Anthropology of Self

Anthropology defined
Anthropology holds a holistic view of human nature. It is
concerned with how cultural and biological processes interact
to shape the self.
Anthropology considers human experience as an interplay
of “nature” referring to genetic inheritance which sets the
individual’s potentials and “nurture” which refers to
sociocultural environment .
•Both biological and cultural factors have significant influence on the
development of self-awareness among individuals within society.
The Cultural Contruction of Self and Identity

Edward Tylor define “Cultures” as...that

complex whole which includes knowledge,
belief, art, morals, law, customs and any
other capabilities and habits acquired by man
as a member of society.
cont...

Anthropologist emphasized that culture is not

behavior itself but the shared understandings
that guide behavior and are expressed in
behavior. (Peacock, 1986)

Therefore, it is how make people make sense

of their experiences and behave according to
socially shared ideas, values and
perceptions.
Culture defined

- Culture provides
patterns of “ways
of life”.
Culture and self
- Become complementary concepts that have to
be understood in relations to one another.

In social anthropology, the concept of

identity was used mostly in the context of
“ethnic identity”, pointing out the sameness
of the self with others. (e.g.language,
culture, etc.
Identity

a disposition of basic personality features

acquired mostly during childhood and, once
integrated, more or less fixed. ( Sokefeld, 199)
 2 WAYS OF SELF AS VIEWED IN DIFFERENT SOCIETIES

1. EGOCENTRIC

The self is seen as an autonomous and distinct

individual. Each person is a replica of all humanity but
capable of acting independently from others.
2. Sociocentric- the self is contingent on a situation or
social setting. This is a view of the self that is
context-dependent which emphasizes that there is no
intrinsic self that can possess enduring qualities.
 IDENTITY TOOLBOX

Refers to the features of a person’s identity

that he or she chooses to emphasize in
constructing a social self.
Universally used characteristics:
- Kinship
- Gender
- Age
Other characteristics not always used:

- Ethnicity
- Personal appearance
- Socioeconomic status

Family membership the most significant

feature to determine a person’s social
identity.
Group identity:

- Language
- Religious affiliations
 Personal naming
It is a universal practice with numerous cross-cultural variations,
establishes a child’s birthright and social identity.
3 Phased Rite of Passage

1. Separation phase - people detach from their

former identity to another.

Ex. in a wedding, the bride walking down

the aisle to be “given away” by the parents
to the groom implies the separation from
one’s family to become part of a new one.
Cont...3 phased

2. Liminality phase- a person transitions

from one identity to another.

Ex. the wedding ceremony itself is the

process of transition of the bride and groom
from one singlehood to married life.
Cont...3 phased

3. Incorporation phase- the change in one’s

status is officially incorporated.

Ex. the wedding reception and parties that

celebrate the wedding, serve as the markers
that officially recognize the bride and
groom’s change towards being husband and
wife.
 Rite of Passge
Help a person adjust from one social dimension
of his or her life to the others.
The Self as Embedded in Culture

Clifford Geertz(1973)an American

Anthropologist define CULTURE as a system of
inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic
forms by means of which people communicate,
perpetuate and develop their knowledge about
and attitudes toward life.
 2 Important Ideas to Illustrate the Image of Man

1. Culture should not be perceived only as

“complexes of concrete behavior patterns,
customs,usages, tradition, habit cluster,
as has, by and large, been the case up to
now; but as a set of control mechanisms,
plans, recipes, rules, instructions for the
governing behavior.
cont...important

2. Man is precisely the animal most

desperately dependent upon such extragenetic,
outside-the-skin control mechanism, such as
cultural programs, for ordering his behavior.