Social Identity, Social Identity, Personality, and Personality, and

GenderGender

Part IPart I

Enculturation: The Human Self Enculturation: The Human Self and Social Identity and Social Identity

We start learning our culture the day We start learning our culture the day we are born, and we are still learning we are born, and we are still learning things at the time of our death. things at the time of our death.

All cultures are subject to change. All cultures are subject to change. However, the speed with which However, the speed with which cultures change may vary cultures change may vary enormously from place to place and enormously from place to place and time to time.time to time.

Enculturation: The Human Self Enculturation: The Human Self and Social Identity (cont)and Social Identity (cont)

Enculturation: The Human Self Enculturation: The Human Self and Social Identity (cont)and Social Identity (cont)

Enculturation begins before an individual is Enculturation begins before an individual is born.born.

The mother is the most important member of The mother is the most important member of

the child’s enculturation, while gradually more the child’s enculturation, while gradually more and more individuals are integrated.and more individuals are integrated.

Beginning with birth, all humans then pass Beginning with birth, all humans then pass through development phases, each through development phases, each characterized by an increase in the capacity to characterized by an increase in the capacity to deal with the physical and social environment. deal with the physical and social environment.

Enculturation: The Human Self Enculturation: The Human Self and Social Identity (cont)and Social Identity (cont)

Self-awareness is the ability to Self-awareness is the ability to identify oneself as an individual identify oneself as an individual creature, to reflect on oneself, and to creature, to reflect on oneself, and to evaluate oneself. evaluate oneself.

An important aspect of self-An important aspect of self-awareness is the attachment of awareness is the attachment of positive value to one’s self.positive value to one’s self.

Enculturation: The Human Self Enculturation: The Human Self and Social Identity (cont)and Social Identity (cont)

A naming ceremony is a special event A naming ceremony is a special event or ritual to mark the naming of a child. or ritual to mark the naming of a child.

The development of self-awareness The development of self-awareness requires. requires.

object orientationobject orientation spatial orientationspatial orientation temporal orientationtemporal orientation normative orientationnormative orientation

Personality:Personality: Personality is the Personality is the

distinctive way a distinctive way a person thinks, feels, person thinks, feels, and behavesand behaves

Dependence training is Dependence training is child-rearing practices child-rearing practices that foster compliance that foster compliance in the performance of in the performance of assigned tasks and assigned tasks and dependence on the dependence on the domestic group, rather domestic group, rather than reliance on than reliance on oneself. oneself.

Independence training Independence training is child-rearing is child-rearing practices that foster practices that foster independence, self-independence, self-reliance, and personal reliance, and personal achievement.achievement.

Each culture embraces Each culture embraces some level of some level of dependence/independedependence/independence training along the nce training along the continuum.continuum.

Personality (cont)Personality (cont)

Group personality: we may speak of a Group personality: we may speak of a generalized ‘cultural personality’ for a generalized ‘cultural personality’ for a society, as long as we do not expect to society, as long as we do not expect to find a uniformity of personalities within find a uniformity of personalities within that society. that society.

Modal personality: the body of character Modal personality: the body of character traits that occur with the highest traits that occur with the highest frequency in a culturally bounded frequency in a culturally bounded population.population.

Personality (cont)Personality (cont)

National character studies were flawed, National character studies were flawed, mainly because they made over-mainly because they made over-generalized conclusions base on limited generalized conclusions base on limited data, relatively small samples of data, relatively small samples of informants, and questionable assumptions informants, and questionable assumptions about developmental psychology.about developmental psychology.

Core values are those values that are Core values are those values that are especially promoted by a particular especially promoted by a particular culture. culture.