NCERT Textbook: Understanding the Self | Home Science for Class 11 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

 Page 1


5
UNIT I 
Understanding Oneself : 
a d Olescence Unit I focusses on the stage of adolescence —  
the stage of life to which you belong at  
present. This unit deals with understanding  
your own self in terms of your personal and  
social identity, your nutritional  and health 
requirements, management of basic resources 
of time and space, fabrics around you, and your 
communication skills. The last chapter of the  
unit situates the adolescent in the context of the family 
and larger society, thereby linking it to the next unit 
that deals with the individual in relation to her/his 
family, school, community and society.
Unit 1.indd   5 3/16/2023   10:33:45
2024-25
Page 2


5
UNIT I 
Understanding Oneself : 
a d Olescence Unit I focusses on the stage of adolescence —  
the stage of life to which you belong at  
present. This unit deals with understanding  
your own self in terms of your personal and  
social identity, your nutritional  and health 
requirements, management of basic resources 
of time and space, fabrics around you, and your 
communication skills. The last chapter of the  
unit situates the adolescent in the context of the family 
and larger society, thereby linking it to the next unit 
that deals with the individual in relation to her/his 
family, school, community and society.
Unit 1.indd   5 3/16/2023   10:33:45
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
6
2
Understanding  
the Self
A. What makes me ‘I’
Learning Objectives 
After completing sections A, B and C the learner is able to —
•	 discuss 	 the 	 importance	 of	 knowing 	 oneself 	 and 	 the	 significance	
of developing a positive sense of self.
•	 list 	 the 	 factors	 that	 influence 	 the 	 development 	 of 	 selfhood	 and	
identity.
•	 analyse 	 why	 the	 period	 of	 adolescence	 is 	 critical	 for	 the	
development of self and identity.
•	 describe 	 the	 characteristics 	 of 	 self	 during	 infancy, 	 childhood	
and adolescence.
2A.1 Introduction 
While	 we	 all 	 have 	 many	 things 	 in	 common	 with	 our	 par ents, 	 siblings,	 other 	
r elatives 	 and 	 friends, 	 each	 one 	 of	 us 	 is	 also	 a 	 unique 	 person, 	 dif fer ent 	 fr om	
all 	 others. 	 This 	 sense	 of	 being	 unique	 gives 	 us	 our 	 sense 	 of 	 self	 —	 the	 sense	
of 	 ‘I’	 which	 is 	 dif fer ent	 fr om	 ‘you’,	 ‘them’	 and	 ‘others’.	 How 	 do 	 we 	 develop	
this 	 sense	 of	 self ?	 What	 we 	 think 	 about	 ourselves 	 and 	 how	 we	 describe 	
ourselves	 —	 does 	 it	 change 	 over	 the	 years? 	 What	 ar e	 the 	 elements	 of	 the	
self? 	 Why 	 should	 we	 study	 about	 the 	 self ? 	 Does 	 our	 self	 influence	 the	 way	
we	 interact	 with 	 people?	 In	 this	 unit	 we 	 will 	 study 	 about	 these	 and	 other 	
interesting aspects of the self. 
Related	 to	 the 	 concept	 of	 the	 self 	 ar e	 two	 other	 concepts 	 —	 identity	 and	
personality.	 While	 psychologists 	 distinguish	 between	 these 	 thr ee 	 concepts 	
in	 ter ms	 of 	 their	 definitions,	 the	 concepts 	 ar e 	 intricately	 r elated 	 and	 we 	
often 	 inter change 	these	 ter ms 	in 	common	usage.		
Unit 1.indd   6 8/4/2022   2:50:34 PM
2024-25
Page 3


5
UNIT I 
Understanding Oneself : 
a d Olescence Unit I focusses on the stage of adolescence —  
the stage of life to which you belong at  
present. This unit deals with understanding  
your own self in terms of your personal and  
social identity, your nutritional  and health 
requirements, management of basic resources 
of time and space, fabrics around you, and your 
communication skills. The last chapter of the  
unit situates the adolescent in the context of the family 
and larger society, thereby linking it to the next unit 
that deals with the individual in relation to her/his 
family, school, community and society.
