UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

CHAPTER 1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS  He was a great explorer in his youth and
young adulthood; he spent great times with
PERSPECTIVE
his friends and up to the extent of fathering
an illegitimate child.
LESSON 1: PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES OF  His explorations led to his conversion to
THE SELF Christianity wherein he spent the remainder
of his day serving the bishop of Hippo and
INTRODUCTION writing books and letters, including his idea
of the self.
The goof life is a process, not a state of being. It is a  At first, he thought the body as the "slave" of
direction, not a designation.” – Carl Rogers the soul but ultimately regarded the body as
the "spouse" of the soul, both attached to
“To find yourself, think for yourself.” - Socrates one another. He believed that the body is
united with the soul, so that man may be
In efforts to appreciate and understand reality, and entire and complete.
retort to persistent questions of inquisitiveness,  His first principle was, "I doubt, therefore I
including the inquiry of self, it was the Greeks who am."
effortlessly probed legendsand folklore, and turned  The self seeks to be united with God through
away from them faith and reason, and he described that
1. SOCRATES (470-399 B.C.) humanity is created in the image and
likeness of God, that God is supreme and all-
 He explored his philosophy of immortality in knowing, and everything created by God who
the days following his trial and before his is all good is good.
sentence to death was executed. According
to him, an unexamined life is not worth living. 4. RENE DESCARTES (1596-1650)
This statement is reflected in his idea of the  Descartes was a scientist in his professional
self. life and during his time, scientists believed
 He believed in dualism that aside from the that after death the physical body dies,
physical body (material substance), each hence the self also dies. He was a devout
person has an immortal soul (immaterial Catholic who believed in the immortal souls
substance). The body belongs to the physical and eternal life.
realm and the soul to the ideal realm. When  By having the idea of both the thinking self
you die, your body dies but not your soul. and the physical body, Descartes was able to
There is a life after the death of your physical reconcile his being a scientist and a devout
body. There is a world after death. Catholic. The self is a thinking thing, distinct
 According to him, in order for you to have a from the body. The thinking self or soul is
good life, you must live a good life, a life with nonmaterial, immortal, and conscious, while
a purpose, and that purpose is for you to do the physical body is material, mortal, and
well. Then there you will be happy after your non-thinking, fully governed by the physical
body dies. laws of nature.
2. PLATO (428/427-348/347 В.С.)  "Cogito ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am) is
the keystone to his concept of the self. The
He was greatly affected by Socrates' death. Socrates essence of existing as a human identity is the
was Plato's teacher. He believed that the self is possibility of being aware of oneself.
immortal and it consists of three (3) parts: reason,
physical appetite, and spirit/passion. 5. JOHN LOCKE (1634-1704)

A. REASON - The divine essence that enables you  The intolerant and charged atmosphere in
think deeply, make wise choices, and achieve an England kept Locke to stay abroad and
understanding of eternal truths. freedom from political intrigues and duties
allowed him to develop his philosophy.
B. PHYSICAL APPETITE - Your basic biological needs  According to Locke, the human mind at birth
such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire. is a tabula rasa (blank slate). The self or
personal identity is constructed primarily
C. SPIRIT OR PASSION - Your basic emotions such as from sense experiences which shape and
love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and empathy. mold the self throughout a person's life.
 Personal identity is made possible by self-
The three (3) components may work together or in
consciousness. In order to discover the
conflict. If human beings do not live in accordance
nature of personal identity, you have to find
with their nature/function, the result will be an
out what it means to be a person. A person is
injustice.
a thinking, intelligent being who has abilities
3. ST. AUGUSTINE (354-430) to reason and to reflect. A person is also
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

someone who considers itself to be the same UNCONSCIOUS mind includes activities that you are
thing at different times and different places. not aware of.
 Consciousness means being aware that you
are thinking; this what makes your belief  According to him, there are thoughts,
possible that you are the same identity at feelings, desires, and urges that the
different times and in different places. The conscious mind wants to hide, buried in your
essence of the self is its conscious awareness unconscious, but may shed light to your
of itself as thinking, reasoning, and reflecting unexplained behavior.
identity.

