Module in Understanding The Self - Full Copy - Submitted For Copyright

Cagayan State University
Marie Benita E. Balagan, RGC, Ph.D.

Jona Addatu-Cambri, RGC, LPT, Ph.D.
Gladys M. Lavarias, LPT, MA
Kathlyn A. Mata, RGC, LPT Ph.D.
Ma. Angelita S. Rabanal, RN, MSN, LPT, Ph.D.
2019
Understanding The Self
FOREWORD
The publication of the Understanding The Self Module is a laudable

accomplishment of the Cagayan State University.
It has been my dream, as your humble president, to give our clientele the best in
terms of instruction. The publication of this module is the realization of that
dream. Our students will now have sufficient instructional materials to facilitate
learning in Understanding The Self. This is our share in coping with increasing
demands for quality and excellence in education.
This module is the product of the best minds in Cagayan State University in terms
of experience in book-writing and mastery in their field of specialization. It is my
fervent hope that this piece of work be a legacy for all those who strive for
excellence in higher education.
This is a landmark of our cooperative efforts with the Office of Director of

Instruction under the supervision of the Office of Vice-President for Academic
Affairs, a prelude to more educational ventures.
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PREFACE
Understanding the Self is one of the core subjects offered under the new General
Education Curriculum pursuant to Memorandum Order No. 20, s. 2013 of the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The course is designed for students in
the tertiary level to understand the concepts of self and personal identity - the
nature thereof, including the factors and forces influential to its development. It is
intended to help adolescent-learners develop a more critical and reflective
attitude as they explore the issues and concerns they relative to the self and
identity and thereby assisting them in their quest toward a more enriching and
better self-understanding.
It is on this premise that this learning module was conceptualized. Responsive to

the Outcomes-Based proforma on syllabi of CHED, this module captured topics
and themes which would facilitate self-exploration and self-discovery among the
Filipino learners. The module features activities which are Filipino-context,
authentic, engaging, and competency based. Activities and exercises from each of
topic provide avenues for learners to hone their cognitive competencies
particularly along self-introspection and self-expression. It will as well accord
them the opportunity to be imbued with, if not refine, the practical skills they have
which are deemed indispensable in their personal and academic life.
The module embraces an interdisciplinary approach as it offered a wide array of

perspective toward responding to the fascinating questions about the self. It
encapsulates three major units: the first unit enables the learners to comprehend
the construct of the self from various disciplinal backgrounds (philosophy,
sociology, anthropology, and psychology including the standpoint of the East and
the West): the second unit focuses on the self as a multifaceted entity compose of
various aspects such as the physical and sexual self, the material self, the spiritual
self, the political self, and the digital self. The third and final unit provides a
discourse on commission areas of concern that beset the young learners of today
specifically along learning, goal setting, and managing stress.
As educators and mental health practitioners, the authors believed that

capacitating the Filipino youth and investing on their holistic development are
imperative to nation building. Thus, the crafting of this module is their modest
manifestation of support towards initiatives on societal transformation.
CSU UTS-TEAM
ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Jubilant and revered, the authors are humbled in the completion of this magnum
opus and give due appreciation and gratitude to all those who inspired them to
such a fulfilling accomplishment.
Much of the credit is accorded to Cagayan State University, for providing the
authors a competitive and supportive arena where they can equally develop
themselves in their fields of expertise. The University’s unparalleled trust and
effort towards the refinement of their instructional competencies is something the
authors are grateful and proud of.
The University Administration is likewise applauded for venturing into such an

endeavor of looking unto the instructional needs of the learners particularly in the
New General Education Subjects. The authors are deeply grateful to the
forerunners of this Instructional Manual (IM) Development Project – Dr. Urdujah
A. Tejada, CESO II, University President; Dr. Mariden Ventura-Cauilan,
University Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Lirio Gudina C.
Mangawil, Director for Instruction.
The authors are also thankful of the incomparable understanding of their family;
for their compassion and encouragement especially during the writing stage.
Above all, the authors are eternally indebted to the Supreme Being, who served as
their primary source of strength and knowledge, and whose will made things
possible.
CSU UTS-TEAM
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents……………………………………………………………………Page
Unit 1: The Self From Various Perspectives ----------------------- 1

Topic 1: Philosophical Perspective ------------------------------------------- 2
Topic 2: Sociological Perspective ------------------------------------------- 10
Topic 3: Anthropological Perspective ------------------------------------------- 19
Topic 4: Psychological Perspective ------------------------------------------- 26
Topic 5: The Self in Western and Oriental/ Eastern Thoughts --------------- 35
Unit 2: Unpacking The Self ------------------------------------------ 45

Topic 1: The Physical Self ----------------------------------------------------- 46
Topic 2: The Sexual Self ------------------------------------------------------- 56
Topic 3: The Material Self ------------------------------------------------------- 90
Topic 4: The Spiritual Self ------------------------------------------------------- 97
Topic 5: The Political Self ------------------------------------------------------ 110
Topic 6: The Digital Self ------------------------------------------------------ 115
Unit 3: Managing and Caring for the Self -------------------------- 124

Topic 1: Learning to be a Better Student --------------------------------------- 125
Topic 2: Setting Goals for Success --------------------------------------------- 132
Topic 3: Taking Charge of One’s Health ---------------------------------------- 137
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Unit 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

INTRODUCTION
“The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a

destination.” - Carl Rogers
How old are you? For that number of years of existence, have you ever ask
yourself the question, “What is the self?” This unit focuses in answering that
very question. Hang on, come with me, and let us take a tour in the different
perspective of the self.
What encompasses your “self”? Do

you believe in the existence of the soul
or spirit? When our body dies, does the
soul continue to live? If the soul truly
exists, how does it communicate with
the body? Where does it enter and exit
the body? Do we know who we are?
Are we conscious about it? Do we have
a true and false selves? What is the
“me” self and the “I” self? These
questions are answered by our
philosophers, sociologists,
anthropologists, psychologists and
https://ui-ex.com/download.html
western and eastern thought theorists.
After the tour in the various perspective, you will be able to truly understand your
“self’.” By then, you will be able to answer without hesitation the question,
“WHAT IS MY “SELF?” This unit will be completed in 17 hours.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this unit, you will be able to:
1. discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self

from various disciplinal perspectives;
2. compare and contrast how the self has been exemplified across different
perspectives;
3. examine the different influences, factors and forces that shape the self;
and
4. demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the development
of one’s self and identity by developing a theory of the self.
1
LET’S START #GuessWhat?
a. Assemble in a circle where a Deep Box being gift wrapped with a

removable lid will be placed.
b. Each of you will remove the lid of the box and see a wonderful ‘gift’
inside.
c. You should keep the secret until all of you had a chance to see the ‘gift’.
Note to teacher:
Gift wrap a deep box in such a way that it is easy to take the lid off and on. Place
a large mirror in the bottom of the box.
After the activity, answer the following in your Journal.
1. What have you seen inside the box?

2. How does it feel to see the said ‘gift’?
3. How far do you know the said ‘gift’?
TOPIC 1: PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

Dr. Kathlyn Mata, RGC
“To find yourself, think for yourself.” – Socrates
In efforts to appreciate and understand reality, and

retort to persistent questions of inquisitiveness,
including the inquiry of self, it was the Greeks
who earnestly probed legends and folklore, and
turned away from them.
This topic on the philosophical perspective of the

self (which will utilize 3 hours) will then allow
you to reexamine its key movers for you to be able
to identify the most imperative assumptions made
www.thoughtco.com by philosophers from the ancient to the
contemporary times.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. cite highlights in the life of the philosophers that influenced their concepts
and principles;
2. identify and differentiate the philosophers’ perspectives of self; and
3. create your own concept/ theory of the self.
2
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Classroom Walkway Tour
a. Walk around the room, write down notes, and reflect on the concepts that
you see.
b. Match the photos posted in the corners of the room with the concepts.
c. Do this for 5 minutes. Then lecture-discussion will proceed to check on
your transcripts.
Note to teacher:
Prepare, photos, concepts on self, phrases associated with the eleven
philosophers, paste them in manila papers and display them around the room.
PHILOSOPHERS’ PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF
The way you choose to spend your life contributes to the development of your
identity and self-understanding. Your past is a contributory factor to who you are
today, but who you will be tomorrow greatly depends on your perspective about
yourself.
1. SOCRATES (470-399 B.C.)
He explored his philosophy of

immortality in the days following his
trial and before his sentence to death was
executed.
According to him, an unexamined life is

not worth living. This statement is
reflected in his idea of the self.
He believed in dualism that aside from

the physical body (material substance),
each person has an immortal soul
(immaterial substance).
The body belongs to the physical realm and the soul to the ideal realm. When you
die, your body dies but not your soul. There is a life after the death of your
physical body. There is a world after death.
According to him, in order for you to have a good life, you must live a good life, a
life with a purpose, and that purpose is for you to do well. Then there you will be
happy after your body dies.
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2. PLATO (428/427-348/347 BC)
He was greatly affected by Socrates’

death. Socrates was Plato’s teacher.
He believed that the self is immortal
and it consists of 3 parts:
a. Reason – the divine essence that

enables you to think deeply, make
wise choices and achieve an
understanding of eternal truths;
b. Physical Appetite - your basic

biological needs such as hunger,
thirst, and sexual desire and;
c. Spirit or Passion – your basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition,

aggressiveness, and empathy.
The 3 components may work together or in conflict. If human beings do not live
in accordance with their nature/function, the result will be an injustice.
3. ST. AUGUSTINE (354-430)
He was a great explorer in his youth and

young adulthood; he spent great times
with his friends and up to the extent of
fathering an illegitimate child.
His explorations led to his conversion to

Christianity wherein he spent the
remainder of his day serving the bishop
of Hippo and writing books and letters
including his idea of the self.
At first, he thought the body as the

“slave” of the soul but ultimately,
regarded the body as the “spouse” of the soul both attached to one another. He
believed that the body is united with the soul, so that man may be entire and
complete. His first principle was, “I doubt, therefore I am.”
The self seeks to be united with God through faith and reason and he described
that humanity is created in the image and likeness of God, that God is supreme
and all-knowing and everything created by God who is all good is good.
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4. RENE DESCARTES (1596-1650)
Descartes was a scientist in his

professional life and during his time,
scientists believed that after death the
physical body dies, hence the self also
dies.
He was a devout Catholic who believed

in the immortal souls and eternal life.
By having the idea of both the thinking
self and the physical body, Descartes
was able to reconcile his being a
scientist and a devout Catholic.
The self is a thinking thing, distinct

from the body. The thinking self or
soul is nonmaterial, immortal, conscious while the physical body is material,
mortal, non-thinking entity, fully governed by the physical laws of nature.
“Cogito ergo sum” (I think, therefore I Am) is the keystone to his concept of the
self. The essence of existing as a human identity is the possibility of being aware
of oneself.
5. JOHN LOCKE (1634-1704)
The intolerant and charged atmosphere

in England kept Locke to stay abroad
and freedom from political intrigues
and duties allowed him to develop his
philosophy.
According to Locke, the human mind at

birth is a tabula rasa (“blank slate”).
The self or personal identity is
constructed primarily from sense
experiences which shape and mold the
self throughout a person’s life.
Personal identity is made possible by self-consciousness. In order to discover the

nature of personal identity, you to have to find out what it means to be a person.
A person is a thinking, intelligent being who has abilities to reason and to reflect.
A person is also someone who considers itself to be the same thing at different
times and different places.
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Consciousness means being aware that you are thinking; this what makes your
belief possible that you are the same identity at different times and in different
places. The essence of the self is its conscious awareness of itself as thinking,
reasoning, reflecting identity.
6. DAVID HUME (1711-1776)
He left the University of Edinburg at

the age of 15, to study privately.
Although he was encouraged to take
up law, his interest was philosophy. It
is during his private study that he
began raising questions about religion.
For him, there is no “self” only a

bundle of perceptions passing through
the theatre of your minds.
According to him, humans are so

desperately wanting to believe that
they have a unified and continuous self or soul that they use their imaginations to
construct a fictional self. The mind is a theatre, a container for fleeting sensations
and disconnected ideas and your reasoning ability is merely a slave to the
passions. Hence, personal identity is just a result of imagination.
7. IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804)
Although Kant recognizes the

legitimacy in Hume’s account, he
opposes the idea of Hume that
everything starts with perception and
sensation of impressions, that’s why he
brought out the idea of the self as a
response against the idea of Hume.
For Kant, there is unavoidably a mind

that systematizes the impressions that
men get from the external world.
Therefore, Kant believed that the self

is a product of reason because the self
regulates experience by making unified experience possible.
We construct the self. The self exists independently of experience and the self
goes beyond experience.
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8. SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939)
Freud develops his theories during a

period in which he experienced heart
irregularities, disturbing dreams and
periods of depression. He read William
Shakespeare in English throughout his
life.
Based on him, the self is composed of

three layers, conscious, preconscious
and unconscious.
The conscious mind includes thoughts,

feelings, and actions that you are
currently aware of; the preconscious
mind includes mental activities that are
stored in your memory, not presently active but can be accessed or recalled; while
the unconscious mind includes activities that you are not aware of.
According to him, there are thoughts, feelings, desires, and urges that the
conscious mind wants to hide, buried in your unconscious, but may shed light to
your unexplained behavior.
9. GILBERT RYLE (1900-1976)
His father was a general practitioner but

had a keen interest in philosophy and
astronomy that he passed it on to his
children; they had an impressive library
where Ryle enjoyed being an
omnivorous reader.
He graduated with first class honors in

the New Modern Greats School of
Philosophy, Politic, and Economics.
His concept of the self is provided in his

philosophical statement, “I Act
therefore I am.” Ryle views the self as
the way people behave, which is
composed of a set of patterned behavior.
Basically, for Ryle, the self is the same as your behavior.
7
10. PAUL CHURCHLAND (1942)
Churchland became a professor at the

University of California where he later
became the department chair and
member of the Cognitive Science
Faculty, a member of the Institute for
Neural Computation. His membership
to these organizations prompted him to
dwell on the brain as the self.
Churchland’s theory is anchored in the

statement, “the self is the brain.” The
self is inseparable from the brain and
the physiological body because the
physical brain gives the sense of self.
In short, the brain and the self are one. Once the brain is dead, the self is dead
too.
11. MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY (1908-1961)
When he won the school’s “Award for

Outstanding Achievement” in
Philosophy it traced his commitment to
the vocation of Philosophy.
His concept, “the self has embodied

subjectivity” explained that all your
knowledge about yourself and the
world is based on your subjective
experiences and everything that you are
aware of is contained in your
consciousness.
For him, your body is your general

medium for having a world.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Paint Thy Self
a. Stay in the most comfortable place in the room (or in the vicinity of the
college) and draw an image of your “self” and paint the “self” any color/s
that you want.
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b. After painting your “self”, you will be asked to show your painting in
class and tell something about it.
c. This is not a graded activity but a way of expressing who they are,
including their joys, and frustrations about themselves, and the activity
would create a cathartic effect.
Note to teacher:
Instruct the students at least a day before conducting this activity to prepare and
bring the following: 1/8th illustration board, paint brush, water, paint, tissue
paper, and palette. If there are possible needing counseling cases in the students’
output, refer them to the guidance office.
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Theory of My Own Self
Which among the philosophies discussed can you identify with? Create your own
theory of the “self.”
Rubrics
Exceeds Meets Approaches

Criterion Expectations Expectations Expectations Comments
3 2 1
Presents the
presents the
reflection in a presents the
reflection in a
compelling, reflection in a
Organization moderately
highly- disorganized
organized
organized manner
manner
manner
Demonstrates Demonstrates
Demonstrates
thorough reasonably
minimal
Content reflective reflective
reflective
analysis analysis
analysis
Grammar, There were few Grammar

Sentence punctuation and grammar, punctuation and
Structure spelling were punctuation and spelling errors
perfect spelling errors were evident.
9
TOPIC 2: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Gladys Lavarias, MA
Choose your self-presentations carefully, for what starts out as a mask may
become your face” – Erving Goffman
How would you answer the question “Who are you?” How would you introduce
yourself to a person or a group when it’s your first time to meet or interact with
them? Would you be very willing to share and open-up your true self, or would
you have some limitations first?
This topic (for 3 hours) on the sociological perspective of the self will let you
explore the importance of the self in relation to the society. It will let you examine
how your attitudes and behavior is influenced by social interactions and
relationships. And as you try to understand fully yourself, this topic will facilitate
you to accept and be more tolerant of the differences that you have and that of
others for you to live in a harmonious way and be productive in society.
Sociology is the study of society, patterns of social relationships, social

interaction and culture of everyday life. Man is a
social being, who is born into existence in a
community before he is able to know himself.
Early in life, as children, you become aware of
your social nature. And it is through
socialization that begins in the family that you
are exposed to behavior, social rules, and
attitudes that lead to social development. And it
is through social institutions – family, school,
church, and the community you interact with
every day, that will lead you to your deeper
understanding of your social identity – that of www.pinterest.ph
understanding your social self.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. define the self from a sociological perspective;

2. appreciate the importance of the socialization process in the development
of the self;
3. evaluate the process of understanding the self, using the different
sociological theories and concepts on self-development; and
4. interpret the theory of Mead on the development of the self in terms of the
differences of the “I” and the “Me” through examples.
10
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Voice It Out
Discuss the following statements in class:
a. People are what they think about themselves.

b. “No man is an island.”
c. Socialization is a lifelong process.
SOCIALIZING THE INDIVIDUAL
Personality Development
In what ways are you like all other people? In what ways are you only like some
other people? In what ways are you like no other people? In this topic you will
examine the importance of the sociological self to look at what brings about the
similarities and differences among people through the uniqueness of personality.
What is personality? The concept of personality is a descriptive one. It describes

how an individual adapts to his or her cultural surroundings. Personality is the
basic organization of individuals that determines the uniqueness of their behavior.
The basic organization refers to the structure of the personality – how it is put
together, and the relationships among the various parts. It consists of the total
physical, intellectual, and emotional structure of the individual. Each one is
unique. Your total personality structure will determine your particular way of
behaving. Each one of you has your own way of interacting with others and with
your social environment.
Some Aspects of Personality
1. Physical characteristics – physical appearance is the most obvious

part of an individual’s personality. Are you short or tall, fat or thin,
light or dark in complexion, black or brown hair, a pointed or flat
nose? These characteristics are inherited but can be altered by your
culture. This will be further discussed in the topic of the physical self
as people make efforts to change their appearance in order to fulfill the
desired cultural values.
2. Abilities – are skills that are developed within the culture. For
example, one may develop ability in playing sepak takraw or football,
to paint or do beadwork, to program computers or use an abacus. Other
than abilities, you have the capacity to learn skills, or to acquire a
particular body of knowledge – your aptitude. Aptitude is more related
to heredity, as abilities are always related to culture.
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3. Interests – acquired from various kinds of things. You all differ in

your interests. The things that you become interested in depend on the
cultural alternatives that are available – and an awareness of your
existence.
4. Beliefs – about yourself, your friends, nature, religion, work, etc. It

also includes attitudes, values, preferences, superstitions, prejudices,
and knowledge. Some are based on fact, others are not. But all beliefs
are related to the culture and learned from others in the society.
5. Habits – are regular, routine ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving.