Unit 1.indd   5 3/16/2023   10:33:45
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
6
2
Understanding  
the Self
A. What makes me ‘I’
Learning Objectives 
After completing sections A, B and C the learner is able to —
•	 discuss 	 the 	 importance	 of	 knowing 	 oneself 	 and 	 the	 significance	
of developing a positive sense of self.
•	 list 	 the 	 factors	 that	 influence 	 the 	 development 	 of 	 selfhood	 and	
identity.
•	 analyse 	 why	 the	 period	 of	 adolescence	 is 	 critical	 for	 the	
development of self and identity.
•	 describe 	 the	 characteristics 	 of 	 self	 during	 infancy, 	 childhood	
and adolescence.
2A.1 Introduction 
While	 we	 all 	 have 	 many	 things 	 in	 common	 with	 our	 par ents, 	 siblings,	 other 	
r elatives 	 and 	 friends, 	 each	 one 	 of	 us 	 is	 also	 a 	 unique 	 person, 	 dif fer ent 	 fr om	
all 	 others. 	 This 	 sense	 of	 being	 unique	 gives 	 us	 our 	 sense 	 of 	 self	 —	 the	 sense	
of 	 ‘I’	 which	 is 	 dif fer ent	 fr om	 ‘you’,	 ‘them’	 and	 ‘others’.	 How 	 do 	 we 	 develop	
this 	 sense	 of	 self ?	 What	 we 	 think 	 about	 ourselves 	 and 	 how	 we	 describe 	
ourselves	 —	 does 	 it	 change 	 over	 the	 years? 	 What	 ar e	 the 	 elements	 of	 the	
self? 	 Why 	 should	 we	 study	 about	 the 	 self ? 	 Does 	 our	 self	 influence	 the	 way	
we	 interact	 with 	 people?	 In	 this	 unit	 we 	 will 	 study 	 about	 these	 and	 other 	
interesting aspects of the self. 
Related	 to	 the 	 concept	 of	 the	 self 	 ar e	 two	 other	 concepts 	 —	 identity	 and	
personality.	 While	 psychologists 	 distinguish	 between	 these 	 thr ee 	 concepts 	
in	 ter ms	 of 	 their	 definitions,	 the	 concepts 	 ar e 	 intricately	 r elated 	 and	 we 	
often 	 inter change 	these	 ter ms 	in 	common	usage.		
Unit 1.indd   6 8/4/2022   2:50:34 PM
2024-25
7
2A.2 What is Self? 
The 	 W ebster’s 	 Thir d	 New 	 Inter national	 Dictionary	 contains 	 500	 entries 	
that	 begin 	 with	 ‘self ’.	 The	 sense	 of 	 self	 r efers 	 to	 the 	 sense 	 of 	 who	 we 	 ar e	
and	 what 	 makes 	 us	 dif fer ent	 fr om	 everyone	 else.	 During 	 adolescence	 —	
the	 period 	 you 	 ar e	 going 	 thr ough 	 pr esently 	 —	 we 	 start	 thinking 	 mor e 	 than	
ever	 about 	 who	 am	 I? 	 What 	 makes 	 ‘me’ 	 dif fer ent	 fr om 	 ‘others’? 	 At	 this 	
stage,	 mor e 	 than	 at 	 any 	 other 	 stage	 befor e	 this,	 we 	 try 	 to 	 define	 our 	 ‘self ’.	
Some	 of 	 you	 may	 have 	 given 	 this 	 question 	 a 	 lot 	 of 	 thought, 	 while 	 some	
others 	 may 	 not 	be	awar e 	that	 they	have	been 	thinking	of 	these 	aspects. 	
Complete the following sentences starting with – I am. 
 1. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 2. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 3. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 4. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 5. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 6. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 7. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 8. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 9. I am……………………………………………………………………………..………...
