Lesson 3.
Anthropology law, language, traditional practice and all other aspects
This section deals with the Anthropological perspective
of understanding the self. Anthropology is generally
defined as the study of humankind in all times and
places. There are many branches of anthropology: this
includes archeology, primatology, cultural
anthropology, linguistic anthropology and many other
applied anthropology. This section however, will only
deal with the modern trends in anthropology especially
in understanding humankind in relation to their culture.
Let us begin our study with the recognition of our own
unique cultural practice.
Anthropology
Anthropology is a study of all the aspects of
human condition. This includes human history, the
present human condition, and even the future
possibilities. It also examines the biology, interactions
in society, language and especially culture (Kottak,
2009). Anthropology explores the interconnectedness
and interdependence of human cultural experiences in
all places and ages. This kind of broad and holistic
perspective of anthropological inquiry equips the
anthropologists the ascendacy in explaining human
nature (Havilland, et. Al., 2014).
How does anthropology explain human
nature? What is the anthropological concept of the
self? The self is both a biological and cultural entity.
The traditional anthropological understanding of the
self is that self is animal specie which underwent the
process of biological evolution and has shared
characteristics with other living animals, the hominids,
in particular. The self is believed to have evolved from
apes some 33milion years ago and in the evolutionary
process the self traced his/her origin from hominid
species “homo sapiens”. Since the self has better
development in terms of brain within billion neurons,
and adaptation to the environment for survival, the self
develops a culture resulting in behavioral changes.
The self is a living animal but superior to other animals
due to certain factors, namely: a.) physical aspects
(self as the only animal with a larger brain capacity
making him/her a rational animal; the only animal that
can stand straight allowing him/her to have better
mobility in doing things, etc,: can cooperate with others
in a systematic manner in larger cooperation; and
invents new things for survival.)
Now, let us examine the two very important
concepts in anthropology before we discuss further
about the self, the contemporary self. These concepts
are culture and enculturation.
Culture is traditionally defined as systems of
human behavior and though. This covers all customs,
traditions and capabilities of human as they function in
society. In other words, cultures are those complex
structures of knowledge, beliefs, arts, religion, morals,
needed by humans to function in society.
Culture is symbolic. When our ancestor
learned to use tools and symbols to originate meaning
of significant events in life and in society, those tool
and symbols becomes an integral part of the culture.
The burial sites, ancestral homes, landmarks of
significant and historical events, the rituals, customary
actions and even some natural phenomena are all part
of one’s culture. In the words of Greetz, C, (1973),
culture is “a historically transmitted patterns of
meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited
conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of
which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop
their knowledge about their attitudes towards life”. The
“embodiment in symbols” of cultural elements
describes both an attitude of our body to incorporate
techniques and social devices, and creative vocation
to invent and incorporate new and different expressive
operative ways. (Thomas Csordas, 1999).
Culture therefore, is learned and is very much
integrated in one’s customs and beliefs. It is engrained
in the patterns and systems of one’s life. Hence, if
culture considers all aspects and elements of the self,
people must be on guard that culture can be adaptive
or maladaptive. On the one hand, communities shall
continue to assess whether the practices rituals and
customary actions are still relevant and still beneficial
to the development of the community. Adaptive culture
shall continues to manifest the key central values that
the individual and the community want to demonstrate.
On the other hand, communities may also try to get rid
of the cultural practices that will only extinguish the
identity and good will of the community.
In order to do this, we have to understand the
concept of enculturation. Broadly defined,
enculturation is the transmission of culture from one
generation to the next. Unlike biological hereditary
transmission, cultural transmission is done through
observation, use of language, adaptation to
environment, rituals, and formal and informal
education. Every member of the community will then
distinguish themselves from other communities
because of the differences in the way people do things
in their lives.
The Self and Person in Contemporary
Anthropology
The anthropological self takes a holistic
dimension of the individual person. It considers both
the biological and environmental aspects of the
persons. The genetic component plays a significant
role in the culture development of an individual.