6. DAVID HUME (1711-1776)

 He left the University of Edinburg at the age

of 15, to study privately. Although he was 9. GILBERT RYLE (1900-1976)
encouraged to take up law, his interest was  His father was a general practitioner but had
philosophy. It is during his private study that a keen interest in philosophy and astronomy
he began raising questions about religion. that he passed it on to his children; they had
 For him, there is no "self" only a bundle of an impressive library where Ryle enjoyed
perceptions passing through the theatre of being an omnivorous reader.
your minds. According to him, humans are so  He graduated with first class honors in the
desperately wanting to believe that they New Modern Greats School of Philosophy,
have a unified and continuous self or soul Politics, and Economics. His concept of the
that they use their imaginations to construct self is provided in his philosophical
a fictional self. statement, "I act therefore, I am."
 The mind is a theatre, a container for fleeting  Ryle viewed the self as the way people
sensations and disconnected ideas and your behave, which is composed of a set of
reasoning ability is merely slave to the patterned behavior. Basically, for Ryle, the
passions. Hence, personal identity is just a self is the same as your behavior.
result of imagination.
10. PAUL CHURCHLAND (1942)
7. IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804)
 Churchland became a Professor at the
 Although Kant recognized the legitimacy in University of California where he later
Hume's account, he opposed the idea of became the Department Chair and Member
Hume that everything started with perception of the Cognitive Science Faculty, a member
and sensation of impressions, that's why he of the Institute for Neutral Computation. His
brought out the idea of the self as a response membershito these organizations prompted
against the idea of Hume. him toRyle viewed the self as a way people
 For Kant, there is unavoidably a mind that behave, which is composed of a set of
systematizes the impressions that men get patterned behavior. Basically, for Ryle, the
from the external world. Therefore, Kant self is the same as your behavior.
believed that the self is a product of reason  Became a professor at the University of
because the self regulates experience by California where he later became the
making unified experience possible. Department
 We construct the self. The self exists  Churchland ‘s theory is anchored in the
independently of experience and the self statement “The self is the brain.” The self is
goes beyond experience. inseparable from the brain and the
8. SIGMUND FREUD (11856---1939) physiological body because the physical brain
gives the dwell on the brain as the self.
 Freud developed his theories during a period  Churchland's theory is anchored in the
in which he experienced heart irregularities, statement, "the self is the brain." The self is
disturbing dreams, and period of depression. inseparable from the brain and the
He read William Shakespeare physiological body because the physical brain
gives the sense of self. In short, the brain and
BASED ON HIM, THE SELF IS COMPOSED OF THREE the self are one. Once the brain is dead, the
(3) LAYERS: self is dead too.

CONSCIOUS mind includes thoughts, feelings, and 11. MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY (1908-1961)
actions that you are currently aware of
 When he won the school's "Award for
PRE-CONSCIOUS mind includes mental activities that Outstanding Achievement" in Philosophy, it
are stored in your memory, not presently active but traced his commitment to the vocation of
can be accessed or recalled. Philosophy
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

 His concept, "the self has embodied PERSONALITY

subjectivity" explained that all your
knowledge about yourself and the world is It describes how an individual adapts to his or her
based on your subjective experiences and cultural surroundings.
everything that you are aware of is contained
Personality is the basic organization of individuals
in your consciousness.
that determines the uniqueness of their behavior. the
 His concept, "the self has embodied
basic organization refers to the structure of the
subjectivity" explained that all your
personality- how it is put together, and the
knowledge about yourself and the world is
relationships among the various parts.
based on your subjective experiences and
everything that you are aware of is contained It consists of the total physical, intellectual, and
in your consciousness. emotional structure of the individual. Each one is
unique. Your total personality structure will determine
your particular way of behaving. Each one of you has
your own way of interacting with others and with
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF your social environment.