This can be observed in ways of dressing, eating, interacting with
others, and in your everyday tasks. These are learned from others and
help you distinguish one person’s behavior from others. And almost all
of your habits are related to your culture.
The Influence of Heredity and Environment
Is it “nature or nurture”? If culture affects all aspects of your personality, what

role then does heredity play in your personality development?
1. Heredity – characteristics that are innate, present at birth – physical

characteristics, like hair, skin, and eye color and body size. It is the
transmitting of genetic characteristics from your parents to you. We
inherit basic needs and capacities. As human beings, we have
biological drives. Our hunger drive makes us want to eat. But drives
do not dictate our specific behavior. The hunger drive doesn’t tell us
when, what, or how to eat. You learn those things from other human
beings within your culture.
Heredity gives you biological needs. Your culture determines how you
meet these needs. Heredity plays an important role in shaping human
personalities by setting limits on individuals. For example, if you were
born with a five-foot frame, you are not likely to become a
professional basketball player. On the other hand, it is not a guarantee
that you’ll become one even if you are seven feet tall. Inherited
characteristics place limits on what is possible, but it will not
determine what you will do and what kind of personality you will
have.
2. Birth order – your personality is also influenced by whether you have

brothers, sisters, both, or neither. Were you born first, last, or in
between? Do you have only sisters – or only brothers – or both? Think
about ways in which your own life situation could have been different,
and how your personality might have been affected by these factors.
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3. Parents – another difference within the family that can influence a

person’s personality is the age of the parents. How might you be
affected by your parents’ age? Parents amount of education, religious
beliefs, ethnic backgrounds, economic/social status, occupations, and
communities in which they live, all contribute to the personality
development of an individual.
4. Subcultures – a subculture is a portion of a society that has enough

characteristics of its own to set it apart, and yet is included within the
general society. Identify a subculture different from your own.
Imagine growing up in it. What would your family life, interests,
values, and beliefs might be like? How might your personality be
influenced?
5. The cultural environment – every culture is different. These cultural

differences affect your personality development. It is cultural
environment that makes individuals human. It makes you embrace
your similarities and celebrate your differences.
Research and few recorded evidences show that children or individuals

who were raised without the influence of a cultural environment
resulted to having no human characteristics except in their appearance.
No reasoning, no manners, no abilities even in controlling bodily
functions or to move like human beings. Your personality – our
humanity – comes from our cultural environment.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Read a Bit
Read the following additional reading material on the influence of heredity and
environment in personality development, the 10 Heartbreaking Stories of Feral
Children.
You can have it be downloaded at https://www.toptenz.net/top-10-feral-

children.php
Then answer the following questions after reading the material:
a. What is a feral child?

b. Who coined the term “nature vs. nurture”?
c. Differentiate “nature vs. nurture” by giving examples to show its
importance in your sociological and personality development?
d. Which is more important in developing your self – nature or nurture?
Defend your answer.
13
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Get to Know a Handicapped
Gather information about a famous person who was physically handicapped.

Discover how his/her personality was affected by the handicap. Share your profile
report to the class.
Note to teachers:
This can be given as a home task prior to start of Topic 2.
THE SOCIAL SELF
At birth, you cannot talk, walk, feed yourselves, or even protect yourself from
harm. You know nothing about the ways of your culture or society. Then, through
interaction with other people and your environment, you are developed into
individuals who have knowledge of your culture – you become participants of
your society. This process of cultural molding, how individuals learn the basic
skills, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns of the society, is called socialization.
The Socialization Process
The following theories will help you understand how we become socialized and
develop our identity, or self.
1. JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704)
John Locke was an English

philosopher who insisted that each
newly born individual was a tabula
rasa – or clean slate, on which could
be written just about anything. He
claimed that you are born without
qualities. You develop your
personality as a result of your
experiences. The basic assumptions
about socialization are related to
Locke’s views. Most sociologists
think of socialization as a process by
which you absorb those aspects of https://oll.libertyfund.org/people/john-locke
your culture with which you come
into contact. Through the socialization
process, you develop your social self. The social self is the way that you see
yourselves as a result of interacting with others. You begin to have a sense of your
own self from your daily interactions with other people.
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2. CHARLES HORTON COOLEY (1864-1929)

Charles Horton Cooley was an
American sociologist who developed
the theory about the social self. He
observed that you only begin to have a
sense of your own self – of who you
are and what you are like – after you
notice how others see you.
According to Cooley, a newborn baby

has no sense of person or place.
Various people – parents, brothers,
sisters, other family members, and
friends – interact with the baby. These
people as they relate to the baby http://www.greatthoughtstreasury.com/author/char
provide the infant with a mirror that les-horton-cooley
reflects the infant’s image. The image

reflected back is created during the interaction between the baby and the other
people. This theory puts a great deal of responsibility on parents and others who
have contact with children. They contribute to the child’s sense of ability or
inability depending on the way they interact with the child. He called his theory
“the looking glass theory”. Social interaction is a kind of looking glass that
reflects yourself back to you – but only after you are interpreted by those with
whom you interact. According to Cooley, you are as other people see you. You
can only see yourselves only as others see you. And what they see is what you
are. You are continually changing your personality as you adjust your self-image
to the way you are viewed by the rest of society. How do you react when others
see you differently from the way you see yourself?
How the Looking-Glass Self Works
3.
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/4433299612933920/?lp=true
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3. GEORGE HERBERT MEAD (1863-1931)
According to George Herbert Mead,

seeing yourselves as others see you is
only the beginning. Eventually, you not
only come to see yourselves as others
see you, but actually “take the role of
the other”. Mead believes that all of us
come into contact with two kinds of
people – “significant others” – they are
from your earlier contacts; people who
are most important to you; they know
you and love you for what you are –
parents, brothers and sisters, relatives,
and close friends; they are important to
you because of who they are, rather https://www.enotes.com/topics/george-herbert-mead
than just for what they can do for you;
and “generalized others”.
a) Significant others and the I-self – from these relationships you develop the
I-self. The I-self does not depend on your role or where you are. You may
be in class, in the mall shopping, with your friends, or working. You are
something more than what your role as a student, shopper, and so on
indicates. It is subjective, or personal, and entirely constant. You can act in
a way that is not expected of someone in your role because of your I-self.
As you grow, you begin to expand beyond the significant others of the
family. When you were kids, while playing the “bahay-bahayan”, you
realize that one can take the role of a mother or a father. At this point, you
begin to realize that there is more than one mother and one father. You see
mothers and fathers as “generalized others” – people or roles to whom you
relate in a more abstract, general way.
b) Generalized others and the me-self – in playing the game “bahay-

bahayan”, each child takes on not only his or her own role, but also the role
of the other. The father must be able to play (in his head) the role of mother
as well. He must anticipate her responses and understand her duties and
expectations. Likewise, the mother also mentally plays the role of the father.
This can be seen in your role as a student, you relate to your teacher by
anticipating the kinds of responses your teacher is likely to make. Human
interaction and communication depend on the existence of many
generalized others. The me-self is directly related to a particular social
situation. We have many me-selves as the number of roles we occupy. It
comes from our continual interaction with our social environment. It is our
objective social identity.
16
The I-Self and the Me-Self
I-Self Me-Self
The result of your subjective, private
Comes from your objective, social self
self (personal)
Self as subject Self as object
Self-expression Conformity
Objective behavior that is quite
Subjective behavior, quite constant
predictable
How you act according to the rules and
Your unique personal qualities, your
expectations of a specific role in a
individual impulses
given situation
To summarize, your personality is socially created, and develops through social

interaction. Each time you step into a social situation, you respond to your
surroundings. And you add to that your unique experiences. This combination
produces your social self.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! “Noon at Ngayon”
Societies are organized to emphasize either the me-self or the I-self. How would
you characterize the Philippines in the 1970’s as compared with the Philippines
today?
Fill-in the needed information on the given table below by interviewing/asking

elderly people (50 years old and above for the “Noon” column) and teenagers or
young adults (25 years old and below for the “Ngayon” column) in your
household or community on their views and opinions on the listed ideas in the
table.
“Noon” “Ngayon”
Beauty
Courtship/Dating
Life
Love
Sex
Other ideas (may
come from the class)
17
a. What are the similarities/differences from the views/opinions that you

have gathered?
b. What factors do you think made the differences in the views/opinions?
c. Share your findings/experiences to the class.
Do you think we are now moving toward greater self-expression – more I-self? Or
toward greater conformity – more me-self? Support your answers based from the
data you gathered.
Note to teacher:
May be given as an assignment to the class.
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Biography Check
Read a biography of a famous individual. Pay particular attention to descriptions

of that person’s abilities, interests, beliefs, and habits. Then write a report on how
these qualities reflected the person’s cultural surroundings.
Rubrics

3 2 1
Presents the
presents the
reflection in a
organized
organized manner
manner
manner
Demonstrates
thorough reasonably
minimal
reflective
analysis analysis
analysis

18
TOPIC 3: ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Dr. Jona Addatu, RGC
“The main purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human
indifferences” – Ruth Benedict
Social scientists and anthropologists have long recognized the idea that people in
different parts of the world view themselves in different ways. These different
ways of viewing one’s self may be attributed to biological or genetic variants and
partly to social or cultural variation.
Your racial category, family structure, ethnic affiliation, religious customs,

language, social beliefs and values, cultural expression and identification
indubitably contribute on your formation as a person, and accordingly, on your
self-construal.
These concepts or forces form part of the main subjects of anthropology. What is
anthropology? How does anthropology shape your sense of self? Etymologically,
the word “anthropology” stemmed from two Greek words, anthropos meaning
man and logus meaning study or science. Thus, anthropology is the science of
man. It is concerned about the various aspects of
the human species, irrespective of time and
place, from ancient to the contemporary.
Anthropologists are interested not only on how
humans have structurally evolved from their
animal predecessors but also on how humans
transformed and into a culturally and socially
adaptive beings. By taking a closer look unto
how we have metamorphosed physically and
culturally, this unit can help us explore what
makes us uniquely different from other living
organisms. This topic on anthropological
www.nourfoundation.com perspective about the self will be finished in 3
hours.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. appreciate the science of anthropology and recognize its relevance on

elucidating the development of self and identity;
2. understand how the sense of self is shaped and influenced by culture;
3. elevate awareness and pride on the Filipino culture.
19
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Festival of Cultures
The development of culture and its impact on shaping the self, appear to be
fundamental in any anthropological discourse. Culture is considered a way of life
– it encompasses the values, behaviors, beliefs, customs, languages and traditions
of a particular social or ethnic group.
Our country has a rich history of diverse cultures with colonial influences. With
the numerous ethnic groups in the country, we could just imagine how hybrid our
cultural identities are. In this activity, you will have a grasp on the different
cultures of the country by looking unto the uniqueness of each of the ethnic
groups in the regional and national levels.
a. Divide the class in a group of 7-8 members. Acquaint yourselves on the

different ethnic groups in the Philippines (i.e. Tagalog, Atta, Ilocano,
Ibanag, Malaueg, Gaddang, etc.). You can source these on
www.ethnicgroupsphilippines.com. Select one among the ethnic groups
and study their cultural festivals, traditions, cultural values, beliefs and
practices. For familiarity, you may possibly choose your own ethnic
affiliation.
b. After culling information regarding your chosen ethnic group, focus on the
cultural symbol/s (i.e. music/song, dance, art, rites, festivals, dish/food
preference, etc.) which would best and uniquely exemplify the said ethnic
group.
c. Make an exhibit of these by bringing or presenting these concretely. (NB:
If the cultural symbol is an art or a dish/food preference, you may wish to
bring an actual art or dish. If it’s a music/song or dance, you may actually
do the singing or dancing. If it’s a rite or festival, you may showcase a
video presentation of these.). Your goal here is to help deepen your
classmates’ awareness and appreciation of the ethnic group’s cultural
identity.
d. Make a write-up of your reflections after the activity.
Note to teacher:
Give the instruction beforehand (after Topic 2) so that students would be able to
prepare and/or bring their outputs the subsequent meeting.
THE SELF AND THE PERSON IN CONTEMPORARY

ANTHROPOLOGY
Are there characteristics and experiences which are inherently common among
us? Are there universals in terms of our biological endowments and
predispositions? Given the uniformity in terms of our physiology and genetic
20
profile, are our behaviors and actions rooted from the same drives and passions?
And do we share the same biological needs?
With the identicalness of our physical environment and the cultures in which we
thrive, can we affirm that all men are alike? These questions about human
universals form part of the central themes of anthropology since its inception as a
scientific discipline.
In their book, Personality in Nature, Society and Culture, psychologist Henry

