1. Identity and the Self
Aim: To begin exploring the codes that make us who we are and which we use to express identity

2. 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”

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. The Debate Neither is right or wrong
They represent two sides of a debate over the nature of identity

6. Components of Identity
Career
Political views
Religious beliefs
Relationships
Ethnic identity
Personality
Body image

7. 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

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

9. Self in Early Childhood
Confusion of self, mind, and body
Concrete descriptions
Physical descriptions
Activities – what they do
Overestimation of abilities

10. Self – Middle & Late Childhood
Shift to internal traits and abilities
Social role descriptions
Real and ideal selves
More realistic about abilities

11. 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)

12. Self in Adolescence Abstract-idealistic Self-conscious/ preoccupied
Contradictions within self
Fluctuating picture across time/situations
Possible selves
Self-integrations as they get older

13. 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

14. Self-Concept This is the idea we have of ourselves as individuals
Consists of 3 elements
- SELF IMAGE
- IDEAL SELF
- SELF-ESTEEM

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

16. 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?

17. 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

18. 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?

19. 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.

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

21. 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