In sociology, the self is not viewed as an isolated ASPECTS OF PERSONALITY

entity, but as something shaped by social
interactions, culture, and societal structures. The self 1. Physical Characteristics
emerges from how individuals interact with others 2. Abilities
and perceive their role in society. 3. Interests
4. Beliefs
On the SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE of the self will 5. Habits
let you explore the importance of the self in relation
to the society. It will let you examine how your PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS - Physical appearance is
attitudes and behavior is influenced by social the most obvious part of an individual's personality.
interactions and relationships. And as you try to Are you short or tall, fat or thin, light or dark in
understand fully yourself. complexion, black or brown hair, a pointed or flat
nose? These characteristics are inherited but can be
This topic will facilitate you to accept and be more altered by your culture.
tolerant of the differences that you have and that of
others for you to live in a harmonious way and be This will be further discussed in the topic of the
productive in society. physical self as people make efforts to change their
appearance in order to fulfill the desired cultural
SOCIOLOGY values.
is the study of society, patterns of social ABILITIES - are skills that are developed within the
relationships, social interaction, and culture of culture. For example, one may develop ability in
everyday life. playing sepak takraw or football, to paint or do
beadwork, to program computers or use an abacus.
Early in life, as children, you become aware of your
social nature. And it is through socialization that Other than abilities, you have the capacity to learn
begins in the family that you are exposed to skills, or to acquire a particular body of knowledge-
behavior, social rules, and attitudes that lead to your aptitude. Aptitude is more related to heredity,
social development. as abilities are always related to culture.
And it is through social institutions- family, school, INTERESTS - acquired from various kinds of things.
church, and the community you interact with every You all differ in your interests. The things that you
day, that will lead you to your deeper understanding become interested in depend on the cultural
of your SOCIAL IDENTITY-that of understanding your alternatives that are available - and an awareness of
social self. your existence.
SOCIALIZING THE INDIVIDUAL BELIEFS - about yourself, your friends, nature,
religion, work, etc. It also includes attitudes, values,
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
preferences, superstitions, prejudices, and
 In what ways are you like all other people? knowledge. Some are based on fact, others are not.
 In what ways are you only like some other But all beliefs are related to the culture and learned
people? from others in the society.
 In what ways are you like no other people?
HABITS - are regular, routine ways of thinking,
 In this topic you will examine the importance
feeling, or behaving. This can be observed in ways of
of the sociological self to look at what brings
dressing, eating, interacting with others, and in your
about the similarities and differences among
everyday tasks. These are learned from others and
people through the uniqueness of personality.
help you distinguish one person's behavior from
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

others. And almost all of your habits are related to  Difference within the family that can
your culture. influence person's personality is the age of
the parents.
THE INFLUENCE OF HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT  How might you be affected by your parents
age?
1. HEREDITY
 Parents amount of education religion, beliefs,
2. BIRTH ORDER
ethnic backgrounds, economic social status,
3. PARENTS
occupations, and communities in which they
4. SUBCULTURES
live, all contribute to the personality
5. THE CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
development of an individual
The Influence of Heredity and Environment Is it
SUBCULTURES
"nature or nurture"?

If culture affects all aspects of your personality, what  a subculture is a portion of a society that has
role then does heredity play in your personality enough characteristics of its own to set it
development? apart, and yet is included within the general
society.
HEREDITY  Identify a subculture different from your own,
imagine growing up in it.
characteristics that are innate, present at birth -  What would your family life, interest, values,
physical characteristics, like hair, skin, and eye color and beliefs might be like?
and body size.
How might your personality be influenced?
It is the transmitting of genetic characteristics from
your parents to you. The cultural environment every culture is different.

We inherit basic needs and capacities. As human These cultural differences affect your personality
beings, we have biological drives. development. It is cultural environment that makes
individuals human.
Our hunger drive makes us want to eat. But drives do
not dictate our specific behavior. The hunger drive It makes you embrace your similarities and celebrate
doesn't tell us when, what, or how to eat. You learn your differences
those things from other human beings within your
Research and few recorded evidences show that
culture.
children or individual who were raised without the
Heredity gives you biological needs. influence of a cultural environment resulted to having
no human characteristics except in their appearance
Your culture determines how you meet these needs. No reasoning, no manners, no abilities even in
Heredity plays an important role in shaping human controlling bodily functions or to move like human
personalities by setting limits on individuals. beings.
EXAMPLE YOUR PERSONALITY OUR HUMANITY- COMES FROM
OUR CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT.
f you were born with a five-foot frame, you are not
likely to become a professional basketball player. On THE SOCIAL SELF
the other hand, it is not a guarantee that you'll
become one even if you are seven feet tall.  George Herbert Mead "I and Me Self"
 John Locke "Tabula Rasa"
Inherited characteristics place limits on what is  Charles Horton Cooley "The Looking Glass
possible, but it will not determine what you will do Theory
and what kind of personality you will have.
At birth, you cannot talk, walk, feed yourselves, or
BIRTH ORDER even protect yourself from harm. You know nothing
about the ways of your culture or society.
your personality is also influenced by whether you
have brothers, sisters, both, or neither. Then, through interaction with other people and your
environment, you are developed into individuals who
Were you born first, last, or in between? have knowledge of your culture-you become
participants of your society.
Do you have only sisters or only brothers - or both?
This process of cultural molding, how individuals
Think about ways in which your own life situation
learn the basic skills, values, beliefs, and behavior
could have been different, and how your personality
patterns of the society, is called socialization.
might have been affected by these factors.
THE SOCIALIZATION PROCESS
PARENTS
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

