Influences on Self-Concepts and the Impact

I have been asked to reassess a case study on Isaac Barlow and Zac Barlow. In my assessment I shall include aspects that influenced the brothers self concept. Also, I shall include an outline how these factors can influence the growth of their self esteem. Finally, I shall include an explanation on how these factors can influence the development of their self concept.

(P3) State factors that influence an individual’s self-concept and give a clear and full account of the factors that might have influenced the brother’s self-concept.

I shall state the factors that influence an individual’s self-concept and I will give a clear and full account of the factors that might have influenced the brother’s self-concept. Factors that can influence an individuals self-concept are education, media, appearance, culture, abuse, relationships, gender, income and age.

Education: Education can influence an individual’s self-concept by having supportive teaching staff who continues to encourage a student to keep up the good work. Also, another factor that can influence an individual’s self-concept is the lack of employment due to having a poor education. Education can impact on a person’s self-esteem if they cannot get into employment and the person will get a negative self-image and low self-esteem.

Media: Media can influence an individual’s self-concept through provision of educational sources such as, promoting enrolment on academic courses and information on current situation happening in our society. A further reason that can influence an individual’s self-concept is displaying of images of models or celebrities being underweight. For example, pictures of Victoria Beckham and Nicole Richie.

Appearance: Appearance can affect an individual’s self-concept both constructively and harmfully. For example, appearance constructive influence will be pictures displayed by sports encouraging individual’s to keep up a healthy lifestyle. Further to point, appearance can have a negative influence on a person’s life through advertising photos of underweight models and this can influence young women to try to seem very thin.

Culture: Culture is a belief that you have or self values. This can influence our self concept if we do not endorse other individual’s culture. Example req. Also, this can be the way you were brought up by your parents or a guardian.

Abuse: There are different types of abuse; they are physical, emotional, neglect and sexual. These or any type of abuse can be detrimental to a person, however, abuse can influence a person if they have been neglected and they will develop a low self esteem. In addition, a person has been neglected may feel socially excluded and may suffer from mental health conditions.

Relationships: Relationship can influence an individual’s self concept if you do not have a supportive family, peers. This will may lead the individual to have a negative self concept with socialisation. Furthermore, having high expectations can also have a negative self concept of an individual, additionally if the person has been compared to other peer groups or siblings can have a negative influence.

Gender: Gender is characterised by being a man or woman. This categorisation can influence a person’s self-concept of stereotyping job roles for both genders. For example, men should play football and women should stay at home and cook the meals also take care of the children. Finally, I believe that these factors may influence an individual’s self-concept everyone should be treated equally regardless of their gender.

Income: Income can influence individual self concept if they do not have enough income they may be despair that they cannot afford to live a normal life. For example, with insufficient low income a person cannot maintain their lifestyle factors, such as paying their rent, afford heating facilities within their home plus have a balance diet.

Age: It can be said that self-concept can fluctuate throughout different life stages, for example…. Also, age can influence a person’s self concept during childhood and adolescent development. Through comprehending his ideal self receiving peer pressure.

Self concept is the way an individual visualise them self. For example, self concept can be very influential in the way we see our self; by receiving critical comments by peers or family member, which can cause low self esteem. Self concept is made up of factors such as self image, ideal self and self esteem.

Haworth et al (2010) suggests that there are numerous factors that can affect your self- concept. They are age, education, media, appearance, culture, abuse, relationships, gender, and income. These factors are also known as socioeconomic factors.

(M2) Outline how factors can influence the development of an individual’s self-concept, or Outline how the factors that influenced the brothers’ self-concept.

(D1) Describe how the factors influenced the brother’s self-concept.
Factors that influenced Zac Barlow self-concept

Age: During Zacs infancy years he was unable to distinguish what gender he was. During Zacs childhood years he was able to distinguish his family. During he was able to identify that he was a student and what year he was in school and able to identify his likes and dislikes. He was able to tell who is friends were and express his emotions. During adolescent life stage he was able to compare himself with others and express his relationship with peers. Also, he was able to describe his beliefs and acknowledge what is right from what is wrong. During his adulthood life stage he should become more confident within his personal relationship and establish himself within a particular career.

