Self-Esteem Research, Theory, and Practice Toward a Positive ...

The Crucial Issue of Defining Self-Esteem 9If the class spends enough time with this exercise, the students alsobegin to notice that definitions can be grouped on the basis of key characteristicsthat various approaches tend to emphasize over others. One individualmight see that some depictions focus on values such as self-respect.Another person might notice that some definitions center on the feeling oraffective dimension of self-esteem. Somebody else is likely to point outthat some of the definitions emphasize cognitive factors such as the attitudinalcomponents of self-esteem. Often, a participant sees that particulardefinitions focus attention on the behavioral aspects of self-esteem such asbeing more independent or assertive. The lesson, however, really begins tosolidify when they are asked to defend the definitions they developed whilethe others offer critique. By the end of this activity, of course, two thingsusually become apparent. The first thing is that developing a good definitionof self-esteem is difficult because people tend to focus on and emphasizedifferent aspects of it when they put their thoughts into words. Theother is that how one defines self-esteem is a crucial issue because definitionshave power: They help shape what we see and fail to see, whichmethods we choose and decline, and the standards of proof that we use toaccept or reject evidence or conclusions (Mruk, 2006).The reason that the exercise is mentioned here, of course, is becauseit is a microcosm of what actually seems to happen among writers,researchers, and clinicians in the field (Wells & Marwell, 1976; Smelser,1989). Unfortunately, what typically seems to be so clear to beginnersoften appears to be forgotten by experts. For it turns out that someresearchers define self-esteem in one way, others define it in differentways, and many either take the term for granted or define it as broadly aspossible. The result is that the concept loses specificity: Although a lot ofpeople may talk about self-esteem, little communication occurs. Thus,there are several good reasons to pause for a moment and to considerwhy defining self-esteem is a necessary, even crucial, first step when investigatingthis phenomenon. First, definitions open up pathways of understanding,in part because they name things and “naming” shapesperception. In this sense, every major definition is important becauseeach one can show us some things about self-esteem that can only be seenfrom that particular point of view. At the same time, of course, definitionsalso create limits. Although each particular definition opens up oneway of looking at a phenomenon, it closes off other perspectives that canlead to different insights or understandings. Phenomenologists call thisaspect of human perception “perspectivity,” (Gurwitsch, 1964), whichmeans that it is necessary to fully appreciate the ways in which eachapproach or definition both reveals and conceals.Second, even though we are limited in this fashion, we must take somedirection in beginning any kind of a journey, even one of understanding, so