EXTENDED SELF: "TECHNOLOGIES OF THE SELF" IN THE MODERN WORLD

Abstract

The paper reveals the essence of the concept of an expanded understanding of oneself. It was appeared as a result of the merger of online and offline reality into a single thing-subject continuum. A person positions himself, his inner world, demonstrates self-expression through the correlation of the subject-object component with himself, his attachments and consumption in general. This lets to maintain and promote his sense of identity through the extended self. It is argued that the extended self, that defines self-identification, self-awareness and is realized through the practice of selfhood and «technologies of the self» (M. Foucault), allows one to adapt in the «liquid world». The purpose of the paper is to show that adaptation in the world of «I-for-myself» and «I-for-others» is possible through the formation and acceptance by a person of his extended self. The methods used to achieve this goal are synthesis and theoretical generalization. It is concluded that the «technologies of the self» allows one to find one's place in the modern world, to structure the idea of oneself, to find oneself in the real-virtual world through the realization of one's extended self in material-object expression. The extended self affects the adaptation and adaptability of the personality through transformation of oneself to achieve the subjective state of perfection, comfort, recognition, etc. Thus, it affects the identification of the personality in the context of «I-for-myself» and «I-for-others», create myths about the right and wrong, the rules of interaction, adaptation to the environment and interaction with it.

Keywords

• extended self
• identification
• adaptation
• «liquid world»
• «technologies of the self»