COLLEGE OF ST. JOHN - ROXAS
Member: Association of LASSAI- Accredited Superschools (ALAS)
Atila Balgos St. Banica, Roxas City
Understanding the Self
Instructional Learning Kit
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
“This course is intended to facilitate the exploration of issues and concerns regarding
self and identity to arrive at a better understanding of one’s self. 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 the 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 (CHED, p. 1).”
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Discuss the different representations and conceptualization of self from various
disciplinal perspectives.
2. Compare and contrast how the Self has been represented across different disciplines
and perspectives.
3. Examine the different influences, factors, and forces that shape the self
4. Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the development of one’s self
and identity by developing a theory of the self.
5. Explore different aspects of self and identity
6. Understand the theoretical underpinnings for how to manage and care for different
aspects of self.
COLLEGE OF ST. JOHN - ROXAS
Member: Association of LASSAI- Accredited Superschools (ALAS)
Atila Balgos St. Banica, Roxas City
Understanding the Self
Instructional Learning Kit
The Self, Society, and Culture
TOPIC 1
Objectives:
1. Explain the relationship between and among the self, society, and
culture
2. Describe and discuss the different ways by which society and culture
shape the self
3. Compare and contrast how the self can be influenced by the different
institutions in the society
4. Examine one’s self against the different views of self that were
discussed in the class
Discussion:
What is the Self? The self is commonly defined as “separate, self-contained, independent, consistent,
unitary, & private.” (Stevens, 1996)
Is the self actually a private entity?
The self is always affected by external circumstances that bump and collide with it. It is ever-changing
and dynamic, allowing external forces to take part in its shaping.
The social constructivist perspective, then
- explains that there is a strong relationship between the self and external reality.
- argues that the person and their social context are merged, one cannot easily be separated from the
other. (Stevens, 1996).
- argues that the self is not static which stays constant through and through. Rather, it is in a struggle
with external reality and malleable in its dealings with society.
- the self has a social life and can be influenced. Therefore multifaceted.
The Self & Culture
According to Mauss, every self has two faces: personne and moi
Moi – a person’s self of who he is, his body , his basic identity, his biological givenness.
Personne – the social concepts of what it means to be himself, what it means to live in a particular
institution, a family, religion, nationality, and how to behave given expectations & influences.
- the self (especially the Personne) morphs according to different circumstances and contexts.
- the self is shaped by different aspects of culture such as international relations,
environmental/territorial concerns, language/lingo, romantic relationships, etc.
The Self & the Development of the Social World
How do people actively produce their social worlds?
How do children growing up become social beings?
How do twins coming out from the same mother turn out to be different when adopted separately?
More than his givenness, one is believed to be in active participation in shaping the self.
Recent studies indicate that men & women in their growth & development engage actively in shaping
themselves.
Mead & Vygotsky - “the human mind is something that is made”
- the way that human persons develop is with the use of language acquisition & interaction w/others.
- we process information in form of internal dialogue
- therefore, the cognitive & emotional development of a child is a mimicry of how it is done in the social
world.
- a child internalizes values, norms, practices, and social beliefs through exposure to dialogs that will
become part of his individual world.
Self in Families
- while every child is born w/ givenness, disposition coming from his parents’ genes and general
condition of life is a factor in forming self
- human beings are born virtually helpless and the dependency period of a human baby to its parents is
longer than most animals.
- in becoming a fully realized human, a child enters a system of relationships, most importantly the
family. This is where the person learns how to live & their selfhood.
- it is what a family initiates a person to become that serves as the basis for the person’s progress.
- the child learns language and behavior from its family.
- without a family, biologically and socially, a person may not even survive or become a human person.
Gender and the Self
- gender is an aspect of the self that is subject to alteration, change, and development.
- from the point of view of social sciences and the self, it is important to give leeway to find, express,
and live his identity.
- our gender partly determines how we see ourselves in the world. Society often forces a particular
identity unto us by depending on our sex/gender.
- gender has to be personally discovered and asserted and not dictated by culture and society.
Intelligent Behaviors
Fourteen Intelligent Behaviors
Behavior – is defined as the manner in which a person conducts one’s self under different situations.
14 Intelligent Behaviors
1. Persistence- not giving up when the solution to a certain problem is not immediately known
2. Overcoming Impulsiveness- Involves planning, organizing, clarifying goals, exploring strategies, and
considering possible outcomes when starting a task.
3. Listening to Others- the ability to listen and empathize with other individuals.
4. Flexibility of Thinking- the ability of an individual to consider other perspective rather than sticking to one
idea.
5. Metacognition- It to the awareness of how one is thinking or the knowledge of what is going on in one’s
head. The ability to analyze one’s own thoughts.
6. Checking for Accuracy and Precision- the behavior of not letting speed surpass the desire for
craftsmanship.
7. Questioning and Problem-posing- asking questions and finding out answers for oneself.
8. Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations- the ability to recover one’s stored knowledge or recall past
experiences to solve new but similar situations.
9. Precision of Language and Thought- the ability to use descriptive terms in distinguishing objects and
provide criteria for judgment.
10. Using All the Senses- the five senses are utilized to solve problems more accurately.
11. Creativity- ability to generate original, unique, or useful solutions.
12. Living with a Sense of Wonderment- involved in this behavior are inquisitiveness, curiosity and openness
beauty, intricacy, complexity and simplicity.
13. Cooperation- taking advantage of insights and knowledge that can only come as a result of social
relationship.
14. Sense of Humor- being able to look at life situations in a nonchalant and fun manner.
Fundamentals of Emotion
Source:[Link]
The Plutchik’s wheel of emotion demonstrates the relationship of our emotions. The emotions
that are adjacent to one another can be combined while those that are across each other are
considered to be conceptual opposites. The eight fundamental emotions have varying levels of
intensity. Emotions that are nearest to the center are considered to be the intense form while
those that are father are considered to be weaker forms.
Emotion Management Strategies
1. Smile to make yourself feel good
Face the mirror and smile. After some time, your mood will be better.
2. Smile to make others feel good
Smiling opens up your connection with others. It can also lead to experiencing
and developing empathy.
3. Get up and move.
Exercise activates happy hormones which includes endorphin, dopamine, and
serotonin.
References:
Alata, E.J.P. Casilib, Jr. B. N. Serafica, J. P. J. and Pawilen R.A. (2018). Understanding the Self.
Rex Book Store. Manila, Philippines.
Brawner, D. Arcega, A. (2018). Understanding the Self. C&E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City,
Philippines.
Instructional Learning Kit
Activity Sheet
Activity 1.
Answer the following questions honestly. Write your answer on the space provided.
1. What are the influences of your family in your development as an individual?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
2. What social pressures help shape your self?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
3. What aspects of your self do you think may be changed or would you like to change?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
Activity 2.
Fill out the chart below
My characteristics that are My characteristics that are My characteristics that are
most similar to those of my most similar to those of my not similar to those of my
father mother father or mother
Positive
Positive Positive
Negative
Negative Negative
