UTS | Lesson 3 & 4 | The Self as a Social Construct & The Self in the Western and Oriental Thought

The Self as a Social Construct & The Self in the Western and Oriental Thought

Title of Lesson 3 & 4

Psalms 8:3-6

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.”

Culture

is made up of all ideas, beliefs, behaviours, and products common to, and defining a group’s way of life.

Culture

is the meeting point of anthropology and sociology in our self- understanding, digging deep into how we see ourselves, in light of the diverse cultural influences that we have been exposed to.

Sociology

defined as the scientific study of human life, social groups, and whole societies.

Anthropology

is the inclusive study of the human race, focusing on its culture, society, and physical development across time and space.

Norms

are what dictates our behaviour in the society.

Material Culture

a type of culture that consists of human technology; all the things that people make and use.

Non-Material Culture

a type of culture that includes ideas, beliefs, social roles, rules, ethics, and attitudes of a society.

Independent view of the Self

refers to the belief that individuals are distinct, autonomous entities with unique qualities, abilities, and preferences.

Interdependent view of the Self

refers to the belief that sees the individual as connected to others, with identity being shaped by social relationships, roles, and group membership.

George Herbert Mead

was an American philosopher, sociologist and psychologist; Mead’s development stages of the self.

George Herbert Mead

He believed that it is thus necessary for him to look and governed by rules to guide him in making sure that his actions will make him a better member of the society.

George Herbert Mead

He said this is where the importance of culture comes in, guiding the self to act on the basis of what the society dictates as good. The importance then culture, is not just that of an ornament of human existence, but essential condition for it.

Mead’s Self Theory

An interesting link between the behavior of man, and the emergence of the self as part of the society.

Mead’s Self Theory

This is where he expounded that an individual explains his actions through the lens of his society, since he belongs to a social structure, a social order.

Mead’s Self Theory

“The individual see himself as the focus of everything, until such time that the self emerges because of the influence of those who play a prominent role in their self-development”

Clifford Geertz

he elucidated that culture should not be seen as a complex behavioral pattern but as a set of control mechanisms- engineered programs in directing human behavior.

Edward B. Tylor

"That complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society".

Confucius

he developed a system of social and ethical philosophy rather than a religion, built on an ancient religious foundation to establish the social values, institutions and transcendent ideals of traditional Chinese society.

Confucianism

are the very fabric of social relationships in China, reflecting collectivism to its core.