The following theories will help you understand how HOW THE LOOKING-GLASS SELF WORKS
we become socialized and develop our identity, or
self. 1. We imagine how we appear to other people.
2. We imagine and judge the appearance that
JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704) we think we present.
3. If we think the evaluation is favorable, our
 He was an English philosopher who insisted
self- concept is enhanced.
that each newly born individual was a tabula
4. If we think the evaluation is unfavorable, our
rasa-or clean slate, on which could be written
self- concept is diminished.
just about anything. He claimed that you are
5. The I-Self and the Me-Self
born without qualities.
 You develop your personality as a result of 2 pictures
your experiences. The basic assumptions
about socialization are related to Locke's GEORGE HERBERT MEAD (1863- 1931)
views.
 Most sociologists think of socialization as a  was a prominent American sociologist,
process by which you absorb those aspects of philosopher, and social psychologist, best
your culture with which you come into known for his work on the development of
contact. the self and the emergence of the mind
 Through the socialization process, you through social interaction.
develop your social self.  "The self is not there from birth, but it is
 The social self is the way that you see developed over time from social experiences
yourselves as a result of interacting with and activities."
others. You begin to have a sense of your  Mead argued that the self is not something
own self from your daily interactions with one is born with, but it is developed through
other people. social experiences and interactions.
 He believed that the self emerges from
CHARLES HORTON COOLEY (1864-1929) communication and engagement with others
in society.
 He was an American sociologist who  Mead viewed the self as fundamentally
developed the theory about the social self social, arising from social processes rather
 He observed that you only begin to have a than existing independently.
sense of your own self- of who you are and  He suggested that individuals develop their
what you are like-after you notice how others sense of self through interactions with others,
see you. particularly by taking on the perspectives of
 According to Cooley, a newborn baby has no others.
sense of person or place. Various people-
parents, brothers, sisters, other family MEAD'S STAGES OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT
members, and friends-interact with the baby.
These people as they relate to the baby The self develops through stages:
provide the infant with a mirror that reflects
the infant's image. The image reflected back a. Imitation
is created during the interaction between the b. Play
baby and the other people. c. Game Stages
 This theory puts a great deal of responsibility
As individuals grow, they become more capable of
on parents and others who have contact with
seeing themselves from the perspective of others.
children. They contribute to the child's sense
of ability or inability depending on the way Mead outlined three key stages in the development
they interact with the child. He called his of the self, which occur through childhood:
theory "the looking glass theory."
 Social interaction is a kind of looking glass 1. PREPARATORY STAGE (IMITATION): In this stage,
that reflects yourself back to you-but only children mimic the actions of those around them
after you are interpreted by those with whom without fully understanding the meanings of these
you interact. actions.
 According to Cooley, you are as other people
2. PLAY STAGE: Children begin to take on the roles of
see you. You can only see yourselves only as
significant others (like parents or teachers) and start
others see you. And what they see is what
to understand the behaviors associated with different
you are.
roles. FOR EXAMPLE; a child might pretend to be a
 You are continually changing your personality
doctor or a teacher, learning to see themselves from
as you adjust your self-image to the way you
the perspective of others. ১
are viewed by the rest of society.
 How do you react when others see you 3.GAME STAGE:
differently from the way you see yourself?
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

At this stage, children learn to consider multiple roles themselves, considering how others might
simultaneously and understand the expectations of respond to their actions.
the "generalized other," which refers to the collective  The self and mind, therefore, cannot be
norms and values of society. They start to see how separated from society. They emerge and
their actions fit into a broader social context. develop through social processes.
 To summarize, your personality is socially
MEAD'S THEORY: created and develops through social
interaction. Each time you step into a social
THE “I SELF"
situation, you respond to your surroundings.
And you add to that your unique experiences.
 This represents the spontaneous, impulsive,
This combination produces your social self.
and active aspect of the self. It is the
individual's personal response to the social
environment. ANTHROPOLOGY PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

THE "ME SELF" INTRODUCTION

 This reflects the socialized aspect of the self,  Social scientist and anthropologists have long
which is shaped by societal norms, recognized the idea that people in different
expectations, and the attitudes of others. It parts of the world view themselves in
represents how individuals perceive different ways.
themselves from the perspective of society.  These different ways of viewing one's self
may be attributed to biological or genetic
EXAMPLES: variants and partly το cultural variation.
social or
THE "I SELF"  Your racial category, family structure,
affiliation, ethnic religious lanquage, social
If you are in a meeting and suddenly feel the urge to beliefs, and values, es, cultural expression
speak your mind in an unfiltered way, that is the "I identification and indubitably contribute on
SELF" at work, expressing spontaneity. your formation as a accordingly, construal.
THE"ME SELF": person, and on your self-

