UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

Students will be able to understand the course contents and the college/department policies
Students will be able to demonstrate awareness and observance of IMS
CHAPTER I. SIGNIFICANCE OF UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
The solid foundation of this course module is to shed light on the increasing complexity
of nature's experience as well as its existence. The various theories and concepts of the self laid
out in each module encompass not only the attempt to understand oneself, but also the
importance of taking care of oneself and how to do so. Understanding the Self is intended to
help students in all programs understand the nature of identity, as well as the factors and
forces that influence personal development and identity maintenance.
Being unsure and insecure about understanding oneself can lead to failure or disinterest
in life. It is critical to understand oneself and the type of person one wishes to be. To arrive at a
self-concept, one must first understand oneself.
While many people mistake self-concept for self-understanding, there is a distinction.
Self-concept refers to all of one's behaviors, beliefs, and abilities about himself or herself, as
well as what one learns from the responses of others. The ability to understand one's own
behaviors, actions, and reactions is referred to as self-understanding.
LECTURE I
POINTS OF VIEW ON THE SELF
. Knowledge of the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from various
disciplinal perspectives as well as the different influences, factors and forces that shape the self.
Objective:
- Students will be able to discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of
the self from various disciplinal perspectives
- Students will be able to compare and contrast how the self has been represented across
different disciplines and perspectives
- Students will be able to examine the different influences, factors and forces that shape
the self
- Students will be able to demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the
development of one’s self and identity by developing a concept of oneself.
Tripartite Composition of the Self

a. Thoughts
b. Feelings/emotions
c. Behavior
d. Interconnection of
the 3 factors

What are thoughts?

Our ideas, views, and beliefs about who we are and the world around us are known as
mental cognitions, or thoughts. They consist of the viewpoints we bring to any scenario or
experience that skew our perception (for better, worse, or neutral).
An attitude is an illustration of a persistent thinking. Attitudes arise as a result of repeated and
reinforced thoughts.
Thoughts are generally controlled by conscious awareness, despite being molded by life
experiences, heredity, and education. In other words, you have the option to alter your
thoughts and attitudes if you are conscious of them.

What are emotions?

Emotions can be thought of as the flow and experience of feelings such as joy, sadness,
anger, or fear. Emotions can be triggered by external factors (such as witnessing a family
member’s pain due to a lost of a loved one) or by internal factors (disappointments). While
emotions are universal, everyone experiences and responds to them differently. Some people
may struggle to understand the emotion they are feeling.
 Emotions help us connect with others and form strong social bonds. Learn more about
relationships Emotions may have evolved for this purpose—people who were able to form
strong bonds and emotional ties became a part of a community and were more likely to find
the support and protection they required. "People all over the world have different ideas,
beliefs, and opinions—different thoughts—but they have very similar, if not identical, feelings,"
(Christakis and Fowler, 2009).

Emotions are "contagious," according to researchers such as Nicholas Christakis and

James Fowler, authors of Connected. We have a tendency to mimic each other's outward states
(for example, by smiling when someone smiles at us), and our outward states can affect our
internal ones (smiling can actually make you feel happy!).

Behavior is an observable, quantifiable process, action, or activity. These acts, activities,

and processes frequently begin in reaction to either internal or external stimuli (Sam, 2013)

Other factors can also have an impact on emotions:

Cultural traditions and beliefs. A group's or a person's ability to express their emotions can be
influenced by cultural customs and beliefs. It might be considered "poor manners" in some
cultures to express emotions in a way that is acceptable and healthy in other cultures.
Genetics (more precisely, brain and personality structure, including self-control) can have an
impact on a person's or a family's ability to communicate their emotions. Richard Davidson, a
neuroscientist, has found six different "emotional types" that are based on the structure of our
brains but can be reshaped with practice. (While a person's genetic composition cannot be
changed, the brain is another story.)
Physical Conditions. The following physical ailments can affect a person: brain tumors, strokes,
Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's, and metabolic diseases like diabetes and
thyroid issues.

Interconnection of thoughts, emotions and behavior

Emotions, thoughts and behavior are profoundly interconnected. Worrying about a class
presentation might create anxiety, for example, but thoughts can also assist to evaluate such
emotions ("this isn't a realistic fear"). Additionally, our attitude toward and evaluation of our
lives has an impact on how we feel. For instance, a person who fears dogs is probably too
aware of the dog across the street and perceives the dog's approach as dangerous, which
causes emotional distress. A separate person who views the dog's approach as friendly will feel
very differently about the same circumstance.
ACTIVITY I.

NAME: SECTION

Answer the following:

ASSESSMENT I

NAME: SECTION

1.
CHAPTER 2. BIO-ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

“Exploring how children’s relationships and environment interact to help them thrive”.

Urie Bronfenbrenner

Urie Bronfenbrenner, a Russian-born American psychologist (born April 29, 1917, in

Moscow, Russia, USSR—died September 25, 2005, in Ithaca, New York, US), is best known for
having developed the human ecology theory (also known as the ecological systems theory),
which holds that people do not mature in isolation but rather within the context of
relationships with their families, friends, schools, neighborhoods, and society. The
microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem are five socially
organized subsystems that make up the total ecological system in which human progress takes
place (Gilstrap, Livia L. and Zierten, Elizabeth A, 2022)

Bronfenbrenner divided the person's environment into five different systems: the
microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem, and the chronosystem.

