Understanding the Self

WEEK 8 UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL SELF

Objectives:
1. Define social self
2. Discuss three (3) aspects of the Social Self
3. Demonstrate understanding of the social Self

 LECTURE

This module focuses on the social aspects of the self. As social beings, individuals interact with others
and relate themselves to other people. Social institutions and environments significantly contribute to
one’s identity and self-development. Among millennial learners, technology and the internet have
significantly influenced their social environments and, consequently, their sense of self. In this
module, the cultural, digital, and economic aspects of one’s life and how they influence a person’s
social self will be put to light. This module aims to provide learners with a deeper understanding of
themselves through a socio-cultural perspective.

The Self and Its Social Agency

 Human development is largely influenced by membership in crucial social groups that shape various
aspects of the self; from belief systems, values orientation, and behavior.
 At the beginning of life, one already belongs to a social group: his/her family. It is the most pervading
influential social group that impacts the self in its entire course of development. The views one holds
about the world, values upheld in making choices and decisions, and the habits and persistent
behavior one carries have been formed in the context of one’s family and home environment.
 Next to family, schools and the general academic environment form a significant part of the social
self. Worldviews expand as one gets exposed to more people in different social learning environment.
Knowledge and social skills gained from mentors, relatives, and peers contribute to how the social
self is harnessed.

 Aside from one’s family and school environments, communities also shape one’s social self to a large
extent.
 The social self inevitably changes as one accommodates and eventually assimilates beliefs promoted
by the society as he/she thinks, appreciates, and behaves according to standards set by micro and
macrosystems.
 Culture
 “Culture is the complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, law, art moral, custom, and other
capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” (Tylor, 1871)
 3 interrelated aspects of Social Self
1. Self-concept
 Actions
 emotions
 motivations
2. Self-esteem
 Affective component
 Personal evaluation
 Defense against threats
3.Self-Presentation
 Manifestation of self
 Manifestation of self to others