Murray and anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn (1953) claimed that “Every man is
in certain respects like all other men, like some other men, and like no other
man.” This statement pictured how pre-contemporary and contemporary
anthropology viewed the human person. The pre-contemporary view of human
nature demonstrated sameness, invariability, and universality where man was
regarded as identical, constant, and general.
Humans, like all other species, are considered essentially the same regardless of
place and time. Thus, they are predictable and can be studied uniformly.
While recognizing the self as an unchanging entity, anthropologists also accept its
inherent variability. Contemporary anthropologists subscribe to a more holistic
approach in studying the self by looking unto human variety brought about by
variations across cultures and variations over time.
They suggest that the human person can be studied from many points of view.
And that it’s only when we study the full range of human phenomenon and
consider the inescapable fact that men are in many respects like no other man, can
we genuinely appreciate human nature. This calls for a more comprehensive and
encompassing approach towards understanding the human person. That is, taking
into account all the physical, biological, psychological, social and cultural
elements that make up the self.
This pursuit towards a holistic appreciation of the human nature was supported
scientifically. For instance, Anthropology Professor Katherine Ewing asserted an
integrative stance on the self by defining it as one that which “encompasses the
physical organism, possessing all aspects of psychological functioning, and social
attributes”, (1990:254). Even the neurobiologist Joseph LeDoux described the
self as the totality of what an organism is physically, biologically,
psychologically, socially, and culturally. He further claimed that though the self is
a unit, it is not unitary” (2002: 31).
Considering then the totality of all the processes and elements that constitute the
self and the interrelationship between and amongst these remain to be
fundamental in understanding the human being. Study the figure below. What
does this show about how anthropology advances our understanding of ourselves?
21
https://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/points.
ThehtConcept
m of Culture
Cultural anthropology being one of the sub-disciplines of anthropology

underscores the concept of culture and its influence in shaping the self. By
reflecting on your outputs in the activity Festival of Cultures, you probably had a
good grasp of what culture is and what constitute it. You might have also realized
how culture affects the way you construe your personal identity.
Culture is a broad construct which covers a wide range of elements – from your
clothing designs to your food preferences, the dialect you use for communicating,
the festivals you enjoy, the religious beliefs and customs you observe, the set of
values you conform to, or even the kinds of books you read, or the jokes you
crack – all these illuminate your way of life and all these elements form part of
the culture you were raised to.
One of the most fundamental aspects of culture is symbol. As people interact,

they share a common set of symbols which represent their identity. Cultural
symbols aid in establishing the uniqueness of a particular culture. When properly
preserved and accurately passed on from one generation to the other, it continues
to be an indelible representation of one’s personhood.
Our Bodies and Culture
Recall some circumstances in your life where you pursued a particular fashion
statement or modified your body image because it is what’s “in” or it is what
seems typical based on your cultural context. Did you ever go through tattooing or
body piercing because these convey something about your status? Or had you
ever been refrained from letting your hair be cut because of some religious
beliefs? What about having been restricted of wearing revealing clothes because it
is considered a taboo?
22
If you answered in the affirmative then you probably adhere unto the proposition
that culture influences our body image. Consciously or unconsciously, your body
image or your perception of your body or that of others is largely influenced by
your culture.
Your bodies and what you do with it is a reflection of the life you live and the
culture you were accustomed to. Body modifications and embellishments for
instance are regarded as part of the norms and representations of some cultures.
The pictures below exemplify how our cultures are projected through our bodies.
Apo Whang-Od Oggay, the Living Legend A woman from the Mursi Tribe in South
Mambabatok (Tattoo Artist) of the Butbut Ethiopia, Africa with her profound lip and
Tribe in Buscalan, Kalinga. earlobe plates.
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/355010383108304495/?lp=true https://tatring.com/piercing-types/Have-Mursi-on-the-Lip-Plate
A woman from the Karen Tribe (also known A member of the Bagobo people from coastal
as Padaung People) of Thailand with heavy Mindanao in the Philippines with filed and
brass rings on the neck. blackened teeth.
https://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Thailand/North/Chia https://medium.com/@nitinbhatt/16-most-extreme-cultural-
ng_Mai/Village_of_North/photo896982.htm body-modifications-in-the-world-f996b311036d
23
The Self Embedded In Culture
The figure below illustrates a hypothetical self-concept of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz.
Given the different roles he assumes, he may be viewed in different ways by
people around him. This demonstrates Mead’s idea that the meaning or the
characterization that we ascribe to the self depends on our roles in the society.
The self as a basic psychological concept which is commonly assumed to be static
and have a universal nature is therefore susceptible to changes depending on
social situations and cultural contexts. The self is malleable and can act in
different ways depending on circumstances; it is multi-faceted yet unified. As
such, the self has to be examined as an entity embedded in culture.
Having interest in cross-cultural understandings of the person, French sociologist

and anthropologist Marcel Mauss (1950) substantiated on the notion of person as
a cultural category. He used the terms moi (refers to the concept of self) and
personne (refers to the concept of person) but underscored the latter in elucidating
about personhood. According to him, the person was considered primarily a
cultural conception, or a ‘category’ of a particular community.
As a social category, the person is said to be socially and culturally constituted

that can only be understood in relation to everything else in the society and thus,
may be subject to quite substantial, if not infinite, variation. In the hypothetical
self-concept map of Mr. Juan Dela Cruz, you might have noticed the different
attributes of his personne or the person that he is depending on his social
situation. At home, he has to be the affectionate but strict father that he is; he can
be a very caring husband to his wife, yet may likewise be wary. At one point, he
is regarded soft-hearted but at another, he is viewed as someone firm. This points
out to the malleability of his personne depending on his cultural context.
24
Harry Triandis (2019), a psychology professor at the University of Illinois,

furthered the discourse about the self being culturally shaped. In his research, The
Self and Social Behavior in Differing Cultural Contexts (1989), he introduced and
distinguished three aspects of the self: private, public, and collective self. The
private self are cognitions that involve traits, states, or behaviors of the person; it
is an assessment of the self by the self. Statements like “I am amiable”; “I am
outspoken”; “I will buy X” are examples of our self-assessments about ourselves.
The public self on the other hand refers to cognitions concerning the generalized
other’s view of the self, such as statements like “People think I am shy” or
“People think I will buy X”. The public self is an assessment of the self by the
generalized others. The collective self are cognitions concerning a view of the self
that is found in some collective (e.g., family, co-workers, tribe, scientific society),
such as, “My family thinks I am introverted” or “My co-workers believe I shop too
much.” The collective self corresponds to an assessment of the self by a specific
reference or groups. These aspects of the self are heavily influenced by culture.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! The Twenty Statements Test (TST)
a. Write down in a clean sheet of yellow paper twenty (20) different

responses to the question “Who am I?” Don’t worry about evaluating the
logic or importance of your responses – just write the answers as they
occur to you. You are given 5 minutes to complete this task.
b. Now it’s time to analyze your responses. Rate each one according to the
four categories listed below. Evaluate, to the best of your ability, which
responses fall into the A-mode, B-mode, C-mode, and D-mode categories.
A-mode responses are indicative of your physical characteristics: “I
am chubby”; “I am beautiful”; “I am a resident of Tuguegarao City”.
B-mode responses describe socially defined statuses usually associated
with group membership of some sort (i.e. “I am a college student”; “I
am a Roman Catholic”; “I am an Ytawes”.
C-mode responses describe styles of behaviour or emotional states: “I
am liked by most people because of my being optimistic” “I am a
happy person”.
D-mode responses are more general than individual: “I am a human
being”; “I am part of the universe”.
c. You may have some difficulty deciding how to categorize some of your
responses but USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT. Count the number of each
type of response. Now compare the totals – which category got the most
number of responses? How did you get to have the self you have?
d. Compare your findings with those of your classmates; where do your
fellow students get their sense of self?
25
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Photo Essay
Choose one of your favorite individual or family photos. Based on the picture, write
an essay on how culture has shaped your self-concept. Write your essay in your
journal. The essay should not be less than 500 words.

3 2 1
Presents the
presents the
reflection in a
organized
organized manner
manner
manner
Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates
thorough reasonably minimal
Content
reflective reflective reflective
analysis analysis analysis
TOPIC 4: PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of

ourselves” – Carl Jung
In the previous topics, you have uncovered the different conceptualizations about
the “self” from the viewpoints of philosophers,
anthropologists and sociologists. Indubitably, the
self has been one of the prominent subjects of
investigations across time and discipline,
including psychology. As a science, psychology is
particularly concerned with how the self evolves
as it interacts with various forces. It acknowledges
the self being stable and enduring through time
but is also susceptible to change depending on our
encounters. It offered ways of thinking about and
https.medium.com/@evans.fishman viewing the self and these you will be examining
on the succeeding discourse for 4 hours.
26
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. examine the self as a construct from a psychological stance;

2. compare and contrast the various psychological theories in terms of how
they construed the self;
3. gain understanding of the different facets of the self as expounded by
psychological perspectives;
4. create a personal conceptualization about what the self is, using the
propositions of psychology.
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Who do I say I am? Who do You say I am?
The self is multifaceted. Given the different social roles you take on in life, you
may realize that we have a multiplicity of selves – the self as a child at home; the
self as a student; the self as a sibling; the self as a friend; the self as a parent; the
self as a classmate, the self as a member of a group and so on. In this task you will
look unto your own self perceptions and that of others’ perceptions of you taking
into account the different facets of yourself.
a. On a sheet of paper, draw a human caricature, paste your real picture on

its face. (NB: The facilitator may require the students to bring with them
a cut-out of their picture to be pasted on the caricature).
b. Complete the statement Who do I say I am? by listing down your
characteristics taking into consideration the different facets of the self:
Who do I say I am
...as a daughter/son...
...as a sibling...
...as a student...
...as a friend...
...as a classmate; etc.
c. Complete such based on your own appraisal of who you are. Place your
responses on paper strips, which is to be pasted around your human
caricature.
d. Consider how you are viewed by others by soliciting the
observations/perceptions of your significant others about you.
Preferably, include the perceptions of the following:
Parents (mother and father or any of them)
At least one of your siblings if there’s any
At least one of your friends
At least one of your teachers (previous teachers may do so)
At least three of your classmates
27
e. Ask them to complete the same statements as you did, on paper strips
(Who do You say I am...as a daughter/son...as a sibling...as a student...as
a friend...as a classmate; etc.). (NB: The facilitator instructs the students
to ask beforehand others’ perceptions of them: i.e. if the statement
requires for the parents’ perception towards them, then they should
have asked their parents).
f. After which, paste the paper strips where others’ perceptions of you
were written beside the same statements in the caricature.
Note: Below is an illustration of sample output.
28
You can now readily compare whether or not you and the other perceivers have the
same view of you. Reflect on the following and write your insights in your Journal:
a. Which of your characteristics were similarly perceived by others and
which are not?
b. Considering the different facets of the self, were the feedbacks given
show consistency? Which of those do you think were real? How about
the ideal?
c. Do you agree to those aspects which were not consistent? Which of
those were true? And which were false? What about those who are at
times true or circumstantial?
d. What are your reflections after the activity?
PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE SELF
As you responded on the activity, you were able to contemplate on all the possible
characteristics and attributes you have, taking into account your different selves.
You had the chance too to have a grasp and figure out how you are perceived by
others. More importantly, you were able to validate your own self-concept with
that of your identity based on how others view you. Then perhaps you can say,
“this is the real me” or you may claim, “I am who I am”. If so, what is it that
makes you “you”?
The ontology of the self has been one of the most immensely researched foci of
psychology. Established as a scientific discipline in 1879, psychology in its
attempt to broaden theoretical explanations on the self has been so fascinated in
looking unto indispensable phenomena like social interactions and individual
difference variables which include personality, behavior and mental processes.
Postmodern psychologists also expounded on the multiplicity of the self by
exploring its subselves. These will all be tackled as we discuss each of the
psychological perspectives about the self.
1. William James’s Me-Self and I-Self
American philosopher and psychologist,

William James (1842-1910), extensively
explained the self and its aspects on his 1890
publication The Principles of Psychology.
According to James, a man's self is the “sum
total of all that he can call his, not only his
body and his psychic powers, but his clothes
and his house, his wife and children, his
ancestors and friends, his reputation and
“Whenever two people meet, there are
works, his lands and horses, and yacht and really six people present. There is each man
bank-account.” This suggests that the self is as he sees himself, each man as the other
comprise of everything the person has. person sees him, and each man as he really
is.” - William James
29
- Dada
Bhagwan
It embraces all his physical and corporeal possessions and extends even to the non-
physical or intangible aspects. As such, our sense of self pertains to all entities
which we consider ours and which we value as they are deemed extensions of us.
James proposed that the self has two facets: the I-Self and the Me-Self. The I-Self
is said to be the self in action or as subject; it is that aspect of the self that does the
acting, thinking, and feeling. It is also known as the self as the knower or
perceiver. The Me-Self on the other hand refers to the self as an object; it is that
facet of the self which is the known or the perceived. Also termed by James as the
Empirical Self, the me is one’s accumulated understanding of one’s self. Further,
James suggests that the Me-Self or the Empirical Self has three components: the
Material Self which encompasses all of our important possessions as well as the
people we treasure; the. Social Self involved how we think we are viewed and
regarded by others and also our instinctive desire to be recognized; and the
Spiritual Self contains our subjective dispositions like our self-appraised abilities,
beliefs, attitudes, emotions, etc. For William James, these facets of the Me-Self
help people define us; and aid us too in defining and understanding ourselves.
These may further bring about positive or negative self-feelings that will motivate
and direct our efforts to maintain, change, or improve ourselves.
2. Carl Rogers’s Real Self and Ideal Self
Known for being one of the pillars of

humanistic theory, American psychologist
Carl Rogers (1902 – 1987), posited about self-
concept. Self-concept simply speaks of how
we think and view of ourselves. It includes the
entire schema and the knowledge that we have
or that we are aware of about ourselves.
As we come to interact with others, we may

come across feedbacks or may be subjected to “The curious paradox is that when I
experiences which will challenge our self- accept myself just as I am, then I can
concept. Once established however, we may change.” -Carl Rogers
have difficulties changing our self-concept and
thus, we are likely to deny or distort them whenever there are incongruences.
Rogers posited two essential components of the self: the real self and the ideal
self. According to him, the real self speaks of how we genuinely appraise
ourselves. It is the self that feels most true to what and who we really are. It may
not be perfect but it is the part of us that feel most real. The ideal self on the other
hand, denotes one’s view of self as one wishes to be. It contains attributes, usually
positive, that people aspire to possess. Further, Rogers suggests that a
discrepancy between our ideal and real selves redounds to non-equilibrium,
indicating an unhealthy personality.
30
3. Albert Bandura’s Proactive and

Agentic Self
Albert Bandura (1925 – present) is a

renowned psychologist who advocated the
social cognitive theory of learning. This
learning perspective contends that human
behavior results from vicarious learning,
through the experiences of other people.
Bandura viewed people as agents or

originators of experience. We don’t just “Self-belief does not necessarily ensure
merely observe and imitate behavior; we have success, but self-disbelief assuredly
cognitive faculties that enable us to discern spawns failure.” -Albert Bandura
unto whether or not such behavior is worth emulating or if such can help us
become better individuals. One of the fundamental concepts espoused by social
cognitive theory is self-efficacy, which is defined as one’s conviction or belief that
he or she can take on a certain task successfully. With these emerged the concept
of the self as proactive and agentic. The self as proactive is constructive; it is
optimistic that it can get through whatever adversities it may encounter. Being
proactive means having the capacity to recognize and take advantage of
opportunities that may be beneficial to our selves and to better our lives in
general. An agentic self is one who takes charge of his choices and actions; it is
self-reflective and self-regulating. Bandura views people as being more than just
mere planners and fore thinkers. We are agents of change; we can be actively
involved in shaping our own lives because we are equipped with the cognitive
faculty and capacity to do so. We can be highly motivated and not easily
discouraged when he faced with challenges. An agentic and proactive self
believes that no matter how big the problem may seem to be, he or she can
overcome it.
4. Murray Bowen’s Differentiated Self
Known for being one of the forerunners of

family therapy and notable for having
developed a family systems theory,
American psychiatrist Dr. Murray Bowen
(1913 – 1990), posited on the differentiation
of selves.
Differentiation of selves refers to the degree

to which one is able to balance: (a)
emotional and intellectual functioning, and “We all have an infant inside of us, but
(b) intimacy and autonomy in relationship the infant doesn’t have to run the show.”
-Murray Bowen
(Skowron & Friedlander, 1998).
31
On a more personal level, differentiation involves the ability to make clear

boundaries between our thoughts and feelings, and to choose which of the two
will guide our behavior. Highly differentiated individuals are able to balance
autonomy and intimacy in their relationship. This means that one is able to
establish connection with others without losing one’s self in the process. For
instance, a highly differentiated person may be able to assert one’s self despite the
influence of peers.
Poorly differentiated individuals, on the other hand, may engage in fusion in their
relationships. This means that they become much attached to the roles they play in
a relationship, they have few firmly held beliefs, they are more likely to be
compliant, and seek approval from others before making major decision.
Moreover, highly differentiated individuals are flexible and are better able to
adapt to stressful situations. Since they can set clear boundaries between their
thoughts and feelings, they can shift of being emotional to being rational (or vice
versa) depending on what the situation and may make impulsive decisions based
on their current emotional states. Thus differentiation of self is the capacity to
achieve a clear, coherent sense of self along with emotional relationships with
important others. According to Bowen, differentiation is a salient trait foe
attaining mature development and psychological well-being (Skowron &
Friedlander, 1998).
5. Donald Woods Winnicott’s True and