10. I am……………….……………………………………………………………………....
Activity 1
	 Re-examine 	 the	 statements 	 you	 wr ote 	 to	 describe 	 yourself, 	 some 	 of 	
these	 described 	 the	 physical 	 aspects	 of	 yourself, 	 you	 described	 your 	 bodily 	
self;	 in	 some 	 you	 r eferr ed 	 to	 your 	 feelings 	 and 	 emotions;	 in 	 some 	 you 	
described 	 yourself	 in 	 ter ms 	 of 	 your	 mental 	 abilities; 	 in	 some	 others 	 you 	
may	 have 	 described 	 yourself	 in 	 r elation	 to	 others,	 in	 ter ms 	 of 	 the 	 r oles	 	
you	 per for m 	 and	 the	 r elationships	 you 	 ar e	 involved 	 in 	 every 	 day	 such	
as	 son/daughter , 	 wife/sister ,	 student,	 i.e., 	 you 	 defined 	 yourself 	 in 	 ter ms	
of	 your 	 social 	 r elationships 	 in	 the 	 family	 and	 community. 	 Some	 of 	 you	
may	 have 	 described 	 yourself 	 in	 ter ms 	 of	 your	potential or capabilities 
and	 some 	 others 	 in 	 ter ms	 of	 your 	 beliefs.	 In	 some	 you	 described	 yourself 	
as	 a	 doer , 	 as	 a	 person 	 per for ming 	 actions,	 as 	 an 	 agent,	 while 	 in	 others 	
you	 described 	 yourself	 as 	 a 	 thinker .	 Thus,	 you	 can 	 see 	 that	 the 	 self	 has	
several	 dimensions. 	 V ery	 br oadly	 speaking	 we 	 can 	 think	 of 	 these 	 various	
dimensions of the self as the personal and the social. The personal self 
Understanding the Self
Unit 1.indd   7 8/4/2022   2:50:34 PM
2024-25
Page 4


5
UNIT I 
Understanding Oneself : 
a d Olescence Unit I focusses on the stage of adolescence —  
the stage of life to which you belong at  
present. This unit deals with understanding  
your own self in terms of your personal and  
social identity, your nutritional  and health 
requirements, management of basic resources 
of time and space, fabrics around you, and your 
communication skills. The last chapter of the  
unit situates the adolescent in the context of the family 
and larger society, thereby linking it to the next unit 
that deals with the individual in relation to her/his 
family, school, community and society.
Unit 1.indd   5 3/16/2023   10:33:45
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
6
2
Understanding  
the Self
A. What makes me ‘I’
Learning Objectives 
After completing sections A, B and C the learner is able to —
•	 discuss 	 the 	 importance	 of	 knowing 	 oneself 	 and 	 the	 significance	
of developing a positive sense of self.
•	 list 	 the 	 factors	 that	 influence 	 the 	 development 	 of 	 selfhood	 and	
identity.
•	 analyse 	 why	 the	 period	 of	 adolescence	 is 	 critical	 for	 the	
development of self and identity.
•	 describe 	 the	 characteristics 	 of 	 self	 during	 infancy, 	 childhood	
and adolescence.
2A.1 Introduction 
While	 we	 all 	 have 	 many	 things 	 in	 common	 with	 our	 par ents, 	 siblings,	 other 	
r elatives 	 and 	 friends, 	 each	 one 	 of	 us 	 is	 also	 a 	 unique 	 person, 	 dif fer ent 	 fr om	
all 	 others. 	 This 	 sense	 of	 being	 unique	 gives 	 us	 our 	 sense 	 of 	 self	 —	 the	 sense	
of 	 ‘I’	 which	 is 	 dif fer ent	 fr om	 ‘you’,	 ‘them’	 and	 ‘others’.	 How 	 do 	 we 	 develop	
this 	 sense	 of	 self ?	 What	 we 	 think 	 about	 ourselves 	 and 	 how	 we	 describe 	
ourselves	 —	 does 	 it	 change 	 over	 the	 years? 	 What	 ar e	 the 	 elements	 of	 the	
self? 	 Why 	 should	 we	 study	 about	 the 	 self ? 	 Does 	 our	 self	 influence	 the	 way	
we	 interact	 with 	 people?	 In	 this	 unit	 we 	 will 	 study 	 about	 these	 and	 other 	
interesting aspects of the self. 
Related	 to	 the 	 concept	 of	 the	 self 	 ar e	 two	 other	 concepts 	 —	 identity	 and	
personality.	 While	 psychologists 	 distinguish	 between	 these 	 thr ee 	 concepts 	
in	 ter ms	 of 	 their	 definitions,	 the	 concepts 	 ar e 	 intricately	 r elated 	 and	 we 	
often 	 inter change 	these	 ter ms 	in 	common	usage.		
Unit 1.indd   6 8/4/2022   2:50:34 PM
2024-25
7
2A.2 What is Self? 
