UNDERSTANDING THE SELF |1

ANTHROPOLOGICAL VIEW OF SELF

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the chapter, you should be able to:
 recognize what the field of anthropology can contribute to the understanding of the self;
 understand how culture and self are complementary concepts;
 discuss the cultural construction of the self and social identity;
 explain the concept of identity struggles; and
 develop insights on how to achieve a sense of self, situated in multicultural and dynamic situations.

Introduction: Practices among different societies reveal ways how societies conceptualize what the self is and how it relates
to culture. Anthropology considered as one of the most complex areas of discipline, has explored various meaning of culture, self
and identity in the desire to come up with a better understanding of the self. Some anthropologists, however, arrive at a conclusion
that there is no simple definition.

The self in differing cultural context

British anthropologist Edward Tyler defines culture as “… that complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a
member of society.” Anthropologist have emphasized that culture is not behavior itself but the shared
understanding that guide behavior and are expressed in behavior (Peacock, 1986). Therefore, it is how
people make sense of their experience and behave according to socially shared ideas, values, and
perceptions. As such, culture has acquired a range of different meanings that require reflection and analysis
because the significance of cultures has enormous implications for everyone’s conception of self (van Meijl,
2008). Thus, one may say that culture provides patterns of “ways of life.” Culture, being diverse, self and
identity may have different meanings in different cultures.
There are two ways in which the concept of self is viewed in different societies: egocentric and
sociocentric. In the egocentric view, the self is seen as an autonomous and distinct individual. Each person
is defined as a replica of all humanity but capable of acting independently form others. While in the
sociocentric view, the self is contingent on a situation or social setting. This is a view of the self that is
context-dependent which emphasizes that there is no intrinsic self that can possess enduring qualities
(Robbins, 2012).
The self and the development of the social world

When universal values and moral principles of an individual or group become relatively determined
by politics and ideology, among other external factors, an identity crisis may occur. Golubovic (2011)
suggests that in order to attain self-identification, individuals have to overcome many obstacles such as
traditionally established habits and externally imposed self-images. On the other hand, the works of
cognitive anthropologists suggest that in order to maintain a relatively stable and coherent self, members of
the multicultural society have no choice but to internalize divergent cultural models and should reject or
suppress identification that may conflict with other self-presentations (van Meijl, 2008). Katherine Ewing’s
“Illusion of Wholeness” exhibits how individual selves throughout the world continuously reconstitute
themselves into new selves in response to internal and external stimuli. Therefore, the cohesiveness and
continuity of self are only illusory. For the reason that the postmodern man has lost his right and stopped
striving to become an autonomous and active part of the process of self-determination and a particular
 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF |2

identification with one’s own community, the most important philosophical task of the postmodern man today
is to “work on yourself” just like in the Socratic message “know thyself” (Golubovic, 2011).

Self in Families
The identity toolbox refers to the features of a person’s identity that he or she chooses to
emphasize is constructing a social self. Some characteristics such as kinship, gender, and age are almost
universally used to differentiate people. Other characteristics such as ethnicity, personal appearance, and
socioeconomic status are not always used in every society. Family membership could be the most
significant feature to determine a person’s identity. Another important identity determinant that is often
viewed as essential for the maintenance of a group identity is language.
One’s identity is not inborn. It is something people continuously develop in life develop in life. For
instance, rites of passage usually involve ritual activities to prepare individuals for new roles from one stage
of life to another such as birth, puberty, marriage, having children, and death. Arnold van Gennep believes
that changes in one’s status and identity are marked by a three-phased rite of passage: separation,
liminality, and incorporation. In the separation phase, people detach form their former identity to another.
For example, in a wedding the bride walking down aisle to be “give-away” by the parents to the groom
implies the separation from one’s family to become part of new one. In the liminalityphase, a person
transitions from one identity to another. For example, the wedding ceremony itself is the process of
transition of the bride and groom form singlehood to married life. Finally, in the incorporation phase, the
change in one’s status is officially incorporated. For example, the wedding reception and parties that
celebrate the wedding serve as the markers that officially recognize the bride and groom’s change towards
being husband and wife.

Questions for Discussions:

1. How is my self-shaped and influenced by culture?

2. How is my self-shaped and influenced by family?
3. How is my self-shaped and influenced by peer?

Activity 2 (formative assessment): “Birds of the Same Feather”

Mechanics: Walk around singing “Ang mga ibon na lumilipad ay mahal ng Diyos….”

The activity leader will shout: Birds of the same feather flock together. Group yourselves
according to:
-gender
-age
-height
-religion
-ethinicity/municipality
then answer the following questions:
1. What did you realize about your social identity
2. How did you feel being in contact with your classmates who are similar to you?
3. How did you feel when you were not able to find your group?
 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF |3

References:
M. J. Go-Monilla and N. Ramirez (2018). Understanding the Self. C & E Publishing , Inc. Manila, Philippines
D. Brawner and A. Arcega(2018). Understanding the Self. C & E Publishing , Inc. Manila, Philippines