Sociological Views

of the Self
Learning Outcomes:
1. TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENT
SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVES OF THE SELF;
2. TO DIFFERENTIATE THESE
VARIOUS VIEWS OF THE
 SELF;
3. TO ILLUSTRATE HOW THESE
VIEWS ARE APPLIED IN REAL
LIFE SITUATIONS
Sociological Perspectives
of the Self
The Self as Product of Modern Society
The Self as a Necessary Fiction
The Post-Modern View of the Self
The Self as an Artistic Creation
The Self Creation and Collective
Identity
The Self Creation and the Struggle for
Cultural Identity
“Man cannot place himself in
isolation.”

Karl Jaspers
 The intimate personal affiliations are
replaced by exceedingly impersonal
associations brought about by
urbanized way of life.

Modernization or the destruction of

the traditional way of life “delocalizes”

the self.
A. Self as Product of Modern Society
 Modernization “delocalized” self

Own identity is not any more stable.

 In premodern times, people’s decisions
were not thought of so much because
choices were already prescribed by their
traditions and customs.
 In modern societies, people frequently ask
questions like what to do, who to be, and
how to act.
Problems:
1. The newfound freedom threatens the
very authenticity of the self (e.g. love
“Fifty Shades of Grey”)
2. Alienation (Marx) – human beings are
haunted by the very images they have
created
3. Objectification of the body (e.g.
medical practice)
* Dehumanization of self
Solution:
 For the individual to discover
the “true” and “authentic”
part of himself/herself to
realize his/her potentials,
thus, the need to abolish
repressive social constraints
B. Self as a Necessary Fiction
(Nietzsche)
 Self is only a myth that does not have any
continuous identity or even a social self.
  Society may have influenced your
experiences and behavior, but these are
only temporal and have no enduring
essence because the self is only a necessary
fiction.
 Necessary fiction is defined as the belief that
cannot be proven to be true but necessary to
sustain life since people need some sense of
certainty in a world of constant change.
B. Self as a Necessary Fiction (Nietzsche)
 It is possible for us to remember
something even if we have not experienced
it.
Self has a continuity even if it is only in
memory (i.e, either heard or witnessed
which did not happen to you).
Nietzsche - Self is nothing more than a
metaphor - a representation of something
abstract; symbolic
C. Post-Modern View of the Self
Social institutions do not have much influence as
how you perceive your-self now.
 Why?
Because globalization, media, and technology
have a more effective influence on how you
construct yourself.
Ex. The info., daily posts and selfies you upload
on FB and any other social sites become the raw
data you can piece together, this is called the
digitalized self.
Humans have no authentic self, meaning,
selfidentity keeps on changing, and being redefined
by the kind of society you are associated with.
C. Post-Modern View of the Self
Four terms postmodernists use to speak of the self:
 Multiphrenia refers to many voices in different
cultures that tell who and what a person is.
Human has many roles in conformity with the kind of
society he is into. Thus, there is no authentic self only
multi-dimensional self.
 Protean the notion “walang forever” best describe
this view of self because the self is capable of changing
constantly to conform with the present circumstances.
 Decentered Self belief that there is no self at all
because the self is constantly redefined and undergoing
change.
 Self in Relations for others to understand
themselves, they must understand the contexts of their
lives.
D. Social Construction of the Self
Self is not discovered but made through the
socialization process.
We construct ourselves based on our social
roles through socialization agents - family,
school, community, etc.

“Ikaw ang gumagawa ng kung ano ka.”

E. Rewriting the Self as an Artistic
Creation o Giddens: self-identity is a
reflective project.
o It is an endeavor that everyone
continuously works and reflect on. o It
means you create, you maintain, and you
revise a set of biographical narratives for
you to transform self through a beautiful
work of art.
E. Rewriting the Self as an Artistic
Creation
o If for this season you are weak, and you fail, the
failure does not define who you are. You can
surpass everyone else the next season and
continue being so because the self is something
that you must accomplish with conscious effort.
o Life is not a one-way path; there are various
detours, curves, and occasional accidents. These
detours can actually present opportunities for
your self to be reconstructed or rewritten the
best way you want it to appear to the reader or
 to the viewer. The important thing is you have
created yourself as identity as an artistic
creation.

We can recreate ourselves to get

hold of the present, forgive the
past and plan the future.
F. Self Creation and Collective Identity
Memories (photographs, videos) play
significant role in creating the self and identity.
Selves obtain their nature from cultural
traditions, embodied in various social
institutions. These are preserved in a collective
narrative which becomes the reservoir for the
project of self-creation.
Self creation along cultural lines must be
done in maximum cultural recognition of
differences among and between individuals
and cultural groups.
Reflection Paper
Write a one page reflection paper:
How do you negotiate your
selfidentity in different social
contexts you are into?