UTS SOCIOLOGICAL, ANTHROPOLOGICAL, AND EASTERN AND WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

REVIEWER

How is "Sociology" defined, and what is its fundamental assumption regarding the self?

The scientific study of human behavior, social groups, society, social relationships, and culture.

Assumption: Human behavior is heavily influenced by group life, and a person's self-concept is socially constructed through interactions with others and institutions.

What is Charles Horton Cooley’s "Looking-Glass Self" and its 3-step process?

The theory that our self-understanding is built on our perception of how others view us.

3 Steps:

1. We imagine how we appear to others.

2. We interpret how others judge that appearance.

3. We experience emotional reactions (pride/shame) and react behaviorally based on that judgment.

What are the three developmental stages of George Herbert Mead’s "Theory of the Social Self," and what are the "I" vs. "Me"?

Stages:

1. Preparatory Stage (0–3 yrs; imitation)

2. Play Stage (3–5 yrs; role-playing with significant others)

3. Game Stage (Early school years; understanding generalized others and social norms)

I vs. Me: is the subjective, creative, unpredictable side of the self; Me is the objective, socialized side representing society's expectations.

What are the primary "Agents of Socialization"?

Family: Primary agent for biological reproduction and long-term socialization.

Peer Group: Peaks in adolescence; mainly affects short-term interests.

School: Teachers and peers instill structured behavioral expectations.

Mass Media & Religion: Transmit cultural norms, lifestyle symbols, and moral frameworks.

What is Erving Goffman’s "Dramaturgical Approach" to social life?

A perspective proposing that people behave like actors on a stage, treating everyday life as theatrical through Impression Management (controlling how others view us).

The Spaces: Front Stage (performing public roles following social rules) and Back Stage (dropping the mask, free from public expectations).

How do Gerry Lanuza and Jean Baudrillard view the self in modern/postmodern societies?

Gerry Lanuza: Modern/postmodern self-identity is no longer rigidly restricted by tradition, offering infinite room for self-cultivation (though risking alienation).

Jean Baudrillard: Postmodern society is driven by consumption and prestige symbols (media/ads), turning humans into insatiable consumers seeking power and status through commodities.

What does "Anthropology" mean, and what are its four main subdisciplines?

• Derived from anthropos (human) and logos (reason)—the scientific study of humans, their ancestors, physical traits, environments, and cultures through time.

• Four Subdisciplines:

  1. Archeology (interpreting behavior via material remains)

  2. Cultural Anthropology (exploring diversity of past/present cultures via fieldwork)

  3. Biological/Physical Anthropology (studying biological/behavioral aspects of humans and primates)

  4. Linguistic Anthropology (focusing on language and its sociocultural contexts).

What is the anthropological definition of "Culture," and how does it affect the physical self?

Classically defined by Edward B. Tylor as the complex whole including knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws, and customs acquired by humans as members of society.

Effect on Physical Self: Culture provides shared guides that shape how people modify their bodies (via tattoos, scarification, clothing, ear stretching, or beauty standards).

What is the difference between an "Egocentric" and a "Sociocentric" construct of the self?

Egocentric: An autonomous, distinct individual who views the world in relation to oneself ("Be true to yourself"), common in Western individualistic cultures.

Sociocentric: A group-centered view where the self is contingent on social settings, family roles, and group harmony, common in traditional/Eastern collectivist cultures.

What is the difference between "Cultural Relativism" and "Ethnocentrism"?

Cultural Relativism: Evaluating a person's beliefs, values, and practices based on their own cultural context rather than judging them against another culture.

Ethnocentrism: The biased belief that one's own culture is superior to all others.

What is the broad difference between Western and Eastern conceptualizations of the self?

Western: Grounded in an independent self-view focusing on personal autonomy, internal attributes, individual rights, and scientific inquiry.

Eastern: Grounded in an interdependent self-view focusing on communal relationships, spiritual development, duty to the collective/cosmos, and practical transformation of consciousness.

What are the core doctrines of Hinduism regarding the self?

Goal: Gain knowledge of true reality (Brahman).

Law of Karma: All actions have moral outcomes that dictate future events.

Reincarnation: The soul (atman) is continually reborn across lifetimes until it breaks the cycle and reaches nirvana (liberation from rebirth).

What are the key principles of Buddhism regarding the self and existence?

Founder: Siddhartha Gautama (from budh meaning "awake").

Four Noble Truths: Life is suffering; suffering is caused by desire; suffering can be eliminated; elimination is achieved via the Eightfold Path.

The Self: Humans have no permanent self; we are just a temporary combination of five parts (Skandhas: form, sensation, perception, mental formations, consciousness). The goal is Nirvana through meditation.

What are the core pillars of Confucianism regarding the self and relationships?

Core Concept: Centered on REN (goodness/human-heartedness) and the Golden Rule ("Do not do to others what you would not want done to you").

Key Virtues: Li (propriety/rules of order), Yi (righteousness), Xiao (filiality/respect for parents/ancestors), and Chih (wisdom).

Five Cardinal Relationships: Ruler-Subject, Parent-Child, Husband-Wife, Elder-Younger Sibling, and Friend-Friend (hierarchical and relational).

How does Taoism view the self compared to Confucianism?

View of Self: Taoists reject the rigid Confucian relational/social self, viewing the individual instead as an extension of the Tao (nature/cosmos).

Details: The ideal is a selfless life lived in simplicity, spontaneity, and harmony with nature, maintaining balance between the Yin and Yang.