Understanding the Self: Anthropology and Sociology

Vocabulary flashcards covering anthropological and sociological views of the self, cultural concepts, qualities of self, and key developmental theories by Geertz, Mauss, Mead, and Vygotsky.

Anthropology

A systematic exploration of human biological and cultural diversity that considers human experience as an interplay between biological and cultural factors influencing self-development.

Nature

Biological factors contributing to the self, including genes, hereditary factors, physical appearance, and personality characteristics.

Nurture

External or environmental factors influencing the self, including environmental variables, childhood experiences, parenting, social relationships, and surrounding culture.

Egocentric

A perspective holding that the self is a replica of all humanity but capable of acting independently from others.

Sociocentric

A perspective viewing the self as dependent on the specific situation or social setting.

Identity Toolbox

Features of a person's identity that he or she chooses to emphasize when constructing a social self.

Personal Naming

A universal practice with numerous cross-cultural variations that establishes a child's birthright and social identity.

Separation Phase

The first stage of a three-phased rite of passage in which individuals detach from their former identity.

Liminality Phase

The second stage of a three-phased rite of passage in which a person transitions from one identity to another.

Incorporation Phase

The final stage of a three-phased rite of passage in which changes in a person's status are officially incorporated into society.

Clifford Geertz

An American anthropologist who offered a symbolic interpretative model of culture, defining culture as a set of control mechanisms for governing human behavior.

1. A SET OF CONTROL MECHANISMS FOR THE GOVERNING BEHAVIOR NOT ONLY COMPLEXES

2. MAN IS PRECISELY THE ANIMAL MOST DEPENDENT UPON

2 Important ideas of Geertz

Tony Robbins

A perspective emphasizing that human beings are cultural animals who assign meanings to objects, persons, and behaviors, and that the self is embedded in culture.

Sociology

A science studying social groups and human relationships to provide insight into the interconnectedness between the self and other people.

Feral Child (Wild Child)

A human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a young age with little to no experience of human care, behavior, or language.

Marcos Rodriguez Pantoja

A notable feral child known as 'The Boy Who Was Raised by Wolves' whose life illustrates the self's capacity to morph according to external reality.

self-contained/independent, consistent, unitary, private, isolated from external world, and non-static.

Six defined characteristics of the self

Marcel Mauss

A French sociologist/anthropologist who posited that the self possesses two faces: the 'moi' and the 'personne'.

Moi

In Marcel Mauss's theory, a person's basic sense of who he is, including his body and primary identity.

Personne

In Marcel Mauss's theory, the social concept of what it means to be who one is, which shifts over time to adapt to different social situations.

George Herbert Mead

A philosopher, psychologist, and sociologist who proposed that the sense of self develops through social interaction and consists of two divisions: the 'I' and the 'Me'.

The 'Me' (Mead)

The social self learned through interaction with others and the environment, representing internalized societal expectations and attitudes.

The 'I' (Mead)

The spontaneous, unpredictable, and creative part of the self that acts in response to the 'Me' and societal expectations.

Preparatory Stage (birth to 3 years old)

also known as the imitation stage.

Play Stage (3 to 5 years old)

where children learn self-development and interaction through pretend play.

Game Stage

The final stage of Mead's Role-Taking Theory

where children understand and adhere to rules and recognize broader societal expectations.

Significant Other

People who have important, direct relationships with an individual, such as parents, family, teachers, and peers.

Generalized Other

The internalized viewpoint and expectations of the social group or society at large.

Lev Vygotsky

A Russian psychologist who formulated the Social Development Theory, asserting that social interaction precedes cognitive development.

Interpsychological Level (Social Level)

The first level in Vygotsky's theory where social learning takes place through interaction and connection with other people.

Intrapsychological Level (Individual Level)

The second level in Vygotsky's theory where acquired social learnings are internalized, leading to cognitive development and self-reflection.

Elementary Mental Functions

infants are born with the basic materials/abilities for intellectual development that are called

Sensation

are delivered automatically to the brain by the senses.

Hunger

- bodily processes.

Memory

- Young children commit things to memory in a natural manner.

Higher Mental Functions

As social learning is being increased through more social interactions, his elementary mental functions will evolve to

Language

- As a child develops, their need to

communicate to others is increasing.

Memory

- Memory can be cultivated and controlled and they know how to make relevant associations

and memorized stuff.

Attention

– Because of social learnings, the ability of focus and concentration, and the ability to figure out what to do with whatever are learned

Perception

– Sensing is when a child is able to recognize a sensory stimulus. Social interactions help the child’s level of perception, increasing his awareness and capacity to understand why things are as they are

More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)

In Vygotsky's theory, any individual or system (such as a teacher, coach, peer, or computer) that has a higher ability level or better understanding than the learner regarding a specific task or concept.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The range or difference between what a learner can achieve independently without help versus what they can perform with guidance and support.