Identity and the Self

Aim: To begin exploring the codes that

make us who we are and which we use
to express identity

Consider these two points of

view which approach do you
find yourself in most
I am who I am because of the time and
agreement
with?
place I was born
and the culture I was raised

in. My family gave me a set of values and so

has my town, my religion, my community
and my country. Add these all up and thats
who I am

have got an identity at least my friends

seem to think so, but Im not really sure who
I am. I know that Im more like some people
than others, but this changes as I try out new
identities. I dont really want to take on an
identity if it means I cant be different when I
want to be

First Approach
I

am who I am because of the time and

place I was born and the culture I was
raised in. My family gave me a set of
values and so has my town, my religion,
my community and my country. Add
these all up and thats who I am

This

view sees identity as a product of

culture we are fashioned by social and
cultural forces together with a sort of
genetic blueprint which moulds us into
the individuals we are.

Second Approach
I

have got an identity at least my friends

seem to think so, but Im not really sure who
I am. I know that Im more like some people
than others, but this changes as I try out
new identities. I dont really want to take on
an identity if it means I cant be different
when I want to be

This

view has a different take on the

relationship between culture and the
individual. Here, culture provides a set of
resources which we are free to use in the
construction of our own identity. Rather than
being fixed into place by powerful forces,
identity is more like a butterfly.

The Debate
Neither
They

is right or wrong

represent two sides of a

debate over the nature of identity

Components of Identity
Career
Political

views
Religious beliefs
Relationships
Ethnic identity
Personality
Body image

SELF
All

the Characteristics of the Person

Self-concept:

everything the person

believes to be true about him/herself

Includes

traits, preferences, social roles,

values, beliefs, interests, selfcategorization

Self-understanding

the lifespan

develops throughout

Self-Awareness in Infancy
Dot-of-rouge

experiment
Recognize selves in mirror at 1518 months
15-23 months
Personal pronoun use
Picture recognition
Self-referencing, ownership, selfmonitoring

Self in Early Childhood

Confusion

of self, mind, and body

Concrete descriptions
Physical descriptions
Activities what they do
Overestimation of abilities

Self Middle & Late Childhood

Shift

to internal traits and

abilities
Social role descriptions
Real and ideal selves
More realistic about abilities

Perspective Taking
Opposite

of egocentrism the
ability to assume anothers
perspective
Children who are good at this are
popular
Development progresses through
stages (Selman)

Self in Adolescence
Abstract-idealistic
Self-conscious/

preoccupied
Contradictions within self
Fluctuating picture across
time/situations
Possible selves
Self-integrations as they get
older

Self in Adulthood
Self-awareness

(emotional

intelligence)
Accept own good and bad qualities
Possible

selves become more

realistic
Life review evaluation of
successes & failures; more likely
as you get older

Self-Concept
This

is the idea we have of

ourselves as individuals

Consists

of 3 elements
- SELF IMAGE
- IDEAL SELF
- SELF-ESTEEM

Self-Worth/image
Meaning
Purpose
Living up to your identity & your destiny

Activity The Ideal Self

The

ideal self is the kind of person you would like

to be

Think

about the 3 designations:

- Intellectual Self- deals with your intelligence and
your ability to make good decisions
- Emotional Self- dealswith your emotions and
how you deal with them and also your self-esteem
- Bodily Self-has to do with your body and how
good you take care of it

Sum

up the ideal male or female according to

society or the media. How far is your ideal self
similar or different to these?

The Ideal Self

An

easier concept in theory

that is in in practice
Trying

to probe the Ideal Self in any

kind of public context results in
gatekeeping: we filter out
information that could cause negative
perceptions

Usually

get role models and the ideal

self confused

Activity Role Models

Who

are your role models and

heroes/heroines? What qualities do
you admire in them? If you would like
to be more like these people, what
more than their success (money,
fame, adulation etc) do you want?

Self-Esteem: What is it?

Evaluative

part of the self-concept

emotional
Difference

between the real and ideal self

Have you realized your potential?

Do you value the trait, but have little
potential?
Ideal self includes the ought and the wish
selves
Measure

of our sense of meaning in life

This includes purpose

Self-respect (Have you lived up to who you
are?)

Self-Esteem: What is it?

Influenced

by the reactions of

others
Generalized other, great ubiquitous
they
People

are susceptible to flattery

It is tougher to accept criticism

Self-Esteem: What is it?

Self-serving

bias

Overrate ourselves
Blame our failures
Claim our victories
As a rule, only depressed people truly hav
low self-esteem

Whats the problem?

Why is being wrong so socially
traumatic to students?

The Self-Esteem Movement

Propagated primarily in the educational system
Curricula aimed at increasing students self-esteem
Everyone born after 1970
Focus has been on increasing self-esteem that is not
rooted in reality
Researchers now suggesting that students need to
be able to identify their talents

The Psychology of Self-Esteem Branden (1969)

What Was Taught

Keep your head up, feel good about yourself vs.
take responsibility for your work.
Forsyth et al
(2007)

You can do anything!

No

use of the word failure

Everyone

got all good grades, doing little work

Unrealistic
Students

expectations of success

report being bored in class

What Resulted:
Attitudes
Being
We

happy is the most important thing

should always feel good about

ourselves

What Resulted: Attitudes

Carol Dwecks research
Effort is considered a sign of stupidity
When children are told that they are smart,
they choose an easier task.
Panic when they are challenged or
think they are engaging in a lot of effort.

Result Confused Parents

Encouraged

delicate handling of children

Shielded them from negative emotions,
criticism
Praised kids regardless of what they did
Carol Dwecks research
Parents often think that helping their kids build
self-esteem is done by shielding them from
criticism and praising their talents
Protecting kids from hurt, failure, criticism, &
disappointment has made them more
vulnerable

What Resulted - Behaviors

Weve created college students who are woefully

vulnerable to pinpricks

Students seem to be incapable of handling

negative feedback.

What Self-esteem Cannot Do?

Improve

school performance
Improve social relationships
Guarantee good leadership
Prevent risky behavior such as
drinking
Promote health

References
Wikipedia
Google