GENERAL EDUCATION 1- UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
MODULE 6- THE SOCIAL SELF
Intended learning outcomes
At the end of this section, you are expected to:
1. Explain, elaborate and give examples of social factors that shape the development of oneself.
2. Analyze and evaluate one’s social behaviors and identify ways to manage them effectively.
This section dealt with the social and environmental factors that shape oneself. This includes
environmental system, cultural orientations, and other factors that play a crucial role to one’s
social self.
The Self and Its Social Agencies
Human development is largely influenced by membership in crucial social groups that shape various aspect of the self,
from belief systems, values orientation and behaviors. At the beginning of life, one already belongs to a social group: his
or her family. It is the most pervading influential social group that impacts the self in its entire course of development.
Parents are considered as the first teachers; from the very early age, it is from them that one creates initial impressions
of the world beyond his or her home, and the first barometer in determining which acts are good and rewarded and
those that are bad is reprimanded and punished. One’s siblings become one’s friend and playmates. These consistent
family experiences are crucial in shaping of one’s social self.
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 environments. Knowledge and skills are gained
from mentors, relatives, and peers contribute to how the self is harnessed. One’s knowledge of the world is shaped by
collaborative learning conditions, information from books, lectures of mentors and insights from classmates.
Communities, also shape one’s social self to a large extent. One’s cultural beliefs and practices are influence b what
communities and societies dictate. Religion, politics, media, education and the government are all social institutions that
directly impact one’s social life. The social self inevitably changes as one accommodates and eventually assimilates
beliefs promoted by the society or as he or she thinks, appreciates, and behaves according to standard set by micro and
macro systems.
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 (Edward Tylor, 1871). Culture has a great impact on human being, and this is
manifested one’s thoughts, behaviors and expression. However, culture is highly relative; it varies in terms of
geographical, traditional and individual context.
To further understand the nature of culture and its influences on oneself, the following models illustrate how culture
functions in relation to one’s social self.
Bioecological Systems Theory
This explains an individual’s social development, using biological,
environmental, and ecological lenses. This theory explains
bidirectional influence of individual systems to each other and
posit five specific systems that shape an individual’s sense of self.
These systems are as follows:
1. Microsystem. This system refers to the institutions and
social groups that the individual has direct contact and
interaction with, including families, peers, school, religious
institutions and the immediate community.
2. Mesosystem. This stem refers to the interconnections
among aspects in the microsystems affecting the
individual.
3. Exosystem. This system refers to the social setting that an
individual has no direct interaction with but nevertheless affects his or her development. example of this could
be the work setting of one’s parents where a major company decision that results in the loss of job of either
parent will have a significant impact to the child.
4. Macrosystem. This system encompasses the larger cultural context in which the individual resides in. A cultural
context may include the socioeconomic status of his or her country.
5. Chronosystem. This system focuses on patterns of environmental events, including the sociohistorical events
from a specific to a general context. For example, one’s graduation from college would entail changes in his or
her social self as he or she is expected to work to help his or her family and contribute to society.
Individualism- Collectivism Model
This model highlights the impact of culture to the self as
proposed by Hazel Rose Markuz and Shinubo Kitayama
(1991). According to this model, individualism as an
orientation focuses on one’s individual attributes and
personal distinctiveness. People who are individualistic are
observed to competitive and self-reliant. They are likely to be
independent in achieving their personal interest rather
than becoming dependent on a group. On the other hand, the
collectivist orientation values relationships and harmony.
They prioritize interests to maintain healthy relationships.
They are likely to be adaptive to other people, and
cooperative in group tasks. The Philippine society is
traditionally perceived to be a collectivist one because of the
idea that Asian nations adhere to the collectivist mindset. In
the context of collectivism, collective interest is prioritized
over personal ones and the functionality of relationships is
maintained through practices that would benefit
everyone. Veering away from tradition, the Filipinos are no longer tightly bound to strongly collectivist practices. Due to
the rise of globalization and the influence of different nation with individualistic mindsets. Many Filipinos thrive to be
independent and self-reliant, with goals matching one’s individual needs.
I vs. Me
One’s behavior when he or she is alone differs from his or her behavior when he or she is with others. In being alone,
one does not keep up appearances, which is different when there are others observing. This what Herbert Mead (1934)
posited in his theory of the social self. He posited that the self is divided into two parts: the “I” which is known as the
unsocialized self, and the “Me” which is known as the “socialized” self.
According to Mead, the “I” is who an individual really is. It is one’s opinion of himself or herself as a whole. The “I” is
manifested when one acts naturally for his or her own motivations and not because of others. On the other hand, the
“Me” is the awareness of how others expect one to behave. This is also known as the social self. This part of the self,
according to Mead, is the careful and the conscious. Based on Mead’s model, the state of the actual self is achieved
when the “I” and “Me” become congruent.
GENERAL EDUCATION 1- UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
MODULE 6- THE SOCIAL SELF
Name
EXERCISE 1
Instruction: if you think the statement is correct, write agree, otherwise, write disagree.
Agree 1. Culture is important in the development of one’s social self.
Agree 2. People you do not know do not affect our social self.
Agree 3. One’s behavior is affected by the people around him or her. lives
Agree 4. Social institutions have influenced in people’s.
Agree 5. People don’t need other people to survive.
EXERCISE 2
Instruction: using the worksheet below, define what THOUGHTS, BELIEFS, VALUES, HABITS and other
behaviors (both positive and negative) you have acquired by filling in the spaces in the table.
Group/Institution/Event Beliefs/Values/Behavior(BVB) Your BVB
[Link] [Link] respectful [Link] every
Microsystem member of the
family
[Link] [Link] sociable [Link] with
different people
[Link] [Link] approachable [Link] nice to people
living in the same
community as i do.
[Link] 1. Be sociable [Link] fun to be
Mesosystem with
2School [Link] punctual [Link] tasks and
assignments when
you feel
comportable
[Link] [Link] responsible [Link] in doing
household chores
1Parent's workplace 1. Be industrious and work hard [Link] hard
Exosystem often result to going
home late which
means less time for
family bonding.
[Link] [Link] reaourceful and participate in .Not being
community activities. participative enough
due to lock of
support from other
people.
[Link]'s workplaces [Link] hard overseas [Link] time with
family bonding.
[Link] [Link] abide and follows the laws [Link] the
Macrosystem laws that we have
and human rights of
each and everyone
us.
2. Teacher [Link] studious and earn achievements [Link] hard
often leads to
staying up late which
results health
problems.
[Link] [Link] communicative with them [Link] some of
my study time just to
spend my time with
friends.
[Link] college [Link] responsible and mature enough [Link] my best
Chronosystem to change my
mindset to think
more maturely and
do tasks with more
responsibility.
[Link] new people/friends [Link] sociable [Link]’s kind of hard to
communicate with
new people
through just the
screen so I’m still
taking time to
adopt with it.
[Link]/adaptingto the ne [Link] flexible [Link] up with
normal the situation that
we are right now
with utmost and
patience and
understanding.