The 	 W ebster’s 	 Thir d	 New 	 Inter national	 Dictionary	 contains 	 500	 entries 	
that	 begin 	 with	 ‘self ’.	 The	 sense	 of 	 self	 r efers 	 to	 the 	 sense 	 of 	 who	 we 	 ar e	
and	 what 	 makes 	 us	 dif fer ent	 fr om	 everyone	 else.	 During 	 adolescence	 —	
the	 period 	 you 	 ar e	 going 	 thr ough 	 pr esently 	 —	 we 	 start	 thinking 	 mor e 	 than	
ever	 about 	 who	 am	 I? 	 What 	 makes 	 ‘me’ 	 dif fer ent	 fr om 	 ‘others’? 	 At	 this 	
stage,	 mor e 	 than	 at 	 any 	 other 	 stage	 befor e	 this,	 we 	 try 	 to 	 define	 our 	 ‘self ’.	
Some	 of 	 you	 may	 have 	 given 	 this 	 question 	 a 	 lot 	 of 	 thought, 	 while 	 some	
others 	 may 	 not 	be	awar e 	that	 they	have	been 	thinking	of 	these 	aspects. 	
Complete the following sentences starting with – I am. 
 1. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 2. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 3. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 4. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 5. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 6. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 7. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 8. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 9. I am……………………………………………………………………………..………...
10. I am……………….……………………………………………………………………....
Activity 1
	 Re-examine 	 the	 statements 	 you	 wr ote 	 to	 describe 	 yourself, 	 some 	 of 	
these	 described 	 the	 physical 	 aspects	 of	 yourself, 	 you	 described	 your 	 bodily 	
self;	 in	 some 	 you	 r eferr ed 	 to	 your 	 feelings 	 and 	 emotions;	 in 	 some 	 you 	
described 	 yourself	 in 	 ter ms 	 of 	 your	 mental 	 abilities; 	 in	 some	 others 	 you 	
may	 have 	 described 	 yourself	 in 	 r elation	 to	 others,	 in	 ter ms 	 of 	 the 	 r oles	 	
you	 per for m 	 and	 the	 r elationships	 you 	 ar e	 involved 	 in 	 every 	 day	 such	
as	 son/daughter , 	 wife/sister ,	 student,	 i.e., 	 you 	 defined 	 yourself 	 in 	 ter ms	
of	 your 	 social 	 r elationships 	 in	 the 	 family	 and	 community. 	 Some	 of 	 you	
may	 have 	 described 	 yourself 	 in	 ter ms 	 of	 your	potential or capabilities 
and	 some 	 others 	 in 	 ter ms	 of	 your 	 beliefs.	 In	 some	 you	 described	 yourself 	
as	 a	 doer , 	 as	 a	 person 	 per for ming 	 actions,	 as 	 an 	 agent,	 while 	 in	 others 	
you	 described 	 yourself	 as 	 a 	 thinker .	 Thus,	 you	 can 	 see 	 that	 the 	 self	 has	
several	 dimensions. 	 V ery	 br oadly	 speaking	 we 	 can 	 think	 of 	 these 	 various	
dimensions of the self as the personal and the social. The personal self 
Understanding the Self
Unit 1.indd   7 8/4/2022   2:50:34 PM
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
8
has	 those	 aspects 	 which	 r elate 	 only	 to 	 you	 while	 the 	 social 	 self 	 r efers	 to	
those 	 aspects 	 wher e 	 you 	 ar e	 involved	 with	 others,	 and 	 includes 	 aspects	
like 	 sharing,	 cooperation,	 support	 and	unity.	
We can say that the term self refers to the totality of a person’s 
experiences,	 ideas,	 thoughts	 and 	 feelings 	 with	 r egar d	 to	 herself/himself. 	 It	
is	 the	 characteristic	 way	 in	 which 	 we 	 define 	 ourselves. 	The idea that we 
hold of ourselves is the notion of the self.  
Y ou	 must	 have 	 hear d	 and	 used	 the	 ter ms 	 self-concept	 and 	 self-esteem	
with	 r efer ence	 to 	 yourself	 and	 with	 others.	 What 	 do	 you 	 mean	 when	 you	
use 	 them?	 W rite 	 your	 thoughts	 in	 the 	 box	 below	 and 	 discuss	 these	 after 	
reading the definitions given after the box. 