False Selves
Donald Woods Winnicott (1896-1971 was

an English psychoanalyst who
conceptualized the true and false selves.
According to him the true self is based on
our authentic experiences as a person. This
is somehow similar to Roger’s concept of
the real self. The feeling of being alive,
doing the things you want to do, and just
being yourself comprise the true self. On the
“With games, and only with games, can
other hand, the false self, which may also the child or the adult create, and use
referred to as a fake self or superficial self, is their whole personalities, and the
our defense against the vulnerabilities or individual only discovers his personality
when he becomes a creator.”
imperfections of our real self. Our true self -Donald Woods Winnicott
may have its own share of blemishes and weakness that sometimes lowers our
self-esteem. As a result, we try to cover up these flaws and act “as if” we do not
have them.
The false self may start to surface as early as infancy, when we are put under the
control of our parents or early caregivers. As we grow old, we are taught different
rules imposed by our families, the school, or the society.
32
At times, we may have to put our true selves aside, just to abide by the demands
of other people. We do this to maintain harmony in social relationship. There are
instances when it is necessary for the false self to take over a certain situation. For
instance, we need to follow norms of conduct in various social setting and if we
show the false self because of forced compliance to others, then this may be
unhealthy.
Continually suppressing our true selves may inhibit us from truly expressing who
we are, which may negatively impact our wellbeing.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Describe Me
1. Create a conceptual matrix showing how the various psychological

perspectives described the self.
2. Describe yourself using William James’s facets of the Me-Self. You may
consider the following questions:
a. Which among your possessions do you consider is most central to who
you really are?
b. What do you think are the perceptions of other people (those whom
you have not asked of feedback in the human caricature activity; i.e.
boyfriend, neighbor, grandparents, acquaintance, etc.)
c. What are the beliefs you have in life which you consider central to
who you really are?
3. Reflect on who you are and who you want to be. Imagine yourself 15
years from now. On the left side of a sheet of paper, write down your
thoughts on the following:
a. Where do they want to be?
b. How do you want to be living?
c. What do you want to be doing?
d. What kind of person do you want to be? What qualities do you think
you possess?
d. How do you want to be viewed by other people?
4. On the other side of the same paper, ponder on the following:

a. Who are you at the moment? What kind of person do you think you
are?
b. How do you currently view yourself?
5. Now, compare whether you see discrepancies between your ideal self and
your real self.
33
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Let’s Learn as we Argue
Divide the class into two groups. Through an informal debate, probe on whether
or not we only have one self. One group will take the proposition that we only
have one self and the other will defend on the proposition we have a multiplicity
of selves. Ground your defenses by integrating your personal conceptualizations
about the self as inspired by the perspectives discussed above.
Rubrics

Criterion Expectations Expectations Expectations
Comments
3 2 1
Claims/ The group’s The group’s The group’s
Opinions claim/opinion claim/opinion claim/opinion
is very clear. is unclear is unclear and
It is disorganized
convincing
and easy to
understand.
Reasons/ The group The group The group did

Evidence provided only provided not provide
many some convincing
convincing convincing examples/
and relevant examples/ reasons/facts
examples/ reasons/facts
reasons/facts
Behavior/ All of the Most of the Only a few

Teamwork members of members of members of
the group the group the group
participated participated participated
and were and were and were
engaged by engaged engaged
taking turns
in building
their claims
34
TOPIC 5: THE SELF IN WESTERN & EASTERN THOUGHTS

“One ship sails east and another sails west with the same self–wind that blow, it’s
the set of the sail and not the gale that determines the way we go. As the winds of
the sea are the ways of fate. As we voyage along through life, it’s the act of the
soul that determines the goal and not the calmness of the strife.”- Ella Wilcox
As you personally introspect on the question

“Who am I?” you might have considered
acquiescing on how various disciplines view this
question or you might find yourself groping for
more plausible thoughts about it. As you become
more fascinated, you may even possibly think of
viewing it through the eyes of others; to look at
how the great civilizations of the world – the East
and the West - have attempted to answer the same
question.
The Eastern world comprises of nations in Asian

https.medium.com/@evans.fishman
while the Western world consists of countries
which are geographically located in Europe and North America. The perceived
dichotomy between the East and the West is not only geographical but more of
cultural as it encompasses differences in terms of beliefs and modes of thinking,
values and ways of life. Divergences between the two are apparent even in terms
of understanding concepts like truth, justice, and the self. You will discharge all of
these for 4 hours.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. distinguish how the self is construed according to Western and Eastern

perspectives;
2. describe the construction of the self-based on Asian thoughts; and
3. create a representation of the Filipino self.
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Individualist or Collectivist?
a. Read of the statement below and with the scale ranging from 1-9, choose
how applicable these statements are to you. Respond to each of the
statement honestly by encircling your responses.
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Statement 1-Never/ Definitely No...........9-Always/Definitely Yes

1. I'd rather depend on 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
myself than others.
2. I rely on myself most of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
the time; I rarely rely on
others.
3. I often do "my own 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
thing."
4. My personal identity, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
independent of others, is
very important to me.
5. It is important that I do 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
my job better than others.
6. Winning is everything. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
7. Competition is the law 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
of nature.
8. When another person 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
does better than I do, I get
tense and aroused.
9. If a co-student gets a 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
prize, I would feel proud.
10. My co-students’well- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
being is important to me.
11. To me, pleasure is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
spending time with others.
12. I feel good when I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
cooperate with others.
13. Parents and children 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
must stay together as much
as possible.
14. It is my duty to take 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
care of my family, even
when 1 have to sacrifice
what I want.
15. Family members 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
should stick together, no
matter what sacrifices are
required.
16. It is important to me 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
that I respect the decisions
made by my groups.
Adapted from: Triandis, H. C. & Gelfland, M. J. (1998). Converging measurement of
horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 74, 118-128.
36
b. After answering all the 16 statements, sum up your responses in items 1-8
(Individualist items) and items 9-16 (Collectivist items). Higher score in
the individualist items mean you see yourself as fully autonomous; higher
score in the collectivist items imply that you see yourself as part of the
collective. You will understand more about the characteristics of the
individualists and collectivists in the succeeding discussions.
INDIVIDUALISTIC VERSUS COLLECTIVE THOUGHTS
It’s the first day of the class and everyone is excited to know everybody. John
Doe was asked by the teacher to start introducing himself in the group and he
responded by saying, “I am John Doe, a clever basketball player and trainor. I
used to live in Toronto but I moved in here for new experiences. Aside from I
enjoy dancing, I also find fulfilment in basketball coaching. In fact, I am one of
the most amateur coaches in basketball in our village”. Juan Dela Cruz on the
other hand, who was asked to do the same started his self-introduction by
exclaiming, “I am Juan Dela Cruz, a full-blooded Ilocano. I am the youngest in a
brood of five; I also love playing basketball and an avid fan of Toronto Raptors”.
If you’re on the same class as the characters above, how would you present
yourself in the group? Would you be like John Doe whose sense of individualism
is unquestionable? Or would you introduce yourself akin to that of Juan Dela
Cruz, who obviously sees himself in interdependence with others.
The aforementioned scenario captures individualistic and collectivistic

orientations toward the self which are espoused by the Western and Eastern
worldviews respectively. The individualistic perspective views the self as one that
is independent from others; it is a separate, autonomous, and distinct entity. Like
John Doe, individualists when asked to talk about themselves would prefer to
express their unique inner attributes, abilities, personal preferences and
achievements. The individualistic thought recognizes individual differences; it
tends to prize autonomy over collective wisdom and effort where the individual is
a regarded a self-made whose success and happiness do not necessarily depend on
others, not even to the society in general. On the other hand, in the collectivistic
thought, all things are seen as interdependent and inseparable parts and parcels of
the larger social world. One of the most distinguishing hallmarks of the Eastern
worldview is the awareness on unity and mutual interrelation of all things and
events in life.
The fundamental relatedness of the self to others is accentuated and people

construe themselves and ascribe meaning to their personhood by emphasizing
their social roles, group memberships or personal relations to their significant
others. Collectivists recognize that their identity and self-esteem are wrapped up
in their group and so they would more likely value promoting group harmony and
cohesion, belonging and fitting-in.
37
The collectivistic thought underscores that relationships with others in specific

contexts is the primordial consideration in defining the self. Reflecting back unto
the result of your activity on Individualist or Collectivist? And considering the
above discourse, what realizations do you have? Were you able to distinguish the
two orientations particularly in terms of how they view the self? Now take a look
on the table below and learn more about their notable differences particularly in
terms of their philosophies.
EASTERN AND WESTERN THOUGHTS
Western Eastern
(Greek and Judeo-Christian (Classical Indian and Chinese
Traditions) Philosophies)
Individualism/Fragmentary/Dualistic: Collectivism/Wholistic:
A human being has an individualistic A human being is an integral part of the
nature and is an independent part of theuniverse and the society. People are
universe and the society. More focused fundamentally connected. all events in
on the individual events and the role ofthe universe are interconnected
the person. Emphasis is on the “I”. (Systematic Approach). Emphasis is on
the “WE”.
Outer-world dependent: Searching Inner-world dependent: Searching
outside yourself – through research and inside yourself – through meditation
analysis and right living
Science/evidence-based culture: What Evidence is meaningless; truth is given
can be proven/measured is deemed the and does not have to be proven
truth
Man is an element of the Divine Man is a part of the cosmic unity
Life is a service (to God, money, Life is a journey towards eternal
business, etc.) realities outside the world
The journey of mankind is linear; The journey of mankind is cyclical:
everything has its beginning and end. perception of eternal recurrence (life
after death, reincarnation)
Action is not necessarily a translation The action is the extension of the
of the mind. mind.
The concept of “Me”: the true “me” is Me- to be discovered by liberating
a part of the Divine that need not from the false “me” – attachment to
become apparent: it is given, does not the material things
have to be cognizable
Construction of the Self in the Western Perspective
The Western worldview underscores the importance of the parts rather than the
whole. It suggests a fragmentary approach in understanding phenomena as it does
not subscribe to a holistic view of reality. As such, all aspects of life are explored
and analyzed not as whole but as separate parts.
38
Even the self is purported to be investigated and viewed as a highly

compartmentalized entity. The Western Thought maintains the individual as a
separate, self-contained individual, whose sense of self-worth is focused on
internal attributes (ability, intelligence, personality, goals, preferences, rights).
Since the West values individuality and freedom, the self as an independent
individual is given preference over the others. It does not however discredit the
role of environment and society in the development of the self but its focus is
always looking toward the self. The personal achievements of the self over the
others for instance is highlighted, thus Westerners tend to compare themselves to
the rest of the group in order to be better. Their self-esteem can in fact be verified
and confirmed through social comparison. But they can set out their own goals
regardless of whether or not these goals conform to the society’s shared goals.
Moreover, individual needs and wants are given more importance as they put
primacy in developing themselves.
From this standpoint, equality is accorded to every individual self who is regarded
as an independent being that has inalienable right to life and personal
development. Individual rights are recognized and given prominence over duties
as it is only through this where the society at large attains progress and
civilization.
The self according to Western theories was comprehensively discussed in the

preceding topics. For us to fully appreciate the self and make an objective
synthesis about it, we shall, in particular, take a brief look unto how it is explained
based on the Eastern theories. We will be examining how the self was explained
by the major philosophies of the East – Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism,
Taoism. We shall likewise explore the indigenous conceptualization of the self
based on the Filipino culture.
The Self as Embedded in the Oriental Thoughts
Understanding the propositions of the East regarding the self entails a paradigm
shift of the Western views. While its western counterpart highlights the
importance of individualism, the eastern thought values unity and harmony and
being part of the greater whole, where everything is believed to be connected and
the interdependent with others and nature. The Eastern perspective does not see
any distinction in all the things in the world; everyone is interconnected thus, the
other person is deemed part of yourself.
The self, through this holistic view, is considered a relational being whose very
existence is defined by his being blended harmoniously with the other selves, all
things and events. The self is fundamentally connected with the other selves and
is an integral part of the universe and society. In this web of interdependency,
harmony is the key. One’s conformity with shared norms and values is very
important.
39
Consequently, the self must place duties over rights. Individual goals are
manifested and find fulfilment in society’s shared goals. It is crucial for the self to
participate in creating harmony, and to avoid criticism, ridicule, and rejection to
gain approval and acceptance.
The Self in Hinduism
Who is the self? The self is Atman, and Atman is the innermost essence of the self
whose destiny is to be Brahma in Nirvana. Attachment of the self to the material
world (maya/illusion) leads to suffering (samsara). Reincarnation of the self is a
form of suffering because the self keeps coming back to the material-world
thinking that it is its real destiny. The self has to liberate itself from this ignorance
by cultivating an authentic knowledge (self-realization) that the self has is NOT
MAYA but ATMAN. When the self has been thoroughly cleansed from its
illusions, the self is filled with the sense of well-being, and at death, its soul is
liberated from endless rebirths (reincarnation) and join the universal spirit Brahma
and becomes one with Brahma.
The Self in Buddhism
The doctrine of non-self or annata dictates that the self is subject to the law of
changes. Everything, including the self, is always in constant change: born, grows,
and dies. The self is composed of five aggregates: natter, sensation, perception,
mental construct, and consciousness. Each aggregate is transitory in nature. That is
why there is no such thing as permanent self. Buddhism discards the existence of
the self. The idea of the self is illusory. This false belief yields harmful thoughts of
selfish desire, “me-and-mine” mentality, craving, attachment, ill-will, hatred,
conceit, pride, egoism, and any other defilements and social problems. It is the
source of all troubles in societies.
The goal of the self is to attain enlightenment by freeing oneself from ignorance
that causes suffering. To eliminate ignorance and attain enlightenment, the self
should:
1. Know the four noble truths that there is suffering in this world; the cause of
suffering is craving for self-identity as if it is permanence; there is way out
of this bondage of suffering.
2. The way to get out of suffering is by practicing the eightfold path.
The Self in Confucianism
The self is a moral and social being. Confucius was essentially concerned with what
made a good life. Good life depends on order, and order depends on good and just
government. If a ruler lives and governs virtuously, virtuous people would obey
him. Virtue consists of correct behavior, such as benevolence, righteousness,
propriety, wisdom, and loyalty.
40
These virtues must guide human relations, namely, (a) between ruler and people;
(b) between parents and children; (c) between husband and wife; (d) between elder
brother and younger brother; and (e) between friends and friend. A true self is a
noble man possesses all the virtues, and this noble man is called the man of JEN.
The self is a dot in the universe and being a part of nature, the self must live in
accordance with the law of nature that rules and directs the movements of all
things. The highest achievement of every human being is being a wise person. As
a wise person, his highest achievement is affinity with the universe. The
happiness of the self is found in the self’s conformity with nature.
Confucius advocated the active role of man in relation to creating oneness with
nature. Since the self is the master of nature, his duty is to actively harmonize
himself with nature by translating the innate law of nature into action.
The Self in Taoism
As a philosophy, Taoism advocates what is natural and spontaneous, simple, and

necessary. Taoism derived its name from its central idea, Tao or the Way of nature.
Taoism, just like Confucianism aimed at humanity’s oneness with nature. But
Taoism contradicted Confucianism as regards to how oneness shall be achieved.
Taoism considers the self as merely one of the many elements of the natural world.
Tao is an indescribable force that govern natures. The self must bring himself in
harmony with Tao by practicing the three great virtues: humility, frugality and
contentment. The self should not strive for learning, riches, and power; the self
should find last thing happiness by being, quiet, thoughtful, and humble. In other
word to be able to harmonize, the self must practice the WU-WIE or the non-
interference with the natural courses of events. Most of the problems in the world
is caused by the self’s active participation in creating harmony with nature. Too
much involvement of the self in nature can lead to destruction.
Filipino Concept of the Self
Do Filipinos have their own concept of the self? Who is a Filipino? Most of our
worldviews are in common with the other oriental thoughts. But some neighboring
countries often consider the Filipino as the most westernized person because of the
captive or colonial consciousness that has long been imbued in us. A Filipino is
also multilayered because of foreign influences, such as those of India, Indonesia,
Malay, Chinese, Spanish, and American which are embedded in our culture. So
how do we define a Filipino as a self?
Our understanding of the Filipino as a self must be based on the concepts of
PAGKATAO and LOOB. Pagkatao or humanities indicates the fact that a Filipino
is a human being just like anyone else. The concept of loob is exemplified by
Filipino holistic worldview and interiority (human heartedness) (Mercado, 1974).
41
With this nondualistic worldview, the self is seen as a body-soul embodiment. Life
is not seen as compartmentalized, the present is the continuation of the past, and
this continuity moves in a cyclic manner that has no beginning and no end (Gulong
ng Palad). A Filipino does not distinguish the subject from the object, the person
from feelings. Harmonious relationship is of prime importance; this is maintained
by the value of sensitivity. Interiority pertains to love, mercy, charity, elemency,
and leniency.
This human heartedness is mirrored in the Filipino concepts of kagandahang-loob,

kabutihang loob, kalooban, which somehow depict our interdependency with
others. They slow the social dimension of the self, sharing of the self with others in
values of pakikisama, camaraderie, hospitality, utang-na-loob, bayanihan spirit,
family-centeredness, meal-centeredness, etc.
The self, therefore, is a relational being, who thinks, acts, behaves, and decides
always in accordance with his being with others.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Watch and Reflect
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Culture
a. Watch the videoclip, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About

Culture by Saba Safdar at TEDxGuelphU which you can access at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaOJ71czAGQ.
b. The video-clip talks about cultural diversity and cultural orientation. It
discusses about individualism and collectivism and its application to self
and our relation with others, particularly in terms of giving and responding
to insult and humor.
c. Make an individual reflection by considering the speaker’s
statement:“What we find offensive, what we find funny, what we find
important in our life, what to say and what not to say reflects what culture
we come from”.
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Draw and Explain
The Filipino in Me
Draw a unique representation of yourself which you think manifests your being a
Filipino. Briefly explain your output.
42
Rubrics

Criterion Expectations Expectations Expectations COMMENTS
3 2 1
All graphics Most graphics
Some
were related to were related to
graphics
Relevance the task and the task and
were related
easy to easy to
to the task.
understand. understand.
Graphics
All Graphics
were made
used on the Most of the
by the
drawing reflect graphics used
student, but
Originality exceptional on the drawing
most were
degree of reflect student
based on the
student creativity
ideas of
creativity
others.
The drawing is The drawing
The drawing is
exceptionally is acceptably
attractive in
attractive in attractive
Attractiveness terms of
terms of design, though it
design, layout
layout, and may be a bit
and neatness.
neatness. messy.
UNIT SUMMARY
Read This!
The unit encompasses the different standpoints underlying the conception of our
understanding of the self. This includes the philosophical, sociological,
anthropological, psychological and the eastern and western thoughts. The
philosophical viewpoints radiate from the works of the eleven great philosophers
namely Socrates, Plato, St. Augustine, Rene Descartes, John Locke, David Hume,
Immanuel Kant, Sigmund Freud, Gilbert Ryle, Paul Churchland, and Maurice
Merleau-Ponty.
The “Me” self and the “I” self is being clearly differentiated by George Herbert
Mead, a well-known sociologist for his theory of social self. While, the
anthropological perspective explained to you the cultural construction of the self,
including the concept of identity struggles while the psychological perspective,
focuses on the cognitive construction; and the last topic in this unit dwelled on the
western and eastern thought.
43
LET’S REFLECT
Finish This! Things Learned
1. What surprised you on the things you learned in this unit?

