Article Summary
The article by Charles Taylor clearly shows that the modern self is a product of several social and cultural processes. The author argues that these processes are not about identity and self-expression but about how people understand and express their identities (Taylor). It is clear from the article that these processes created a unique way of being human: the modern self. It is evident from the reading that people’s identity can be constructed and changes over time.
The text examines how individuals create meaning through culture, religion, politics, and other aspects of life (Taylor). However, this process is often difficult to control or predict. Furthermore, the article examines how individuals are influenced by their environment and the interactions with others, including family members, friends, teachers, employers, supervisors, and other authority figures. The author has extensively explored these influences throughout his work.
What Stood Out as I Read?
This article explores the concept that the world influences one’s self-identity. The writer suggests that people’s identity is not fixed but something that can be shaped and reshaped throughout their lives. The primary claim from the text is that modern identity is shaped by socialization, education, and culture. It is clear from the reading that each source influences how one feels about oneself in relation to others and the world around them (Taylor). This article defines socialization as “the process by which we come to be what we are” (Taylor, 5).
The second source of identity is education and culture, which includes formal instruction and informal learning. Culture includes how different groups express their identities through shared symbols, beliefs, traditions, and practices. This article is interesting because it provides insight into aspects that were not previously considered. For instance, it illustrates how people often hold certain expectations about others based on their personal experiences (Taylor). It can make one think about how much control they have over shaping their own identities—and how much power other people have over shaping their own identities.
Connections to Interpersonal Communication
In his book, Taylor explores the concept of an individual’s identity or self-concept. The text explores how modern society has evolved from one in which individuals were defined by their place within a larger social structure—where their identity was shaped by their roles within that structure—to one in which individuals have greater control over their identities (Taylor, 12).
For example, Taylor argues that individuals can now choose what kind of work they will do and with whom they will work. They can choose whether or not to have children or to have kids with specific partners, choose what gender roles they want to play, and choose how much money they want to earn. In addition to these choices, individuals have more power over how their bodies look, feel, smell, sound, and taste. The set freedom is intended to ensure that an individual’s autonomy levels are maintained and that everyone is held accountable for their choices.
Group Discussion
One interesting question that one would like to explore is whether the shift toward consumerism and isolationism has led to any changes in how people view their relationships with one another. Does one think it might be easier for people to put aside their differences if they felt more connected? Or does one think it would just make things worse? Another question is about how this definition of the self has changed over time and what has made it challenging to define who we are today.
Work Cited
Taylor, Charles. Sources of the self: The making of the modern identity. Harvard University Press, 1992.