Ego functions and their components

Social Isolation and Function of the Ego

Social isolation and the idea of social disorganization have captured a wide consideration among the social scientists due to its vital part in the social re-organization and re-establishment. In a high poverty and socially disorganized settings, there is an evident lack of basic social capital otherwise known as social network resources. The poverty stricken neighborhoods more often than not lack effective community norms, for instance, the community members are pushed into being role models and emphasize it in the society the behaviors and attitudes that are non-normative. The youth and adult the same, will understand the significance of communal engagements like steady employment, schooling and even the family commitment, but the lack of normative training and reinforcement weakens the social web giving room for criminal activities, teen pregnancy and prostitution, drug peddling and consumption and gangs to thrive in the society (Bruce et.al, 2000).

Therefore, social isolation if placed in the context of poverty points to a person or a group of people who are deficient of the basic resources that can help alleviate their situation, these resources may not be necessarily monetary but eve social amenities, as a matter of fact, the poor people in the slums help each other more in service than the rich help them (Henderson, D., 2010).

In the study of human instincts and behavior, Sigmund Freud assigned the ego some standard tasks some of which included management of instincts and defenses against these instincts as well. The ego defensive responses included though not limited to forgetting, identification with the aggressor, rejection and repression as well.

The other significant functions of the ego were synthesis of the signals of the two manifestations i.e. The libido and the death wish, and effectively control them (Encyclpiedia.com, 2005).

In a social isolation due to poverty, there is a likelihood of the ego to develop a reverse response to the conditions it is subjected to due to poverty. There are four major responses that the ego can develop as follows;

Sense of Reality: these are the senses that link us to the external world, the physical world that everyone can associate with. In the case of poverty in culturally disrupted situation, there is bound to be a response that tackles this sense. This can manifest itself in four major ways;

(a).

Derealization- is mainly a symptom of panic and anxiety. It is the situation where one sees the world differently from the normal way others see it. Among the culturally disrupted people who are poor, there is a tendency for them to see everyone as a potential enemy and oppressor. This is why they often become hostile and defensive. To them the world is not the normal world anymore.

(b).

Depersonalization- this on the other hand is still a negation of sense of reality. Here one sees himself in a different light (not the world now), and considers himself a stranger to himself. It is as if one looks at himself from a distance outside his body. This is common again among the poor where they may end up in drugs so as to keep them off their true selves. If the do not do that then they may end up living in denial of reality throughout and seeing themselves as victims always even if there are no aggressors around. They grow protective about themselves and everything around them.

(c).

Self-identity and self-esteem- self-identity can be defined as multi-dimensional summation that points towards an individual's self in relation to social characteristics or behavior like gender roles, academics, racial identity among others. Self-esteem could mean the appending of value to oneself. In light of the poor people, they may have a negative or poor self-identity and feel insufficient in all that they do, lack f achievement in life and retarded socially.

(d).

Clarity of boundaries between self and world- the self is seen as the definition of whom you are in the society and al that defines you in terms of existence, gender, role and personality. It has been observed in the culturally disrupted events that the people form their own world and detach themselves from the wider world out there. They form a very clear boundary between them and the world. This lack of association to the world is characterized by rejection of roles in the society and rebellion to the established system in a bid to suppress the sense of reality.

Regulation and control of drives, effects, and impulses: this refers to ones ability to regulate, inhibit, delay or take control of the outward expression of the impulses and its effects according to the reality in the social setting. This adaptive function is one of the most essential in living with people.

(a).

Directness of impulse expression-it will be noted that people in our case study, will have less of the control of expression of their impulses. There is an absolute delay of the control mechanism. The degree of frustration goes up, the tolerance rate drops, and generally heightened drive derivatives which are quickly channeled via ideation and acquire effective expression and are manifested physically. This explains the high domestic violence among this population and ease of incitement into violence.

(b).

Effectiveness of delay mechanisms- generally refers to the extent to which ones ego can suppress the unwanted urges or unpleasant drives, for instance the death wish psychic. This is seen to be lower among the poor and culturally disrupted population. This is evidenced by the high rate of suicide and homicide in the ghettos and the slam areas in general.

Object Relations: is the process of one forming and developing a mind as they grow particularly in relation to the others in the same environment. The objects that the person relates to are both real ones and those in the world of the individual. The internalization of objects begins at the interaction with the caregiver level. The object relations among the population in study can manifest in the following ways:

(a).

Degree and kind of relatedness-object relatedness centers upon the closeness of "I and it" there is a complete breakdown of the link between people and their surrounding, the subject and the object do not relate as they should, leading to a condition of suppression of others an ego defense response.

(b).

Primitiveness-narcissistic, attachment, or (symbiotic- object choices)-whereby the subject will have a distance relation with the object. The poor will go to an extent of choosing the type of relationship to get into with another person and most will be purely for what they get in the relationship (symbiotic). This explains the drug peddling ventures where most can transport the drugs just for money though they do not consume them.

(c).

Degree to which others are perceived independent of oneself-there is the tendency of creating "the otherness," where the terms under which one individual defines the other is as the other not in relation to him as a fellow social being.

(d).

Object constancy-is the separation that individuation process at the end of long separation leads the ego as a structure. At the final stage the object becomes constant and the ego is formed and grounded as a permanent independent of the environment and seeing other people as independent entities and the person develops a separate identity as well.

Stimulus Barrier: these are the controls and measures that an individual can take against a barrage or myriad of stimulations to the ego as Freud puts it. Every social being has a given limit to which they can suppress the urges be it the libido or the death wish. In the case of isolation due to disruptive poverty, the following are the responses likely witnessed;