2. What was the most important thing you learned? Why did you think so?
3. What do you want to learn more about and why?
4. When were you the most creative? And why do you think that is?
5. What made you curious all throughout the unit? How does learning feel
different when you’re curious?
6. When were you at your best in this unit, and why?
UNIT REFERENCES
Bjorklund, D. F., & Blasi, C. H. (2015). Child and Adolescent Development: An

Integrated Approach. Pasig City, Philippines: Cengage Learning Asia Pte
Ltd (Philippine Branch).
Degho, S. E., Degho, Grace S., De Claro, L. S., & Lejano, J. B. (2018).
Understanding the Self: An Outcome-Based Workbook for College
Students. Malabon City, Philippines: Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
Hurlock, E. B. (1982). Developmental Psychology. Metro Manila: McGraw-Hill,
Inc.
Thomas, W. L., & Anderson, R. J. (1982). Sociology: The Study of Human
Relationships. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
William James (1890), The Principles of Psychology,
Accessed: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-
9280.1990.tb00186.x
Tagini, A. and Raffone, Antonino (2009), The ‘I’ and the ‘Me’ in self-referential
awareness: a neurocognitive hypothesis
Retrieved:www.researchgate.net/publication/26821196_The_%27I%27_a
nd_the_%27Me%27_in_self-
referential_awareness_A_neurocognitive_hypothesis
Henry A. Murray and Clyde Kluckhohn (1953) Personality in Nature, Society,
and Culture
Retrieved: https://www.panarchy.org/kluckhohn/personality.1953.html
Mauss, M. (1950). A category of the human mind: The notion of person; the notion
of self [W D. Halls, Trans.].
Retrieved:http://www.gpgrieve.org/PDF/Category_of_the%20_Person.pdf
M. Carrithers, S. Collins, & S. Lukes (1985), The category of the person:
Anthropology, philosophy, history (pp. 1-25). Cambridge, England:
Cambridge University Press.
Retrieved:http://www.urbanlab.org/articles/Carrithers%20et%20al.%20(1
986)%20The%20Category%20of%20the%20Person.pdf
Manfred Kuhn & Thomas McPartland (1954), Twenty Statements Test (TST)
44
Retrieved: http://mountainmeadowmt.com/files/Manford_Kuhn.pdf
Naomi Quinn (2006), The Self.
Retrieved: https://sites.duke.edu/nquinn/files/2014/10/theself.pdf
Paul Hiebert, Anthropological points of view: A reading for Cultural Anthropology
Retrieved at https://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/points.htm
Triandis, Harry C. (1989) The Self and Social Behavior in Differing Cultural
Contexts
Retrieved:https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cc90/c4e7d3c7b083796c54a91
0f6301076b0c59c.pdf
https://fetzer.org/sites/default/files/images/stories/pdf/selfmeasures/CollectiveOrie
ntation.pdf
https://www.ethnicgroupsphilippines.com
http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/James/Principles/prin10.htm
http://journalpsyche.org/revisiting-carl-rogers-theory-of-personality/
https://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.html
https://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Bandura/Bandura2001ARPr.pdf
https://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Bandura/Bandura1999HP.pdf
http://www.cabrillo.edu/~creyes/classes/Differentiation.pdf
http://icpla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Daehnert-C-The-False-Self-
Contemp.-Psychoa.-34-251-271.pdf
Unit 2: Unpacking The Self

INTRODUCTION
“Searching in all directions with one’s awareness, one finds no one

dearer than oneself. In the same way, others are fiercely dear to themselves. So
one should not hurt others if one loves oneself.” – Raja Sutta
Self- understanding is vital to your ability

to change and grow – and to succeed as a
person. With this vision, this unit
purposively aims to deepen your thoughts
and appreciation of yourself as a physical,
sexual, material, spiritual, political and
digital being. As your personal identity
influences everything you do, knowing
about these different dimensions of yourself
is critical to harnessing your holistic
character as a person, as a friend, as a
daughter or son and as a family
member.The lessons provided in this unit
will give you the opportunity to assess how https://www.vectorstock.com
unpacking of yourself is challenged and
shaped by the people you come into contact with and the experiences you have.
45
The unit which entails 25 hours will also guide you towards your realization of
your psychological needs which are your primary source of motivation and which
drive your values and behavior. These experiences will help you see yourself
from your own perspective and from others’ view so you will be able to fully
realize the qualities that make you and others unique.
More importantly, it will help you empower yourself to make changes and to
build on your areas of strength as well as identify areas where you would like to
make improvements that could help you to respond to the pressures of changes
and transitions in your life.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this unit, the students will be able to:
1. identify the concepts, principles, and theories involved in all aspects of the self;
2. trace the development of the self in developing one’s own identity; and
3. examine issues and concerns regarding the self to better understand one’s self.
LET’S START #SinoAko?
Do this activity before reading about the different aspects of self as contained in
this unit.
1. In a one– liner statement, answer the question, who am I? Write down
your response in a strip of paper.
2. Form group of 6 to 8 members each. Share your responses.
3. Cluster similar responses of your group and give each bunch a
classification name.
TOPIC 1: THE PHYSICAL SELF

Gladys Lavarias, MA
“Make sure you don’t start seeing yourself

through the eyes of those who don’t value you.
Know your worth even if they don’t.”
– Thema Davis
This topic (for 4 hours) focuses on the

discussing the physical aspect about yourself.
This will help you explore the bodily make up
the self. For you to better understand the self, it
is time for you to open up to gain knowledge
https://www.123rf.com/photo
and explore more of your physical attributes.
The self in this unit will be studied bodily.
46
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
a. define what is physical self;

b. examine the relationship of physical self to the development of self-
esteem;
c. show respect and appreciation on the standards of physical beauty in
different cultures; and
d. discuss the importance of beauty and generate innovative practices on
how to make and maintain a beautiful self.
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Great Transformation
Take a look at the given picture. What comes to mind? Are you willing to
undergo physical transformation for your body? Why or why not?
https://www.spot.ph/entertainment/showbiz/56414/10-filipino-celebrities-who-denied-plastic-surgery
Then look at the following “before and after” pictures of famous Pinoy
celebrities.
Describe their physical appearance before and after. Which of their pictures do
you consider to be beautiful? Why?
47
1. Angeline Quinto 2. Kim Chiu
https://www.spot.ph/entertainment/showbiz/56414/
https://www.spot.ph/entertainment/showbiz/56414/
10-filipino-celebrities-who-denied-plastic-surgery
10-filipino-celebrities-who-denied-plastic-surgery
3. Regine Velasquez 4. Vice Ganda
https://www.spot.ph/entertainment/showbiz/56414/ https://push.abs-cbn.com/2017/10/4/fresh-
10-filipino-celebrities-who-denied-plastic-surgery scoops/xander-is-not-alone-pinoy-celebs-who-
admit-underg-169366
5. From Charice to Jake Zyrus 6. From Marlou to Xander Ford
https://push.abs-cbn.com/2017/10/4/fresh- https://www.google.com/search?q=xander+ford&s
scoops/xander-is-not-alone-pinoy-celebs-who- ource=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiey
admit-underg-169366 bvIn8bhAhVKIIgKHS-
aD_AQ_AUIDigB&biw=1280&bih=689#imgrc=V
i-QGs7nFgEf0M:
48
THE SELF AS IMPACTED BY THE BODY
Try to answer the following questions in order for you to analyze your physical
aspect: (1) Are you healthy and active? (2) Are you comfortable with your body?
Do you like what you see? (3) Are you satisfied with your sexuality? (4) Are you
comfortable in the material world? (5) Are you practical, humble, financially
stable, and free? Your answers to the given questions basically give you your
perspective on the basic and different aspects of the self namely: (1) Physical (2)
Mental (3) Emotional and (4) Spiritual
This lesson will focus on the first aspect which is the PHYSICAL SELF. Physical
self refers to the body, this marvelous container and complex, finely tuned,
machine with which you interface with your environment and fellow beings. The
physical self is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of the person that can
be directly observed and examined.
RELATIONSHIP OF PHYSICAL SELF TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF

SELF-ESTEEM
How do you evaluate people you meet? Do you assess them based on how they
look/appear? Do you let your physical appearance define who you are?
Development principles state that each one of us is unique. No two individuals are
the same. The physical self has a big impact in the development of your self-
esteem.
Self-esteem is an individual’s sense of personal worth and an acceptance of who

one is. It is the value you place on yourselves; how much you like or dislike who
you are. And how do you achieve this? A self-help environment reflects the belief
that autonomy and independence are the birthright of every child. Nothing renders
people more helpless than not being able to maintain their own needs or to take
care of themselves in basic ways. Self-concept is based on what you know about
yourselves, which includes the ability to take care of your own needs.
To care for oneself, to feel capable of learning, to solve problems, are all rooted to
feelings of self-esteem. Children’s well-being should be developed and its
foundations laid early during the early years of development for them to
understand themselves and others. Your physical attributes and experiences
impact the development of a strong self-concept and a positive self-esteem.
There are four (4) components of self-esteem (Gordon, 2000): (1) A sense of one’s
own identity (2) A sense of belonging (connectedness) (3) A sense of one’s own
uniqueness and (4) A sense of self (power). A positive sense of self is critical for
young people. Research (Marshall, 1989) shows that low self-image is correlated
with poor mental health, poor academic achievement, and delinquency.
49
A positive self-image strengthens self-confidence. Self-image is based on the way

society views individuals. And an essential ingredient of self-image is the quality
of human interactions.
HOW BEAUTY IS DEFINED AROUND THE WORLD

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/definitions-of-beauty-around-the-world-104188662505.html
Definitions of Beauty around the World

Yahoo Beauty December 3, 2014 By Erica Smith
From face tattoos to long necks, you will see how the standards of beauty change
from one country to the next. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you don’t
have to look too far to realize that’s true.
You’ve all done some things in the name of beauty (eyelash extensions, Brazilian
waxes and using tanning beds, to name a few) that probably seem crazy to people
in different cultures who define beauty much differently. In the U.S., they may
value long, flowy hair, bronzed skin and a face free of wrinkles, but in other parts
of the world, pale complexions, visible
scars and shaved heads are enviable traits. Here, you will explore nine very
different qualities that are considered beautiful around the globe. Find out if you
would be considered beautiful in these far-flung destinations.
1. Ethiopia: Body Scars
While some are concerned with erasing scars, Ethiopia’s Karo tribe is creating
them. In the tribe’s eyes, beauty is literally skin deep: the scars cut onto the
stomachs of women at childhood are seen as beautiful adornments meant to attract
men who are husband material.
50
2. Kenya: Long Earlobes and Shaved Heads
To the Masai tribe of Kenya, long, stretched earlobes and low-maintenance buzz
cuts are the ideal. Women are known to shave their heads and use everything
from elephant tusks to twigs to pierce and stretch their lobes to become more
attractive.
3. Burma and Thailand: Long Necks
Long, giraffe-like necks are the ultimate sign of beauty and female elegance to the
Kayan tribe. At 5 years old, Kayan women start priming their necks with heavy
brass rings. Each year, more coils are added, pushing down their shoulders and
creating the effect of a longer neck. Keep in mind that the rings in this centuries-
old ritual can weigh up to 22 pounds (9.98 kg).
51
4. China, Thailand and Japan: Pale Skin
In various parts of Asia, pale, white skin is revered as a sign of affluence and
attractiveness. In Japan, women avoid the sun at all costs, while skin-care
products with whitening agents are the norm in places like China and Thailand.
Sometimes, it’s hard to find products without bleaching properties.
5. New Zealand: Face Tattoos
Tattooing is a sacred ritual to the Maori people of New Zealand, and not
something parents warn their teenagers they’ll one day regret. Traditionally, a
chisel was used to carve grooves into the skin, creating swirling tattoos called
Tamoko. Women with tattooed lips, chins and full blue lips are the most beautiful.
52
6. Mauritania: Full Figures
While Americans are perpetually dieting and striving to be thin, Western African
cultures find women who are overweight to be the most beautiful — the more
stretch marks, the better. In the past, it wasn’t completely unheard of for families
in Mauritania to send their daughters to “fat farms,” camps that would force-feed
girls 16,000 calories a day to help them reach their ideal weight. Fuller figures are
still the ideal, and fattening camel’s and cow’s milk are go-tos for plumping up,
but thankfully, the government now frowns upon the unpleasant force feeding.
7. Iran: Surgical Bandages
Nose jobs seem like a staple in the image-conscious U.S., but Iran is actually the
rhinoplasty capital of the world. Both men and women are proud to show off their
procedures — a sign of their social status and their path on the route to beauty. So
53
much so that they’ll often wear their bandages much longer than needed, while
others will purchase surgical tape to wear, even if they haven’t gone under the
knife.
8. India: Decorated Skin
Instead of accessorizing with extravagant jewelry, women in India turn to nose

rings, bindis and henna to make themselves more attractive for festivals and
celebrations, like weddings. Brides in particular will often wear a dot of red
powder on the face known as a kumkum to look more beautiful.
9. Japan: Stick Straight Hair
In Japan, stick straight hair is seen as the norm, and therefore, the most beautiful
hair texture. Japanese women with wavier patterns have become pros at getting
this look, turning to chemicals and flat irons to keep their hair as sleek as possible.
It’s no surprise that thermal reconditioning — using a bond-breaking chemical
and meticulous flat-ironing to straighten hair — is referred to as Japanese hair
straightening in the U.S.
54
THE FIVE GLOBAL BEAUTY ARCHETYPES:
http://www.worldwisebeauty.com/
2012/09/19/are-you-a-seductive-
fox-or-a-powerful-peacock-find-
your-global-beauty-type-here/
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Quickie Survey
a. Go out and interview at least three (3) people you meet. Ask them the
question: “Are you beautiful/handsome? Why or why not?”
b. List down their responses. Reflect on their answers. Share to the class the
information you have gathered from your quick survey.
c. Share/Write your own definition of what is beautiful to you to the class.
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! I am Beautiful
a. Clip one saying, a magazine ad, a song, or anything that shows/depicts

your view of what is beautiful.
55
b. Make an affirmation card – “I am Beautiful” using this to affirm others of

being beautiful/handsome. Share this to the class.
c. Compile your output on your portfolio.
d. Try to answer these questions. Reflect on your answers.
1. What does the word beauty mean to you?

2. What do you think makes a person attractive?
3. Can you name someone you think is attractive and tell why?
4. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
5. Do you like it when people tell you that you are beautiful/handsome?
6. Do you like the way you look?

