QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY
General Education Division – Social Sciences and Philosophy
MODULE 3
SELF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY, AND
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. Explain the development of self from the different socio-anthropological
perspectives;
2. Construct a concept of self-based on the socio-anthropological perspectives
(with the inclusion of what they say regarding the influences of the self); and
3. Express his/ her deeper understanding of who he/she is based on the different
socio-anthropological perspectives.
Introduction
This module aims to give deeper meaning and understanding about our “self”
using the different theories and perspectives from notable scholars in the field of
sociology, anthropology, and social psychology but in a way, the student can grasp
based on their interests and capabilities.
Sociology is the scientific study of society, including patterns of social
relationships, social interaction, and culture. (Dictionary of Social Sciences)
Anthropology is defined by the American Anthropological Association as the study that
makes us human, and Social Psychology is interested in all aspects of interpersonal
relationships and the ways that psychology can improve those interactions. (American
Psychological Association)
These three related fields of studies about human beings and human interactions
will be utilized carefully in this module to further the understanding and be able to
construct a clearer perspective on our view of the self.
Lesson 1: SOCIOLOGY
In this lesson, we will discuss three sociological perspectives that will help our
understanding of the self.
Charles Horton Cooley’s Looking-Glass-Self
Cooley believes that the self emerges from social experiences and he saw the
significant role of language (verbal and non-verbal) in the self’s emergence. For him,
once we understand the language of people whom we interact, we can already gain a
concept of who we are (self-concept) or self-identity from their evaluation and
QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY
General Education Division – Social Sciences and Philosophy
description of us, and the way they view who we are or perceive us to be. This is called
“looking glass self” by Cooley. It is ''seeing ourselves as others see us.'' We tend to use
others as a mirror for perceiving ourselves. How others perceive us influences how we
see ourselves. For example, if people see us as a genius and they tell us to be as such
kind of person, then, we come to think of ourselves in this way. Because we come to
think of ourselves this way, this has now become our self-concept and self-identity. But
what is self-concept? Self-concept is the sum of all cognition's or thoughts one holds
about himself, and it consists of “identity elements” or “sub-identities” corresponding to
social statuses or categories.
George Herbert Mead’s Generalized Others
For Mead, the self that we have (our self-identity, self-concept, or personality) is the
result of learning the roles of other people in the group where we belong. How? From
taking-on roles of other people significant to us (e.g. parents, aunts, uncles, etc.), we
learn the roles of these people within the group, community, or society where we
belong.
Ervin Goffman’s Impression Management
Goffman’s concept of impression management reveals how the self emerges.
Impression management is defined as a process where we have a stake in presenting
ourselves to others in ways that will lead them to view us in a favorable light. This
occurs by concealment and strategic revelation. In application, the self emerges from
what the individual wants other people to perceive him or her to be during their initial
meeting or phase in their relationship.
Goffman also looks at the society as similar to a stage and the social roles as
similar to the roles and functions performed by characters performing on stage. He
called this dramaturgical approach. The social positions each one of us fills in the social
group (such as family, peer group, and the like), community (such as QCU, Singles for
Christ, and the like), or society (such as Philippine society) where we belong dictates
our behavior, interaction, and relationship to other people. Thus, the self emerges from
the performance of one's role and function. For Goffman, we are basically concerned
with self-presentation (or how we present our self) in all our social encounters, and we
do this by taking on a specific role in a particular situation.
Lesson 2: ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Social psychology views the self or the person as rooted in the social context (Burr,
2002 cited in Macapagal, M. E. J. et al., 2013). Our self is shaped by the world we live
in and we shape the world in return.
In cultural psychology, self and culture constitute or constructs each other (Fiske,
Kitayama, Markus, &Nisbett, 1998 cited in Macapagal, M. E. J. et al., 2013). The
QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY
General Education Division – Social Sciences and Philosophy
individual self develops within a particular culture that structures how the self thinks,
feels, and acts.
According to Matsumoto &Juang (2004 cited in Macapagal, M. E. J. et al., 2013),
“our sense of self, referred to as self-concept is shaped by our cultural context” (p. 31).
Different cultures produce different self-concepts in their members.
Culture and Self: Individualistic vs. Collective
It was Triandis who was widely known as the leading proponent of individualism and
collectivism construct in social psychology. For him, collectivist cultures emphasize
interdependence among people while individualist cultures emphasize that people are
independent of their groups (Triandis, 2001 cited in Macapagal, M. E. J. et al., 2013).
In collectivist cultures, a person’s goals are defined based on his or her held social roles but
the goals of the ingroup are more important than his or her own goals (Macapagal, M. E. J. et
al., 2013). He or she is expected to sacrifice for the group and this is viewed as natural.
Independent vs. Interdependent Self
Hazel Markus and Shinobu Kitayama (1991 cited in Macapagal, M. E. J. et al.,
2013) coined the terms independent self and interdependent self.
Independent self is “defined by unique internal attributes, such as traits and
dispositions,” that are independent of one’s context” (Macapagal, M. E. J. et al., 2013: p.
33). It is an American culture and in some Western European countries. The individual
emphasizes his or her personal thoughts, feelings, and actions. Other people become
important to him or her when they verify and affirm his or herself self such as when
opinions, abilities, and characteristics validate who he or she is.
Interdependent self “sees the self-in-relation-to-others as the focus of the
individual experience rather than the independent self” (Macapagal, M. E. J. et al.,
2013: p. 33). Cultures with the interdependent self are Asians. Also, they look at how
the individual self fits in harmony with them. The interdependent self finds ways to fit in
with significant others, to fulfill obligations, and to belong to groups.
Activities:
Videos to watch:
a. Looking Glass Self [Link]
b. Generalized Others [Link]
c. Impression Manangement
[Link]
Assessment
A. Direction: Identify and explain the 3 Sociological concepts about the self and relate
it in your own life experience growing up.
QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY
General Education Division – Social Sciences and Philosophy
B. Direction: Write your own experience about how you encounter the lesson about
kapwa in your everyday life during this pandemic.(minimum of 300
words)
Reflection : “Ako, Kapwa Ko”
Direction: Write an essay and answer the following questions:
a. How do I understand myself and the concept of others?
b. What led up to this self which is aware of the others?
Assignment
Take-Home Activity: “Me and My Family”
Direction:Identify some of your favorite family traditions and create a 3-minute
video presentation that expresses all about it and will be submitted
the week after.
References
Cuevo, F.M., Ph.D., et al (2018), Understanding The Self (pp. 21-23; 29-32; 37-41).
369 Culianin, Plaridel, Bulacan: St. Andrew Publishing House
Dela Paz, E.R., et al (2019). Understanding The Self (pp. 19-30; pp. 37-46). 369
Culianin, Plaridel, Bulacan: St. Andrew Publishing House
Henslin, J.M. (2010). Sociology: Core Concepts. Philippines: Pearson Education, Inc.
Macionis, J.J. (2003). Sociology, 9th ed. Philippines: Pearson Education, Inc.
Macapagal, M.E.J., et al (2013). Social Psychology in the Philippine Context (pp. 30-
37). Philippines: ADMU.