Anthropologists even suggest that the genes of the
person living in a particular community are already a
necessary component for the enculturation of the
person. In the same way, environmental exposure is
also a vital component in the creation of the cultural
self. Some anthropologists claim that environmental
exposure starts soon after birth. However
contemporary anthropologist suggests that the
environmental exposure starts during conception. The
child inside the mother’s womb already hears the
language, tastes the food and feels the mother’s
emotion. These experiences then are solidified as
soon as the child is born.
The growing years of the child is very crucial in
anthropological perspective. This is the time when the
child develops the psychological construct of
dependency or independency. In many western
cultures where independence is the cultural emphasis,
the child is usually provided with a room and is trained
to be independent by giving less physical contact from
parents or carers. On the contrary, in most part of Asia
and Africa, Children are reared in close contact with
parents, especially the mother, thus developing the
sense of dependence on significant others and the
immediate community (like family).
These rearing practices are the key to the
development of the neuromotor functions of the child
and this neuromotor circuitry is fundamental in the
formation of self-awareness.
Self-awareness
Anthropology defines self-awareness as “that which
permits one to assume responsibility for one’s own
conduct, to learn how to react to others, and to
assume a variety of roles” (Haviland, 2003). It has
been observed that a child starts to conceptualize self-
awareness at age two. However, studies also show
that self-awareness is conceptualized much earlier by
children sleeping with parents and re exposed to a
variety of stimuli like touch and the like. Stimulations is
maximized when the child is in close contact with the
mother or career and all the other members of the
family. This develops the neural circuitry or hard wiring
of the brain faster than with the children with less
stimulation. This is particularly advantageous for us
Filipinos because most of the time our cultural practice
is to sleep with our parents until at least school age.
Following the faster process of enculturation
and self-awareness is the importance of attachment of
positive values to one’s self. The child must be able to
get the culturally correct values necessary for adult life.
Parents, immediate family and the community play a
vital role in the development of the child’s values. What
the child observes from what the adults are doing or
thinking will more likely be adapted and imitated by the
child. However, in the continued process of self-
awareness, the child will eventually develop his or her
own identity. This identity is further intensified by a
practice common to all cultures – the naming ritual.
Naming individualizes a person. It gives a
person his/her own unique traits, experiences,
personality, identity and status. The latter, however,
gives the person’s name its place as a member of the
group. The person’s name is also a symbol of one’s
status in the community. It either gives you honor or
stigma. The person’s name is at the same time a
project in progress. The self that bears the name
continues to establish an identity of the name in the
community.
Self and Behavior Environment
In order strengthen the identity of the self, one
must be able to grasp the different behavioral
orientations. These are concepts that will help situate
the self in different behavioral conditions. The four
environmental orientations are: object orientation,
spatial orientation, temporal orientation and normative
orientation.
Object orientation positions the self in
relation to the surrounding objects. The self should be
able to act responsively to the cultural objects around.
Take for example the T’boli, an indigenous group from
South Cotabato. They learn to respect the trees, the
lakes, the falls and animals of the forest. They believe
in the spirit of the forest hence they consider the
woods as a holy ground where no leaf shall be turned
as one walks through.
Spatial orientation provides the self with
personal space in relation to other people or things, in
our earlier example, the individualistic society where
independences is of utmost importance, personal
space is also emphasized.
Whereas in the communal society where
interdependence is strongly developed, personal
space is more likely lessened. It is however important
to note that the self must be able to keep personal
space. It would be a deviant behavior to any
community when a person intrudes the personal space
of the other.
Temporal orientation endows the self with the
sense of time. Time is truly relevant to cultural
communities. In Filipino philosophy, time is seen as
spherical (unlike the western concepts of time as
linear), where life-events are repeated but may not be
necessarily the same. Routinary activities are not
considered a repetition of previous activity because
these activities will be done at the “feel of time.” This is
particularly true in the rural communities where only
the self or very few people are involved. In urban
communities where time is of the essence, and where
the western linear concept of time is practiced, the self
must be able to adjust to this temporal orientation.
The last example is better explained in
normative. Normative orientation provides the self with
the grasp of accepted norms in the community. Being
on time is a generally accepted norm in communal
activities. In communities where punctuality is
considered a value, being on time is already a
charitable gesture. Likewise, normative orientation is at
the same time providing the self an idea of behaviors
which are not acceptable in the community. The self at
a very early age must have known that killing stealing;
hunting others and the like are behaviors that should
be avoided.
