Basic Contours of the Self

This chapter provides a general definition of the self, paying special attention to its social dimension, to how the self develops in interaction with the social world that surrounds it. But also, special attention is paid to the way in which the contours of the self are drawn in psychology as a scientific discipline that devotes enviable attention to studying the characteristics and details of the self. Within this chapter, the framework in which this study will move is set, which is an analysis of the modern construction and postmodern deconstruction of the self. The second part of the chapter briefly explains the basic concepts through which modern social sciences study the self.