Identity and the Self

Aim: To begin exploring the codes that make us

who we are and which we use to express identity
Consider these two points of view –
which approach do you find yourself in
most agreement with?
 “I am who I am because of the time and place I was
born and the culture I was raised in. My family gave me
a set of values and so has my town, my religion, my
community and my country. Add these all up and that’s
who I am”

 “I have got an identity – at least my friends seem to

think so, but I’m not really sure who I am. I know that
I’m more like some people than others, but this changes
as I try out new identities. I don’t really want to take on
an identity if it means I can’t be different when I want to
be”
First Approach
 “I am who I am because of the time and place I
was born and the culture I was raised in. My
family gave me a set of values and so has my
town, my religion, my community and my
country. Add these all up and that’s who I am”

 This view sees identity as a product of culture –

we are fashioned by social and cultural forces
together with a sort of genetic blueprint which
moulds us into the individuals we are.
Second Approach
 “I have got an identity – at least my friends seem to
think so, but I’m not really sure who I am. I know that
I’m more like some people than others, but this changes
as I try out new identities. I don’t really want to take on
an identity if it means I can’t be different when I want to
be”

 This view has a different take on the relationship

between culture and the individual. Here, culture
provides a set of resources which we are free to use in
the construction of our own identity. Rather than being
fixed into place by powerful forces, identity is more like
a butterfly.
The Debate
 Neither is right or wrong

 They represent two sides of a debate

over the nature of identity
 Components of Identity

 Career
 Political views
 Religious beliefs
 Relationships
 Ethnic identity
 Personality
 Body image
 SELF
 All the Characteristics of the Person

 Self-concept: everything the person believes to be

true about him/herself

 Includes traits, preferences, social roles, values,

beliefs, interests, self-categorization

 Self-understanding develops throughout the

lifespan
Self-Awareness in Infancy
 Dot-of-rouge experiment
 Recognize selves in mirror at 15-18
months
 15-23 months
◦ Personal pronoun use
◦ Picture recognition
◦ Self-referencing, ownership, self-monitoring
Self in Early Childhood
 Confusion of self, mind, and body
 Concrete descriptions
 Physical descriptions
 Activities – what they do
 Overestimation of abilities
Self – Middle & Late Childhood
 Shift to internal traits and abilities
 Social role descriptions
 Real and ideal selves
 More realistic about abilities
Perspective Taking
 Opposite of egocentrism – the ability to
assume another’s perspective
 Children who are good at this are popular
 Development progresses through stages
(Selman)
Self in Adolescence
 Abstract-idealistic
 Self-conscious/ preoccupied
 Contradictions within self
 Fluctuating picture across time/situations
 Possible selves
 Self-integrations as they get older
Self in Adulthood
 Self-awareness (emotional intelligence)
◦ Accept own good and bad qualities
 Possible selves become more realistic
 Life review – evaluation of successes &
failures; more likely as you get older
Self-Concept
 This is the idea we have of ourselves as
individuals

 Consists of 3 elements
- SELF IMAGE
- IDEAL SELF
- SELF-ESTEEM
 Self-Worth/image

◦ Meaning

◦ Purpose

◦ Living up to your identity & your destiny

Activity – The Ideal Self
 The ideal self is the kind of person you would like to be

 Think about the 3 designations:

- Intellectual Self- deals with your intelligence and
your ability to make good decisions
- Emotional Self- deals with your emotions and how
you deal with them and also your self-esteem
- Bodily Self- has to do with your body and how
good you take care of it

 Sum up the ideal male or female according to society or

the media. How far is your ideal self similar or different
to these?
The Ideal Self
 An easier concept in theory
that is in in practice

 Trying to probe the Ideal Self in any kind of

public context results in gatekeeping: we filter
out information that could cause negative
perceptions

 Usually get role models and the ideal self

confused
Activity – Role Models
 Who are your role models and
heroes/heroines? What qualities do you admire
in them? If you would like to be more like
these people, what more than their success
(money, fame, adulation etc) do you want?
Self-Esteem: What is it?
 Evaluative part of the self-concept
◦ emotional
 Difference between the real and ideal self
◦ Have you realized your potential?
◦ Do you value the trait, but have little potential?
◦ Ideal self includes the “ought” and the “wish”
selves
 Measure of our sense of meaning in life
◦ This includes purpose
◦ Self-respect (Have you lived up to who you are?)
Self-Esteem: What is it?
 Influenced by the reactions of others
◦ Generalized other, great ubiquitous “they”
 People are susceptible to flattery
 It is tougher to accept criticism
Self-Esteem: What is it?
 Self-serving bias

◦ Overrate ourselves
◦ Blame our failures
◦ Claim our victories
◦ As a rule, only depressed people truly have low self-
esteem
 What’s the problem?

“Why is being wrong so socially traumatic to

students?”
 The Self-Esteem Movement
Propagated primarily in the educational system

Curricula aimed at increasing students’ self-esteem

Everyone born after 1970…

Focus has been on increasing self-esteem that is not rooted in

reality

Researchers now suggesting that students need to be able to

identify their talents

The Psychology of Self-Esteem Branden (1969)

 What Was Taught
“Keep your head up, feel good about yourself” vs.
“take responsibility for your work”. Forsyth et al (2007)

“You can do anything!”

 No use of the word “failure”

 Everyone got all good grades, doing little work

 Unrealistic expectations of success

 Students report being bored in class

 What Resulted: Attitudes
 “Being happy is the most important thing”

 We should always feel good about ourselves

 What Resulted: Attitudes
Carol Dweck’s research

Effort is considered a sign of stupidity

When children are told that they are smart, they

choose an easier task.

Panic when they are challenged or

think they are engaging in “a lot of effort”.
 Result – Confused Parents
 Encouraged delicate handling of children
 Shielded them from negative emotions, criticism
 Praised kids regardless of what they did

Carol Dweck’s research

Parents often think that helping their kids build self-
esteem is done by shielding them from criticism and
praising their talents

Protecting kids from hurt, failure, criticism, &

disappointment has made them more vulnerable
 What Resulted - Behaviors
 “We’ve created college students who are woefully vulnerable
to pinpricks”

 Students seem to be incapable of handling negative feedback.

 What Self-esteem Cannot Do?

 Improve school performance

 Improve social relationships
 Guarantee good leadership
 Prevent risky behavior such as drinking
 Promote health
References
 Wikipedia
 Google