ANTHROPOLOGY
 When you consider the consequences of your
actions and adjust your behavior to align with  Stemmed from two Greek words Anthropos
societal expectations (e.g., being polite, meaning man and logus meaning study or
professional), you are operating from the "Me science. Thus, anthropology is the science of
SELF." man.
 These two aspects of the self interact  It is concerned about the various aspects the
constantly. For example, a person might feel human species, irrespective of time and
an instinctive desire ("I SELF") to rebel place, from ancient to contemporary
against authority but may restrain  In the book of psychologist Henry Murray and
themselves because they know society anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn (1953)
expects obedience ("ME SELF"). entitled Personality in Nature, Society and
Culture, they claimed that "Every man in
ROLE OF SYMBOLS AND LANGUAGE: certain respects like all other men,
 Mead believed that language and symbols some other men, and like no other like
are crucial for the development of the self. man."
Through communication, individuals  This statement pictured how pre-
exchange symbols (e.g., words, gestures) contemporary and contemporary
that have shared meanings, allowing them to anthropology viewed the human, person.
engage in social interaction.  The pre-contemporary view of human nature
 The use of language enables individuals to demonstrated sameness, invariability, and
take on the perspectives of others and see universality where man was regarded as
themselves from an external viewpoint, identical, constant, and general.
which is essential for the development of self-  Humans, like all other species, are considered
awareness and identity. essentially the same regardless of place and
time. Thus, they are predictable and can be
MIND AND SOCIETY: studied uniformly.

 For Mead, the mind itself is a social product. CONTEMPORARY ANTHROPOLOGISTS

He argued that thinking is a form of
internalized social interaction, in which  subscribe to a more holistic approach in
individuals engage in a mental dialogue with studying the self by looking unto human
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

variety brought by variations across cultures PERSONNE

and variations overtime.
 They suggest that the human person can be  is composed of the social concepts of what it
studied from many points of view. This calls means, to be who he is. It has much to do
for a more comprehensive and encompassing with what it means to live in a particular
approach towards understanding the human institution, a particular family, a particular
person. religion, a particular nationality, and how to
 That is, taking into account all the physical, behave given expectations and influences.
biological, psychological, social and cultural from others.
elements that make up the self. This pursuit
towards holistic appreciation of the human SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF
nature was supported scientifically.
In sociology, the self is not viewed as an isolated
EXAMPLE: JOSEPH LEDOUX
entity, but as something shaped by social
interactions, culture, and societal structures. The self
 A neurobiologist described the self as the
emerges from how individuals interact with others
totality of what an organism is physically,
and perceive their role in society.
biologically, psychologically, socially and
culturally. On the SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE of the self will
 He further claimed that the self as a unit, it is let you explore the importance of the self in relation
not unitary. to the society. It will let you examine how your
attitudes and behavior is influenced by social
THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE
interactions and relationships. And as you try to
 Cultural Anthropology being one of the sub- understand fully yourself.
discipline of anthropology underscores
This topic will facilitate you to accept and be more
concept of culture and its influence in
tolerant of the differences that you have and that of
shaping the self.
others for you to live in a harmonious way and be
 Culture is a broad construct which covers a
productive in society.
wide range of elements- From your clothing
designs, to your food preferences, the dialect SOCIOLOGY
you betalandustans the religious beliefs and
customs you observe and the set of values is the study of society, patterns of social
you conform. relationships, social interaction, and culture of
everyday life.
CULTURAL SYMBOLS
Early in life, as children, you become aware of your
 One of aspects the culture is fundamental social nature. And it is through socialization that
aspects pf culture is symbol. As they most begins in the family that you are exposed to
people interact, they share common set of behavior, social rules, and attitudes that lead to
symbols which represent their identity. social development.
 Cultural symbols aid in establishing the
uniqueness of a particular culture. When And it is through social institutions- family, school,
properly preserved and accurately passed on church, and the community you interact with every
from one generation to the another, It day, that will lead you to your deeper understanding
continues to be an indelible representation of of your SOCIAL IDENTITY-that of understanding your
one personhood. social self.

