Socio-anthropological Perspectives of the Self

Marcel Mauss' Moi and Personne

George Herbert Mead and Social Roles

Harry Triandis' Aspects of the Selves

Marcel Mauss' Category of the Mind

self is a complex entity with two distinct, yet interconnected aspects

self is a social and cultural construct that evolved over time

"moi" - the idea of the self

"personne" - the idea of the person

Moi - the idea of 'self'

-refers to our sense of who we are, our basic identity

-The conscious personality that it is plain, particularly to us, that there has never existed a human being who has not been aware, not only of his body, but also at the same time of his individuality, both spiritual and physical.

Personne - the idea of 'person'

-social concepts of what it means to be who we are or what it means to live in a particular institution, family, religion, etc.

-certain number of persons, in reality of 'characters' (personnages)

George Herbert Mead's Theory of the Self

self emerges over time from social experiences and activities such as:

observing and interacting with others,

- responding to others' opinions about oneself, and

internalizing external opinions and internal feelings about oneself

George Herbert Mead's Symbolic Interactionism

I versus Me

Me - the object; attitude taken by the other

i -the subject; self that acts in present time

George Herbert Mead's Developmental Stages

Preparatory or Language Stage

-Imitation - young children imitate others without understanding the social meaning behind their actions

Play Stage

-Pretend play - children play at

being others (like a doctor or teacher) and

understand the difference between

themselves and the roles they play

-Role Playing - process of mentally

assuming perspective of another and

responding from that imagine viewpoint

Game Stage

-Generalized Others - The child understands their role in

relation to all other players.

-Multiple Roles Significant Others

George Herbert Mead's Developmental Stages

Symbols - gestures, objects, and words that form basis of human communication

Harry Triandis' Theory of the Self

the aspects of the self (private, public, collective) are differentially sampled depending on the complexity, level of individualism, and looseness of the culture.

The more complex, individualistic, and loose the culture, the more they sample the private self and vice versa.

Harry Triandis' Aspects of the Self

private self - your perception of your own unique traits, states, and behaviors (e.g.: personal traits, feelings, abilities)

relational self - your cognitions concerning your self within a specific dyadic (one-on-one) relationships (e.g.: self in relation with others such as family members, friends, colleagues)

collective self- your cognitions about your self as a member of a group, such as family or community (e.g.: membership in a religious or social organization)

Individualism vs Collectivism

Individualistic Cultures: Tend to sample the private self more frequently, emphasizing autonomy and unique personal attributes.

Collectivistic Cultures: Give greater emphasis to the public and collective selves, where the self is more interdependent and connected to the social context.

Ingroup vs. Outgroup

• Ingroups – defined by common goals common

fate, presence of an external threat, and/or the

need to distribute resources to all ingroup

members

• Outgroups – consist of people with whom one is

in competition or whom one does not trust.