POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – CABIAO CAMPUS

Understanding the Self

GEED 007

“THE COUNTRY’S FIRST POLYTECHNIC U”

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – CABIAO CAMPUS
SAN ROQUE, CABIAO, NUEVA ECIJA

ANTHROPOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE OF THE
SELF
Chapter 3

The Country’s 1st Polytechnic U

 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – CABIAO CAMPUS

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
• increased awareness of the various dimensions of
anthropology and its influence on self-concept;
• examine their own cultural identity from a global perspective;
and,
• demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing how
culture influences our beliefs and behavior through an essay.

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Anthropology
● the study of human societies and cultures
and their development
● it is concerned with how cultural and
biological processes interact to shape human
experience.

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Self as Embedded in Culture

Self-concept refers to all understanding and

knowledge of oneself.
 The components of self-concept include
psychological, physical, and social attitudes,
ideas, and beliefs that one has.

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 The most influencer in terms of self-concept is

family’s history, basically referring to the culture
one has been brought up in, and the experiences
he or she has undergone.
 Erdman found out that early childhood memories were
a big part of self-concept.
 The differences are formed both in the extended cultural
contexts that define the meaning of the self and the
immediate family environment.

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 Culture has such a great influence on an

individual’s life contributing majorly to the self-
concept of an individual.
 The influence might either be negative or positive
depending on the type of culture that one has
been brought up in.
 It is important that individuals study and
appreciate their culture and its contribution in
shaping their individual personalities.
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Culture is the set of unwritten norms of

conduct that guide the behavior of a
group.
Edward Taylor- defined the culture that it
is a complex whole that includes
knowledge, belief, art, morals, law,
customs, and any other capabilities and
habits acquired by man.
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Material and Non-material Culture

Material culture refers to the physical
objects, resources, and spaces that people
use to define their culture.
These include homes, neighborhoods, cities,
schools, churches, synagogues, temples,
mosques, offices, factories and plants, tools,
means of production, goods and products, stores,
and so forth.
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Material and Non-material Culture

Non‐material culture refers to the
nonphysical ideas that people have about
their culture, including beliefs, values, rules,
norms, morals, language, organizations, and
institutions.
Non‐material cultural concept of religion consists
of a set of ideas and beliefs about God, worship,
morals, and ethics.
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Two Anthropological Perspectives of the Self

1. Egocentric- a concept of the self where
the self is seen as an autonomous and
distinct individual.
• In egocentric view, the self is viewed as autonomous and
distinct individual with inherent characteristics. The
Americans are egocentric. They believe that they should
be assertive and independent

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Two Anthropological Perspectives of the Self

2. Socio-centric- according to this view,
there is no intrinsic self that can possess
enduring qualities.
• For example, the Japanese possess a sociocentric
view of the self, wherein the membership of a
person in a particular social group defines the
boundaries of the self.
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Three-Phased Rite of Passage by Arnold Van Gennep

1. Separation Phase- in this phase, people detach

from their former identity to another.
2. Liminality Phase- in this phase, a person
transitions from one identity to another.
3. Incorporation Phase- in this phase, the change
in one's status is officially incorporated.

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Identity Struggles- a term coined by Wallace

and Fogelson to characterize interaction in
which there is a discrepancy between the
identity a person claims to possess and the
identity attributed to that person by others.

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Self-identification- in order to attain this,

individuals have to overcome many
obstacles.
The illusion of Wholeness- formulated by
Katherine Ewing, implies that the
cohesiveness and continuity of self are only
illusory.
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Cultural Differences- exist when groups of

people assign different meanings to
different life events and things.

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Key Terms
Family Membership- the most significant
feature to determine a person’s social
identity.
Example: A person’s social identity can be
determined based on the influence of his/her
family background (history, status, traits, or
even resources)
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Key Terms
Language- viewed as essential for the
maintenance of group identity.
Example: As people become members of a
social group and learn to share that group's
identity, they need to adapt to the group’s
language.

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Key Terms
Religious Affiliation- an important marker
for group identity in a given society.
Example: In a predominantly Catholic
country, the majority of Filipinos qualify
themselves as members of the Roman Catholic
Church.

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Key Terms
Name- an important device to
individualize a person and legitimize him
or her as a member of a social group.
Example: When you were born, you were given
a name documented through a birth certificate
to legalize your birth.

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“We may have different religions, different

languages, different colored skin, but we all
belong to one human race.”

– Kofi Annan

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Activity #3
When have you experience cultural differences?
Think about a setting in which you have worked/interacted
with different people from a range of background. These
differing backgrounds may have been about nationality but
also about social class difference, religion difference, or
about features such as ethnicity.
How did cultural differences and differing ways of doing
things according to culture become visible? List some of
these.
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