Bulacan State University

City of Malolos, Bulacan

Understanding
the Self
(UTS 101)

Module 1
CHAPTER 1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

A. Philosophy
B. Sociology
C. Anthropology

Writer: Estrella L. Ranas

Faculty, CSSP Main Campus
Editor: Ma. Adora C. Tigno

1
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
ORIENTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4
INTRODUCTION ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
CHAPTER 1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES
Objectives/Competencies ------------------------------------------------------------ 7

Lesson 1: Philosophy
Learning Objectives ----------------------------------------------------------------- 7
Pre-test (Philosophy) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 8
Activity: Do I Know Myself? ------------------------------------------------------ 9
What is Philosophy? --------------------------------------------------------------- 9
Socrates: The Soul is Immortal ---------------------------------------------------- 9
Plato: The Soul is Immortal --------------------------------------------------------- 10
Augustine: Christianity --------------------------------------------------------------- 11
Rene Descartes: A Modern Perspective on the Self ------------------------- 12
John Locke: The Self Is Consciousness ----------------------------------------- 12
David Hume: There Is No “Self” --------------------------------------------------- 13
Immanuel Kant: We Construct the Self ------------------------------------------- 14
Sigmund Freud: There Are Two Selves, Conscious and Unconscious ---- 14
Gilbert Ryle: The Is How You Behave -------------------------------------------- 15
Paul Churchland: The Self Is the Brain ------------------------------------------- 16
Maurice Merleau-Ponty: The Self is Embodied Subjectivity ----------------- 17
Summary --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
References ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18
Activity Journal Rubrics --------------------------------------------------------------- 19
Understanding the Self Biodata ---------------------------------------------------- 20
Exercise 1: Words That Describe Me -------------------------------------------- 21
Post-test (Philosophy) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 22

Lesson 2: Sociology
Learning Objectives --------------------------------------------------------------------- 23
Pre-test (Sociology) ------------------------------------------------------------------- 23
Activity 2: The Personal Identity Wheel ------------------------------------------- 24
What is Sociology? ------------------------------------------------------------------- 25
The Self As a Product of Modern Society Among Other Constructions --- 25

2
 Cooley and the Looking Glass Self Theory -------------------------------------- 26
Mead and the Social Self ------------------------------------------------------------- 27
Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28
References ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 28
Exercise 2: The Social Identity Wheel -------------------------------------------- 29
Post-test (Sociology) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 31

Lesson 3: Anthropology
Learning Objectives ------------------------------------------------------------------- 32
Pre-test (Anthropology) -------------------------------------------------------------- 32
What is Anthropology? --------------------------------------------------------------- 33
The Self and Person in Contemporary Anthropology ------------------------ 33
Self As Embedded in Culture ------------------------------------------------------ 34
Summary --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35
References ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36
Exercise 3: My Identity ---------------------------------------------------------------- 37
Post-test (Anthropology) -------------------------------------------------------------- 38

3
 ORIENTATION - 3 HOURS

Self-care and Study Tips for students on Remote Print Learning (RPL) Mode

Welcome to college life. All your life you have been looking forward to going to
college, right? This is the start of a great journey and of some truly great adventures.
You may have been looking forward to awesome things that usually occur during
college like dorming; a more relaxed class schedule; greater opportunities to meet,
mingle, and make connections with more people; greater freedom and independence;
a change of scenery and environment; and, maybe a bigger allowance this time.
However, the turn of circumstances has brought enormous changes in every student’s
life. The global pandemic had caused educational disruption, and with the continuing
spread of the coronavirus (COVID 19), some schools needed to close while others
initiated immediate actions to support students to continue their studies even during
school closure. These schools are left with no choice but to create measures to
facilitate learning at home. Our university is implementing flexible modes of learning
to cater to every student’s needs and life circumstances. Learning is made possible
through online or with the use of printed modules. With all these turns of events,
students, teachers, and parents are facing challenges in trying to adapt to what
everyone calls the “new normal.”

You have chosen the remote print learning mode to pursue your studies. It
means that learning will be facilitated using printed modules like this one. This is quite
challenging because you need to learn with minimal intervention from your instructor.
So, how can you sustain active learning (by yourself) at home? Active learning is a
method of learning that engages students in the learning process. In active learning,
you are required to do meaningful activities and become a master of your own learning
process. Again, this is a challenging task because you will need to follow instructions
from the modules away from your instructor and classmates.

Ways to promote active learning for RPL students:

1. Regulate your study by yourself. Be a self-regulated learner, one who creates

goals and then chooses the right strategies to reach them.
2. Monitor your progress. Check if you are meeting your goals and if not, you need
to restructure your study habits.
3. Use your available time efficiently. You should manage your schedule for
learning and for leisure.
4. Make a task list. It would help if you make a list of tasks to do and to check off
what you have done and get ready for the next one.
5. You need to improve your concentration. Take 10-15 minutes break for every 1
hour of study. At the break, take a snack for energy, go for a walk, or listen to
music. Find the best hours for study, may it be at night or during the day.

4
 6. Stay focused on one thing. Stick with one task and learn to say “No” to
distractions.
7. Talk about what you learned with your family and peers. Communicating what
you learned will help you understand the lesson better.
8. Summarize. To help you grasp better your lessons, summarize what you have
learned.

Self-Care Tips While Studying at Home

Studying at home and learning with no face-to-face interactions with teachers

and classmates may raise more stress and anxiety for students. Practicing self-care
can help you manage and reduce your stress and enhance your overall well-being.
Self-care means taking time to focus on improving our mental, emotional, and physical
health. Here are some ideas for self-care:

1. Sleep. Sleep is very much essential to overall health and has a great impact on
academic success.
2. Exercise. Research shows that exercise can improve your mood, relieve stress,
and help you sleep better.
3. Do something you love. Spend time for your passions and hobbies. These can
provide you an outlet for managing stress and can increase levels of happiness.
4. Take time to connect with friends and family. Hang out with them. Studies show
that spending time with loved ones is the top determinant of happiness.
5. Be kind to yourself. Practice self-compassion. Treat yourself like you would
treat your best friend. Replace self-critical thoughts with more loving thoughts
about yourself.
6. Practice mindfulness: Being in the present moment can help to reduce stress.
Practice mindfulness by noticing your five senses; what do you see, hear, taste,
feel, and smell right now?
7. Practice gratitude: One simple way to practice gratitude is by writing down 3
things you are grateful for everyday. Remembering to find things, experiences
and people in your life that you are grateful can have powerful effects on your
mood.
8. Practice deep breathing: Take five minutes to practice deep breathing. In just
those few minutes you can lower your blood pressure and heart rate, thus
lowering the physical effects of stress.
9. Journaling: Journaling can have a lot of benefits. Writing can help you process
your feelings, ignite creativity in the brain, and help you be in the present
moment. Take a few minutes each day to journal.
10. Spend time in nature: Research shows that spending time in nature can have
remarkable benefits to human health.

College life is a journey. It is not just about finding yourself but a step in the path
of creating yourself. It means there will be major mistakes and failures, more
revelations about yourself, and times you are completely lost. Still, you will persevere
and thrive and be open to more adventures and self-exploration to help cultivate the
best version of yourself.

