Talk given at the 2021 Life Improvement Science Conference
Title: A social recognition approach to life improvement: The role of respect and self-respect
Speaker: Daniela Renger
Abstract:
Past research on people’s self-views and self-evaluation has almost exclusively focused on global self-esteem although many scholars have questioned its usefulness, for example with regard to effective interventions. In my research, I focus on three different forms of self-evaluation namely self-confidence, self-competence, and self-respect. Instead of focusing on the broad aspect of feeling good or bad about oneself, this tripartition helps to describe how individuals relate to themselves on three specific dimensions: whether they feel emotionally safe, whether they see themselves as competent and whether they perceive themselves as holders of equal rights. Based on recognition theory (Honneth, 1995) these three dimensions of self-recognition can be regarded as internalizations of recognition experiences on three respective dimensions: need-based care, achievement-based social esteem and equality-based respect. Past research has demonstrated that these forms of social recognition (Renger et al., 2017) as well as the three forms of self-recognition (Renger, 2018) can be empirically distinguished. In my talk, I will focus on respect and self-respect because they have been neglected in past research.
Self-respect can be understood as belief in one’s equal rights, which is greatly shaped by respect experiences. This explains why – even in countries where people are entitled to equal rights before the law – individuals differ in the extent to which they view themselves as holders of equal rights (Renger, 2018). This difference between objective and subjective rights indicates that rights and equal worthiness have to be communicated in social interactions. People who are not taken seriously and treated as persons of equal worth by their family, friends, supervisors, institutions, etc. have difficulties with internalizing this self-view.
Research has provided first evidence that respect experiences and their internalization in self-respect foster personal autonomy and life satisfaction (Renger et al., 2017), voice and assertiveness (Renger, Eschert et al., 2020), global identity and pro-environmental motivations (Renger & Reese, 2017), and mental health (Renger, Miché et al. 2020). I discuss the meaning of social recognition experiences and their internalizations as self-recognition for a meaningful life and life improvement strategies.
https://danielarenger.de/en/
https://twitter.com/DanielaRenger
Learn more about Life Improvement Science: https://www.life-improvement.science/
0 Comments