For your thoughts....
Self-concept and self-esteem are elements of identity. Self-concept 
is	 a	 description 	 of	 oneself. 	 It 	 answers	 the 	 question 	 of	 ‘Who 	 am	 I?’	 Our	
self-concept 	 includes	 our	 qualities,	 feelings 	 and 	 thoughts 	 and	 what 	 we	 ar e 	
capable of doing.
An important aspect of the self-concept is self-esteem. Self-esteem 
r efers 	 to	 our 	 judgment	 of 	 ourselves	 accor ding 	 to 	 the	 standar ds 	 we 	 have 	 set	
for	 ourselves 	 which	 ar e	 lar gely 	 influenced 	 by	 society.	 	 It	 is 	 one’s	 evaluation	
of oneself.  
Unit 1.indd   8 8/4/2022   2:50:35 PM
2024-25
Page 5


5
UNIT I 
Understanding Oneself : 
a d Olescence Unit I focusses on the stage of adolescence —  
the stage of life to which you belong at  
present. This unit deals with understanding  
your own self in terms of your personal and  
social identity, your nutritional  and health 
requirements, management of basic resources 
of time and space, fabrics around you, and your 
communication skills. The last chapter of the  
unit situates the adolescent in the context of the family 
and larger society, thereby linking it to the next unit 
that deals with the individual in relation to her/his 
family, school, community and society.
Unit 1.indd   5 3/16/2023   10:33:45
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
6
2
Understanding  
the Self
A. What makes me ‘I’
Learning Objectives 
After completing sections A, B and C the learner is able to —
•	 discuss 	 the 	 importance	 of	 knowing 	 oneself 	 and 	 the	 significance	
of developing a positive sense of self.
•	 list 	 the 	 factors	 that	 influence 	 the 	 development 	 of 	 selfhood	 and	
identity.
•	 analyse 	 why	 the	 period	 of	 adolescence	 is 	 critical	 for	 the	
development of self and identity.
•	 describe 	 the	 characteristics 	 of 	 self	 during	 infancy, 	 childhood	
and adolescence.
2A.1 Introduction 
While	 we	 all 	 have 	 many	 things 	 in	 common	 with	 our	 par ents, 	 siblings,	 other 	
r elatives 	 and 	 friends, 	 each	 one 	 of	 us 	 is	 also	 a 	 unique 	 person, 	 dif fer ent 	 fr om	
all 	 others. 	 This 	 sense	 of	 being	 unique	 gives 	 us	 our 	 sense 	 of 	 self	 —	 the	 sense	
of 	 ‘I’	 which	 is 	 dif fer ent	 fr om	 ‘you’,	 ‘them’	 and	 ‘others’.	 How 	 do 	 we 	 develop	
this 	 sense	 of	 self ?	 What	 we 	 think 	 about	 ourselves 	 and 	 how	 we	 describe 	
ourselves	 —	 does 	 it	 change 	 over	 the	 years? 	 What	 ar e	 the 	 elements	 of	 the	
self? 	 Why 	 should	 we	 study	 about	 the 	 self ? 	 Does 	 our	 self	 influence	 the	 way	
we	 interact	 with 	 people?	 In	 this	 unit	 we 	 will 	 study 	 about	 these	 and	 other 	
interesting aspects of the self. 
Related	 to	 the 	 concept	 of	 the	 self 	 ar e	 two	 other	 concepts 	 —	 identity	 and	
personality.	 While	 psychologists 	 distinguish	 between	 these 	 thr ee 	 concepts 	
in	 ter ms	 of 	 their	 definitions,	 the	 concepts 	 ar e 	 intricately	 r elated 	 and	 we 	
often 	 inter change 	these	 ter ms 	in 	common	usage.		
Unit 1.indd   6 8/4/2022   2:50:34 PM
2024-25
7
2A.2 What is Self? 