5
 Understanding the Self
INTRODUCTION

Understanding the self is essential in every person's life. For you to better
understand yourself, you must allow yourself to experience self-discovery and self-
awareness. Self-discovery is the process of learning, understanding, or knowing more
about yourself and who you are, becoming aware of one's true potential, character,
motives, and the like. An example of self-discovery is meditating - spending time to
look into yourself, your values, your strengths, and your weaknesses. Self-awareness
is your knowledge of yourself and your worth as a person. An example of awareness
is what you hope to gain from meditating. Self-awareness is a result of doing self-
discovery.
This module aims to help you go through the process of exploration and, hopefully,
arrive at understanding your personality, self, and identity. Self-discovery exercises
and activities, reflection papers, and personal journals will be used to engage you
more and be able to experience the objectives of the course.
The course is divided into three chapters: (1) The self from various perspectives; (2)
Unpacking the self and, (3) Managing and caring for the self. Chapter 1 seeks to
understand the construct of the self from various disciplines: philosophy, sociology,
anthropology, and psychology - as well as the Eastern and Western studies - each
seeking to give answers to this question, "What is the self?" Chapter 2 explores some
of the various aspects that make up the self. These are the physical self, sexual self,
material self, spiritual self, political self, and the digital self. Chapter 3 explores
students' common issues and concerns: learning, goal setting, and stress
management. It identifies factors that are contributing to the challenges encountered
by students and the effects on their wellbeing. The topics were clustered into 5 and
came up with 5 modules prepared by different writers. The topics were adopted in
accordance to the syllabus designed by CHED for Understanding the Self.

6
CHAPTER 1

THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

Have you ever experienced being asked to

write an autobiography that addresses the
difficult question of “Who am I?” Attempts to
answer this question vary greatly depending on
the person’s age, beliefs, values, feelings, life’s
circumstances, culture, and society. Some
https://www.google.com.ph/imgres?imgurl
people find it easy to answer the question while
=https%3A%2F%2Fptop.only.wip.la%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fimages.unsplash.co
m%2Fphoto-1554497342 other people find it a daunting task to figure out
who they really are.
But what exactly is this concept, known as the "self." This chapter explores
the concept of the "self" or the thing called "identity" or the "I." How is “the self” viewed
in the context of philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and sociology? The western
and eastern perspectives of the self will also be discussed.

Objectives/Competencies
By the end of the chapter, you will be able to:
● define the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from
various disciplines: philosophy, sociology, anthropology, psychology, eastern
and western culture.
● distinguish how the self has been defined across the different perspectives.
● explore the different factors, forces, and influences that shape the self.
● apply reflective and critical thought in analyzing the development of one's self.

Lesson 1 Duration: 3 hours

A. Philosophy

Learning Objectives:
By the end of three hours, you should be able to:
● describe and discuss the different notions of the self from the points-of-view of the
various philosophers;
● analyze how the self has been represented in different philosophical schools; and
● examine one’s self against the different views of self that were discussed

7
Pre-test: (Philosophy)

Name: __________________________________________________
Course/Year/Section: ___________________ Date: ______________

Let us check your knowledge about the “self.” Write TRUE if the statement is correct
and FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

________ 1. It is necessary to examine ourselves for it alone will give us knowledge about
ourselves.
________ 2. The self is the soul divided into three parts: Reason, physical Appetite, and
Spirit.
________ 3. The self is essentially a soul whose goal is to be united with God.
________ 4. The essential self is the mind or the thinking self and not the physical body.
________ 5. The self is one and the same as you were in the past for as long as you
remember the experiences you had in that past.
________ 6. There is no permanent self because the self keeps on changing.
________ 7. The self is dominated by the unconscious it is what shapes our personality.
________ 8. The self is defined by the observable behaviors we project to the world
around us.
________ 9. The self is basically the physical state of the brain and not the mind.
________10. The self is all about one’s perception of one’s experience and the
interpretation of those experiences.

8
 ACTIVITY: Do I Know Myself?

Reflect on the following questions regarding your "self" and answer them specifically
as you can. Write your answers on your Philosopher's Notebook (any notebook that you
can use for the rest of the activities under this topic-philosophy). Please answer in NOT
MORE than THREE sentences.
1. How would you describe yourself?
2. What are some of the qualities that differentiate you from others?
3. In what ways have your self changed through your life? In what ways has it
remained the same?
4. How would you describe yourself when it comes to your body?
5. After you die, what do you think will happen to yourself? Do you believe your
self will continue to exist in some form? What form will you be?

Did you find it difficult to provide in-depth and specific responses to these
questions? You should be! The difficulty you have just experienced is an indication of
your lack of knowledge about the philosophical perspectives of the self. But, as your
philosophical understanding becomes deeper and clearer, you will appreciate these
questions better and truly understand their meaning. So, if it was hard for you to
answer the questions, that’s perfectly fine. I hope this difficulty and confusion may lead
you to aspire for more knowledge and understanding about the self.

What is Philosophy?
The word "philosophy" originates from two Greek words ("Philos" means
beloved and “Sophia" means wisdom), meaning "love of wisdom." Philosophy is a
way of thinking about anything in the world, the universe. Philosophy works by asking
very basic questions about the nature of human thought, the nature of the universe,
and the connections between them. One philosophical question that we will be
focusing on is this: "What is the self?". This part of the module is about the ideas
discussed by philosophers (who think and write about ways of thinking) about the self.

Socrates: The Soul Is Immortal

“The unexamined life is not worth living” -- Socrates.

1Socrates was believed to be the first thinker to focus on

the full power of reason on the human self - our existence in the
universe, who we are, who we should be, and whom we will
become. For Socrates, the self exists in two parts: the physical
body and the soul. The physical body is a tangible aspect of us.
File:SOCRATES.png It is mortal (it dies), constantly changing, imperfect,
en.wikipedia.org transforming, disappearing. Our soul, which Socrates believed
to be immortal, is eternal, unchanging, perfect, or ideal.

1
"3.2 The Soul Is Immortal: Socrates and Plato."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_02.xhtml accessed
on 10 Aug. 2020.
9
 Socrates believed that there was a soul first before a man's body. The soul has
all the knowledge that is stored in his mind. However, once he came to the material
world or the world of senses, he forgot most of what he knew. This resulted in a lack
of knowledge or ignorance, which causes problems for men. Knowledge can be
restored through the process of dialectic method or Socratic method - an exchange of
question and answer that ultimately aims to make a person remember all the
knowledge that he has forgotten, including his former all-knowing self.
2
Socrates’ conviction is conveyed in his famous statement: "the unexamined
life is not worth living." The most important task one can undertake is to examine one's
self, for it alone will give one the knowledge necessary to answer the question 'how
should I live my life.' Socrates explained: "…once we know ourselves, we may learn
how to care for ourselves, but otherwise, we never shall."
Socrates is, eventually, known as the "father of Western philosophy."

Analysis A
THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY: The Self as Body and Soul

Record your responses in your Philosopher’s Notebook.

One of Socrates’ famous statements is “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Why do
we need to examine our life?

Plato: The Soul Is Immortal

“The first and the best victory is to conquer self.” -- Plato

3
Plato is a dualist; there is both an immaterial mind (soul)
and a material body, and it is the soul that represents the self.
Plato believed the soul exists before birth and after death. For
him, one should care about his soul rather than his body.
4The soul (mind) is divided into three parts:

● Reason - our divine essence that enables us to think

https://commons.wikim deeply, make wise choices, and achieve a true understanding of
edia.org/wiki/File:Plato.
EtchingbyD.Cunego,17 eternal truths.
83,meV0004702.jpg ● Physical Appetite - our basic biological needs such as
hunger, thirst, and sexual desire.
● Will or Spirit - is our basic emotion or passion, such as empathy,
aggressiveness, love, anger, ambition.

