Individual: Definition. Person, individual, person
The human personality is the object of study of manyhumanities, such as psychology, philosophy, sociology. The concept of "man", "individual", "personality" is often found in both scientific and everyday language. In everyday life, these words are considered synonymous, but in fact, each has its own semantic nuance. Let's try to understand this in more detail.
The concept - a person, an individual, a person
The word "man" is used in the designationabilities and traits inherent in all. It emphasizes the existence of a special community - the human race, different from others in its own way of life. It is thanks to him at all stages of his development, everywhere and always retains a certain status.
The definition of "person-individual" meansthe existence of a particular concrete representative of mankind. Who is it? An individual-individual is a unit of the human race, a definite bearer of psychological and social traits inherent in the entire human community. By them are meant will, mind, own interests and needs. In this sense, the individual is a concrete person.
In this context, we do not considerbiological factors (gender, age, physical characteristics, temperament), as well as social differences. But, of course, it is impossible not to take into account these data at all. After all, the differences between a child and an adult, a primitive savage and our contemporary are quite obvious.
Thus, the definition of the concept of "individual"A set of characteristics and traits, according to which each person differs from another. This implies differences of completely different levels - from neurophysiological and biochemical to socio-psychological.
And what is a person
Dynamics of human development in different moments(historical and personal) characterizes the concept of "personality". The individual at the same time is the starting point of the development of the personality, its initial state. Thus, the personality is the most complete embodiment of all human qualities.
As a social subject, personality is inherentautonomy, the desire to some extent to oppose themselves to the society and gain independence from society. This involves the presence of self-awareness, mental control skills, the ability to analyze and evaluate yourself.
All these qualities form the basis of lifeposition. This is the basic principle of behavior, based on social and ideological attitudes, values and ideals. The significance of these regulatory factors in life is explained by the theory of self-regulation of human behavior in society.
Fundamentals of personal development
Each author has his own interpretation of personality. But almost any definition of "personality", "individual", "individuality" is based on one of two polar views. One of them says that the personality is formed and subject to further changes depending on the inherent qualities and data, the influence of the social environment is minimized.
Representatives of the opposite position practicallycompletely reject the inherent factor and prefer to regard the personality as a product of social development. Perhaps, both points of view are extremes.
The classical definition of personality implies,that a person, an individual, a person has the specific qualities necessary for him as a product of social development. He is expected to enter social relations through communication and conscious activity. According to this approach, the biological organism becomes a person only due to social and cultural experience. And it is allowed to influence the formation of individual traits - a combination of temperament, innate abilities and predispositions.
As we grow up
Consider how a person, an individual, a person is formed. What directly influences the growth process? There are several such prerequisites.
- Biological factor. Human heredity is the same material that will later be formed in the human individual. This factor in itself does not create an individual, as social experience and cultural heritage can not be transmitted with genes. But it needs to be considered as a source of an infinite variety of characters, temperaments, inclinations and the cause of possible social limitations.
- Physical conditions of the environment. Part of the researchers give them paramount importance. But, as is known, there are completely different types of personalities under the same geographical conditions, and similar group characteristics are observed in completely different types.
- Social culture, which forms a certain number of basic types of personality that correspond to it. A certain cultural experience serves the common heritage of mankind.
- Experience, both group and unique (subjective). This is the most important factor of its formation, arising in the process of socialization.
What is socialization of personality
Set of values, installations,sympathy, antipathy, goals and patterns of behavior a person achieves due to the phenomenon of socialization. This is the process of assimilating the individual norms and patterns of behavior of his group, necessary for functioning in society.
Socialization concerns all aspects of education,learning and familiarizing with culture. It involves everyone with whom an individual encounters in the family, everyday life, kindergarten and school, sees on TV, etc. At the same time, the process of personal formation takes place in three consecutive stages:
1. Children imitate adults and copy their behavior.
2. Children play and try on different roles.
3. In group activities, they begin to understand the expectations addressed to them by others.
When it happens
Most psychologists believe that the processsocialization is not limited to childhood and lasts a lifetime. Socialization of children lays the foundations of personal values. And with regard to adults, this process involves changing external behavior and acquiring the necessary skills.
According to one of the theories, in the process of socializationadults become obsolete children's myths, for example, the inviolability of authority or its own supervaluation. Gradually, on the basis of the experience gained, that individual is formed, the definition of which is given above.
Communication in the group and the corresponding experience make it possible to adjust the unique internal attitudes of the personality with the general qualities characteristic of its social environment.
How it happens
At the beginning of life a person still does not realize that hean individual, and his individuality is in its infancy. Separation from the physical and social world continues throughout life. Accumulating social experience, he forms the image of his "I" by comparing himself with others.
