UNDSELF REVIEWER: SEMIS

I. Eastern VS Western
The West is understood primarily as an autonomous ego whose existence is distinct from that of others.
In the East, it is often argued that there is no meaning of self that is independent of our relationship to others. The self is
irreducibly social.

Eastern Western
Focus on other's feeling Focus on self and needs
Marry first, then Love Love first, then Marry
Accept what is Seek change
Value rest and relaxation Value activity

Western Thought
 Individualistic Culture - focus is always looking towards the self
- looks at the world in dualities
- loose association or loyalty to the group
- emphasize more on the value of equality even if they see the individual
can rise above everything else
 Personal Attributes
 Highlights their personal achievement

Eastern Thought
 Collectivist Culture - sees the other person part of yourself
- looks after the welfare of their groups and values cooperation
- emphasize the hierarchy to achieve harmony and order
 Social role / social situations
 Keeping a low profile

Social Instructions
- meanings, notions, or connotations that are assigned to objects and events in the environment
- idea or notion that appears to be natural and obvious to people who accept it but may or may not
represent reality, so it remains largely an invention or artifice of a given society

Western World: Independency - the state of being free from the control of power of another

Individualism
- the habit or principle of being independent or self-reliant
- a social theory favoring freedom of action over collective or state control

Example of Social Constructs:

1. Race
2. Gender
3. Money
4. Government
5. Feminity / Masculinity
6. Technology
7. Deviance
8. Education

Confucianism
 - can be seen as a code of ethical conduct, of how one should properly act according to their relationships with
other people
- focused on having a harmonious social life
- self-cultivation – seen as the ultimate purpose of life but the characteristics of a Chun-tzu, a man of virtue or
noble character, is stil imbedded in this social relationship
Every person is born with four beginnings:
 Jen - Heart of Compassion
 Yi - Heart of Righteousness
 Li - Heart of Propriety
 Chih - Heart of Wisdom

Taoism
- would prefer a simple lifestyle and its teaching thus aim to describe how to attain that life
- the ideal self is SELFLESSNESS but this is not forgetting about self

Buddhism
- the self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of trying to hold and control things, or human-centered
needs; thus, the self is also the source of all these sufferings
- to attain the state of Nirvana, one must forget about self, forget the graving of the self, break the
attachments with the world, and renounce the self which is the cause of suffering
The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism are stated in simple terms as:
1. Suffering, pain, and misery exist in life
2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires
3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path
II. Dimensions of self
PHYSICAL SELF
- refers to the body, this marvelous container and complex, finely tuned, machine with which we interface with
our environment and fellow beings
- the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of the person that can be directly observed and examined

Elaine Nicpon Marieb - explains that the gonads begin to form until about the eighth week to embryonic development
• Gonads are the reproductive glands that produce the gametes.
• Gametes, a mature haploid male or female germ cell which is able to unite with another of the opposite sex
in sexual reproduction to form a zygote.
TESTES – Male OVARY – Female

Pseudohermaphrodite - individuals having accessory reproductive structures that do not match their gonads
Hermaphrodite - individuals who possess both ovarian and testicular tissue

PUBERTY - aging between the ages of 10 and 15 years old, a period during which adolescents reach sexual maturity
and become capable of reproduction
Male:
 testicles get bigger and the scrotum begins to thin and redden
 pubic hair also starts to appear in the pubic area, axillary and face
 increase in the size of the reproductive organ. and continues to grow for two years until sexual maturation
marked by the presence of mature semen in the testes

Female:
 most girls gain weight (which is normal) as their body shape changes – girls develop more body fat along
their upper arms, thighs and upper back; their hips grow rounder and their waist gets narrower
 budding on their breasts usually occurring at the age of 11
 Menarche is the first menstrual period of females which happens two years after the start of the puberty

DISEASES ASSOCIATED with the REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Infections are the most common problems associated with the reproductive system in adults. Infections include
those caused by E. coli (Escherichia coli) which spread through the digestive system; sexually transmitted such
as syphilis, gonorrhea, and herpes
For Men:
o Prostatitis
o Urethritis
o Epididymitis
o STD (Sexually Transmittable Diseases)
o Orchiditis
For Women:
o Cervix Cancer
o Breast Cancer
o Ovarian Cancer
o Uterine Cancer
o Sexually Transmittable Diseases (STDs)

Erogenous Zones
- applies to people of all genders
- simply refers to the parts of the body that experience heightened sensitivity and/or signal sexual arousal of
some kind
- these zones are found all over the body, and are far more complex and intricate than just the genitals
[ Mouth, Breasts, Genitals (Vagina-Female, Penis-Male), Anus, Thighs, Abdomen, Neck, Feet ]
 Types of Behavior:
Human sexual behavior are usually classified according to the gender and number of participants.
 Solitary Behavior ¬– includes only one individual
Self-gratification means self-stimulation that leads to sexual arousal and generally, sexual climax.
Most self-gratification takes place private as an end in itself, but also be done in a sociosexual relationship.
 Sociosexual Behavior – includes more than one person
Heterosexual behavior is the greatest amount of sociosexual behavior that occurs between only one male and
female. It usually begins in childhood and may be motivated by curiosity, such as showing or examining
genitalia.

