2. Who am I?
In your notebook, please write twenty answers to the simple question Who am
I? Just give twenty different answers to this question. Answer as if you were
giving the answers to yourself, not to somebody else. Write the answers in the
order that they occur to you. Dont worry about logic or importance. Go along
fairly fast for time is limited.
(Kuhn and McPartland, 1954)
3. Consider each of your response in terms of the following categories (Rees &
Nicholson, 2004):
Physical: I am tall, I am pretty, I live in New Delhi
Social: I am a daughter, I am an IIT Delhi student, I am a gamer
Reflective: I am competitive, I am cheerful, I enjoy metal music
Oceanic: I am a human being, I am a part of the universe, I am a
combination of atoms and molecules
4. Self is multifaceted
Contrary to the tradition idea that the self is a unified, consistent, and stable core of our
identity
We embody a multitude of social roles, each of which brings out different aspects of
the self.
Different social environments and even interpersonal relationships bring out
different aspects of the self.
The self is psychologically complex and can show internal contradictions.
The self is fluid and develops over time.
5. Which is your predominant self?
Count the number of each type of response and provide the totals for each type.
Those with more social responses base their self-concept on group
membership and institutional roles. Such individuals show a willingness to
adhere to group standards and to accept group obligations.
Those with more reflective responses see themselves as more independent,
and define themselves according to their individual actions and emotions rather
than their connections to others. Such individuals tend to prioritize the pursuit
of individual satisfaction over group obligations.
6. Discuss
Which is the predominant type of self in our classroom?
Which is yours? Did you agree with the description provided on the previous
slide?
India has predominantly and since long been considered a collectivistic
culture. Does our classroom reflect the same? Why/why not is there a change
with time?
7. Discuss
Can you think of any consequences for a society/culture that is
overwhelmingly dominated by people of one kind of self over the other?
Do you think these two orientations are mutually exclusive, or can
people/cultures show a combination of both?
