Identity and the Self

1. Identity and the Self Lesson Aims: 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 moulds 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. Self-Concept This is the idea we have of ourselves as individuals Consists of 3 elements - SELF IMAGE - IDEAL SELF - SELF-ESTEEM

7. Activity � Answer the following list of self-probing questions: Who are you? What do you do? What do you do well? What do you do badly? What is your strongest feeling? What is your strongest belief? What is your strongest desire? What is your oldest memory? What is your most shameful lie? What has been your greatest triumph? Who do you love? Who do you hate? Who would you like to be?

8. KUHN & MCPARTLAND (1954) Conducted an experiment Asked those questions to a group of 7 year olds and a group of undergraduates

9. Their findings Responses fall into two categories: SOCIAL ROLES The parts we play, either �ascribed� (or given) rather like daughter or son or �achieved� roles (such as student or worker) PERSONALITY TRAITS Statements about what we think we are like eg. �I am very easy going� or �I am hard working�

10. Differences Main difference between 7 year olds and undergraduates was in proportions of �social roles� and �personality traits� On average, 7 year olds recorded 5 social role statements while the undergraduates recorded 10 Suggests as we get older we describe ourselves in terms of job or status

11. Body Image An important factor growing up in a society where stereotyped body images are common At this point, self-image becomes influenced by the other components of self-concept, in particular, the ideal self

12. Activity � The Ideal Self The ideal self is the kind of person you would like to be Think about the 3 designations: - Intellectual Self - Emotional Self - Bodily Self Sum up the ideal male or female according to society or the media. How far is your ideal self similar or different to these?

13. 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

14. 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? Write a short paragraph summarising your ideas

15. Rogers (1961) Believes we have a number of layers or levels of self-consciousness Modelling of ourselves in terms of others is part of a process that creates, presents and maintains our own �public self� More superficial than the self we �show� to close friends and family He created a concentric circle model to show interconnectedness of these �selves�

16. Rogers� Concentric Circles Model

17. Self-Esteem Rogers � the gap between self-image and ideal self is likely to be a measure of an individual�s self worth or �self-esteem� Coopersmith (1967) � defines self-esteem as �a personal judgement of worthiness� Currency of self regard � it measures how good you feel about yourself

18. Dimbleby & Burton (2006) Identified 4 key factors in the creation of a sense of self 1. Reactions of others 2. Comparisons with others 3. Identifications with others 4. The fourth is the roles we play Three are directly concerned with the relationships we have with others

19. Activity - Identifications Who are those significant others for you? Whose reactions matter most to you? Whom to you compare yourself to? Who are you compared to? With whom do you identify?