GE 1- UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Handout
First Semester, A.Y. 2021-2022

I. Lesson: The Political Self

II. Learning Outcomes: At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

a. describe the nature, functions, and origins of political self;

b. discuss the role of family, school, church, peer, groups, and media in the
development of political self;
c. determine the importance of social interaction in developing the political self; and
d. identify and describe the theoretical perspectives in the development of political
self.

III. Content:
The hierarchical structure of the family influences the political self through the obligations
and expectations associated with one’s role as a member of the family and the power and
status related with one’s position in the family. An important prelude to the study of political self
is understanding the concept of politics. Hence, this chapter begins with defining politics. It
includes concepts on political community, socialization, social interaction, and citizenship. It also
defines political self and describes the influence of family, school, church, peers, and media on
the development of political self. The chapter ends with descriptions of the theoretical
perspectives of political self.
UNDERSTANDING POLITICS
Kendall (1998) defines politics as a social institution through which power is acquired
and exercised by people and groups. In Aristotle’s work, Politics, he describes the role that
politics and the political community must play in bringing about the virtuous life in citizenry. He
observes that “man is by nature a political animal.” Politics is an important part of human
development because it promotes ideologies about democracy, citizenship, human rights,
freedom, family, health, and other social issues. Politics exists in all human societies. It serves
as the mechanism by which individuals develop power and understand proper functioning of a
democratic society as a citizen. Citizenship is the most basic identification with the nation. The
term denotes the membership of a citizen in a political society. As a citizen, a person enjoys full
civil and political rights, including protection inside and outside the territory of the state.
Stevens, Anglin, and Jussim (2015) cite that in some people, politics is a central
component of their identity. For others, politics may be a more peripheral concern but
temporarily becomes a central one in certain situations. The political community where people
belong offers an opportunity for them to define themselves and provide opportunities to satisfy
their needs or affiliation. The political self organizes one’s beliefs, attitudes, and affiliations, and
aids in the processing of politically relevant information. People use their political values and
belief systems to define themselves as unique individuals of society.

POLITICAL SELF AND IDENTITY

As an essential part of the self, the political self organizes self-relevant information about
politics. It constitutes knowledge about the Constitution, government, and governance. The
political self helps in defining the structure and functions of the government, in telling and
understanding the relationship between the state and the citizens, and in describing their rights,
freedom, and obligations as citizens. The political self exemplifies the ideals and aspirations of
the people, embodies the rules, and principles of the State, and determines the status and
power of the people.
One important component of political self is identity, the person’s understanding of who
and what he or she is. Citizenship becomes a salient basis for political self. The political self is
often defined by citizenship. In her book, Democracy and Citizenship, Ma. Serena Diokno
(1997) mentions that

1|Page MR. ASHER JOHN M. CAUGUIRAN 2020

GE 1- UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Handout
First Semester, A.Y. 2021-2022