7. Do you like getting haircuts or having your hair
brushed/styled/braided/put up?
8. What do you think it means when people say that beauty comes from the
inside?
9. Do you think that Barbie dolls, Disney princesses, and superheroes give
little boys and girls unrealistic body expectations?
10. Do you prefer it when you wear makeup?
TOPIC 2: THE SEXUAL SELF

Gladys Lavarias, MA
“Sex is something you do. Sexuality is something you are.” – Anna Freud
Sexual self-concept refers to the totality of

yourself as a sexual being, including positive and
negative concepts and feelings.
Sexual self-concept in this unit will be described

along three dimensions according to theorists (1)
sexual self-esteem, (2) sexual depression, and (3)
sexual preoccupation. Because attachment style
moderates sense-of-self in general, and your
expectations about and strategies for approaching
relationships, sexual self-concept may be a good
indicator of what kinds of relationships we tend to https://www.rediff.com/getahead
get into, and how we tend to behave within

relationships, with an emphasis on sexual satisfaction.
Interestingly, all of these will be unpacked for 6 hours.
56
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. evaluate your sexual self in terms of differences in your primary and

secondary sexual characteristics from those of the opposite sex;
naming the different parts/organs of the male and female reproductive
systems; identifying your erogenous zones in the body; how the brain
controls sexual arousal; establishing ways on how you can deal with –
in appropriate ways, your sexual energies; and identifying yourself
among the different types of sexual behaviors;
2. characterize the four phases of the sexual response cycle;
3. enumerate the pros and cons of premarital sex;
4. illustrate ways on how the three levels of romantic love – lust,
attraction, and attachment, differ from each other by citing examples;
and
5. produce a brochure for information dissemination on sexually
transmitted diseases and methods of contraception and family
planning.
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Iguhit mo Ako!
1. Divide the class into two groups. Assign one group to represent the MALE
body and the other group as the FEMALE body. Instruct the members of
each group to draw an image of a MALE/FEMALE (the sex assigned to
them) showing all the primary and secondary sex characteristics of each
body. After 30 minutes, ask one representative to show their output in
class. Give 5-10 minutes for discussion after each presentation.
2. Make a Venn Diagram showing the Male and Female Primary and
Secondary Sexual Characteristics.
Female Male
Similarities
57
DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SEXUAL

CHARACTERISTICS
During sexual maturation (puberty growth spurt), there are two important physical
changes that occur in your body as you transition from being a child to that of
being an adult: development of the primary sexual characteristics and
development of the secondary sexual characteristics.
Primary Sexual Characteristics
Primary sexual characteristics are the physical characteristics directly involved in

reproduction, such as the sex organs. Sex organs are a broad category that
includes any gland, organ, or part that is necessary for reproduction. (Study.com)
The sex organs show a major physical change during puberty – its growth and
development make up the primary sexual characteristics. Primary sexual
characteristics are there from birth (for example, penises vs. vaginas). In
mammals, sex is determined through hormonal events in utero that under
normal circumstances are controlled by the combination of X and Y
chromosomes. If an egg is fertilized with a sperm carrying the X chromosome,
the gonads should develop into ovaries and the offspring will be female; if the
egg is fertilized with a sperm carrying the Y chromosome, the gonads should
develop into testes and the offspring will be male. (Reid, 2018).
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1280&bih=689&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=afwOXYvHGJe_wAP
476ABg&q=male+reproductive+organs&oq=male+reproductive+organs&gs
For the male: scrotum, testes, epididymis, vas deferens, prostate, seminal vesicles,
urethra, and penis all qualify as being part of the sex organs. (Study.com) The
male gonads (testes), which are located in the scrotum (sac), outside the body, are
only approximately 10% of their mature size at the age of fourteen years. Rapid
growth occurs for a year or two, after which growth slows down; the testes are
fully developed by the age of twenty or twenty-one.
58
The penis accelerates in growth shortly after the rapid growth of the testes begins.
At first, the growth is seen in length, followed by a gradual increase in
circumference. Nocturnal emissions (wet dreams) are spontaneous orgasms
during sleep that includes ejaculation for a male. They begin to occur when the
male reproductive organs have become developed in function. This can be seen
when boys have a sexually exciting dream, when they have a full bladder, are
constipated, when wearing tight undergarments, or when they are too warmly
covered.
For the female: the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, vaginal canal,
Bartholin’s and Skenes glands, vagina, clitoris, and clitoral hood are all
considered as sex organs. All parts of the female reproductive system grow during
puberty, but in different rates. The uterus weighs 5.3 grams with the average
eleven- or twelve-year-old girl; by the age of sixteen, the average weight is 43
grams. During this time, the sex organs grow rapidly. The menarche, or first
menstrual flow, is the first real sign of sexual maturation in girls. This starts a
series of regular discharges of blood, mucus, and broken-down cell tissue from
the uterus that occurs every 28 days until the menopause, in the late forties or
early fifties.
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1280&bih=689&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=4PsOXbf8EdOGoAT
_hLmICA&q=female+reproductive+organs&oq=female+reproductive+organs&gs
Secondary Sexual Characteristics
Secondary sexual characteristics emerge at puberty. These physical characteristics

are not used in sexual reproduction, but are important for attracting a mate or
being able to provide care for offspring - such as human breasts. These features
distinguish males from females and make members of one sex appealing to
members of the opposite sex. Hormones secreted through the hypothalamus
initiate the development of classically male or female secondary sexual traits
(Reid, 2018). The appearance of secondary sexual characteristics makes one
“sexually appealing”. Changes caused by the gradual development of these
characteristics, like other developments at puberty, follows a predictable pattern.
The following table shows the secondary sexual characteristics of boys and girls:
59
Important Secondary Sex Characteristics:
BOYS GIRLS
Hair Hips
Pubic hair appears about one year after the The hips become wider and rounder as a
testes and penis have started to increase in result of the enlargement of the pelvic bone
size. Axillary and facial hair appears when and the development of subcutaneous fat.
the pubic hair has almost completed its
growth, as does body hair. At first, all hair Breasts
is scanty, lightly pigmented, and fine in Shortly after the hips start to enlarge, the
texture. Later it becomes darker, coarser, breasts begin to develop. The nipples
more luxuriant, and slightly kinky. enlarge and protrude and, as the mammary
gland develops, the breast become larger
Skin and rounder.
The skin becomes coarser, less transparent,
and sallow in color, and the pores enlarge. Hair
Pubic hair appears after hip and breast
Glands development is well underway. Axillary
The sebaceous, or oil-producing, glands in hair begins to appear after the menarche, as
the skin enlarge and become more active, does facial hair. Body hair appears on the
which may cause acne. The apocrine glands limbs late in puberty. All hair except facial
in the armpits start to function, and hair is straight and slightly pigmented at
perspiration increases as puberty first and then becomes more luxuriant,
progresses. coarser, darker, and slightly kinky.
Muscles Skin
The muscles increase markedly in size and The skin becomes coarser, thicker, and
strength, thus giving shape to the arms, slightly sallow, and the pores enlarge.
legs, and shoulders.
Glands
Voice The sebaceous and apocrine glands become
Voice changes begin after some pubic hair more active as puberty progresses. Clogging
has appeared. The voice becomes husky of the sebaceous glands can cause acne,
and later drops in pitch, increases in while the apocrine glands in the armpits
volume, and acquires a pleasant tone. Voice produce perspiration, which is especially
breaks are common when maturing is rapid. heavy and pungent just before and during
menstrual period.
Breast Knots
Slight knobs around the male mammary Muscles
glands appear between the ages of twelve The muscles increase in size and strength,
and fourteen. These last for several weeks especially in the middle of puberty and
and then decreases in number and size. toward the end, thus giving shape to the
shoulders, arms, and legs.
Voice
The voice becomes fuller and more
melodious. Huskiness and breaks in the
voice are rare among girls.
60
EROGENOUS ZONES OF THE HUMAN BODY
The previous topic introduced you to knowing and understanding your physical
self in relation to self-esteem and beauty. To deeply know your self, this topic
enables you to explore your sexual self. Sexual awakening takes place through the
different parts of your body where they lead to sexual stimulation due to their
sensitivity to touch. These body parts are known as erogenous zones – sensitive
areas on the body that cause sexual arousal when they are touched (Merriam-
Webster). Your awareness of these body parts will lead you to being responsible –
as to know your limits and capabilities, and will give you control over your
desires and sexual urges.
https://www.pinterest.at/pin/324188873171462719/
1. Clitoris – this is the female body part contributing most to sexual arousal.
It is extremely sensitive due to nerve endings. Research shows that
stimulating the clitoris is the fastest and easiest way for many women to
achieve orgasm through pressure and vibration.
2. Vagina – it is where the “G-spot” is located. The interior of the vagina

contain nerve endings, and women report that deep stimulation leads to
more intense orgasms. The outer edge of the vagina, on the other hand,
tends to respond to light touch.
3. Cervix – located at the lower end of the uterus, has its own feel-good
nerve pathways. In fact, some research suggests that the vagina, clitoris,
and cervix all respond separately and distinctly to sexual stimuli. Nerves
in the cervix respond most to pressure stimulation, but light touch has
been shown to elicit a response as well.
4. Mouth and Lips – surveys found kissing to be more important in

relationship-building than in sexual arousal. Studies suggest that many
women rank the lips and mouth highly as erogenous areas.
61
5. Neck - according to a large international survey of women, both the nape
and back of the neck are among the top 10 erogenous zones. One study
found that the neck is very sensitive to light touch, especially among
people with low body fat. Another study found that women with spinal
cord injury can get pretty turned on by neck stimulation alone.
6. Breasts and Nipples – both men and women have breasts for
evolutionary purposes especially women; and they play a role in sexual
arousal as well. Nipple stimulation sets fireworks off in the same region of
the brain that processes sensations from the clitoris and vagina. Just as
with the clitoris, pressure and vibration stimulate them.
7. Ears – are super sensitive to touch, probably due to a large number of

nerve endings.
https://www.pinterest.at/pin/604326843725439530/
1. Penis - both survey and lab-based scientific experiments demonstrate that

penile stimulation significantly contributes to sexual satisfaction. And
while this can be a sensitive subject, circumcision doesn’t appear to
decrease sensation or sexual satisfaction.
2. Mouth and Lips – they are highly sensitive; male lips respond to light
touch, temperature, or pressure. Kissing also triggers a release of
hormones involved in intimacy – especially oxytocin, the so-called “love
hormone.”
3. Scrotum - it is one of men’s most notable erogenous zones. Lots of nerves
mean that this area is super-sensitive to touch.
4. Neck – while touching the neck doesn’t appear to be quite as much of a

turn-on for men as for women, it’s still ranked pretty highly on the
erogenous zones list. The neck has great sensitivity to low-frequency
vibration, making it a prime spot for light erotic touch.
62
5. Nipples – as with women, men rank nipples as a definite hot spot. While
male nipples don’t appear to serve any real purpose (they’re basically by-
products of evolution), that doesn’t mean they’re totally useless – they still
have plenty of nerve endings.
6. Perineum – is the area between the anus and scrotum and is hooked up to
perineal nerves, which help convey sensations of sexual pleasure from the
genitals to the brain.
7. Ears – highly sensitive to touch because of a high number of sensory

receptors on the skin, the ears are ranked just behind the scrotum for body
parts that help men orgasm when touched or otherwise stimulated.
Source: https://greatist.com/play/guide-to-male-female-erogeneous-zones#7
UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE
What turns you on? What attracts you the most? Are you aware of your body’s
reaction whenever you see intimate scenes in movies, videos, television shows, or
in advertisements or books that you happen to see or read?
Your answer would be a yes – and this is a sign that you are a normal person who
is considered as a sexual being. Your reaction speaks of the human sexual
response. But if you happen to have no reaction at all, then you may be asexual –
having no sexual feelings at all.
The body reacts when something is perceived to be sexually pleasurable. All

human beings have desires. Desiring for somebody is normal, and it leads to
sexual intimacy that may lead to sexual reproduction. As sexual beings, humans
have desires for sexual pleasure and satisfaction.
Desire and sexuality cannot be separated. Libido is a person's overall sexual drive
or desire for sexual activity. Libido is influenced by biological, psychological, and
social factors (Wikipedia). Understanding your sexual self will lead you to a
better view of your sexuality – making you responsible and educated with your
actions and decisions.
The Brain – Its Role and Function in the Human Sexual Response
Our brains are involved in all steps of sexual behavior and in all its variations,
from feelings of sexual desire and partner choice, to arousal, orgasm and even
post-coital cuddling (Clark, 2014). The brain impacts the sequence of physical
and emotional changes that occur as a person participates in sexually stimulating
activities (Wiley, 2015).
63
The brain is responsible in translating nerve impulses from the skin into
pleasurable sensations. It controls nerves and muscles used during sexual activity.
It regulates the release of hormones, which are believed to be the physiological
origin of sexual desire. The adult human brain weighs between 1300 and 1400
grams and is divided into two parts, or hemispheres, connected by a thick bundle
of nerves called the corpus collosum. As described by Rita Carter (1999, p.6) “the
human brain is as big as a coconut, the shape of a walnut, the color of uncooked
liver, and the consistency of chilled butter”
The human brain is the most complex organ in the body. It is divided into four
hierarchically organized, interacting levels:
1. The brain stem
The evolutionarily oldest structure; controls primitive responses associated

with sexual behaviour and facial expressions; contains circuits for many
emotions, including love/attachment, joy, and sexual excitement (Lewis,
2005).
http://www.neurosurgerypa.com/anatomy/neuro_br_brainstem.html
2. The hypothalamus
It controls most body systems by regulating the production of hormones in

response to both internal and environmental events; it controls the
pituitary gland, which is the master gland that controls all the other
endocrine glands in the body; the hypothalamus plays a key role in
connecting the endocrine system with the nervous system.
64
http://brainmadesimple.com/hypothalamus.html
3. The limbic system
It mediates learning, memory, and emotion; it contains the:
a. Amygdala – helps generate associations between experiences and

emotions – Was this an experience that felt good, that resulted in a
good meal, or a loving touch? Or was this an experience that
produced fear or pain?
65
b. Hippocampus – located near the amygdala, it plays an important

role in organizing and storing memories for events.
*** The amygdala and hippocampus seem to work together, so
that emotions associated with past experiences influence the
storage and retrieval of specific memories.
4. The cerebral cortex
Sometimes referred to as the neocortex (neo means “new”, a relative

latecomer, evolutionarily speaking (MacLean, 1990). It is the outermost
layer of the brain; its function is responsible for thinking and processing
information from the five senses.
The Cerebral Cortex is made up of tightly packed neurons and is the

wrinkly, outermost layer that surrounds the brain. It is also responsible for
higher thought processes including speech and decision making.
The cortex is divided into four different lobes:
a. frontal lobe – for cognitive functions and control of voluntary

movement/activity
b. parietal lobe – processes information about temperature, taste,
touch and movement
c. temporal lobe – processes memories, integrating them with
sensations of taste, sound, sight and touch
d. occipital lobe – primarily responsible for vision
66
*** Each area is responsible for processing different types of sensory

information.
http://brainmadesimple.com/cortex-and-lobes-of-the-brain.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/brain-lobes/img-20008887
The Sexual Response Cycle
Your sexual motivation – libido, is your overall sexual drive or desire for sexual
activity. This is affected by biological, psychological, and social factors. A
person’s ability to engage in sexual behaviors is controlled and influenced by sex
67
hormones, social factors – work and family, internal psychological factors –

personality and stress, medical conditions, medications, pregnancy, and
relationship issues.
According to William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the sexual response cycle is
a model that describes the physiological responses that take place during sexual
activity. According to the cycle, it consists of four phases:
1. Excitement – the intrinsic (inner) motivation to pursue sex arises; it

includes increased heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension;
2. Plateau – sets the stage for orgasm; heart rate quickens, blood
pressure rises, muscle tension increases, and breathing becomes faster;
3. Orgasm – the release of tension; also known as the “climax or peak”
of the sexual excitement; heart rate increases dramatically, blood
pressure rise, breathing becomes rapid and shallow, muscles
throughout the body contract, and perspiration is evident; there is an
intense, pleasant, or pleasurable psychological feeling associated with
the release of sexual tension; and
4. Resolution – the return to the unaroused state before the cycle begins
again; heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing return to normal state,
and muscle tension decreases.
Now that you are aware of your body’s sexual responses and behaviors, your
knowledge of these intimate reactions should lead you to your appreciation of
your body, mind, and sexuality. As teenagers, curious of your body changes and
sensations, you should be aware of your responsibilities to control and to not go
beyond your limits when it comes to the practice of engaging sexually. Sex is
beautifully expressed and experienced in the state of love, commitment, and
marriage.
Ways of Dealing with Sexual Energies
Sexual energy is a life-energy. Your sexual impulses have the power to influence
so much of what you do, how you act, and the choices that you make. It takes part
in your everyday dealings in the field of human interaction. Sex, as one of the
greatest motivational forces in life, if not properly controlled, can lead to great
destruction. The aim of this topic in knowing your sexual self is to empower you
to put into good "use" and avoid "abuse" in all your male and female relationships
and interactions. More so, sex, is not the only method of releasing your sexual
energy. You can convert your sexual energy into productive energy.
The following are ways on how to deal with your sexual energies:
1. Repression – involves keeping certain thoughts, feelings, or urges out

of conscious awareness. The goal of this is to keep unacceptable
68
desires or thoughts out of the conscious mind in order to prevent or

