L5: Internal & External Conflict

Question 1

What does identity consist of?

Answer 1

a collection of characteristics that have been assigned to us by ‘the other’.
form a more-or-less coherent package of ideas about where we come from and where we’re going.
also tell us how to behave towards our bodies and towards others.
“Me” and “not me” in the psych self

Question 2

What is the process of identification (or alienation)?

Answer 2

The process of
➢ Attaching some symbol, image, word, gesture, etc. (“signifyer”)
➢ From our own body and/or from the external world
➢ To our identity (constructed ‘me’).
➢ This way something becomes ‘mine’.
how we create our identity
1. we assimilate both positive and negative messages of others (sweet, shy etc) about the “me’ to the “i”.
2. non identifiation: things the “me” isnt which we assimilate with the “i”
3. separation process; as rejection (saying no to a message from the other) & as creation: creatively changing the meaning of the messages from the others.

Question 3

How does personality develop?

Answer 3

➢ Inborn capacities give rise to personal dev and individual differences
➢ use of primary capacities within a nurturing context gives rise to more complex capacities
➢ Phases are generally not fully lost (no ‘stages’)
➢ The particular way in which phases and transitions are managed within a social context influences eventual personality differences
➢ Developments in each new phase of dev are influenced by how previous phases developed
➢ Anticipation: Due the our agentic capacities and planning skills, the images and stories we have of the future also influence the present and our development.
➢ This full dev gives rise to individual differences in personality dynamics as they can be observed within interpersonal situations.

Question 4

What are some basic conflicts and tensions in personality?

Answer 4

• we vs them
• self preservation vs preservation of the species
• bodily instincts & urges vs cultural norms
• capitalism vs natural conditions of (human) life

Question 5

What are some conflicts between cultures/ ideologies / grand narratives?

Answer 5

• market liberalism
• religions
• cultural identities
• class identities
  etc

Question 6

What is the psychoanalytic conflict model?

Answer 6

➢ The self (or the mind) is divided in many conflicting parts.
➢ Experiencing conflict is painful
➢ Hence we use defensive strategies against experiencing the conflict.
➢ Much of our conflictual nature remains or is made unconscious

Question 7

What is meant with symptomatic compromise?

Answer 7

symptoms may arise as a result of lots of sub conscious conflict

Question 8

What is Selbstverschuldeten Unmündigkeit?

Answer 8

self inflicted immaturity: inability to use your understanding & mind w/o someone else’s guidance
- can be solved through enlightenemnt

Question 8

What is the process of identification?

Answer 8

acquiring an identity
- starts at birth (we have inherent mirror neurons for this)
- interaction between our genes (brain, mirror neurons etc) & our environment (including culture, l
- mirroring: starts early in life when parent mirors what you do which helps us learn about our idenity
- so we get new layers of our identity as the environment around us changes
- we assimilate the messages of the other (both + and - ) and integrate them in our identity

Question 9

What is the process of separation?n

Answer 9

at the same time as identification (merging with what we are told we are like) there is also an urge to separate ourselves from the other
- quest for autonomy
- we oppose ourselves to certain identities (we say no, or that we dont want to do seomthing…etc.