citizenship is the most basic identification with the nation and, as such, is oriented towards the
state and its expressions in law and policy. From the social and psychological perspectives, the
individual’s claim to citizenship means that the person relates himself or herself to a group of
others who also see themselves as citizens of a larger polity. The institution which influence the
values of citizenship are the family, church, school, media, government, and non-governmental
organizations. As such, the political self is also in part defined by reference to other members in
the political group or community where one belongs.
The value component of identity construction is shaped by societal agencies that enter
the life of the individual from childhood all the way through adulthood (Diokno, 1997). The
political self and identity are developed through socialization, through the ways people learn the
knowledge, norms, values, motives, and roles appropriate to their positions in a group or
community. Social interaction may significantly influence a person’s understanding of politics,
and perhaps a person’s political actions in the future. Through social interaction, people learn
the status, duties, rights, and power necessary to interact successfully with other people in the
group or community. Over time, individuals internalize the political attitudes, values, and views
of others, and incorporate them into their political self. Throughout life, as individuals meet new
people and join new groups, the political self is influenced and modified by the opinions,
comments, and suggestions of the people.
THE ORIGINS OF A POLITICAL SELF
The family has a hierarchical structure which requires each member to perform his or
her role. Each position carries a set of rights, responsibilities, and expectations. Through the
hierarchy of positions, status, and power are ascribed. The family consists of members who
differ in status, obligations, influence, or power. Traditionally, the father is the most influential
member of the family. He acts as the leader and establishes rules to maintain order in the
family. His role as the leader entails power and authority. He coordinates with the mother in
helping the children perform the roles necessary for a successful family. From an early age,
individuals are taught to obey and treat parents with respect and conform to their rules.
This shows that authority is necessary in the development of the political self and
identity, which is established by the father and the mother. Children must be governed; thus,
there must be some form of established status and power in the family. The ordered positions
and ascribed roles in the family prepare the children for several and higher roles external to the
family, in the context of being a citizen of the state. Aristotle considers the state as a natural
union of families, established for the common good under a definite government. Thus, the
family makes the most contribution to the child’s development of political self.
The first and foremost duty of parents is to educate the children about basic values and
beliefs. The process of learning is imbued with values and beliefs through identification. Morality
underlies political values and beliefs. The family directly and indirectly influences a person’s
political attitudes, views, and beliefs. The Philippine Constitution thus recognizes the duty and
responsibility of parents to educate and train their children to become good, useful, and worthy
citizens of the country and to prepare them for future responsibilities.
Equally, the Philippine Constitution, recognizes the vital role of schools in inculcating
among the youth the value of patriotism and nationalism and in encouraging their involvement in
public and civic affairs of the country. While parents teach their children basic values and
discipline, schools have the responsibility in the formal education and training of children. One
of the responsibilities of schools is to teach moral, spiritual, and political values that will help the
students to become patriotic and morally upright citizens. The school has a similar structure to
the family, with the teacher acting as the leader of the group. In terms of the functionality of
status and power, students will more likely comply with rules in school because it entails serious
and greater consequences.

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GE 1- UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Handout
First Semester, A.Y. 2021-2022

The church also helps shape the ideals of citizenship and democracy through
their religious teachings, values, and traditions. Consequently, how the family, school, and
church emphasize moral behaviors may also influence political behaviors and the political self.
On the other hand, peers are also important in influencing the political self. The family and the
school consist of members who are different in status and power. In peer groups, the members
are equal in status. Thus, interaction with peers encompasses and emphasizes the equal
distribution of power, rights, and privileges among members of the group. Mass media could
also be a key source of information on politics, and thus may influence an individual’s political
values and beliefs.

THEORIES OF POLITICAL SELF

According to the social learning theory, a person can acquire learning through
observation and imitation. In imitation, the learner watches the behavior of another person
(model) and then performs the behavior in a similar way. Observation and imitation are
important in a process known as political socialization, the lifelong process by which
individuals gain knowledge about politics. In everyday life, social integration significantly
influences a person’s understanding of politics. Through the process of identification, individuals
(especially children and adolescents) incorporate the characteristics or traits as well as the
values, beliefs, and motives of the models (parents or significant people) they look up to.
Another theory in political self is the cognitive theory which suggests that the mental
activities (e.g., knowledge, perceptions, ideas) of individuals are important determinants of
behavior (e.g., political attitudes). For example, individuals interpret the meaning of politics and
then choose and decode the actions they will make.
The theory of symbolic interaction suggests that behaviors are products of
communication, meaning, and symbols. People give meanings to symbols and they express
these meanings through language and communication. For example, children develop their
political attitudes according to the symbols and meanings that their parents communicate to
them. Based on the symbols and meanings that people ascribe to objects (e.g., politics, human
rights, freedom), people can formulate plans of action (e.g., election, demonstrations, rally).
This recognizes the importance of the theory of political participation in political self.
Political participation can be defined as citizen’s actions or activities anchored in politics. Thus,
any activity concerning the government or governance of the state is an example of political
participation. The extent and scope of political participation may be an important criterion for
assessing the value or quality of symbols and meanings that people ascribe to politics.
Nonetheless, in order for political participation to work in a society, a covenant o mutual trust
and respect among members of the society must exist. To sustain this covenant, there must be
an open flow of communication and feedback from the members. All members must also
commit to and take responsibility for fostering and maintaining an environment in which political
participation can occur. For instance, ordinary Filipino citizens must be allowed to take part in
the policy and decision-making process regarding the administration of the country which is in
accordance to the democratic nature of the Philippine society.

IV. References:
Go-Monilla, M. & Ramirez, N. (2018). Understanding the self. C & E Publishing, Inc.

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