The 	 W ebster’s 	 Thir d	 New 	 Inter national	 Dictionary	 contains 	 500	 entries 	
that	 begin 	 with	 ‘self ’.	 The	 sense	 of 	 self	 r efers 	 to	 the 	 sense 	 of 	 who	 we 	 ar e	
and	 what 	 makes 	 us	 dif fer ent	 fr om	 everyone	 else.	 During 	 adolescence	 —	
the	 period 	 you 	 ar e	 going 	 thr ough 	 pr esently 	 —	 we 	 start	 thinking 	 mor e 	 than	
ever	 about 	 who	 am	 I? 	 What 	 makes 	 ‘me’ 	 dif fer ent	 fr om 	 ‘others’? 	 At	 this 	
stage,	 mor e 	 than	 at 	 any 	 other 	 stage	 befor e	 this,	 we 	 try 	 to 	 define	 our 	 ‘self ’.	
Some	 of 	 you	 may	 have 	 given 	 this 	 question 	 a 	 lot 	 of 	 thought, 	 while 	 some	
others 	 may 	 not 	be	awar e 	that	 they	have	been 	thinking	of 	these 	aspects. 	
Complete the following sentences starting with – I am. 
 1. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 2. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 3. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 4. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 5. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 6. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 7. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 8. I am…………………………………………………………………………………….....
 9. I am……………………………………………………………………………..………...
10. I am……………….……………………………………………………………………....
Activity 1
	 Re-examine 	 the	 statements 	 you	 wr ote 	 to	 describe 	 yourself, 	 some 	 of 	
these	 described 	 the	 physical 	 aspects	 of	 yourself, 	 you	 described	 your 	 bodily 	
self;	 in	 some 	 you	 r eferr ed 	 to	 your 	 feelings 	 and 	 emotions;	 in 	 some 	 you 	
described 	 yourself	 in 	 ter ms 	 of 	 your	 mental 	 abilities; 	 in	 some	 others 	 you 	
may	 have 	 described 	 yourself	 in 	 r elation	 to	 others,	 in	 ter ms 	 of 	 the 	 r oles	 	
you	 per for m 	 and	 the	 r elationships	 you 	 ar e	 involved 	 in 	 every 	 day	 such	
as	 son/daughter , 	 wife/sister ,	 student,	 i.e., 	 you 	 defined 	 yourself 	 in 	 ter ms	
of	 your 	 social 	 r elationships 	 in	 the 	 family	 and	 community. 	 Some	 of 	 you	
may	 have 	 described 	 yourself 	 in	 ter ms 	 of	 your	potential or capabilities 
and	 some 	 others 	 in 	 ter ms	 of	 your 	 beliefs.	 In	 some	 you	 described	 yourself 	
as	 a	 doer , 	 as	 a	 person 	 per for ming 	 actions,	 as 	 an 	 agent,	 while 	 in	 others 	
you	 described 	 yourself	 as 	 a 	 thinker .	 Thus,	 you	 can 	 see 	 that	 the 	 self	 has	
several	 dimensions. 	 V ery	 br oadly	 speaking	 we 	 can 	 think	 of 	 these 	 various	
dimensions of the self as the personal and the social. The personal self 
Understanding the Self
Unit 1.indd   7 8/4/2022   2:50:34 PM
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
8
has	 those	 aspects 	 which	 r elate 	 only	 to 	 you	 while	 the 	 social 	 self 	 r efers	 to	
those 	 aspects 	 wher e 	 you 	 ar e	 involved	 with	 others,	 and 	 includes 	 aspects	
like 	 sharing,	 cooperation,	 support	 and	unity.	
We can say that the term self refers to the totality of a person’s 
experiences,	 ideas,	 thoughts	 and 	 feelings 	 with	 r egar d	 to	 herself/himself. 	 It	
is	 the	 characteristic	 way	 in	 which 	 we 	 define 	 ourselves. 	The idea that we 
hold of ourselves is the notion of the self.  
Y ou	 must	 have 	 hear d	 and	 used	 the	 ter ms 	 self-concept	 and 	 self-esteem	
with	 r efer ence	 to 	 yourself	 and	 with	 others.	 What 	 do	 you 	 mean	 when	 you	
use 	 them?	 W rite 	 your	 thoughts	 in	 the 	 box	 below	 and 	 discuss	 these	 after 	
reading the definitions given after the box. 
For your thoughts....
Self-concept and self-esteem are elements of identity. Self-concept 
is	 a	 description 	 of	 oneself. 	 It 	 answers	 the 	 question 	 of	 ‘Who 	 am	 I?’	 Our	
self-concept 	 includes	 our	 qualities,	 feelings 	 and 	 thoughts 	 and	 what 	 we	 ar e 	
capable of doing.