2
"The Ideas of Socrates - Academy of Ideas." 27 Mar. 2015,
https://academyofideas.com/2015/03/the-ideas-of-socrates-transcript/. Accessed on 10 Aug. 2020.
3
"Summary of Plato's Theory of Human Nature | Reason and ...." 11 Oct. 2014,
https://reasonandmeaning.com/2014/10/11/theories-of-human-nature-chapter-7-plato-part-1/
accessed on 30 Aug. 2020.
4
"3.2 The Soul Is Immortal: Socrates and Plato."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_02.xhtml accessed
on 10 Aug. 2020.
10
 The three elements of our “self” are in a dynamic relationship with one another.
Sometimes, they work in concert, sometimes in conflict. For instance, we may develop
a romantic relationship with someone who is an intellectual companion (Reason) or
with whom we are passionately in love (Spirit) and or with whom we find sexually
attractive, igniting our lustful appetites (Appetite). In contrast, we may find ourselves
in personal conflict with these three parts of our “self”. For instance, we may be in a
situation where we are torn between three different relationships; each appeals to a
different part of our self: Reason, Spirit, Appetite. When conflict occurs, Plato believes
it is the responsibility of our reason to sort things out and exert control, re-establishing
a harmonious relationship between the three elements of ourselves.
Plato believed that true and genuine happiness could only be achieved if we
consistently make sure that our reason is in control of our Spirits and Appetites.

Analysis B
THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY: Balancing Reason, Appetite, and Spirit
Write your responses on your Philosopher’s Notebook.

❖ Relate an experience in your life when the three elements of your self as
identified by Plato: Reason, Appetite, and Spirit, were in conflict. What was the
nature of conflict? How was it resolved?

St. Augustine: Christianity

“Accepting God is the path to know thyself.” - St. Augustine

Augustine believes that man is created in the image and

likeness of God, and he is essentially a soul whose goal is to be
with God. 5Augustine's sense of self is his relation to God, both in
his recognition of God's love, and his response to it. It is achieved
through self-presentation then self-realization. Augustine
believed one could not achieve inner peace without finding God's
https://es.m.wikipedi
a.org/wiki/Archivo:Au love and through faith and reason, our self seeks to be united with
gustine_of_Hippo.jp God. Augustine believes that God is transcendent, and everything
g
created by God, who is all good, is good.

Analysis C
THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY: Augustine’s Concept of the Self

Write your responses on your Philosopher’s Notebook.

● Describe yourself based on your relation to God.

5
"From Confessions, what is the "self, " according to Augustine ...."
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-self-according-augustine-378193. Accessed 30 Aug.
2020.
11
Rene Descartes: A Modern Perspective on the Self

“Cogito ergo sum (I think; therefore I am.)” -- Rene Descartes.

6René Descartes is the "founder of modern philosophy."

Descartes' principle, cogito ergo sum (Latin), is the keystone of
his concept of self. For Descartes, this is the essence of self—
you are a "thinking thing" (I exist because I think: I think,
therefore I exist). The mind is what matters. But what about your
body? Descartes believes that our physical body is secondary
https://commons.wikimedi to our personal identity. Descartes declares that the essential
a.org/wiki/File:Frans_Hals
-Portret_vanRen%C3
self, or the self as a thinking entity, is radically different from the
Descartes.jpg self as a physical body. The thinking self—or soul—is a non-
material, immortal, conscious being, independent of the physical laws of the universe.
The physical body is a mortal, non-thinking material that is fully governed by the
physical laws of nature. Further, your soul and your body are independent of one
another. Each one can exist and function without the other. This, in a way, echoes the
dualism of Plato.

Analysis D
THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY: My Body, My Self?
Write your responses on your Philosopher’s Notebook.

Taking Descartes’ concept of dualism,

• relate a situation that shows how your mind significantly affects your body.
• relate a situation that shows how your body significantly affects your mind.

John Locke: The Self Is Consciousness

7
John Locke is known for his theory that the mind is a tabula rasa,
a blank slate. Locke believed that we are born without thoughts,
or our mind was empty and that knowledge is instead determined
only by experience. According to Locke, our memory plays a key
role in our definition of the self. He theorized that we are the same
https://commons.wi
kimedia.org/wiki/File person as we were in the past for as long as we can remember
:JohnLocke.png memories from that past. It is our memory or our consciousness
of our past that makes us that same person as we were in the past. Thus, to Locke,
our conscious awareness and memory of previous experiences are the keys to
understanding the self. It is our consciousness that makes possible our belief that we
are the same identity at different times and different places.

6
"3.4 Descartes's Modern Perspective on the Self."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_04.xhtml accessed
on 25 Aug. 2020.
7
"Locke on Personal Identity (Stanford Encyclopedia of ...." 11 Feb. 2019,
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke-personal-identity/. Accessed 25 Aug. 2020.
12
 Analysis E
THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY: The Conscious Self
Write your response on your Philosopher’s Notebook.

According to Locke, it is our memory that links our self at this moment with our self in
previous circumstances or in the past. Do you agree with John Locke that we are the
same identity at different times and different places?

David Hume: There Is No “Self”

8
David Hume believed that the source of all genuine
knowledge is our direct sense experience. He believes in the
existence of the mind, and what’s inside the mind is divided into
two: impressions and ideas. Impressions are those things we
perceive through our senses as we experience them. Like when
https://commons.wikimedi
I see the sky, and my sense of sight tells me I am looking at a
a.org/wiki/File:David_Hu blue sky. That is now my impression. Ideas, on the other hand,
me_color.jpg
are those things that we create in our minds even though we
are no longer experiencing them. For example, even when I’m already inside my room
and can no longer see the sky, I can still think of the idea of the sky, like it’s a nice day,
it’s not likely to rain, maybe I can do the laundry, or maybe I can go out to the park.
Whenever we think of simple ideas, it must have as a basis a simple impression.

Hume's idea of the self follows this philosophical pattern. In his mind, he finds
a stream of impressions and ideas, but no impression that corresponds to a self that
endures through time. For Hume, the self keeps on changing, like how one looks, one
feels, one thinks they constantly change. There is no permanent and unchanging self.
A person is a bundle of perceptions. "I" will constantly be changing because the
different experiences one has for every constant change will affect and re-shape that
person. Thus, we cannot observe any permanent self because we continuously
undergo change. In conclusion, there is no self.

Analysis F
THINK CRITICALLY: Empiricism and the Self
Write your response on your Philosopher’s Notebook.

Do you agree with Hume that there is no permanent self? How shall we respond when
somebody tells us, “please don’t change!”

8
"3.6 There Is No Self: Hume - Revel Content Player."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_06.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
13
Immanuel Kant: We Construct the Self
9
Immanuel Kant refutes Hume’s theory that there is no “self” and
argues that it is possible to find the essence of the self. For Kant,
man is a free agent, capable of making a decision for himself. Man
is a free agent, for he is gifted with reason and free will to enable
him to organize the data gathered by the senses. From these data
https://commons.
wikimedia.org/wiki
and the way we organize them, we can build an idea of who we are.
/File:David_Hume Hence, the self is very present.
_color.jpg

Analysis G
THINK CRITICALLY: Sense, Perception, and Your Self
Write your response on your Philosopher’s Notebook.

With Kant’s idea that man is gifted with reason and free will to create an idea of his
“self”. Try to engage yourself into “looking for yourself” by investigating, reflecting on,
and synthesizing your experiences. What have you found? Did you discover yourself?