2 PHOTOS SOCIALIZING THE INDIVIDUAL

THE MOI AND PERSONNE SELF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

 This was asserted by Marcel Mauss, a  In what ways are you like all other people?
anthropologist and sociologist who asserted  In what ways are you only like some other
that self-adapts to its everyday social people?
condition. In particular, the behavior of  In what ways are you like no other people?
human groups and the way they perceive  In this topic you will examine the importance
themselves in daily life are influenced by of the sociological self to look at what brings
their environmental and seasonal variations. about the similarities and differences among
people through the uniqueness of personality.
ΜΟΙ
PERSONALITY
 refers to the person's sense of who he is, his It describes how an individual adapts to his or her
body and his basic identity, his biological cultural surroundings.
identity
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

Personality is the basic organization of individuals 6. HEREDITY

that determines the uniqueness of their behavior. the 7. BIRTH ORDER
basic organization refers to the structure of the 8. PARENTS
personality- how it is put together, and the 9. SUBCULTURES
relationships among the various parts. 10. THE CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

It consists of the total physical, intellectual, and The Influence of Heredity and Environment Is it
emotional structure of the individual. Each one is "nature or nurture"?
unique. Your total personality structure will determine
your particular way of behaving. Each one of you has If culture affects all aspects of your personality, what
your own way of interacting with others and with role then does heredity play in your personality
your social environment. development?

ASPECTS OF PERSONALITY HEREDITY

6. Physical Characteristics characteristics that are innate, present at birth -

7. Abilities physical characteristics, like hair, skin, and eye color
8. Interests and body size.
9. Beliefs
It is the transmitting of genetic characteristics from
10. Habits
your parents to you.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS - Physical appearance is
We inherit basic needs and capacities. As human
the most obvious part of an individual's personality.
beings, we have biological drives.
Are you short or tall, fat or thin, light or dark in
complexion, black or brown hair, a pointed or flat Our hunger drive makes us want to eat. But drives do
nose? These characteristics are inherited but can be not dictate our specific behavior. The hunger drive
altered by your culture. doesn't tell us when, what, or how to eat. You learn
those things from other human beings within your
This will be further discussed in the topic of the
culture.
physical self as people make efforts to change their
appearance in order to fulfill the desired cultural Heredity gives you biological needs.
values.
Your culture determines how you meet these needs.
ABILITIES - are skills that are developed within the Heredity plays an important role in shaping human
culture. For example, one may develop ability in personalities by setting limits on individuals.
playing sepak takraw or football, to paint or do
beadwork, to program computers or use an abacus. EXAMPLE

Other than abilities, you have the capacity to learn f you were born with a five-foot frame, you are not
skills, or to acquire a particular body of knowledge- likely to become a professional basketball player. On
your aptitude. Aptitude is more related to heredity, the other hand, it is not a guarantee that you'll
as abilities are always related to culture. become one even if you are seven feet tall.

INTERESTS - acquired from various kinds of things. Inherited characteristics place limits on what is
You all differ in your interests. The things that you possible, but it will not determine what you will do
become interested in depend on the cultural and what kind of personality you will have.
alternatives that are available - and an awareness of
BIRTH ORDER
your existence.

BELIEFS - about yourself, your friends, nature, your personality is also influenced by whether you
religion, work, etc. It also includes attitudes, values, have brothers, sisters, both, or neither.
preferences, superstitions, prejudices, and
Were you born first, last, or in between?
knowledge. Some are based on fact, others are not.
But all beliefs are related to the culture and learned Do you have only sisters or only brothers - or both?
from others in the society.
Think about ways in which your own life situation
HABITS - are regular, routine ways of thinking, could have been different, and how your personality
feeling, or behaving. This can be observed in ways of might have been affected by these factors.
dressing, eating, interacting with others, and in your
everyday tasks. These are learned from others and PARENTS
help you distinguish one person's behavior from
others. And almost all of your habits are related to  Difference within the family that can
your culture. influence person's personality is the age of
the parents.
THE INFLUENCE OF HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT  How might you be affected by your parents
age?
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