The Self Embedded in Culture
When the self is able to distinguish what is
acceptable behavior and what is not, it only follows
that the self is already able to recognize the
differences between self and the other. This ability to
manage the differences between selves is what makes
the self-embedded in culture. Psychological
anthropologists recognize the thin line that
distinguishes the cultural self and the “actual self.” The
latter includes all the feelings, thoughts, experiences,
biological and psychological constitutions, language
and memory. However the actual self is also being
shaped by all these same elements and more.
Therefore what remains in this distinction is the solid
identity of the self in relation to everything else.
The claim of the self as embedded in culture can only
be embraced when the self recognizes its relation to
everything else. The complexity of cultural identities of
peoples, things, and events shall be recognized and
respected by the self. The individual self must remain
reflexive of the similarities and unique differences of
everything around it. This shows that the self should
not maintain the individualistic, independent and
autonomous entity but that the self should be able to
maintain his or her solid culturally reflexive identity in
relation to everything and everyone else.
Anthropology recognizes the movement of this
understanding towards plurality and multiplicity of
thoughts, beliefs, convictions, and practice. Hence, this
is exactly the contribution of anthropology to the
postmodern era. There is now the breakdown of grand
narratives that subdue the small voices in the
peripheries. In other words, the anthropological
movements at this time are already geared toward
recognizing the power of culture in influencing little
gaps and interstices, meaning intervening spaces the
power of people. It is only when the self recognizes the
power of culture constituted by every system that we
can have an effective shaping of social reality.
This can be illustrated by few examples. One
perhaps is the attitude of some indigenous peoples
(IP), especially the IP students enrolled in big
universities where they do not want to be recognized
as IP or they do not want to be identified as IP. This
may only mean that these students are not proud of
their cultural identity. Eventually, this may lead to
cultural degradation.
Cultural degradation or more horribly cultural
genocide means the loss of a particular culture due to
assimilation or loss of interest. Assimilation happens
when a dominant culture, the Ilocano culture for
example, is overshadowing the inferior culture,
meaning the culture possessed by lesser population
living within the Ilocano communities the inferior
culture will eventually lose its identity. As a results, we
will not be surprised when children do not know
anymore how to speak their own indigenous dialect, or
perform the rituals that were used to be performed by
the elders, or play traditional instruments that were
played by the indigenous musicians, or to cook the
indigenous delicacies prepared by traditional chefs to
mention a few.
In a larger scale, culture is also lost through
continued violence, genocide, inability to respect
traditions, religions, beliefs, and the cultural
community’s sense of pride, which are largely the
results of globalization. For many decades, the Moros
of Mindanao, for example, are continuously striving for
the recognition of their cultural identity and self-
realization. However, history tells us that both the
Moros and the dominant culture living in Mindanao are
constantly victimized by the unending violence
perpetrated by various groups. In the end, many of the
cultural landmarks, meaning the identity of the people,
are either prejudiced or lost forever.
A very obvious example of cultural
degradation is that brought about by excessive
exposure to media in various forms. Television for
instance influences language, traditions, beliefs,
knowledge and even personalities. In judging beauty
for, media proposes the following criteria.
 Face must be beautiful and unpimpled
 Hair must be black and silky
 Skin color must be fair and flawless
 Body must be slim and tone, etc.
“Culture is also not a force or usual agent in the world,
but a context in which people live out their lives.
“(Clifford Geertz, 1973)
In conclusion, Anthropology liberates the self
from the fallacies of dominant ideas. In this most
liberating science, the self is no longer seen as an
entity with innate ideas, ready to face the world, and as
if programmed to respond to the demands of time.
Likewise, the self is not seen as a “blank slate” ready
to encode all the details of everyday experiences, so
that it becomes limited only to what is written on that
slate. In anthropology, the self is recognized as (1)
biologically attuned to respond to his or her
environment (2) variably self aware of the mechanism
of the elements of culture working within the self and
(3) self-reflexive of the uniqueness and differences of
all other selves and everything else around.