Bronfenbrenner recognized that there are numerous aspects of a child's life that
interact with and affect the child. His research extended beyond individual development to
consider broader influencing factors and the context (or ecology) of development. He proposed
the 'Ecological Systems Theory,' which is based on the dynamic interactions between the
environment and the developing child.

Bronfenbrenner's (1974) viewpoint is similar to Albert Bandua's social learning theory

and Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, in which the environment is explicitly or implicitly
considered as a critical mechanism in development.

The microsystem

The microsystem is the first level of Bronfenbrenner's theory, and it includes everything in the
child's immediate environment that has direct contact with them, such as parents, siblings,
teachers, and school peers. Relationships in a microsystem are bidirectional, which means that
the child can be influenced by other people in their environment while also having the ability
to change the beliefs and actions of others. Furthermore, the child's reactions to people in
their microsystem can influence how they treat them in return. Interactions within
microsystems are frequently very personal, and they are critical for fostering and supporting
the child's development. A strong nurturing relationship between a child and their parents is
said to have a positive effect on the child. Distant and unloving parents, on the other hand, will
have a negative impact on the child (Evans, 2020).

The mesosystem

The mesosystem includes interactions between the child's microsystems, such as those
between parents and teachers or between school peers and siblings.

The mesosystem is the area in which a person's individual microsystems do not function
independently, but rather are interconnected and exert influence over one another.
For example, if a child's parents communicate with the child's teachers, the child's
development may be influenced. A mesosystem is essentially a system of microsystems.
According to the ecological systems theory, if the child's parents and teachers get along and
have a good relationship, this should have a positive impact on the child's development, as
opposed to a negative impact on development if the teachers and parents do not get along
(Evans, 2020).

The exosystem

The exosystem is a component of Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, which he

developed in the 1970s. It includes other formal and informal social structures that do not
contain the child but have an indirect influence on them because they affect one of the
microsystems. Exosystems include the neighborhood, parents' workplaces, parents' friends,
and the media. These are environments in which the child is not involved and which are
external to their experience but have an impact on them nonetheless. Exosystems could affect
the child's development if one of the parents had a disagreement with their boss at work. As a
result of something that happened at work, the parent may come home and have a short
temper with the child (Evans, 2020).

The macrosystem

The macrosystem is a component of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory that focuses

on how cultural elements affect a child's development, such as socioeconomic status, wealth,
poverty, and ethnicity. Thus, culture that individuals are immersed within may influence their beliefs
and perceptions about events that transpire in life.
The macrosystem differs from the previous ecosystems as is does not refer to the specific
environments of one developing child, but the already established society and culture which
the child is developing in. This can also include the socioeconomic status, ethnicity, geographic
location and ideologies of the culture.
For example, a child living in a third world country would experience a different development
than a child living in a wealthier country.

The chronosystem

The fifth and final level of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory is known as the
chronosystem. This system consists of all of the environmental changes that occur over the
lifetime which influence development, including major life transitions, and historical events.
These can include normal life transitions such as starting school but can also include non-
normative life transitions such as parents getting a divorce or having to move to a new house.
ACTIVITY 2

NAME: SECTION

Mapping Your Social Ecosystem Activity

Goal: to help students visually see where they were at in the present moment in relation to
their social environment.
To help facilitate this activity, three things were key:
1. Adjusted descriptions of each system
2. Templates
3. An Example
Descriptions of Each System
The following are the descriptions of each system I created for this activity:
Individual
The ways in which you identify yourself. You can include your name(s), pronouns, roles, titles,
key attributes about yourself.
Microsystem
Individuals/groups in your immediate environment that you have direct contact
(physical/virtual) with (direct connections).
Mesosystem
Relationship/connections between the micro- and exosystems.
Exosystem
Individuals/Groups/Factors that are important and impact you, but you are not in direct
contact with them (indirect connections).
Macrosystem
Social and cultural values/customs/groups/experiences that impact you and those around you.
Chronosystem
Where in time (however you define it) you are currently at. You can also include
events/experiences in the immediate horizon that impact your thinking (e.g., graduation).
Templates
Since my course was virtual, I created two templates on Google Slides that my students could
use.
Here is a link to the templates: Social Ecosystems Templates
NAME: SECTION
ASSESSMENT: QUIZ 2
NAME: SECTION
CHAPTER 3. Anthropological Perspectives

a. Mead
b. Cooley
- Socialization through
the Looking Glass Self
c. Self and Organization of
Society

Psychological Perspectives

a. Psychodynamic
- Sigmund Freud
b. Psychosocial
- Erik Erikson
c. Humanistic
- Carl Rogers
d. Existentialism
- Viktor Frankl

Christakis, N., Fowler, J. (2009). Connected. New York: Hachette Book Group.

Davidson, R., Begley, S. (2012). The emotional life of your brain. New York: Penguin Group.

Cite this page: N., Sam M.S., "BEHAVIOR," in PsychologyDictionary.org, April 7,

2013, https://psychologydictionary.org/behavior/ (accessed January 18, 2023).

Gilstrap, Livia L. and Zierten, Elizabeth A.. "Urie Bronfenbrenner". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21
Sep. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Urie-Bronfenbrenner. Accessed 19 January
2023.
Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory
By Olivia Guy-Evans, published Nov 09, 2020