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LESSON 2
ThE SELf, SOciETy,
and
cuLTurE
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• For a long time, philosopher have debated over the “self” in a
mind body perspective. The advent of the institutionalization of
the other social sciences, like history anthropology, sociology,
political science, and psychology, among others, as academic
and research fields have widened this perspective of the self.
As most of these branches of the social science study society
and culture, the “self” was also seen as a part of social
processes.
• There is a common saying in the social sciences,
especially in sociology and anthropology: Human
beings are, by nature social beings. That is each of us
do not exist in a vacuum. We interact with people and
even the most introvert of us would have to relate and
communicate with the few.
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If we take the idea of the self as the mind and body
duality from the philosophical perspective, we can
see the mind and body, ergon the self, to be
Culture is divided into
existing, operating, and developing with the social Two (2)
context. As Hughes and Khoehler(2008)
We are born into social environment; we
fully develop in to human beings in social
environment. What we think, how we feel,
and what we say and do already shape with
interaction with other people.”
1. Material culture- the attires, tools, weapons, architectural,
religious implements- and.
A culture is a way of life of a group of 2. Nonmaterial culture or the belief system, the values or
expected behaviors, as well as the share language and
people-the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols.
Norms are rules on what to do on a certain situation.
symbols that they accept, generally Values are ideal behaviors or principles that set the standard of what
is acceptable and admirable from a person who is part of society
without thinking about them, and that are
passed along by communication and
imitation from one generation to the next.
Culture is symbolic communication.
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Three Reasons why self and identity are social Product
(Elmore, Oyserman, and Smith 2012)
3. Our notion of what is personally important to us is also
influenced by the current trends of what is important in our society.
Education might be an important thing to your self-concept,
because you grew up in a family that value education.
Money might be important to some, because they may grown in a
poor family and realized how important money is in addressing
certain needs, like medical emergencies. Being a nurse or a lawyer
can be priority in your self-schema, because it is the demand
course during your time.
Three Reasons why self and identity are social Product • Another school of thought is the Culture and Personality founded by
(Elmore, Oyserman, and Smith 2012) Ruth Benedict (1887-1948) and Margaret Mead (1901-1948)
• They argued that the personality or the self depended on the cultural
1. The “self” did not just come out of thin air. Our practices and socialization process of a certain group. Thus, studying
sociocultural context affected who we are, a persons personality can already provide us an idea of his or her
cultural background and social upbringing and vice versa.
even most of the choices we think we freely
In her famous anthropological book, “ Coming of Age in Samoa” and “Sex
make. This influence of society and culture will and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies,”
still have an affect on you even if you move Ruth Benedict concluded that personal development, especially on
from one place to another and adapt a new gender roles and traits, is not actually based on biological Traits.
perspective. Most of these roles are based on cultural expectations
Three Reasons why self and identity are social Product
(Elmore, Oyserman, and Smith 2012)
Clifford James Geertz (1926-2006) from the school of
2. Whether we like to admit it or not, we actually symbolic and interpretive anthropology looks at culture
as a collection of symbols with meanings, and these
need others to affirm and reinforce who we think meanings, are made, communicated and negotiated by
we are. We also need them as reference points each person to make sense of their lives and
about our identity interactions.
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Sample of Social Institutions
Social Institutions 3. Politics/Government – This is composed of various organizations ensuring
peace and order by legitimizing the use of power of certain people or groups.
In the Philippines the government is divided into three equal branches;
The executive – Headed by the president.
The legislative – Composed of the house the house of representative and the
senate of the Philippines who are in charge of creating, amending, and
repealing the laws.
The judiciary – led by the supreme court to provide the proper
interpretation of laws and ensure that they are following the constitution and
basic human rights.
Sample of Social Institutions
4. Education/School – the basic function of school is to
ensure that the knowledge of the past and the future of the
1. Kinship/Family – this is the most basic social
society gets transmitted from one generation to another. It aims
institution of our society that organize us based on our
to produce people who can lived harmoniously in the given
familial ties. Your family is almost a miniature society environment as well as able to be a productive citizen for the
where you first learn to relate you to outside world. economy. A good education from a reputable school must
They taught you the language of your people, how to always sought after. It does not only dictate to a persons skill
describe the things or felling. on the job, but it will also affect his or her behavior and
attitude toward social issues and life in general.
Sample of Social Institutions
2. Economic/Market- this system aims to regulate
the flows of resources and service. This should 5. Religion/Church – this is set of practices,
insure that everyone gets a fair share of goods or symbols and artifacts regarding beliefs of the
that the person in need will get the service he or supernatural, aside from supernatural
she needs in order to address a necessity. This religion or the church can also fuction to
system should also regulate the price of the teach and reinforce values, norms and moral
product to ensure fair competition among partnership with the family and school.
producers and sellers.
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The self is a complex and multifaceted construct
shaped by a dynamic interplay between individual
experiences and social and cultural influences.
Understanding this relationship is crucial for
developing a deeper understanding of ourselves,
our interactions with others, and the broader
societal context in which we live.