Appearance: Zacs appearance seems to have been influence negatively, because he was not interested in sports. This may have impacted on him because within the norms males are expected to do physical activities. Also, this will have an impact on his self esteem, although his self image might be different on what others think about him. He may not feel attracted to form any relationship with the opposite sex at school because of his appearance. Moreover, his self concept may decrease due to how others perceive him. He had a very thin physique which might be an influence from the media. He may be affected by his appearance. His appearance may affect by how he attires or carries himself and called gay; he may feel within his ideal self that he is gay. Also, hearing negative words all the time can make him believe whatever they mimic him and this will lead to negative social interaction with his peers.

Media: The media may have an impact on how he feels about himself. Media may impact on his appearance. May has impacted the way he feels about himself or may have an impact on his image which may encourage him to keep his body built. Contribute to self concept development; social, academic, emotional physical may impact on his appearance which is his ideal self. Media can also provide positive educational opportunities which can help to develop a person’s academic growth.

Culture: He believes he was the norm. In the western culture boys meant to be masculine and girls meant to be feminine. His culture can be influenced by his family also by his peers. He did not have a girlfriend at school plus how he was brought up might impact on his self esteem.

Gender: He was male. He meant to have masculine physiques. He faces gender stereotype because he was not taking part in sport activity at school. Because of his gender stereotype it decreases his academic performance at school. At a certain age people can identify or chose which group to follow so he hangs out with older boys.

Education: He was influenced by his parents to study because he did not have a choice. He was influenced by teachers, peers and parents to study. May start to compare himself with his peers including siblings. Receiving additional support from the school could help to develop his self concept. Being compared to other pupils or siblings can affect his views on himself. Been teased Zac may feel unwanted and be ashamed of who he is as a person and as a part of that he would have a low self esteem which he may possibly continue through to adulthood. This may also affect his relationships and employment prospects.

Constant teasing can affect Zac overall mood and that is why he was unsociable. Because of this he may lose interest in sports activities and was able to build a relationship with older boys. He will also develop mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. He may feel reluctant to try and build relationships with his peers. Being teased can also has a significant consequence on his academic performance, reason being, he has been teased and this will make him divert from paying attention on his studies. This will have a result on his academic study by not making it into six forms or college.

Also because he has been teased he did not want to take part in certain lessons. There is no indication of how long the teasing took place but there was speculations of Zac being bullied by his peers. Additionally, if he have been bullied this will show signs that his teasing was going on for a while then potentially lead to bullying.

Furthermore, this will allow Zac to be in fear and have a negative self-concept about himself or have a negative self-image, self-esteem, self-value and ideal self. These mental scars can affect Zac in both past and present conduct and decrease his chance of academic and psychological hardship throughout school and into adulthood.

Income: He was raised in a middle class family. So his parents had enough money to live an above normal lifestyle. Having brought up in a middle class family, would mean that some of his needs were financially. Also, been used to a lot of money during his development he may be used to materialistic things. He may influence to steal because he cannot afford his lifestyle needs which can have a negative self image.

Relationship: There are different types of relationships, which are family, mutual, ect. He did not have a good relationship with his peers because they taunted him. He did not have good relationship with school staff as he always gets into trouble at school He may introvert his social behaviour. He did not have a good relationship with his parents as he has been neglected and he would not speak to them. He did not have good social interaction with any of his peers family and staff at school. He develops relationship with older boys as they share similar value this will strengthen his self concept and extrovert his social conduct.

Abuse: He was verbally abused by peers which will have an emotional impact on his self esteem. He was neglected by his parents, for example, his emotional needs were neglected. He may be abuse by the older boys which influenced him to smoke because he was vulnerable. He may be stereotyped because of his role of his gender, for instance, males meant to be muscular and females were meant to be gorgeous.