 Parents amount of education religion, beliefs,  He was an English philosopher who insisted
ethnic backgrounds, economic social status, that each newly born individual was a tabula
occupations, and communities in which they rasa-or clean slate, on which could be written
live, all contribute to the personality just about anything. He claimed that you are
development of an individual born without qualities.
 You develop your personality as a result of
SUBCULTURES your experiences. The basic assumptions
about socialization are related to Locke's
 a subculture is a portion of a society that has views.
enough characteristics of its own to set it  Most sociologists think of socialization as a
apart, and yet is included within the general process by which you absorb those aspects of
society. your culture with which you come into
 Identify a subculture different from your own, contact.
imagine growing up in it.  Through the socialization process, you
 What would your family life, interest, values, develop your social self.
and beliefs might be like?  The social self is the way that you see
yourselves as a result of interacting with
How might your personality be influenced?
others. You begin to have a sense of your
The cultural environment every culture is different. own self from your daily interactions with
other people.
These cultural differences affect your personality
development. It is cultural environment that makes CHARLES HORTON COOLEY (1864-1929)
individuals human.
 He was an American sociologist who
It makes you embrace your similarities and celebrate developed the theory about the social self
your differences  He observed that you only begin to have a
sense of your own self- of who you are and
Research and few recorded evidences show that what you are like-after you notice how others
children or individual who were raised without the see you.
influence of a cultural environment resulted to having  According to Cooley, a newborn baby has no
no human characteristics except in their appearance sense of person or place. Various people-
No reasoning, no manners, no abilities even in parents, brothers, sisters, other family
controlling bodily functions or to move like human members, and friends-interact with the baby.
beings. These people as they relate to the baby
provide the infant with a mirror that reflects
YOUR PERSONALITY OUR HUMANITY- COMES FROM
the infant's image. The image reflected back
OUR CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT.
is created during the interaction between the
THE SOCIAL SELF baby and the other people.
 This theory puts a great deal of responsibility
 George Herbert Mead "I and Me Self" on parents and others who have contact with
 John Locke "Tabula Rasa" children. They contribute to the child's sense
 Charles Horton Cooley "The Looking Glass of ability or inability depending on the way
Theory they interact with the child. He called his
theory "the looking glass theory."
At birth, you cannot talk, walk, feed yourselves, or  Social interaction is a kind of looking glass
even protect yourself from harm. You know nothing that reflects yourself back to you-but only
about the ways of your culture or society. after you are interpreted by those with whom
Then, through interaction with other people and your you interact.
environment, you are developed into individuals who  According to Cooley, you are as other people
have knowledge of your culture-you become see you. You can only see yourselves only as
participants of your society. others see you. And what they see is what
you are.
This process of cultural molding, how individuals  You are continually changing your personality
learn the basic skills, values, beliefs, and behavior as you adjust your self-image to the way you
patterns of the society, is called socialization. are viewed by the rest of society.
 How do you react when others see you
THE SOCIALIZATION PROCESS differently from the way you see yourself?
The following theories will help you understand how HOW THE LOOKING-GLASS SELF WORKS
we become socialized and develop our identity, or
self. 6. We imagine how we appear to other people.
7. We imagine and judge the appearance that
JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704)
we think we present.
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

8. If we think the evaluation is favorable, our THE “I SELF"

self- concept is enhanced.
9. If we think the evaluation is unfavorable, our  This represents the spontaneous, impulsive,
self- concept is diminished. and active aspect of the self. It is the
10. The I-Self and the Me-Self individual's personal response to the social
environment.
2 pictures
THE "ME SELF"
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD (1863- 1931)
 This reflects the socialized aspect of the self,
 was a prominent American sociologist,
which is shaped by societal norms,
philosopher, and social psychologist, best
expectations, and the attitudes of others. It
known for his work on the development of
represents how individuals perceive
the self and the emergence of the mind
themselves from the perspective of society.
through social interaction.
 "The self is not there from birth, but it is EXAMPLES:
developed over time from social experiences
and activities." THE "I SELF"
 Mead argued that the self is not something
one is born with, but it is developed through If you are in a meeting and suddenly feel the urge to
social experiences and interactions. speak your mind in an unfiltered way, that is the "I
 He believed that the self emerges from SELF" at work, expressing spontaneity.
communication and engagement with others
in society. THE"ME SELF":
 Mead viewed the self as fundamentally
social, arising from social processes rather  When you consider the consequences of your
than existing independently. actions and adjust your behavior to align with
 He suggested that individuals develop their societal expectations (e.g., being polite,
sense of self through interactions with others, professional), you are operating from the "Me
particularly by taking on the perspectives of SELF."
others.  These two aspects of the self interact
constantly. For example, a person might feel
MEAD'S STAGES OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT an instinctive desire ("I SELF") to rebel
against authority but may restrain
The self develops through stages: themselves because they know society
expects obedience ("ME SELF").
d. Imitation
e. Play ROLE OF SYMBOLS AND LANGUAGE:
f. Game Stages
 Mead believed that language and symbols
As individuals grow, they become more capable of are crucial for the development of the self.
seeing themselves from the perspective of others. Through communication, individuals
exchange symbols (e.g., words, gestures)
Mead outlined three key stages in the development that have shared meanings, allowing them to
of the self, which occur through childhood: engage in social interaction.
 The use of language enables individuals to
1. PREPARATORY STAGE (IMITATION): In this stage,
take on the perspectives of others and see
children mimic the actions of those around them
themselves from an external viewpoint,
without fully understanding the meanings of these
which is essential for the development of self-
actions.
awareness and identity.
2. PLAY STAGE: Children begin to take on the roles of
MIND AND SOCIETY:
significant others (like parents or teachers) and start
to understand the behaviors associated with different  For Mead, the mind itself is a social product.
roles. FOR EXAMPLE; a child might pretend to be a He argued that thinking is a form of
doctor or a teacher, learning to see themselves from internalized social interaction, in which
the perspective of others. ১ individuals engage in a mental dialogue with
themselves, considering how others might
3.GAME STAGE:
respond to their actions.
At this stage, children learn to consider multiple roles  The self and mind, therefore, cannot be
simultaneously and understand the expectations of separated from society. They emerge and
the "generalized other," which refers to the collective develop through social processes.
norms and values of society. They start to see how  To summarize, your personality is socially
their actions fit into a broader social context. created and develops through social
interaction. Each time you step into a social
MEAD'S THEORY:
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

