Lecture 4: Four Big Giant IdeasSocial Constructionism: (as we communicate so shall we be)Depth Psychology~ Archtypes and Myths, human emotion~ Another part of personality to help make decisions; aren’t aware of???~ Archtype: If there are monarchs out there, inner monarchs; may or may not be conscious, up to us to figure out how to make it conscious “Inner Hero”~ Has to do with unconscious~ Lecture 6: Interpersonal Communication and Selfhood - What makes you, you?Objectives: Understand the various aspects that contribute to a sense of self-hood and identityExplore how different theories of human behavior contribute to an understating of self-hood and identityGenetics~ 9 inherent traits babies show before they are socialized~ “More or less active” could be linked to genetics~ Other inherent traits: more or less expressive, more or less emotional, more or less social (shyness) capacity for joy, propensity for sadness~ Empirical level: We inherit our character from our ancestors Culture~ “To be she in American standards is “normal” in Japan”~ American children are taught to be independent and self-reliant at an early age, Chinese children are taught to rely on parents and older siblings~ I can’t pick my culture but I can pick WHAT from my culture – human minds and culture are the same thing (the “who: we are is a part of social constructionism)~ American told to be themselves ~ Whatever we have inherited from out ancestors will gain meaning from the way our culture contextualizes it~ QUOTE ON TOP OF PAGE 57: (Think Helen Keller example) culture tells us how to interpret thingsRelationships~ At an interpersonal level, we could say the self is dialogical ~ What do I want to be and who do I want to be with?~ Need people around to contribute to who we are ~ ON EXAM: “The uniqueness developed between people becomes the source of uniqueness eventually identified as within the individual”We need other people to be whom we are (ex. Cant be funny is nobody is there to laugh)~ It is through others that we co-construct the “who” of who we are~ THINK: some people bring out different aspects of who we are ~ Self is like a diamond with many facets reflecting the different identities we have built in our various relationships ~ Taking on a role is not faking self it is making self~ Role Conflict: When we find ourselves confronted with two mutually exclusive groups of people in our lives, we have a hard time to figure out whom to be (ex. Camp friends and home friends)~ The “I” and the “Me” (I is doing Me is evaluating) ~ Review in “Communications Study for Test 1” on more information on this topic(Experience and action, symbolic interactionism, etc.)Lecture 7: Self Esteem and Social InteractionObjectives:To understand the fundamental nature of self-esteem in human lifeTo understand the paradoxical drive of heroism and self-esteemTo understand how social interaction serves as the stage of self-esteemTo appreciate the fragility and contingency of identity and selfhoodThe Human Drive Towards Heroism~ “Human beings have need to “expand” their own life…” (Pg. 65)Drives: Something we are compelled to doSelf-esteem- Heroic drive to specialnessHeroic Drive: Drive to do something heroic or to make meaning (doctor, athletes, romance) drives EVERYONECommitment: When you’re in over your headPeak Moment: Can happen anywhere; striving to hit our peak moments~ Praise doesn’t equal self-esteemThe Problem With Self Esteem: Precarious (dependent on circumstances beyond ones control); we have to get it, constantly achieving it (what we get when we fill heroic drive)~ Transferring: People project their own power and ability onto their heroesHeroes cast a nexus of “unfreedom” around their followersWe transfer out goals to our heroes (ex. Parents “Bring order to chaos”)We transfer so we don’t feel responsible; our unlived potentialPeople crave heroesHeroes need villains (Nazi’s vs. Jews ex)THE BEST HEROES DO NOT DEFEAT PEOPLE BUT DEFEAT HUMAN AILMENTS (ex. Cancer, hunger, peace)Heroes are black and white (good and bad?)It is human nature to make others the enemy, but we need to get past human natureVictim and perp = same at one point WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL W HEROES**We need somewhere to put our faith (human condition) choose where you put your faith even though ppl will disappoint you, you must keep your faith**~ Reason: We try and produce things that will last even when we are gone~ The person who shrinks from the expansion of their life force, pulls back from heroism, lives “wasteland” life (life w/out passion, integrity, or zeal)~ A life unlived is a life not lived how you wanted to live it but the way we think we should live our lives according to (socially)~ “Hero System”: Gives us a sense of self-esteemDoing something for someone else~ Idea of the ________ treadmill: When we keep buying things to keep the feeling of the buzz (ex. iPhone)TOP OF PAGE 67~ Heroism in manifest into two paradoxical needs (EROS VS. AGAPE)~ We hunger for Heroic Belonging~ Universal Drives: Agape and ErosEROS Vs. AGAPEEROS:~ Need to stand out and apart from cohorts~ LIFE WITH EROS = DO EVERYTHING FOR YOURSELF AND NOT ENOUGH FOR OTHER PEOPLEAGAPE:~ Need to merge with a group, community, or a purpose larger than oneself (selflesslove, ex. Parents love for a child)~ LIFE WITH AGAPE = DO EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE ELSE AND NOT YOURSELF~ You want to merge BOTH eros and agape; “stand apart but also be apart”~ **How does my need to stand out and blend in contribute to my self-esteem? Or need to stand out?** ~ “Death cuts through the bullshit”Face-to-Face Interaction as a Heroic Arena~ Self-esteem: Have to keep earning it (second time this definition has come up); themost precarious thing a person hasWith it: life is meaningful and world is a place of opportunityWithout it: life is worthless Problem w self-esteem: Can’t give it to ourselves, need other peopleBOTTOM OF PAGE 69~ “Because self-esteem is so fundamental, precious and precarious, because we need others…”ex. Obama not shaking hands with president of Iran, symbolWe loose our ability to think autonomously (freely); we need heroes but we need to be carefulHallowed Event: Self-esteem of both participants (validating the other person)The idea of Face: (existentialism bc you they are choices (confirming face or not))Face: Face is not something we own; face resides in stream of events