Sigmund Freud: There Are Two Selves, One Conscious, One

Unconscious
10
Sigmund Freud is not a philosopher, but his views on the
nature of the self have had a far-reaching impact on philosophical
thinking. He is a great influence in the fields of psychology and
psychoanalysis, the theory he founded. Freud believes that there
are two levels of human functioning: the conscious and the
unconscious. In his psychoanalytic theory, the conscious refers
https://commons.wikim to all mental processes of which we are aware; the unconscious
edia.org/wiki/File:Sigmu
nd_Freud,_by_Max_Ha refers to mental processes that are not easily accessible to our
lberstadt.jpg awareness. Freud believes that even if the conscious self plays
an important role in our lives, it is the unconscious self that has the dominant influence
on our personalities.
The unconscious contains basic instinctual drives that include aggressiveness,
sexuality, and self-destruction; traumatic memories; childhood fantasies and unfulfilled
wishes; thoughts and feelings that would be considered socially taboo. This
unconscious level is characterized by the most primitive level of human motivation and
functioning. Our most basic instinctual drives in the unconscious level seek immediate
gratification or discharge. The impulses at this level are governed solely by the
“pleasure principle.” Our unconscious self exists and influences us throughout our

9
"3.7 We Construct the Self: Kant - Revel Content Player."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_07.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
10
"3.8 The Self Is Multilayered: Freud - Revel Content Player."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_08.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
14
lives. Though it is not directly observable, its existence can be inferred from such
phenomena as neurotic symptoms, dreams, and “slips of the tongue.”
On the other hand, the conscious self is governed by the “reality principle.” At
this level of functioning, our behavior and experience are organized in ways that are
practical, rational, and appropriate to the social environment. Even if the ultimate goals
of the conscious self are the same as the unconscious self, that is, the gratification of
needs and the reduction of tensions to optimal levels, the means of achieving these
goals are entirely different. The conscious self takes into account the realistic demands
of situations, the consequences of actions, and the overriding need to preserve the
equilibrium, rather than doing direct, impulsive, and irrational behaviors. The
conscious self takes the task of controlling the constant pressures of the unconscious
self that is constantly seeking for immediate discharge and gratification.
Freud later developed the Structural model of the mind that is divided into three:
the id, ego, and superego. The Id represents man's biological nature, impulses, and
bodily desires. The superego represents the ethical component of the personality and
provides the moral standards by which the ego operates. The id and the superego find
themselves clashing against each other, with the superego trying to control the id's
impulses and its attempt to satisfy its urges. The winner of this inner battle is
manifested in the ego, which is the self. If the ego behaves, then the superego won. If
the ego misbehaves, the id won. This battle is all taking place in the unconscious. The
realm of the ego is found in the conscious.

Analysis H
THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY: Analyzing Sigmund Freud
According to Freud, although the contents of the unconscious cannot be observed, we
can observe them indirectly. Consider this activity as an opportunity for you to look for
evidence of how your unconscious becomes evident in some areas of your self. Record
your reflections in your Philosophy Notebook.
● A slip of the tongue: Try to recall a time when you unexpectedly said something that
you were thinking rather than what you intended to say. For instance, instead of
saying, “I think your new haircut looks attractive,” you uttered, "I think your new
haircut looks bad.” Are you convinced that this is evidence of Freud’s concept of the
unconscious?
● Dreams: Relate a particularly disturbing dream or a recurring dream. What do you
think the dream means? Are you convinced that this is evidence of Freud’s concept
of the unconscious?

Gilbert Ryle: The Self Is How You Behave

11
Gilbert Ryle simply focused on observable behavior in
defining the self. No more inner selves, immortal soul, states of
consciousness, or unconscious self: instead, the self is defined in
https://pt.m.wikipedia
terms of the behavior that is presented to the world. From Ryle's
.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Re point of view, the self is best understood as a pattern of behavior,
x_Whistler_-_Gilbert_
Ryle,_Fellow.jpg
a person’s tendency or disposition to behave in a certain way in

11
"3.9 The Self Is How You Behave: Ryle - Revel Content Player."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_09.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
15
certain circumstances. In short, the self is defined by the observable behaviors we
project to the world around us.

Analysis I
THINK CRITICALLY: Self as Behavior
Write your response on your Philosopher’s Notebook.

Let’s do a little experiment. Take time to ask someone who is close to you to describe
you based solely on your observable behavior. Then reflect on what aspects of your
“self” do you think his description matches your “real self” and what does not?

Paul Churchland: The Self Is the Brain

12
When it comes to learning of human experience, the
concept of dualism is that the mind and the body are separate. In
other words, we do have a single brain and have a separate mind,
too. Paul Churchland disagrees with the concept of dualism.
Churchland asserts that since the mind cannot be experienced by
the senses, it does not exist. It is the physical brain, not the
https://it.wikipedia. imaginary mind, that gives us our sense of self. To Churchland, the
org/wiki/Materialis
mo self is the brain. He focused on the brain states rather than the
mental states. Neuroscience is into the fore of understanding the
self. When people want to ask what is going on with themselves, they might go for an
MRI scan or CT scan to understand the condition of the brain and how it works.
Churchland believes that the term “mind,” our moods, emotions, actions,
consciousness are deeply affected by the state of our brain. That by manipulating
certain parts of our brain, our feelings, actions, and physical state is successfully
altered.

Analysis J
THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY: Brain or Mind?
Write your response on your Philosopher’s Notebook.

Would you agree with Churchland that the “mind” does not exist; instead, it is the
physical state of the “brain” that affects our moods, emotions, and actions? Why?

12
"3.10 The Self Is the Brain: Physicalism - Revel Content Player."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_10.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
16
Maurice Merleau-Ponty: The Self is Embodied Subjectivity

13Maurice Merleau-Ponty takes a very different approach

to the self. His ideas suggest that there is unity in our mental,
physical, and emotional disposition, and they all affect how we
experience our selves. For instance, when you wake up in the
morning and experience your gradually becoming aware of
where you are or how you feel, what are your first thoughts of the
day? Perhaps something like, “Oh no, it’s time to get up, but I’m
https://en.wikipedia.org/ still sleepy, but I have a class that I can’t be late for.” Note that
wiki/Emmanuel_Levinas
at no point do you doubt that the “I” you refer to is a single
integrated entity, but a blending of mental, physical, and emotional structure around a
core identity: your self. Our self is a product of our conscious human experience. The
definition of self is all about one’s perception of one’s experience and the interpretation
of those experiences. To Merleau-Ponty, the self is embodied subjectivity. He entirely
rejected the idea of mind and body dichotomy because, for him, man is all about how
he sees himself.

Analysis K
THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY: Applying Merleau-Ponty’s Conscious Human
Experience
Write your response on your Philosopher’s Notebook.

Look into yourself and apply Merleau-Ponty’s perceptive of the self by describing
briefly how the pandemic COVID-19 is affecting your mental, physical, and emotional
wellbeing.

Summary

The philosophical quest of one’s definition of self certainly carries with it a

constant debate of mind-body dualism versus taking them separately. From the time
of the classic philosophers up to this day, not one answer to the question WHO AM I?
can be universally accepted. Socrates answered by saying, man is essentially a soul,
and this was seconded by Plato, Augustine, extending their idea that man is an image
in the likeness of God, and he is essentially a soul whose goal is to be with God. Rene
Descartes also emphasized the non-physical form of man and said that in essence,
man is mind - a thinking being separate from his body. However, it doesn't mean that
we don't need the body, because the body is a necessity for the mind in order for it to
perform any act. John Locke veered somewhat from the previous ideas and claimed
that the self is consciousness and that for as long as we have memories about who
we are and our identity, then that tells us that we are the same person regardless of

13
"3.11 The Self Is Embodied Subjectivity: Husserl and Merleau ...."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_11.x
html. Accessed 25 Aug. 2020.
17
what point in your life you are in, as long as you can remember. David Hume, however,
completely changed the course of this study by declaring that there is no permanent
self because the self is only a bundle of senses that keeps on changing. In response
to Hume, Immanuel Kant said that it is possible for us to construct our self. Since we
are thinking beings, we can organize our experiences so that we can build an idea of
who we are; hence the self is very much present. Sigmund Freud asserts that man is
made up of two things, the conscious and the unconscious, and that man has many
layers. For Gilbert Ryle, how one behaves is a big factor in showing who a man is.
Paul Churchland, however, declared that it's the brain that is the essence of the self.
Maurice Merleau-Ponty rejected the idea of mind and body dichotomy entirely
because, for him, man is all about how he sees himself through his experiences (an
embodied subjectivity).