situation, you respond to your surroundings. elements that make up the self. This pursuit
And you add to that your unique experiences. towards holistic appreciation of the human
This combination produces your social self. nature was supported scientifically.

EXAMPLE: JOSEPH LEDOUX

ANTHROPOLOGY PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF
 A neurobiologist described the self as the
INTRODUCTION
totality of what an organism is physically,
 Social scientist and anthropologists have long biologically, psychologically, socially and
recognized the idea that people in different culturally.
parts of the world view themselves in  He further claimed that the self as a unit, it is
different ways. not unitary.
 These different ways of viewing one's self
THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE
may be attributed to biological or genetic
variants and partly το cultural variation.  Cultural Anthropology being one of the sub-
social or discipline of anthropology underscores
 Your racial category, family structure, concept of culture and its influence in
affiliation, ethnic religious lanquage, social shaping the self.
beliefs, and values, es, cultural expression  Culture is a broad construct which covers a
identification and indubitably contribute on wide range of elements- From your clothing
your formation as a accordingly, construal. designs, to your food preferences, the dialect
person, and on your self- you betalandustans the religious beliefs and
customs you observe and the set of values
ANTHROPOLOGY
you conform.
 Stemmed from two Greek words Anthropos
CULTURAL SYMBOLS
meaning man and logus meaning study or
science. Thus, anthropology is the science of
 One of aspects the culture is fundamental
man.
aspects pf culture is symbol. As they most
 It is concerned about the various aspects the
people interact, they share common set of
human species, irrespective of time and
symbols which represent their identity.
place, from ancient to contemporary
 Cultural symbols aid in establishing the
 In the book of psychologist Henry Murray and
uniqueness of a particular culture. When
anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn (1953)
properly preserved and accurately passed on
entitled Personality in Nature, Society and
from one generation to the another, It
Culture, they claimed that "Every man in
continues to be an indelible representation of
certain respects like all other men,
some other men, and like no other like
man."
 This statement pictured how pre-
contemporary and contemporary
anthropology viewed the human, person.
 The pre-contemporary view of human nature
demonstrated sameness, invariability, and
universality where man was regarded as
identical, constant, and general.
 Humans, like all other species, are considered
essentially the same regardless of place and
time. Thus, they are predictable and can be
studied uniformly. one personhood.

CONTEMPORARY ANTHROPOLOGISTS

 subscribe to a more holistic approach in

studying the self by looking unto human THE MOI AND PERSONNE SELF
variety brought by variations across cultures
and variations overtime.
 They suggest that the human person can be
studied from many points of view. This calls
for a more comprehensive and encompassing
approach towards understanding the human
person.
 That is, taking into account all the physical,
biological, psychological, social and cultural
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - PRELIMINARIES

 This was asserted by Marcel Mauss, a

anthropologist and sociologist who asserted
that self-adapts to its everyday social
condition. In particular, the behavior of
human groups and the way they perceive
themselves in daily life are influenced by
their environmental and seasonal variations.

ΜΟΙ

 refers to the person's sense of who he is, his

body and his basic identity, his biological
identity

PERSONNE

 is composed of the social concepts of what it

means, to be who he is. It has much to do
with what it means to live in a particular
institution, a particular family, a particular
religion, a particular nationality, and how to
behave given expectations and influences.
from others.