
- Adaptive and Maladaptive

Culture

- Customary behavior and beliefs that are passed through enculturation - Kottak (2008)

Marcel Mauss

- According to him every self has two faces: Personne and Moi

Personne – is composed of the social concepts of what it means to be who he is.

Moi – refers to a person’s sense of who he is, his body.

Cultural Psychologist

Construal – interpretation of the meaning of something.

Independent Construct – Characteristic of individual culture

Interdependent Construct – collectivist culture in East Asia

Catherine Raeff –

- Relationship
- Personality Traits
- Achievements
- Expressing Emotions

PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

Self – is the sense of personal identity of who we are as individuals.

William James – conceptualized the self as having two aspects- the “I” and the “me”

- The “I” is the thinking, acting and feeling self


- The “me” is the physical characteristics as well as psychological capabilities that makes you who you are.
Carl Roger’s (1959) theory of personality used the same terms:

- The “I” as the one who acts and decides


- The “me” is what you think and feel about yourself as an object.

Identity

- Is composed of personal characteristics, social roles, and responsibilities, as well as affiliations that define who
the one is.

Self Concept – is what basically comes to your mind when you are asked about who you are.

Social

Values
Goals
Self
Concept

Beliefs Abilities

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