References:

Descartes's Modern Perspective on the Self."

https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_04.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
"Eliminative Materialism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." 8 May. 2003,
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/materialism-eliminative/. Accessed 25 Aug. 2020.
“Introspection: Understanding the Self.” (2018) Palean, Nazario, Valero, Descartin. Mandaluyong City
"Locke on Personal Identity (Stanford Encyclopedia of ...." 11 Feb. 2019,
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke-personal-identity/. Accessed 25 Aug. 2020.
Philosophical Perspectives During the Middle Ages."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_03.xhtml. Accessed
10 Aug. 2020.
"The Ideas of Socrates - Academy of Ideas." 27 Mar. 2015, https://academyofideas.com/2015/03/the-
ideas-of-socrates-transcript/. Accessed 10 Aug. 2020.
The Self Is Embodied Subjectivity: Husserl and Merleau ...."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_11.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
The Self Is How You Behave: Ryle - Revel Content Player."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_09.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
"The Self Is Multilayered: Freud - Revel Content Player."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_08.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
The Self Is the Brain: Physicalism - Revel Content Player."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_10.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
The Soul Is Immortal: Socrates and Plato."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_02.xhtml. Accessed
10 Aug. 2020.
There Is No Self: Hume - Revel Content Player."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_06.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.
We Construct the Self: Kant - Revel Content Player."
https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_chaffee/OPS/xhtml/ch03_sec_07.xhtml. Accessed
25 Aug. 2020.

18
Activity Journal (Philosopher’s Notebook)
The accomplished philosopher’s notebook will be accomplished and
submitted together with the Biobata (p. 20), Exercise 1 (p.21), and Post-test (p.22)
on the third week.

Your journal will be assessed using the following scoring rubrics (100 points)

Criteria 100 75 50 25

Critical Thinking Rich in the content; Substantial Information is thin Rudimentary and
insightful analysis; information; evident and commonplace; superficial; little
clear connections of analysis; general attempts are made at analysis; little or no
made to real-life connections are analysis; connections connections or are
situations made, but sometimes are limited off-topic
too obvious or not
clear

Personal Reflection High quality Connects ideas and Little evidence of a Lack of connection to
consisting of personal thoughts to personal personal connection; personal life
reflections that life; evidence of a many connections
connect between personal connection need further
real-life, learning, and to learning explanation or
reading justification

Completion All entries are All entries are present Lack entries but are Lack entries; not
present, in order and but are either not together and in order together and in order
together together or in order

Total Score: _____________

19
 Understanding the Self Photo
Biodata

NAME

COURSE/YEAR/SEC. SEX

ADDRESS

CONTACT NO.

EMAIL ADDRESS

DATE OF BIRTH BIRTHPLACE

LANGUAGE/DIALECT CIVIL STATUS

SPECIAL SKILLS

FATHER’S NAME AGE OCCUPATION

MOTHER’S NAME AGE OCCUPATION

SIBLING(S) AGE OCCUPATION

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

SCHOOL/ADDRESS AWARDS

ELEMENTARY

JUNIOR HIGH

SENIOR HIGH

VOCATIONAL

COLLEGE

Guardian’s Name Contact No. Relationship

20
 Exercise 1

Name: __________________________________________________
Course/Year/Section: ___________________ Date: ______________

Words That Describe Me

Circle the words that describe you. Add additional words.

Adaptive Self-Aware Tolerant Dependable

Intelligent Fearless Shy Hard Worker

Quiet Respectful Calm Humble

Energetic Eccentric Clever Creative

Confidant Thoughtful Complex Realistic

Cautious Balanced Cooperative Compassionate

Attentive Picky Capable with Hands

Other Words that describe you:

___________________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ____________________________

21
Post-test: (Philosophy)

Name: __________________________________________________
Course/Year/Section: ___________________ Date: ______________

Match the Philosopher to the correct perspective of the “self.”

Plato
Augustine
Rene Descartes
John Locke
David Hume
Immanuel Kant
Sigmund Freud
Gilbert Ryle
Paul Chulchland
Maurice Merleau-Ponty

_____ There is no self.

_____ The self is the brain.
_____ The self is your behavior.
_____ The self is your unconscious.
_____ The self is a thinking being separate from the body.
_____ Your sense of self is your relationship with God.
_____ The self is your conscious awareness and memory of previous
experiences.
_____ The self is all about how you see yourself (subjective) and your
experiences.
_____ The self is the soul that is divided into reason, Spirit, and
Appetite.
_____ The self is very much present by constructing your idea of who
you are through your experiences.

22
 Lesson 2 Duration: 3 hours

B. Sociology

Learning Objectives
By the end of three hours, you should be able to:
● understand the impact of society in the construction of the self
● interpret Mead’s theory of self in terms of the difference between “I” and “me.”

Pre-test: (Sociology)

Name: __________________________________________________
Course/Year/Section: ___________________ Date: ______________

Let us check your knowledge about the “self.” Write TRUE if the statement is
correct and FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

________ 1. Sociology is the study of human behavior.

________ 2. The self is socially constructed because it is shaped through interaction

with other people.
________ 3. Socialization is the process of studying other cultures and how people
adapt to it.
________ 4. Socialization is a life-long process, and it begins in one’s country.
________ 5. The people you interact with act as your “mirrors.”

23
Activity 2

Let’s do this!

Name: _________________________________________________
Course/Year/Section: ___________________ Date: ______________

The Personal Identity Wheel

This is a worksheet activity that encourages you to reflect on how you identify outside of
social identifiers. The worksheet prompts you to list adjectives you would use to describe
yourself, the skills you have, your favorite books, hobbies, etc.

Adapted for use from the Program on Intergroup Relations and the Spectrum Center, University of
Michigan.

24
 What is Sociology?

14We were born with a genetic makeup and

biological traits. Who we are as human beings, however,
develops through social interaction. Sociology is the
https://www.pikrepo.com/search?q
study of the role of society in shaping behavior. It focuses
=collage&page=2
on how different aspects of society contribute to an
individual’s relationship with his world. It tends to look outward (social institutions,
cultural norms, interactions with others) to understand human behavior. This part of
the module will be focused on the self as perceived by sociologists. We will look into
the role of society in how we were shaped as to who we are today.

The self as a product of modern society among other constructions

Now let us start exploring the “self” as a social construction. 15The classical
sociological perspective of the self holds that the self is a relatively stable set of
perceptions of who we are or our identity in relation to ourselves, others, and the social
world. Our self is socially constructed in the sense that it is shaped through our
interaction with other people.
The sociological theories of the self try to explain how social processes such as
socialization influence the development of the self. Socialization is the process of
learning one’s culture and how to live within it. In other words, it is the process whereby
an individual learns to adjust to a group and behave in a way that is approved by the
group. Through socialization, we develop our personalities and potentialities with the
influence of our culture and society. As with socialization in general, we are not passive
participants in this process but rather, have a powerful influence over how this process
develops and its circumstances. The person can also be an agent of socialization. The
self is constructed based on social roles through socialization agents (family, school,
community, etc.). How people understand their sense of selves is closely tied to how
they understand the world around them or their relationship with others.

