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 agreement with? “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 that’s who I am” “I have got an identity – at least my friends seem to think so, but I’m not really sure who I am. I know that I’m more like some people than others, but this changes as I try out new identities. I don’t really want to take on an identity if it means I can’t 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 that’s 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 molds us into the individuals we are.

Second Approach “I have got an identity – at least my friends seem to think so, but I’m not really sure who I am. I know that I’m more like some people than others, but this changes as I try out new identities. I don’t really want to take on an identity if it means I can’t 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 is right or wrong They 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, self-categorization Self-understanding develops throughout the lifespan

Self-Awareness in Infancy Dot-of-rouge experiment Recognize selves in mirror at 15-18 months 15-23 months Personal pronoun use Picture recognition Self-referencing, ownership, self-monitoring

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 another’s 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- deals with 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? The amount of confidence in one’s own abilities and self worth. It is the way we think and see yourself Only our mind perceives it, no one outside our mind can change it.

Self-Esteem: Building Surround yourself with someone positive Set goals Find the positive See failure as learning opportunities Focus on what you did well

Self-Esteem: What kills it Self-serving bias Overrate ourselves Blame our failures Claim our victories As a rule, only depressed people truly have low self- esteem