An important aspect of the self-concept is self-esteem. Self-esteem 
r efers 	 to	 our 	 judgment	 of 	 ourselves	 accor ding 	 to 	 the	 standar ds 	 we 	 have 	 set	
for	 ourselves 	 which	 ar e	 lar gely 	 influenced 	 by	 society.	 	 It	 is 	 one’s	 evaluation	
of oneself.  
Unit 1.indd   8 8/4/2022   2:50:35 PM
2024-25
9
2A.3 What is Identity?
Refer to Activity 2 on this page. What did 
you 	 conclude 	 — 	 ‘Y es’, 	 you 	 are 	 the 	 same	
person 	or 	‘No’, 	you 	are 	not 	the 	same 	person,	
or 	 was 	 your 	 answer 	 both 	 ‘Y es’ 	 and 	 ‘No’!	
Which 	 is 	 quite 	 likely. 	 Over 	 the 	 years 	 your	
body 	 has 	 under gone 	 many 	 changes, 	 you	
know 	 many 	 more 	 people 	 now 	 as 	 compared	
to 	 earlier 	 times, 	 and 	 you 	 have 	 developed 	 a	
certain 	 relationship 	 with 	 them. 	 Y our 	 way 	 of	
responding 	 to 	 and 	 understanding 	 events 	 may	
have 	 changed, 	 you 	 may 	 have 	 changed 	 some	
of 	 your 	 beliefs 	 and 	 values, 	 and 	 your 	 likes 	 and	
dislikes 	 may 	 have 	 also 	 changed. 	 So 	 you 	 are	
not 	really 	the 	same 	person 	as 	you 	were 	even	
a 	 year 	 ago! 	 Y et, 	 you 	 have 	 an 	 unmistakable	
sense of having been the same person from 
as 	 far 	 back 	 as 	 you 	 can 	 remember . 	 Most 	 of 	 us	
are 	 able 	 to 	 maintain 	 a 	 sense 	 of 	 continuity 	 and	
sameness 	 throughout 	 our 	 lives 	 despite 	 the	
many 	 changes 	 and 	 discontinuities 	 that 	 mark	
our 	 life 	 over 	 the 	 decades. 	 In 	 other 	 words,	
we 	 all 	 have 	 a 	 sense 	 of 	identity, a sense of 
who 	 we 	 are 	 which 	 we 	 carry 	 throughout 	 our	
lives. 	 Just 	 as 	 in 	 the 	 case 	 of 	 self, 	 we 	 can	
talk 	 of 	 personal 	 identity 	 and 	 social 	 identity.	 
Personal identity 	 refers 	 to 	 those 	 attributes	
of 	 a 	 person 	 that 	 make 	 her 	 dif ferent 	 from	
others. Social identity refers to those 
aspects 	 of 	 the 	 person 	 that 	 link 	 her 	 to 	 a 	 group	
– 	 professional, 	 social 	 or 	 cultural. 	 Thus, 	 when	
you 	 think 	 of 	 yourself 	 as 	 an 	 Indian 	 you 	 have	
linked 	 yourself 	 with 	 a 	 group 	 of 	 people 	 living	
in 	 a 	 country. 	 When 	 you 	 describe 	 yourself	
as 	 a 	 Gujarati 	 or 	 a 	 Mizo, 	 you 	 are 	 saying 	 that	
you 	 share 	 some 	 characteristics 	 with 	 the	
people living in that state, and that these 
characteristics 	 seem 	 to 	 you 	 to 	 be 	 dif ferent	
from people living in other states of India. 
Thus, 	 being 	 a 	 Gujarati 	 is 	 one 	 dimension 	 of	
your 	 social 	 identity 	 in 	 the 	 same 	 way 	 as 	 being	
a 	 Hindu, 	 Muslim, 	 Sikh 	 or 	 a 	 Christian 	 or	
being 	 a 	 teacher , 	 far mer 	 or 	 lawyer .	 
Are you the same person that you 
were ??ve years ago? Re??ect on this 
for some time, and write your views 
and the reasons for these views in the 
space below. 
Activity 2
Understanding the Self
Unit 1.indd   9 8/4/2022   2:50:35 PM
2024-25