The Agents of Socialization:

Socialization helps us learn to function successfully in their social worlds.
This learning takes place through interaction with the various agents of socialization,
like our families and peer groups, plus both formal and informal social institutions, like
schools and clubs. Socialization is believed to be a life-long process, and it begins in
our families. Parents, grandparents, siblings - whoever you were living with when you
were young, is pretty much your entire social world. Your family is the source of what
is known as primary socialization - your first experiences with language, beliefs and
values, behaviors, and norms of your society. As you grow older, secondary
socialization takes place. This is the process through which children become
socialized outside the home, within society at large. This often starts at school. School
becomes not just a place for academic subjects, but also for learning about interacting

14
"Introduction to Sociology 2e, Socialization, Theories of Self ...."
https://opened.cuny.edu/courseware/lesson/132/overview. Accessed 31 Aug. 2020.
15
"The Self and Socialization | Boundless Sociology." https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-
sociology/chapter/the-self-and-socialization/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2020.
25
 with different kinds of people. One of the most
influential agents on the development of the
self during school-age is the peer group. As
we get older, our peer group has a massive
impact on the socialization process. The
media we engage with are absolutely a part of
our socialization. Television and the internet
are huge parts of our lives and definitely have
impacts on the development of our “self”
Other agents of socialization include clubs
and teams, religious groups, workplaces,
political groups, and ethnic or cultural backgrounds. Now, try to think back on your own
life - who has been the biggest influence on who you are today? As was mentioned
earlier, we are not passive participants in the socialization process, so who or what do
you think that you, yourself have influenced? These may be hard questions to answer,
but definitely, worthwhile - and hopefully a little easier now that you have learned how
sociologists think about the development of the self.

Cooley and the Looking-Glass Self Theory

16
One of the pioneer contributors to sociological
perspectives was Charles Horton Cooley. He asserted that
people’s self-understanding is constructed, in part, by their
perception of how others view them—a process termed “the
looking glass self.” For Cooley, we gradually figure out who we
are as we grow up. You figure out what you look like by looking
in a mirror. However, you figure out who you are through social
https://www.flickr.com/ph
interactions. The people you interact with become your
otos/70251312@N00/79 “mirrors.” You see what they think of you when you interact with
87008481
them, and it changes the way you think of yourself.
17The process of discovering and experiencing the looking-glass self occurs in

three steps: First, we imagine how we appear to others. Second, we imagine the
judgment of that appearance. Third, we develop our self (identity) through the
judgments of others. Now, let us try to walk through these steps. Step one, how do
other people perceive us? Maybe they think we are smart or funny, or maybe someone
comes to us and says, “Wow, I’m impressed with how you did well in school today!”
But, a lot of these are just our interpretation or just imagined. So, that is where we
base our perception. Possibly, more than what other people are saying. Step two is
whether our perception is good or bad. This is our interpretation of the perception. Let
us take an example. You may then think that people admire you and see you as a
smart, diligent student. And then, the last step is our response. This changes how we
see ourselves. Like, if we are getting a lot of positive interpretations or negative ones,
it changes a specific way of how we see ourselves. As your response to your

16
"Theories of Self-Development | Sociology - Reading." https://courses.lumenlearning.com/alamo-
sociology/chapter/reading-theories-of-self-development/. Accessed 8 Sep. 2020.
17
"Theories of Socialization | Boundless Sociology." https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-
sociology/chapter/theories-of-socialization/. Accessed 8 Sep. 2020.
26
interpretation of how other people see you, you try to act smart every time you are in
class.

Mead and the Social Self

18George Herbert Mead is a well-known sociologist for

his theory of the social self. It is based on the perspective
that the self emerges from social interactions, such as
observing and interacting with others, responding about
others’ opinions about oneself, and internalizing them together
with one’s feelings about oneself. For Mead, our self is not
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki there at birth, but it is developed over time from social
/Sociology
experiences and activities.
Mead believed that as we grow up, our beliefs about how other people perceive
us start to become more important. And Mead thought that this happens through three
different stages: the preparatory stage, the play stage, and the game stage. During
the first stage - preparatory stage, children interact with others through imitation.
Children may play with pots and pans when a person is cooking or use a broom when
their mothers try to clean but are not really true interactions. As children grow, they
begin to focus more on communicating with others as opposed to simply imitating
them. They get practice using symbols, things like words and gestures, and other
forms of communication, or in other words, language. Then they later manage to
master as they grow up.
During the play stage, children start to become more aware of the importance
of social relationships. This is evident in children’s tendency to pretend to play like
other people. They play mommies or daddies or doctors or chefs, etcetera. And,
whereas before they were incapable of taking on the perspective of others, now they
are beginning to focus on role-taking or mentally assuming the perspectives of another
person and acting based on their perceived point of view. This might seem like an
imitation but goes way beyond it because the children are able to respond. They are
not simply capable of mimicking social interactions; they are capable of creating them.
During the game stage, children’s understanding of social interactions become
even more developed. Children begin to understand the attitudes, beliefs, and
behaviors of what Mead referred to as the “generalized other,” or the society as a
whole. With this comes a full understanding of society. For instance, children begin to
realize that people do not only perform in ways according to what they personally
believe in but also based on what society expects of them. They start to understand
that someone can take multiple roles, that people are not simply moms or doctors or
chefs, that they portray other roles all at once. As children begin to acknowledge the
generalized other, and also start to realize that people have multiple roles, they begin
to understand that other people must have opinions about them and that those
perceptions and opinions are influenced by how they act and what they say. As a
response, they themselves begin to be influenced by these perceptions, and they start

18
"Theories of Self-Development | Introduction to Sociology."
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sociology/chapter/theories-of-self-development/. Accessed 31 Aug.
2020.
27
to be concerned about and more conscious of the reactions of others to what they do.
However, they don't really care about the perceptions of everyone they come across.
They are mainly focused on the perceptions of the significant others in their life.
Mead believed that this understanding led to the development of his concept of
the “I” and the “me.” For Mead, the “me” is our social self, and the “I” is our response
to the “me.” The “me” is how we believe the generalized other sees us and what we
learn through interactions with others. On the other hand, the “I” thinks about what
those things mean. As an example, the “me” might understand that women in the
Philippines typically marry in their 20’s, but the “I” might wonder if that is best, if maybe
it would be best if some wait longer and delay marrying or if they may be travel or
enjoy more their singlehood for a few years. We can also look at the “me” as society’s
view and then the “I” as the individual identity stepping in, or our personal responses
to what society thinks. Even though we see these two parts as conflicting, for Mead,
who we are or our actual self is the balance of the “I” and the “me.”

Summary:

Sociology is the study of the role of society in shaping behavior. The

sociological perspective of the self looks into self as a social construction, which
means that who you are as a person is developed all through your lifetime under the
influence of people. The self is shaped through interaction with other people. Through
socialization, we develop our personalities and potentialities with the influence of our
culture and society. Socialization takes place through the interaction with various
agents of socialization, like peer groups and families, plus both formal and informal
social institutions, like schools and clubs. Charles Horton Cooley coined the concept
“the looking glass self,” which means we see what other people think of us when we
interact with them, and it changes the way we think of ourselves. Our experience of
discovering the looking-glass self occurs in three steps. Another well-known
sociologist, George Herbert Mead, developed his theory of social self. It is based on
the perspective that the self emerges from social interactions, such as observing and
interacting with others, responding about others’ opinions about oneself, and
internalizing them together with one’s feelings about oneself. This happens through
three distinct stages: the preparatory stage, the play stage, and the game stage. Mead
also developed the concept of the “me” and the “I,” where the “me” is the social self.
and the “I” is one’s response to the “me.”

