Our Sense of Self

Agenda Monday March 22

• Take Up Test
• Interesting Fact: Memory
• Chapter 4.1: Our Sense of Self

10 SECONDS TO REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING NUMBER:

098273856936

Use CHUNKING to remember the following number:

736984638614

Remember the following number anyway you can after counting backwards from 21 by 3s:

648924190452

RECALL THE FOLLOWING WORDS IN ORDER

RECALL THE FOLLOWING WORDS IN ANY ORDER:

• identify and assess the major influences that contribute to an individual's personal and social development (heredity, environment, race, gender);
• analyze the role of the mass media in influencing individual and group behaviour;
• explain why behaviour varies depending on context and on the individuals involved (work, family, sport, city, town);

Anthropology - concerned with patterns our culture transmits to us.

Sociology - study the influence of family, peers, and other soocializing "agents".

Psychology - focus on the interaction of our inherited traits and our environment.

Agenda: Tuesday, March 23

• Current News - Hitler baby
• Example of psychoanalysis (free association)
• Finish "Our Sense of Self"
• Gene Jeapordy

Sociological Perspective:

Wait a second here!? He died in 1931. How did he publish this after his death?

Following his death, several of his students put together and edited four volumes from records of Mead's social psychology course at the University of Chicago, his lecture notes, and his numerous unpublished papers.

Mind, Self and Society:

Is formed through relationships with our parents and close friends. It is only revealed to those closest to us. This is our true self.

Is guided by the rules and expectations of roles we play. "me" is the organized set of attitudes of others which an individual assumes. It is the public self.

I and Me combine to make the total self. We behave according to the social situation and our relationship to the people involved.

This means we have more than one "self". We are regularly adapting our behaviour to our environment.

Psychological Perspective:

Sigmund Freud's "ego" = sense of self

Have you ever acted in ways which did not reflect your own self concept? What happened? How did you feel?

Mental conflict creates frustration, tension, and worry.

People have defense mechanisms for mental conflict to help reduce the negative feelings we get from mental conflict.

Examples of Defense Mechanisms:

Rationalization - an invented excuse to explain failure.

Displacement - Occurs when we lash out at someone undeservedly because we have suppressed anger from a previous situation. Also, reffered to as "bottled anger".

Repression - Pushing concious thoughts or urges into our subconcious. Also refered to as "bottling up".

Projection - We are sensitive to character flaws in other people which are present in ourselves.

During our teens we often spend a lot of time thinking of other people and wondering if other people like us.

Is this good or bad?

Self-enhancers were less accurate in judging themselves but are more likely to be emotionally adjusted. Realists are often more pessimistic.

We become vulnerable to "dark feelings". Why and what are these?

An innevitable struggle in which most teens experience a reduction in self-esteem and the ability to cope. This is due to a transition to a new identity that is vulnerable to mental conflict.

The ability to identify and achieve goals based on a foundation of knowing and valuing oneself.

We cannot be self-determined if we are not self aware. We must know our strengths, weaknesses, needs, and preferences.

Anthropological Perspective:

The concept of the self is culturally constructed. This means that a person's culture is the source of their ideas and concepts about the world.

The process by which we learn our

sense of self from our culture.

What are some cultural factors which shape the self?

School / Friends / Church / Media

Charles Cooley (1864-1929)

Human Nature and the Social Order

Babies interpret how people react to their behaviour. When they receive praise they feel proud and will continue to repeat the desired action. When babies receive negative feedback they begin to feel insecure and are less likely to explore the world around them. Therefore the self concept is formed from reinforced behaviour.

Something to ponder...

If, as babies, people repeat actions that won approval, would this pattern continue into adulthood? If not, when would a person start to do things for self-satisfaction?

?

How do we develope our self concept?

George Herbert Mead

I - Self Me - Self

Stats:

1863-1931 / American

Taught at Chicago University

Wrote:

Self Concept:

Mind, Self and Society

(1962)

Is based on IDEAS about our strengths,

weaknesses, values, beliefs, hopes, dreams,

achievements, and dissapointments.

True self

WARNING!

The following ideas are theories and not facts. Critical thinking is required.

Chapter 4

FORCES SHAPING BEHAVIOUR:

Our Sense of Self

Debate pg. 74

LEARNING EXPECTATIONS:

In Chinese culture each year is named after an animal, and persons born in that year are believed to have characteristics of that animal.

Double click anywhere & add an idea

Total Self

Mixtec Culture:

Mixtec discover their KITI NUVI or animal soul-mate through a local spiritual leader. The person shares characteristics, likes, or dislikes with the animal. If you are a jaguar you are higher up in society than a rabbit.

Mixtec are given an identity. Are things similar or different in our society?

John Monaghan conducted fieldwork in 1983 to 1986 in Santiago Nuyoo, Mexico. The Mixtec believe that living things that come into the world at the same time are fundamentally linked to one another. An animal and a human born at the same time will share life experiences and are often said to have a single soul.

What about nicknames "killer", "pincess"? Do they tie you to an identity?

Enculturation:

GENE GAMES!

BUT THE MOST INFLUENCIAL IS FAMILY!

We are all individuals because of our unique interactions.

Check for Understanding Activity:

Give an example of your I-self, me-self, and total self in a particular circumstance.

Mr. Cram Example:

Role Play!

• i self = empathetic + caring
• me self = athlete in sport culture
• total self = supportive team player

*BONUS - add a different me-self to create a new total self.

In groups, develope a 1-2 minute skit demonstrating a scenario in which a defense mechanism was used.

Adolescent Self-Concept:

What kinds of things did you do to fight for your individuality?

Page 77

The roles we play simulateously.

Status Set:

Erik Erikson

• Displacement
• Repression
• Projection
• Rationalization

The challenge for the adolescent is to develope an identity based on individuality.

BONUS REGRESSION

Self-Enhancement

Individuality - the condition of being oneself and understanding who that self is in relation to others.

Mr.Cram's Status Set

• Teacher to students
• Leader on my ball team
• Student to my teacher
• Friend to my dog

We do not always see ourselves objectively. We often have a selective memory biased towards are strengths. We also tend to develope SYSTEMS of excuses to explain failure.

Do you feel there are expectations on you to act and be a certain way?

For Teenagers:

Identity Crisis:

Unrealistically High Expectations

+

Low Self Concept

=

Identity Crisis

Research Shows...

Youth who were actively exploring their identity tended to have symptoms such as moodiness, self-doubt, disturbed thinking, impulsivity, conflicts with parents and others, reduced ego strength, and increased physical discomfort.

Self-Determination

Do you agree? Do you act differently depending on who's around?

What makes somebody a "phoney"?