Proof that personality is not easyautomatically evolving set of natural inclinations, are known cases of human education in social isolation, for example, in the environment of animals. Studies of the psyche of such "Mowgli" showed that they have no idea of their own "I" as an isolated being in a series of similar ones.
Can such an individual be considered a person? The definition of the concept itself runs counter to the data given, so the answer is unambiguously negative.
What is personal experience based on?
The "social mirror" is constantly in front of each of theus. In childhood, when assessing one's own abilities, a person is based on the opinion of the nearest environment, with age - on the assessments of competent specialists. A mature person understands that he is an individual, and his personality is unique.
Do not underestimate the impact of personal experience. That is why the children brought up in one family are very different. They have a similar group experience (but not identical). In addition to the family, children communicate in the external environment and with different people. Even twins with one set of genes can not always be in absolutely identical conditions, meet with the same people and experience identical emotions.
That is why every personal experience is unique. According to psychoanalysts, certain incidents that have occurred to people may well turn out to be critical, setting the tone for subsequent emotional reactions.
What is the social role
By this notion is meant the mode of behaviorperson in accordance with generally accepted norms of interpersonal relations, depending on the existing status in the system. The process of socialization of the individual implies an indispensable condition for the development of social roles as a way of integrating a person into society.
The concept of social role implies roleexpectations - what exactly is expected from the individual according to the "rules" of this or that role. Another basic concept here is role behavior. This is all that a person carries out according to his role. The society in this case assumes the control function.
The individual and society are connected by the existence of the mostdifferent institutions - from law enforcement to public opinion. The system of social sanctions is applied to the "disobedient". The most insignificant of them - condemnation and public reprimand, more severe - measures forcible restraint.
Individual - definition of social status
By social status is understood the position (rank)the individual in the structure of the group or the group itself in a series of other entities. The behavior that is expected from the bearer of a certain social status, and is the essence of his social role. Different statuses have children and adults, women and men, military personnel and civilians. Each person - the bearer of many different statuses, in accordance with which and builds their behavior in certain situations.
Through learning roles, cultural norms are learned. Acceptable for one status may become completely unsuitable for another. That is, socialization is the most important process of learning the methods and methods of interaction adopted in society, as a result of which the society gets its adequate member.
The ability to perform important roles is acquired,begins with childhood. Most of this process occurs on the unconscious level rather painlessly. Children participate in games, help parents, listen to family conversations, read and watch different stories. Their "play" roles help in the future the role of assuming the present and understanding the reactions of others.
About the prescribed statuses
The society is very complicated, and the coordinatedthe functioning of all its institutions is possible only in the case of strict compliance by people with their own duties, regulated by intragroup relations. The simplest way to achieve this is to classify all the diverse human activity according to the huge number of prescribed roles and to train every individual from the early years to fulfill a certain set of them, "put" according to the status.
Having gone through childhood as a primary role-play,a person appoints himself the prescribed roles according to the chosen criterion. Its code name is "the rules of success." The universal basis for the development of such a criterion in society is the sex and age of a person. Other determining factors are nationality, race, religion or class.
Despite the unconscious nature of the roleThis is a powerful and real factor of socialization. For example, the separate education for many years of boys and girls leads to great differences between them in maturity in terms of abilities, preferences and ways of expressing emotions.
What is the achieved status
This is a social position, fixed byindividual choice and competition. If some of the statuses are appointed by a group or a society, while the individual qualities of the individual or his ability are not taken into account, the achieved status is a result of the abilities, perseverance, diligence, personal fulfillment, and also some luck.
In primitive (or traditional) societies, status is almost always prescribed, and the social position is directly dependent on birth. In modern society, a person has a greater degree of freedom.
Winners are people who show the greatest abilities and flexibility. Those who failed to "find themselves" and adapt to new roles, are uncompetitive.
Than they differ
Achieved and prescribed statuses havefundamental difference, nevertheless intersect and interact. The individual is almost impossible to improve or somehow change his own position in a society where most of the statuses are prescribed. Socialization is not connected with the expectation of a change of status. But if hereditary factors do not play a fundamental role, it is difficult for a person to accept a low status, having the opportunity to show personal abilities
When the status goes to the struggle and opportunities conditionallyequal, the reasons for the lack of success - only personal incompetence and lack of ability. In a society of "equal opportunities" this postulate is absorbed by any individual. The definition of failure as an intrinsic insolvency painfully hurts a person's self-esteem. But even in this case the person finds ways to raise the status, using various privileges and preferential rights.
If the role is the behavior expected from the individual inthe case of a specific status, then the role behavior is actual. It is different from what is expected by most characteristics - from role-playing interpretation to possible conflicts with others. That is why there are no two individuals who equally fulfill the same role.