References:
"Introduction to Sociology 2e, Socialization, Theories of Self ...."
https://opened.cuny.edu/courseware/lesson/132/overview. Accessed 31 Aug. 2020.
"The Self and Socialization | Boundless Sociology." https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-
sociology/chapter/the-self-and-socialization/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2020.
"Theories of Self-Development | Introduction to Sociology."
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sociology/chapter/theories-of-self-development/. Accessed 31 Aug.
2020.
"Theories of Self-Development | Sociology - Reading." https://courses.lumenlearning.com/alamo-
sociology/chapter/reading-theories-of-self-development/. Accessed 8 Sep. 2020.
"Theories of Socialization | Boundless Sociology." https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-
sociology/chapter/theories-of-socialization/. Accessed 8 Sep. 2020.

28
 Exercise 2
Name: __________________________________________________
Course/Year/Section: ___________________ Date: ______________

The Social Identity Wheel

The Social Identity Wheel is an activity that encourages you to identify socially and
reflect on the various ways those identities become visible or more felt at different times, and
how those identities affect the ways others perceive or treat you. This activity prompts you to
fill in various social identities (such as your sex, race, gender, ability/disability, sexual
orientation, etc.) and then categorize those identities based on which matter most in your
self-perception and which matter most in others’ perception of you. Please refer to the next
page for your guidance.

Body
Size/Type Socio-economic
Status

Religious/Spiritual
Affiliation Identities you think about most often
Ethnicity
______________________________
Identities you think about least often
______________________________
Identities you would like to learn about
______________________________
Identities that have the strongest
effect on how you perceive yourself
______________________________
Identities that have the greatest effect
on how others perceive you
Age ___________________________
Sex

Physical, Mental Sexual Orientation

Disability

Adapted for use from the Program on Intergroup Relations and Spectrum Center, University of
Michigan.
Resource hosted by LSA Inclusive Teaching Initiative, University of Michigan
(http://sites.lsa.umich.edu/inclusive-teaching/).

29
Social Identity Groups

The social identity groups are based on the physical, social, and mental
characteristics of individuals. Below are examples of social identity groups. Since
many issues of social identity often are the basis of social conflicts, it is reasonable to
expect that some terms we use to describe them may lead to disagreement. So, be
free to use your own preferred terms for the material above. Examples (You are free
to use your own language for your identities.)

Sex: Intersex, Female, Male

19Sexual Orientation refers to a person's pattern of emotional, romantic, and sexual
attraction to people of a particular gender. What probably comes to mind for most
people is the well-known acronym LGBTQ+. Those five letters stand for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and queer. The "+" encompasses those who aren't straight but
aren't covered by those five letters, either — for example, asexual, pansexual.

Heterosexual - Attracted to people of the opposite sex.

Bisexual - Attracted to people of either sex
Homosexual - Attracted to people of one's own sex (gay, lesbian)
Pansexual - Attracted to people of any gender identity
Asexual - Not sexually attracted to other people

Religion/Spirituality - Catholic, Muslim, Christian, Pagan, Atheist, Protestant

Social Class: Lower class, Working Class, Middle Class, Upper-Middle Class, Upper
class

Disability: psychosocial disability, disability due to chronic illness, learning disability,

mental disability, visual disability, orthopedic disability, and communication disability

Body Size/ Type: Fat, Medium, Thin

Ethnicity: Bulaqueno/Bulaquena, Kapampangan, Ilocano, Bisaya, etc.

19
"Sexuality List Of Sexual Orientation Types ... - Refinery29." 18 Jun. 2019,
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/sexual-orientation-types-of-sexualities. Accessed 10 Sep. 2020.
30
Post-test: (Sociology)

Name: _______________________________________Date: ______________

Multiple Choice: Write on the blank the letter of your choice.

_____ 1. It is the focus of the study of Sociology.
A. Society B. Socialization C. Social status D. Social studies
_____ 2. According to the sociological perspective, the self is shaped through
A. human behavior C. culture
B. interaction with other people D. language
_____ 3. It is the process of learning our culture and how to live within it.
A. Social identity C. Socialization
B. Social self D. Social construct
_____ 4. The following are considered agents of socialization, except
A. peer group B. religious group C. school D. work status
_____ 5. Primary socialization starts with
A. friends B. school C. playmates D. family
_____ 6. Which of the following is true about the looking-glass self-theory of Cooley?
A. We believe that what people say about us is mostly true.
B. We develop ourselves through social interactions.
C. We imagine what people think about us and change the way we think of
ourselves.
D. We are judged by how we behave in front of people, what we say to
them, and how we express our emotions.
_____ 7. According to Mead, the social self develops through our lifetime. During the
preparatory stage, children
A. get affected by what people say about us and change what we think
about ourselves.
B. interact with others by imitating their gestures, words, actions, etc.
C. take the role of another person and pretend to be like that person.
D. begin to understand the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the society.
_____ 8. During the play stage, children
A. get affected by what people say about us and change what we think
about ourselves.
B. interact with others by imitating their gestures, words, actions, etc.
C. take the role of another person and pretend to be like that person.
D. begin to understand the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the society.
_____ 9. During the play stage, children
A. get affected by what people say about us and change what we think
about ourselves.
B. interact with others by imitating their gestures, words, actions, etc.
C. take the role of another person and pretend to be like that person.
D. begin to understand the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the society.
_____ 10. For Mead, the “generalized other” refers to
A. all the people in the world C. anyone within the person’s group
B. the society as a whole D. None of the above

31
 Lesson 3 Duration: 3 hours

C. Anthropology

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

● understand the anthropological perspective of the self.
● analyze how the self-construct is influenced by culture.

Pre-test: (Anthropology)

Answer the question briefly and concisely.

How does culture influence my self-understanding?

__________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

32
 What is Anthropology?

20Anthropology
and Sociology are two
distinct disciplines, even if they are very much
related if not intertwined. Anthropology is the
study of people and cultures in the past and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_c today. How did people live a few decades ago,
eramics or thousands of years ago? How have societies
and cultures changed over time? How have
humans evolved? These are some of the questions that anthropologists ask.
Anthropologists try to understand the “big picture” of what it means to be human.

21There are four branches of Anthropology:

● Archeology – is the study of how people lived in the past. Archaeologists learn
from things people leave behind or artifacts like pottery, tools, relics, ceramics,
weapons, or anything made or used by humans.
● Physical Anthropology – is the study of human biology, including how people
adapt to where they live and how bodies changed over time (human evolution).
Physical anthropologists also study non-human primates.
● Linguistic anthropology – is the study of how people speak and the words they
use and how their language developed and evolved. Linguistic anthropology
also studies the evolution of language and how it changed what people think
and how people change their language.
● Cultural anthropology – is the study of how people live their lives in the present
and how they may have lived in the past, including the tools they used and the
food they produced and consumed. It is also related to sociology and social
psychology.

The self and person in Contemporary Anthropology

The very foundation of the self in anthropology is

understanding man in light of its cultural context. In
anthropology, 22the self refers to a set of implicit
cultural values that we try to adhere to and use them
to guide our lives. We adopt these values and become
https://www.pikrepo.com/fbjan/person- reflections of specific sociocultural practices in the
wearing-black-button-up-jacket-holding-
white-and-black-face-mask
place where we exist and that we learn them in our
everyday interactions starting from our earliest age.

20
"Anthropology For Kids – Books, workshops for kids, publication." https://a4kids.org/. Accessed 11
Sep. 2020.
21
"Anthropology Facts for Kids - Kiddle encyclopedia." https://kids.kiddle.co/Anthropology. Accessed
11 Sep. 2020.
22
"The Self in Context and Culture: International Journal of ...."
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15551024.2013.825953. Accessed 11 Sep. 2020.
33
The self is one interpretation of being human, among others. The most influential in
terms of self-development is family’s history, basically referring to the culture one has
been brought up in.