MATERIAL SELF

Components of the Soul

 Its constituents
 Self-preservation
 Self-feelings

Principles of Psychology 1890

 Material
 Social
 Spiritual
 Pure Ego

Social Self
- Self as reflected through your interactions with others
- A variety of selves that respond to situations and roles
- References to interactions with others that reflect who you are
- Ex. “I am a member of Chess Club.”
Spiritual Self
- Introspections about values, morals, and beliefs
- Your concept of self based on your thoughts and introspections about your values and moral standards
- Ex. “I believe in a higher supernatural being”
Pure Ego
- Most puzzling aspect of the self
- Provides the thread of continuity between our past, future, and present
Material Self
- Primarily about our bodies, clothes, immediate family and home
- Deeply affected by these things because we have put much investment to them

Body – we do have certain preferential attachment or intimate closeness to certain body parts because of its
value to us.
Clothes – we choose and wear clothes that reflect our self.
 Immediate Family – we place huge investment in our immediate family because we see them as the nearest
replica of our self.
Home – an extension of self, because in it, we can directly connect our self.

William James described self as:

“A man’s self is the sum total of all what he CAN call his.”
Russel Belk (1998) posits that:
“…we regard our possession as part of ourselves. We are what we have and what we possess.”

SEXUAL SELF

Human sexual behavior - is defined as any activity– solitary, between two persons, or in a group– that induces sexual
arousal. (Gebhard P.H. 2017).

PHYSIOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE

 Excitement phase – it is caused by increase in pulse and blood pressure; a sudden rise in blood supply to the
surface of the body resulting in increased skin temperature, flushing, and swelling.
 Plateau phase - is generally of brief duration. If stimulation is continued, orgasm usually occurs.
 Sexual climax - it is marked by a feeling of abrupt, intense pleasure, a rapid increase in pulse rate and blood
pressure, and muscles causing contractions of the female reproductive organ and ejaculation of the male.
Spasms of the pelvic
 Resolution phase - last stage that refers to the return to a normal or subnormal physiologic state

SEXUAL PROBLEMS
 Physiological - due to abnormal development of the genitalia or that part of the neurophysiology controlling
sexual response.
 Psychological - caused by socially induced inhibitions, maldaptive attitudes, ignorance, and sexual myths held by
society.
 Premature emission of semen - this is not the consequence of any psychological problem but the natural result
of excessive tension in a male who has been sexually deprived
 Ejaculatory impotence - results from the inability to ejaculate in coitus, is uncommon and is usually of
psychogenic origin.
 Vaginismus - a strong spasm of the pelvic musculature constricting the female reproductive organ so that
penetration is painful or impossible. It can be due to anti-sexual conditioning or psychological trauma that
serves a defense against coitus.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

 Chlamydia - Common bacterial infection that you can get from sexual contact with another person. It spread
through vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
 Gonorrhea - A sexually transmitted disease (STD) that can infect both men and women. It can cause infections in
the genitals, rectum, and throat. Common in young people ages 1-24 years old.
 Syphilis - Causes sores on your genitals (chancres). The sores are usually painless, but they can easily spread the
infection to other people. You can get syphilis from contact with sores.
 Chancroid - It is a bacterial infection that causes open sores on or around the genitals of men and women. It is
transmitted through sexual contact.
 Human Papi Llomavirus - HPV is usually harmless and goes away by itself, but some types can lead to cancer or
genital warts.
 Herpes Simplex Virus - Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2, also known by their taxonomical names Human
alphaherpesvirus 1 and Human alphaherpesvirus 2, are two members of the Human Herpesviridae Family, a set
of viruses that produce viral infections in the majority of human.
  Trichomonas Vaginalis - It is anaerobic, flagellated protozoan parasite and the causative agent of trichomoniasis.
It is the most common pathogenic protozoan infections of humans in industrialized countries.

NATURAL METHODS OF CONTRACEPTIVES

 Abstinence - involves refraining from sexual intercourse and is most effective natural birth control method with
ideally 0% fail rate.
 Calendar method - known as rhythm method. It entails withholding from coitus during the days that the woman
is fertile.
 Basal body temperature - it indicates the woman’s temperature at rest.
 Cervical mucus method - the change in the cervical mucus during ovulation is the basis for this method.
 Symptothermal method - it is basically a combination of the BBET method and the cervical mucus method.
 Ovulation detection - it uses an over-the-counter kit that requires the urine sample of a woman
 Coitus interruptus - the man withdraws the moment he ejaculates to emit the spermatozoa outside of the
female reproductive organ.

ARTIFICIAL METHODS OF CONTRACEPTIVES

 Oral contraceptives - it is suggested that the woman takes the first pill on the first Sunday after beginning of a
menstrual flow, or as soon as it is prescribed by the doctor.
 Transdermal patch – the woman should apply one patch every week for three weeks on the following areas:
upper outer arm, upper torso, abdomen, buttocks. At the fourth week no patch is applied because the
menstrual flow would then occur
 Vaginal ring - this silicon ring is inserted into the female reproductive organ and remains there for three weeks
and then removed on the fourth week.
 Subdermal implants - inserted under the skin of the female during her menses or on the seventh day of her
menstruation to make sure that she will not get pregnant.
 Hormonal injections - usually given once every 12 weeks intramuscularly. It changes in the endometrium and
cervical mucus and help prevent ovulation.
 Intrauterine device - inserted into the uterus via female reproductive organ.
 Chemical barriers - (spermicides) used to cause the death of sperms before they can enter the cervix and to
lower the PH level of the female reproductive organ so it will not become conducive for the sperm.
 Diaphragm - it is circular, rubber disk that fits the cervix and should be placed before coitus.
 Cervical cap - made of soft rubber and fitted on the rim of the cervix.
 Male condoms - it is a latex or synthetic rubber sheath that is placed on the erect male reproductive organ
before penetration into the female reproductive organ.
 Female condoms - it is made of latex rubber sheaths that are pre-lubricated with spermicide.
 Surgical method - small incision is made on each side of the scrotum. Tubal ligation is performed after
menstruation and before ovulation.