Lecture 6

 Culture and concept of self  Interdependent and independent selves  Multicultural identities

 Self-concept = how you describe yourself using descriptive labels, i.e.:  attributes - abilities, rights, interests  Our past actions, feelings, or thoughts that have connections with attributes  Future plans, actions, feelings or thoughts

 Geertz (1975) : self as: “ a bounded, unique, more or less integrated motivational and cognitive universe, a dynamic center of awareness, emotion, judgement, and action organised into distinctive whole and set contrastively both against other such wholes and against a social and natural background”. (p. 48) (in Matsumoto & Juang, 2008, p. 300)

 Culture milieu shapes, bounds, and moulds individual’s sense of self so that the self- concept fit within that cultural milieu.  Different cultures produce different types of self-concepts.  Self-concept is abstract; normally unnoticed, but we notice it when our values clash with other people’s values.

 Markus & Kitayama (1991) –  Western individualistic construal of self as independent.  Non-Western, collectivistic cultures – individual is viewed as inherently connected or interdependent with others and inseparable from a social context

 Lies in Individualistic cultures.  Features: Strong belief in separateness of individuals Task: to maintain independence of individuals as a separate, self-contained entity. Actualize inner self (self-uniqueness), to promote personal goals  self-esteem Individuals focus on personal, internal attributes, e.g. their intelligence, goals, preferences

Self X X X x X X X x X Co-worker X Friend X Father X X X X Mother X X X X X Friend X Siblings X Note: X = atributes

 Lies in collectivistic cultures  Features:  To fit in and maintain interdependence among individuals.  To be able to read someone else’s mind,  To be sympthetic, to occupy and play assigned roles  To engage in appropriate actions  Self-esteem if fit in the group, fulfil obligations.

X Self X X X x X X X x X X Co-worker Friend X X X X Father X X X X Mother X X X X X Friend Siblings X Note: X = atributes

 1.Self-perception  -independent self construal – more on attributes, e.g. “I am sociable person” - Interdependent self. Construal – tends to be context-specific. E.g. group reference/ social categories

2. Social explanation – - Independent s.c. – self construal = cognitive template, so assume other people also have stable internal attributes which leads one towards fundamental attribution bias (FAB). - FAB – bias towards a person’s disposition/behaviours even in the presence of very obvious situational constraints.

 3. Achievement motivation (desire for excellence)  In independent S.C – motivations are internal to a person  Interdependent S.C. – motivations are guided by expectations of relevant others, felt obligations to others, sense of duty.  Yang (1982) – 2 types of ach.mot, i.e. : individually (‘for me’) and socially oriented (‘for family’s sake’, filial piety).

 4. Self-enhancement – a collection of psychological processes by which individuals reinforce or enhance their self-esteem.  Tendency for self-serving bias (attribute good deeds and successess to their own internal attributes, but the bad ones to external factors.

 (self-enhancement)  False uniqueness effect – the tendency to view oneself and one’s ability and traits more positively in comparison to others, esp. in the USA.  E.g. Wylie’s (1979) – males > intelligent, attractive than average  Myers (1987) – 70% above average in leadership

 5. Social connotation of emotion  - Socially disengaged emotions - accomplishment of your own goals  proud of yrself  confirm your internal attributes as being intelligent, and not due to social context.  Socially engaged emotions – the idea is to restore harmony in group. Any harm doing will be compensated  strengthen up in- groups’ interdependency.

 Indigenous emotions - In some part of Non-western cultures, socially engaged emotions are salient (menonjol). - e.g.1: - “Malu alah” in Malay culture in Malaysia – one is expected to acknowledge good deeds that others have done to you and to feel conscious if the kindness has not been repaid. -

 (Indigenous emotions)  E.g.2:  Ifaluk culture – “fago” = combination of compassion, love and sadness.  “Ker” – happiness and excitement, but “dangerous and socially disruptive”  E.g.3:  Japanese – “Amae” = affectionate bond between mother and child. In organisation, amae is the special bond between workers and employers (reciprocal feelings).

 6. Happiness  Successfully completed a task – people generally happy  Happiness amongst Americans is explained by socially disengaged emotions, e.g. self pride, feelings of superiority)  Happiness amongst Japanese is explained by socially engaged emotions, e.g. pride of the group, friendly feelings, harmony feelings)

 Involves 2 or more identities  Y multi identities? Intermarriages, increase in communication and interaction, less rigid cultural boundary - technology