Self as embedded in culture

Anthropologists believe that culture is the full range

of learned behavior patterns. Culture, as defined by Sir
Edward B. Taylor, founder of cultural anthropology, 23is
the complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs,
morals, law, customs, arts, and any other capabilities and
https://api.time.com/wp-
habits acquired by a human as a member of society.
24Culture is everything that makes up the way a
content/uploads/2019/11/cancel-
culture-is-not-
real.jpg?w=800&quality=85
group of people lives. It includes their beliefs, values, and
traditions. The experiences we go through in life are
facilitated by the culture we live in because culture provides the environment which
allows all these experiences to take place.
There are two components of culture: the material culture and the non-material
culture. These two are essential in understanding how the self is influenced by it.
Material culture consists of human technology - all the things that people make and
use. These are the physical manifestations of culture. The goods and products we buy
and the products we use are also included here. Culture is very much dynamic. It
changes from time to time. The fluidity of culture can be ascribed to man’s distinct
ability to create, transform, and re-create culture itself. The evolution of material culture
can be attributed to the technological advances that humanity was able to make. As
such, material culture has drastically changed. Cultural exchanges also paved the way
for the alteration of material culture. A very apt example of this is the evolution of
mobile phones from the time it was introduced in 1973 to the present.
Non-material culture includes intangible human creations like beliefs, values,
norms, morals, rules, language, and organizations. This non-material culture also
helps shape our perspective of the society, of ourselves, and even of the material
world. For example, the non‐material cultural concept of religion consists of a set of
ideas and beliefs about God, worship, ethics, and morals. These beliefs, then,
determine how the culture responds to its religious issues, topics, and events.
Culture helps us define how we see ourselves and how we relate to others.
Remember that we differ in many ways: language diversity, cultural diversity, gender
diversity, religious diversity, and economic diversity. All these aspects of diversity work
together to form our sense of self.
Always remember that it is important for you to respect others' cultures and
acknowledge and understand that individuals may not develop a sense of self in the
same manner. A family’s cultural values shape the development of the child’s self-
concept. Culture shapes how we each see ourselves and others. For instance, some

23
"Human Culture: What is Culture?." 26 May. 2006,
https://www2.palomar.edu/anthro/culture/culture_1.htm. Accessed 11 Sep. 2020.
24
"Sense Of Self: An Introduction | VLS - Virtual Lab School."
https://www.virtuallabschool.org/preschool/self-culture/lesson-1. Accessed 11 Sep. 2020.
34
cultures prefer children to be quiet and respectful when around adults. This does not
mean that a quiet child lacks self-confidence. Young children learn from stories told to
them that often emphasize a family’s values and affect how a child develops his self-
concept. As children grow older and attend school and spend more leisure time with
their peers, they begin to learn that others may not have the same values as their
family. For example, a family may value academics over playing sports while another
family may value the arts and learning to play a musical instrument. Every family
influences a child’s self-concept within their cultural context. Young children may
describe themselves based on their family’s values, beliefs, and morals.
According to Catherine Raeff (2010), a developmental psychologist, culture can
influence how you, your peers, and families view:
● Relationships: Culture is an influential factor in how you enter into and
maintain relationships. This influences how adults encourage children to
form relationships: For instance, do they choose whom to play with, or are
children encouraged to play in certain ways to promote group welfare?
● Personality traits: Culture influences whether you value and how you
value traits like humility, politeness, assertiveness, sympathy, and self-
esteem. Culture also influences how you perceive hardship and how you
feel about relying on others.
● Achievement: Culture influences how you define success and whether
you value individual and group achievements.
● Expressing emotions: Culture influences how feelings are expressed,
whether you consider feelings public or private, openly or discreetly.

Now, take a moment to reflect on the influence your culture has had on your
sense of self. To find yourself and truly know who you are, knowing your roots is just
the foundation. Remember, culture influences us in more ways than we may know.
So, take a moment and reflect on who you are, where you come from, and what you
believe in. Self-reflection is the first step of self-discovery.

Summary

Anthropology is the study of people and cultures across time. It, basically, tries
to understand what it means to be human. There are four branches of Anthropology:
Archeology, Physical Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, and Cultural
Anthropology. The anthropological perspective of the self considers the self as a set
of implicit cultural values that we try to adhere to and use them to guide our lives.
Culture plays an immense role in the development of the self. What we call culture is
everything that makes up the way a group of people live. There are two components
of culture: the material culture and the non-material culture. Culture helps us define
how we see ourselves and how we relate to others. We may differ in many ways when
it comes to culture, and it is important to respect other people’s cultures and
acknowledge and understand that individuals may not develop a sense of self in the
same manner.

35
References:
"Anthropology Facts for Kids - Kiddle encyclopedia." https://kids.kiddle.co/Anthropology. Accessed 11
Sep. 2020.
"Anthropology For Kids – Books, workshops for kids, publication." https://a4kids.org/. Accessed 11
Sep. 2020.
"Human Culture: What is Culture?." 26 May. 2006,
https://www2.palomar.edu/anthro/culture/culture_1.htm. Accessed 11 Sep. 2020.
“Introspection: Understanding the Self.” (2018) Palean, Nazario, Valero, Descartin. Mandaluyong City
"Sense Of Self: An Introduction | VLS - Virtual Lab School."
https://www.virtuallabschool.org/preschool/self-culture/lesson-1. Accessed 11 Sep. 2020.
"The Self in Context and Culture: International Journal of ...."
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15551024.2013.825953. Accessed 11 Sep. 2020.

36
 Exercise 3
Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________
Course/Year/Section: ____________________

MY IDENTITY
Encircle the words that are part of your identity.
What are some other words you would use to identify yourself?
__________________________________________________________________________________
________________
Which identity are you proudest of?
__________________________________________________________________________________
________________
Which one has been the most challenging?
__________________________________________________________________________________
________________
How do you deal with those challenges?
__________________________________________________________________________________
________________
_________________________________________________
Which of these do you wish you could change?
__________________________________________________________________________________
________________
What would you change about it?
__________________________________________________________________________________
________________
What would need to happen for you to love parts of your identity more?
__________________________________________________________________________________
________________

child upper class lower class Female

son daughter Asian male
brother sister wife foreigner
husband mother Catholic Filipino
father middle class person with disability
teen Muslim young heterosexual
transgender old Protestant lesbian
Christian Bulaqueno Kapampangan bisexual
Bisaya Bulaquena Gay employee
Ilocano Chabacano Tagalog student

37
Post-test: (Anthropology)

Name: _______________________________________ Date: ______________

Multiple Choice: Write on the blank the letter of your choice.

_____ 1. In Anthropology, you get to study the following, except

A. language C. culture
B. artifacts D. human behavior
_____ 2. It is the study of artifacts or materials people left behind from the past.
A. Linguistic anthropology C. Cultural anthropology
B. Physical anthropology D. Archeology
_____ 3. It is the study of how people speak and the words they use and its
evolution.
A. Linguistic anthropology C. Cultural anthropology
B. Physical anthropology D. Archeology
_____ 4. It is the study of how people live their lives now and how they may have
lived in the past.
A. Linguistic anthropology C. Cultural anthropology
B. Physical anthropology D. Archeology
_____ 5. It is the study of how human biology evolved and adapts to its
environment.
A. Linguistic anthropology C. Cultural anthropology
B. Physical anthropology D. Archeology
_____ 6. The influence of culture on the development of the self begins the moment
we were born.
A. True
B. False
_____ 7. These are considered material culture, except
A. wedding C. money
B. television D. weapons
_____ 8. These are considered non material culture, except
A. celebrations C. fiestas
B. food delicacies D. superstitious beliefs
_____ 9. It has the greatest role in an individual’s adaptation to one’s culture.
A. peers C. family
B. school D. church
_____ 10. Culture has a great influence on the following aspects of his life, except
A. relationships C. personality
B. intelligence D. emotional expressions

38