minimize feelings of anxiety
*** Repression is subconscious.
2. Suppression – the person consciously and deliberately pushes down
any thoughts that leads to feelings of anxiety.
ex. An older man has sexual feelings towards a teenager and quickly
suppresses the thought. ***Suppression is conscious.
3. Sublimation - allows us to act out unacceptable impulses by

converting these behaviors into a more acceptable form.
ex. A person experiencing sexual urges/thoughts might take up sports
as a means of expressing these forces.
4. Genital satisfaction – giving in to one’s sexual desires through sexual

gratification; it includes sexual intercourse – the likes of premarital
sex, marital sex, and extramarital sex.
5. Integration – integrate one’s sexual energies into friendships,

marriage, vocation, and all levels of relationships.
Once you find your duty, purpose, and responsibility, you will be able to handle
well and proper your sexual energies. Try to establish your goal in life, focus on
it, and learn well from your experiences in dealing with the opposite sex.
Maintain your standards and learn how to say no beyond your limits. Embrace
yourself. Celebrate your strengths and learn to accept your limitations and
weaknesses.
How do we prevent premarital sex?
Sex comes with responsibility. Premarital sex in young adults is an act out of
curiosity, making them unaware of the consequences of this behavior –
committing a mortal sin with your God, early/unwanted pregnancy, the gossips
and condemnations from the community/society, and the risk of acquiring
sexually transmitted infections or HIV/AIDS. Adolescence should be a time to
form oneself as a mature and responsible individual being, and not at all a time to
rush into procreation. So, how do we prevent premarital sex? Learn how to say
NO! One of the ways to prevent premarital sex is to start from educating and
empowering yourself – learning the truths about sex and evaluating the
consequences of premarital sex. And it is through your parents and the school that
you should find and seek guidance and knowledge in this very sensitive and
personal issue of how you can prevent yourself from engaging in premarital sex.
In the pleasure of a moment, you can be blinded by your sexual desire. In the
moment of lust and passion, your future can be destroyed. In the moment of
foolishness and self-gratification, your bright future can turn into darkness. Sex
should be saved as a gift for marriage. “Why save sex for marriage” is really a
69
question of understanding God’s purpose and design for sex. We can choose to do
things God’s way, and experience the beauty of His plan, or we can choose to do
things our way, and experience harm and destruction (Proverbs 16:25).
Sex is from God. He gave it to us as a gift. It's a wedding gift.—Bill Shannon
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Answer Me
1. Read the following site as an additional reading material on how to

manage and deal with the sexual urges/energies. Additional readings:A
Practical Guide to Sexual Transmutation (A Complete Guide to the
Secrets of Sexual Transmutation) by Scott Jeffrey
https://scottjeffrey.com/sexual-energy-transmutation/
After reading, answer the following questions in your journal:

e. What is sexual transmutation?
f. How can you benefit from sexual transmutation?
g. How is sexual energy transformed to achieve higher spiritual
development?
2. Watch the documentary of GMA 7’s I-witness “Ang Mga Dalagita ng

Sapang Kawayan” (https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z1h7q)
After watching the documentary, try to answer the following question in a

clean sheet of yellow paper:
a. What was the documentary all about?
b. How do you feel after watching the documentary?
c. What would you do if you were in that situation?
d. Why do you think these young girls take the early and difficult road to
motherhood at such an early age?
e. Is teenage pregnancy a problem in your community? How can you
establish ways on how to prevent the occurrence of this social problem
in your community?
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Reflection
You will be assigned to the following additional readings on how to prevent

premarital sex.
Additional readings: 50 Purity Quotes for Smart Teenagers by Dora Weithers
https://pairedlife.com/advice/Purity-Quotes-To-Grab-Your-Teenagers-Attention
70
Reflect by choosing one purity quote from the readings that you like/can relate the
most. Make “A Commitment Statement on Chastity” by making a promise card
using your purity quote of choice. This will be included in your portfolio.
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Love-Lust!
1. Have a short discussion on WHAT IS LOVE? WHAT IS LUST?

Enumerate your answers on each category. Share your experiences in
class.
2. Celebrate diversity of your gender/sexuality by doing a “Pride Wall”

inside the classroom. Post your best/most creative picture showing your
sex/gender identity. Let’s see how creative you can be.
***This can be given as a class project.
THE CHEMISTRY OF LOVE: THE SCIENCE BEHIND LUST,

ATTRACTION, AND COMPANIONSHIP
What is LOVE? Who is your first crush?
Have you experienced feeling a rush of euphoria, embarrassed yet excited,

awkward, or even tongue-tied when you see your crush or someone you really
find attractive, especially of the opposite sex? This topic will try to explain LOVE
through chemistry by exploring the science behind lust, attraction, and
attachment. So, if there’s really a “formula” for love, what is it, and what does it
mean?
According to anthropology professor Helen Fisher, there are three stages of

falling in love. In each stage, different brain chemicals influence your brain
chemistry - the neurotransmitters that get you all excited and the hormones that
carry the feeling all throughout your body.
1. Lust - driven by the desire for sexual gratification; evolutionary basis

for this is our need to reproduce; through reproduction, organisms pass
on their genes, and thus contribute to the perpetuation of their species.
The hypothalamus of the brain plays a big role by stimulating the production of
the sex hormones:
a. Testosterone – from the testes; being “male”; increases libido
b. Estrogen – from the ovaries; being “female”; increases sexual
motivation in women during ovulation (peak of estrogen
production)
71
2. Attraction (Falling in love) – involves romantic or passionate love,

characterized by euphoria; physical symptoms of falling in love
include loss of appetite, inability to sleep, lack of concentration, wet
palms, and butterflies in the stomach.
These symptoms are caused by surging brain chemicals called monoamines:

a. Dopamine - produced by the hypothalamus, released when we do
things that feel good to us like spending time with loved ones and
having sex.
b. Norepinephrine – high dosage are released during attraction;

these chemicals make us giddy, energetic, and euphoric, even
leading to decreased appetite and insomnia; also known as
noradrenalin, it plays a large role in the “fight or flight” response,
which kicks into high gear when we’re stressed and keeps us alert.
c. Phenylethylamine – a natural amphetamine; gives the feeling of

being on-top-of-the-world that attraction can bring; and gives the
energy to stay up day and night when in love.
d. Serotonin – a hormone that’s known to be involved in appetite and

mood; this gives the overpowering infatuation that characterizes
the beginning stages of love.
3. Attachment (Staying together) - the predominant factor in long-term

relationships. While lust and attraction are pretty much exclusive to
romantic entanglements, attachment mediates friendships, parent-
infant bonding, social cordiality, and many other intimacies as well.
The two primary hormones here appear to be

a. Oxytocin - often nicknamed as “cuddle hormone”; it is produced
by the hypothalamus and released in large quantities during sex
(peaks during orgasm), breastfeeding, and childbirth, all of these
events are precursors to bonding.
b. Vasopressin – also called the “monogamy chemical”; researchers

have found out that suppression of vasopressin can cause male
prairie voles to neglect their partners and not fight off other male
voles who try to mate with their partners.
c. Endorphins - are chemicals produced naturally by the nervous

system to cope with pain or stress; are often called "feel-good"
chemicals because they can act as a pain reliever and happiness
booster.
72
Figure 1. Love can be distilled into three categories: lust, attraction, and
attachment. Though there are overlaps and subtleties to each, each type is
characterized by its own set of hormones. Testosterone and estrogen drive lust;
dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin create attraction; and oxytocin and
vasopressin mediate attachment.
http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/love-actually-science-behind-lust-attraction-
companionship/
A: The testes and ovaries secrete the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen,
driving sexual desire. B and C: Dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin are all made
in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that controls many vital functions as
well as emotion. D: Several of the regions of the brain that affect love. Lust and
attraction shut off the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which includes rational
behavior.
http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/love-actually-science-behind-lust-attraction-
companionship/
73
DIVERSITY OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
Gender and sexual diversity (GSD), or simply sexual diversity, refers to all the
diversities of sex characteristics, sexual orientations and gender identities, without
the need to specify each of the identities, behaviors, or characteristics that form
this plurality.
Sexual Orientation
a. Heterosexuals - sexually attracted to people of the opposite

sex; commonly referred to as straight;
b. Homosexuals - sexually attracted to people of their own sex;

gay or lesbian;
c. Bisexuals - sexually attracted not exclusively to people of one

particular gender; attracted to both men and women;
Gender identity
a. Transgender - denoting or relating to a person whose sense of
personal identity and gender does not correspond with their
birth sex;
b. Cisgender - denoting or relating to a person whose sense of

personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex;
Related minorities – intersex, gathered under the acronyms:
a. LGBT or LGBTI – lesbian, gay, bisexual,

transgender/transsexual people, and sometimes intersex people
Kinsey Scale
The Kinsey scale, also called the Heterosexual–Homosexual Rating Scale, is used
in research to describe a person's sexual orientation based on one’s experience or
response at a given time. The scale typically ranges from 0, meaning exclusively
heterosexual, to a 6, meaning exclusively homosexual.
In both the male and female volumes of the Kinsey Reports, an additional grade,
listed as "X", indicated "no socio-sexual contacts or reactions".
The reports were first published in Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) by
Alfred Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy, and others, and were also prominent in the
complementary work Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953).
74
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinsey_scale#/media/File:Kinsey_Scale.svg
UNDERSTANDING SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that are passed from person
to person through sexual contact. HIV is an STI. There are more than 25 other
sexually transmitted infections that are mainly spread by sexual contact such as
vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than one
million people get an STI every day. STIs are also sometimes called sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs). While “STD” is often used interchangeably with
“STI”, they are not exactly the same.
A “disease” is usually an obvious medical problem with clear signs and

symptoms. “Infection” with an STI may or may not result in disease. This is why
many individuals and organizations working in health are moving toward using
the term “sexually transmitted infection” more than “sexually transmitted
disease”. Most people with STIs do not have any symptoms and are therefore
often unaware of their ability to pass the infection on to their sexual partner(s).
If left untreated, STIs can cause serious health problems including cervical
cancer, liver disease, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, and
pregnancy problems. Having some STIs (such as chancroid, herpes, syphilis, and
trichomoniasis) can increase the risk of your getting HIV if you are HIV-negative
and get exposed to HIV.
People living with HIV may also be at greater risk of getting or passing on other
STIs. If and when people living with HIV get STIs, they can experience more
serious problems from them or have greater difficulty getting rid of the infections.
https://www.thewellproject.org/hiv-information/sexually-transmitted-infections-or-diseases-stis-
or-stds?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6cHoBRDdARIsADiTTzY2UKHBgftBg1woKuo-
rOS_1S75qTZ4AILQ5l9vAWmnXtCU1-D_CpEaAuLAEALw_wcB
75
1. CLAMYDIA
Definition/ Symptom/ Treatment How it looks like

- one of the most common STIs; caused
by a bacterium that exists in vaginal
secretions and semen (“cum”); can be
spread by vaginal, oral, or anal sex
without a condom or latex/polyurethane
barrier; pregnant women can pass it on
to their babies during delivery.
Symptoms: may include vaginal
discharge and burning during urination,
but most women do not have any
symptoms
Treatment: with antibiotics; if left
untreated, it can spread to a woman's
upper, internal reproductive organs
(ovaries and fallopian tubes) and cause
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID); PID
can lead to infertility and make it
difficult or impossible to become
pregnant.
https://www.google.com/search?q=chlamydia+examples&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CavNpFMbCAVlIjipCJL85T
JJof12EGwMA4Ejhxo2pwaGDMuLyESR_108tAXW5Srcd7wie77LKFPOrFVhvncPy7M_1euCoSCakIkvzl
MkmhEZYWzqCWk4BtKhIJ_
2. GENITAL WARTS

- are caused by viruses; HPV (Human
Papillomavirus) is the name of a large
group of viruses; certain types of HPV
cause warts on the hands or feet; other
types cause infections in the genital area
that can lead to genital warts, cervical
cancer, or cancer of the vulva, vagina,
anus, and penis;; people living with HIV
are more likely to be infected with HPV
than HIV-negative people; people living
with HIV and HPV are also more likely
to develop genital warts, as well as
cervical or anal cancer;
Treatment: regular cervical screening tests
are a good way to check for HPV; there are
also three effective HPV vaccines
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1264&bih=672&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=cMUQXZ36BtumoA
TPwo6YAw&q=genital+warts+examples&oq=genital+warts+examples&gs_l=img.3...239996.24.
.gws-wiz-img.......0i7i30j0i7i5i30j0i8i7i30.2dL9m2SWYTI#imgrc=FFi8S46yRu1hTM:
76
3. GONORRHEA

- often called “the clap”, this bacterial
sexually transmitted infection exists in
vaginal secretions and semen; it can be
spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex
without a condom or latex/polyurethane
barrier
Symptoms: may include a yellowish or
greenish vaginal discharge and a
burning feeling when urinating; can
also affect the anus and the throat.
Treatment: with antibiotics If left
untreated, it can cause PID and
infertility.
https://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/the_clap_gonorrhea_picture/picture.htm
4. HERPES

- caused by a virus that lives in the
nerves.
There are two common types:
a) Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) - usually
causes cold sores around the mouth
b) Herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) - usually
causes sores in the genital area.
it is possible to get HSV-2 in the mouth and
HSV-1 in the genital area.
Symptoms: include itchy or painful blisters;
spread through skin-to-skin contact with sores,
but it may also spread even before sores can be
seen on the infected person.
Genital HSV-2 infection is more common in
women than men. There is no cure for herpes,
but the antiviral drugs Zovirax (acyclovir),
Valtrex (valacyclovir), and Famvir
(famciclovir) can reduce the number of
outbreaks if taken daily and can shorten
outbreaks and make them less severe if taken as
soon as symptoms begin. Valtrex has also been
shown to lower your risk of passing the
infection to someone else. Pregnant women can
pass herpes to their babies.
https://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/herpes_simplex_virus_type_1_picture/picture.htm
77
5. HIV (HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS)

- The virus that causes AIDS (Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome); present
in blood, vaginal secretions, semen, and
breast milk; can be spread through
vaginal, oral, or anal sex without a
condom or latex/polyurethane barrier;
getting tested for HIV is part of routine
medical care;
https://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/hivaids_picture/picture.htm
6. SYPHILIS

- caused by a bacterium; it can be spread
by vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a
condom or latex/polyurethane barrier.
- The disease has several phases
.
- a) primary syphilis (early disease) may
have pain-free open sores, called
chancres, in the genital or anal area or
around the mouth; the sores usually
heal on their own in three to six weeks.
- b) secondary syphilis (a later stage of
the disease) often have a rash and/or
hair loss.
- c) latent stage during which it may have
no visible symptoms but can cause
damage to the heart, brain, and other
organs.
Treatment: can be successfully treated

with antibiotics; without treatment, it
can hurt your body's organs, leading to
severe illness and even death.
Pregnant women can pass syphilis to
their babies during pregnancy and
childbirth, so it is important that
pregnant women get tested for syphilis.
https://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/syphilis_picture/picture.htm
78
7. OTHER SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
a. Chancroid
- caused by a bacterium; it can be

spread by vaginal or anal sex or
skin-to-skin contact with sores.
- Symptoms: may include genital

sores, vaginal discharge, a burning
feeling when urinating, and swollen
lymph nodes in the groin.
Treatment: can be treated with
antibiotics
https://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/chancroid_picture/picture.htm
b. Hepatitis
- an inflammation (irritation) of the

liver; some types of hepatitis are
caused by viruses that exist in blood,
vaginal secretions, semen, and
breast milk; these include hepatitis
A (HAV), hepatitis B (HBV), and
hepatitis C (HCV), all of which can
be sexually transmitted.
- Treatment: there is a vaccine to

prevent HAV and HBV, but not for
HCV. HAV goes away on its own,
but HBV and HCV can become
chronic (long-term) and very
serious.
https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/ss/slideshow-hepatitis-overview
79
c. Pubic Lice
- they live in the pubic hair and can be

transmitted by skin-to-skin contact;
they can also be spread through infected
clothes and bedding.
Symptoms: may include intense itching
and seeing lice or eggs in the hair.
Treatment: can be treated with over-
the-counter medications; contaminated
clothes, sheets, pillowcases, blankets,
and towels should be washed in hot
water and laundry soap to kill lice and
eggs and to prevent being infected
again.
https://www.google.com/search?q=pubic+lice+images&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa
d. Trichomoniasis

- caused by a single-celled germ
called a protozoa; can be spread
during vaginal, oral, or anal sex
without a condom or
latex/polyurethane barrier; common
cause of vaginal infections.
Symptoms: may include a foamy,
foul-smelling vaginal discharge and
itching
Treatment: with antibiotics
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1262&bih=672&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=nswQXZWsOJvAoA
TvmK3gCg&q=trichomoniasis+images&oq=trichomoniasis+images&gs_l=img.1.0.0j0i7i30l4j0i8
FAMILY PLANNING AND CONTRACEPTION

(Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception)
Key facts from the World Health Organization (As of 8 February 2018)
a. 214 million women of reproductive age in developing countries who want

to avoid pregnancy are not using a modern contraceptive method
b. Some family planning methods, such as condoms, help prevent the
transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections
80
c. Family planning/contraception reduces the need for abortion, especially

unsafe abortion
d. Family planning reinforces people’s rights to determine the number and
spacing of their children
e. By preventing unintended pregnancy, family planning/contraception
prevents deaths of mothers and children
Family planning allows people to attain their desired number of children and
determine the spacing of pregnancies. It is achieved through use of contraceptive
methods and the treatment of infertility (this fact sheet focuses on contraception).
Benefits of Family Planning/Contraception
Promotion of family planning – and ensuring access to preferred contraceptive

methods for women and couples – is essential to securing the well-being and
autonomy of women, while supporting the health and development of
communities.
Preventing Pregnancy-Related Health Risks in Women
A woman’s ability to choose if and when to become pregnant has a direct impact
on her health and well-being. Family planning allows spacing of pregnancies and
can delay pregnancies in young women at increased risk of health problems and
death from early childbearing. It prevents unintended pregnancies, including those
of older women who face increased risks related to pregnancy. Family planning
enables women who wish to limit the size of their families to do so. Evidence
suggests that women who have more than 4 children are at increased risk of
maternal mortality.
By reducing rates of unintended pregnancies, family planning also reduces the

need for unsafe abortion.
Reducing Infant Mortality
Family planning can prevent closely spaced and ill-timed pregnancies and births,
which contribute to some of the world’s highest infant mortality rates. Infants of
mothers who die as a result of giving birth also have a greater risk of death and
poor health.
Helping to Prevent HIV/AIDS
Family planning reduces the risk of unintended pregnancies among women living
with HIV, resulting in fewer infected babies and orphans. In addition, male and
female condoms provide dual protection against unintended pregnancies and
against STIs including HIV.
81
Empowering People and Enhancing Education
Family planning enables people to make informed choices about their sexual and
reproductive health. Family planning represents an opportunity for women to
pursue additional education and participate in public life, including paid
employment in non-family organizations.
Additionally, having smaller families allows parents to invest more in each child.
Children with fewer siblings tend to stay in school longer than those with many
siblings.
Reducing Adolescent Pregnancies
Pregnant adolescents are more likely to have preterm or low birth-weight babies.
Babies born to adolescents have higher rates of neonatal mortality. Many
adolescent girls who become pregnant have to leave school. This has long-term
implications for them as individuals, their families and communities.
Slowing Population Growth
Family planning is key to slowing unsustainable population growth and the

resulting negative impacts on the economy, environment, and national and
regional development efforts.
WHO PROVIDES FAMILY PLANNING/CONTRACEPTIVES?
It is important that family planning is widely available and easily accessible

through midwives and other trained health workers to anyone who is sexually
active, including adolescents. Midwives are trained to provide (where authorised)
locally available and culturally acceptable contraceptive methods.
Other trained health workers, for example community health workers, also
provide counselling and some family planning methods, for example pills and
condoms. For methods such as sterilization, women and men need to be referred
to a clinician.
CONTRACEPTIVE USE
Contraceptive use has increased in many parts of the world, especially in Asia and
Latin America, but continues to be low in sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, use of
modern contraception has risen slightly, from 54% in 1990 to 57.4% in 2015.
Regionally, the proportion of women aged 15–49 reporting use of a modern
contraceptive method has risen minimally or plateaued between 2008 and 2015.
In Africa it went from 23.6% to 28.5%, in Asia it has risen slightly from 60.9% to
61.8%, and in Latin America and the Caribbean it has remained stable at 66.7%.
82
Use of contraception by men makes up a relatively small subset of the above

prevalence rates. The modern contraceptive methods for men are limited to male
condoms and sterilization (vasectomy).
GLOBAL UNMET NEED FOR CONTRACEPTION
214 million women of reproductive age in developing countries who want to

avoid pregnancy are not using a modern contraceptive method. Reasons for this
include:
a. limited choice of methods;
b. limited access to contraception, particularly among young people, poorer
segments of populations, or unmarried people;
c. fear or experience of side-effects;
d. cultural or religious opposition;
e. poor quality of available services;
f. users and providers bias;
g. gender-based barriers.
The unmet need for contraception remains too high. This inequity is fuelled by
both a growing population, and a shortage of family planning services. In Africa,
24.2% of women of reproductive age have an unmet need for modern
contraception. In Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean – regions with
relatively high contraceptive prevalence – the levels of unmet need are 10.2 %
and 10.7%, respectively (Trends in Contraception Worldwide 2015, UNDESA).
CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS
Modern methods:
Method Description How it Effectiveness to Comments

works prevent
pregnancy
Combined oral Contains two Prevents the >99% with Reduces risk of
contraceptives hormones release of correct and endometrial and
(COCs) or “the (estrogen and eggs from consistent use ovarian cancer
pill” progestogen) the ovaries
(ovulation) 92% as
commonly used
Progestogen- Contains only Thickens 99% with correct Can be used

only pills progestogen cervical and consistent use while
(POPs) or "the hormone, not mucus to breastfeeding;
minipill" estrogen block sperm must be taken at
83
works prevent
pregnancy
and egg from 90–97% as the same time
meeting and commonly used each day
prevents
ovulation
Implants Small, flexible Thickens >99% Health-care

rods or capsules cervical provider must
placed under the mucus to insert and
skin of the upper block sperm remove; can be
arm; contains and egg from used for 3–5
progestogen meeting and years depending
hormone only prevents on implant;
ovulation irregular vaginal
bleeding
common but not
harmful
Progestogen Injected into the Thickens >99% with Delayed return
only injectables muscle or under cervical correct and to fertility
the skin every 2 mucus to consistent use (about 1–4
or 3 months, block sperm months on the
depending on and egg from 97% as average) after
product meeting and commonly used use; irregular
prevents vaginal bleeding
ovulation common, but
not harmful
Monthly Injected monthly Prevents the >99% with Irregular
injectables or into the muscle, release of correct and vaginal bleeding
combined contains estrogen eggs from consistent use common, but
injectable and progestogen the ovaries not harmful
contraceptives (ovulation)
(CIC)
97% as
commonly used
Combined Continuously Prevents the The patch and the The Patch and
contraceptive releases 2 release of CVR are new and the CVR
patch and hormones – a eggs from research on provide a
combined progestin and an the ovaries effectiveness is comparable
contraceptive estrogen- directly (ovulation) limited. safety and
vaginal ring through the skin Effectiveness pharmacokinetic
(CVR) (patch) or from studies report that profile to COCs
the ring. it may be more
84
works prevent
pregnancy
effective than the with hormone
COCs, both as formulations.
commonly and
consistent or
correct use.
Intrauterine Small flexible Copper >99% Longer and
device (IUD): plastic device component heavier periods
copper containing copper damages during first
containing sleeves or wire sperm and months of use
that is inserted prevents it are common but
into the uterus from not harmful; can
meeting the also be used as
egg emergency
contraception
Intrauterine A T-shaped Thickens >99% Decreases
device (IUD) plastic device cervical amount of blood
levonorgestrel inserted into the mucus to lost with
uterus that block sperm menstruation
steadily releases and egg from over time;
small amounts of meeting Reduces
levonorgestrel menstrual
each day cramps and
symptoms of
endometriosis;
amenorrhea (no
menstrual
bleeding) in a
group of users
Male condoms Sheaths or Forms a 98% with correct Also protects
coverings that fit barrier to and consistent use against sexually
over a man's erect prevent transmitted
penis sperm and infections,
egg from 85% as including HIV
meeting commonly used
Female Sheaths, or Forms a 90% with correct Also protects
condoms linings, that fit barrier to and consistent use against sexually
loosely inside a prevent transmitted
woman's vagina, sperm and infections,
made of thin, egg from including HIV
meeting
works prevent
pregnancy
transparent, soft 79% as
plastic film commonly used
Male Permanent Keeps sperm >99% after 3 3 months delay
sterilization contraception to out of months semen in taking effect
(vasectomy) block or cut the ejaculated evaluation while stored
vas deferens semen sperm is still 85
tubes that carry 97–98% with no present; does
sperm from the semen evaluation not affect male
testicles sexual
performance;
voluntary and
informed choice
is essential
Female Permanent Eggs are >99% Voluntary and
sterilization contraception to blocked from informed choice
(tubal ligation) block or cut the meeting is essential
fallopian tubes sperm
Lactational Temporary Prevents the 99% with correct A temporary

amenorrhea contraception for release of and consistent use family planning
method (LAM) new mothers eggs from method based
whose monthly the ovaries on the natural
bleeding has not (ovulation) 98% as effect of
returned; requires commonly used breastfeeding on
exclusive or full fertility
breastfeeding day
and night of an
infant less than 6
months old
86
works prevent
pregnancy
Emergency Pills taken to Delays If all 100 women Does not disrupt
contraception prevent ovulation used progestin- an already
pills (ulipristal pregnancy up to 5 only emergency existing
acetate 30 mg days after contraception, pregnancy
or unprotected sex one would likely
levonorgestrel become pregnant.
1.5 mg)
Standard Days Women track Prevents 95% with Can be used to

Method or their fertile pregnancy consistent and identify fertile
SDM periods (usually by avoiding correct use. days by both
days 8 to 19 of unprotected women who
each 26 to 32 day vaginal sex want to become
cycle) using during most pregnant and
cycle beads or fertile days. women who
other aids want to avoid
pregnancy.
Correct,
consistent use
requires partner
cooperation.
88% with
common use
(Arevalo et al
2002)
Basal Body Woman takes her Prevents 99% effective If the BBT has
Temperature body temperature pregnancy with correct and risen and has
(BBT) Method at the same time by avoiding consistent use. stayed higher
each morning unprotected 75% with typical for 3 full days,
before getting out vaginal sex use of FABM ovulation has
of bed observing during fertile (Trussell, 2009) occurred and the
for an increase of days fertile period
0.2 to 0.5 degrees has passed. Sex
C. can resume on
the 4th day until
her next
monthly
bleeding.
works prevent
pregnancy
TwoDay Women track Prevents 96% with correct
Difficult to use
Method their fertile pregnancy and consistentif a woman has
periods by by avoiding use. a vaginal
observing unprotected 86% with typicalinfection or
presence of vaginal sex or common use. another
cervical mucus during most (Arevalo, 2004) condition that 87
(if any type color fertile days, changes cervical
or consistency) mucus.
Unprotected
coitus may be
resumed after 2
consecutive dry
days (or without
secretions)
Sympto- Women track Prevents 98% with correct May have to be
thermal their fertile pregnancy and consistent used with
Method periods by by avoiding use. caution after an
observing unprotected Reported 98% abortion, around
changes in the vaginal sex with typical use menarche or
cervical mucus during most (Manhart et al, menopause, and
(clear texture) , fertile 2013) in conditions
body temperature which may
(slight increase) increase body
and consistency temperature.
of the cervix
(softening).
Traditional methods
Effectiveness
Traditional How it
Description to prevent Comments
Methods Works
pregnancy
Women monitor The couple 91% with May need to delay or

their pattern of prevents correct and use with caution when
menstrual cycle pregnancy by consistent using drugs (such as
Calendar
over 6 months, avoiding use. anxiolytics,
method or
subtracts 18 unprotected antidepressants,
rhythm
from shortest vaginal sex NSAIDS, or certain
method 75% with
cycle length during the 1st antibiotics) which may
(estimated 1st and last common use affect timing of
fertile day) and estimated ovulation.
88
Effectiveness
Traditional How it
Description to prevent Comments
Methods Works
pregnancy
subtracts 11 fertile days,

from longest by abstaining
cycle length or using a
(estimated last condom.
fertile day)
Man withdraws 96% with
his penis from correct and
One of the least
his partner's consistent use
Tries to keep effective methods,
vagina, and 73% as
sperm out of because proper timing
Withdrawal ejaculates commonly
the woman's of withdrawal is often
(coitus outside the used
body, difficult to determine,
interruptus) vagina, keeping (Trussell,
preventing leading to the risk of
semen away 2009)
fertilization ejaculating while
from her
inside the vagina.
external
genitalia
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) RESPONSE
WHO is working to promote family planning by producing evidence-based

guidelines on safety and service delivery of contraceptive methods, developing
quality standards and providing pre-qualification of contraceptive commodities,
and helping countries introduce, adapt and implement these tools to meet needs.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Inform Them
Conduct an Information Dissemination Drive in the school campus. Divide the

class into three:
I. for Sexually Transmitted Infections/Diseases
II. for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/AIDS
III. for Family Planning
Each group will make any of the following: Brochures, Posters, or an Exhibit on
their assigned topics.
***This can be a culminating activity and will be included in their portfolio
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! My Stand

1. Name one method of contraception. Classify its type whether it is
traditional or modern method. Simply discuss how it is used/applied.
89
2. Are you in favour of family planning? Why or why not? Support your
answer by citing pros and cons of family planning.
Rubrics:
ORGANIZATION 5 4 3 2 1 0
-clear objectives
-logical structure/sequence
-presentation is appropriate for the topic and audience
-with references
CONTENT 5 4 3 2 1 0
- technical terms are well-defined
- contains accurate information
- material is relevant to the overall message/purpose
OVERALL IMPRESSION 5 4 3 2 1 0
-very interesting
-pleasant to listen to/look at/read the material
-very good information relay
TOPIC 3: THE MATERIAL SELF

Dr. Kathlyn A. Mata, RGC
“Life is a creation- self and circumstances,

the raw material.”
- Dorothy Richardson
You have explored your sexual self in the

previous lesson, now it is time to take a
chance to look at your material or economic
self. In this lesson (for 3 hours) you will be
able to explore theoretical considerations of
understanding yourself as far as economic or
https://www.123rf.com/photo
material self is concerned. Who you are as a
consumer, spender and a shopper?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. define material or economic self;

2. discover the signs of a materialistic person;
3. identify roles of consumer culture on one’s self and identity;
4. cite ways on how to avoid materialism; and
5. evaluate the statement, “I shop therefore, I am”.
LET’S LEARN 90
Do This! Sound Trip
a. Listen/watch the video clip, Price Tag.

What strong feeling is evoked in you while listening the song?
Note to teacher: This can be downloaded in this link,

https://ph.video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=AwrPg3IN1IZcqgoAkwqzRwx.;_ylu=X3oD
MTB0N2poMXRwBGNvbG8Dc2czBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNwaXZz?p=price+tag&fr
2=piv-web&fr=chr-greentree_ff#id=1&vid=65d80bfeab13a1bb1507cf2752153b9e&action=view
MATERIAL SELF AND ITS DEFINITION
I SHOP THEREFORE, I AM
When you shop, do you look for specific brands that suit your taste? Do the
things you possess define your personhood? Whether you like it or not, your
possessions speak about you, for they are extension of ourselves.
1. The Self and our Possession

The things we possess define who we are. They manifest our being, our
personality our “self.” In fact they are a great measure on our level of either
happiness or loneliness. Comments such as, “buti ka pa” (good for you) “sana
all” (hope everybody), “buti na lang nakabili ako” (good enough I was able to
buy one), “cannot wait to use this,” are expressions of satisfaction or
dissatisfaction. In a recent study of lower-class students, the findings reveal
that lower-class students showed high materialism tendencies to compensate
for self-esteem (Lia, Lua, & Xiaa, 2018). Moreover the study on influential
mechanism of materialism on personal well-being showed that materialism has
negative impact on a person’s subjective well-being and depression. Further,
91
materialism influences personal well-being via psychological needs satisfaction
(Wang, Liu, Jiang, & Song, 2017).
Dependence on our possession as definition of ourselves are reflected on
how we purchase, care, and worry, for the things that we have including the
effort exerted in acquiring them. The brand, color, or quality of bags, perfumes,
wrist watches, gadgets, books, shoes and other possessions we have are
reflections of who we are. At times, it is not the capacity to buy, but the interest
to possess and the priority set in having those possessions. The cliché, “tell me
who your friends are and I will tell you who you are” can be translated to “tell
me what you possess and I will tell you where you are obsessed. This is so for
there are people who are very particular with the color of products, the genre,
the brand, or the cartoon character they symbolize.
The significance of the things we possess do not lie on the thing itself but
on the memory ascribed to it. For instance, you bought the bag during your
first anniversary, it was a gift to yourself; a ring you purchased which reminds
you of a faithful friend; a brand of watch which reminds you of the time spent
with your first boyfriend; purchasing the same brand of perfume reminds you
of a long lost friend. The so called, sentimental value is greatly valued by many
hence the difficulty in giving them up or foregoing them. So they end up being
possessed by what they possess. Detrimental effect of materialism occurs when
hoarding disorder happen. Hoarding disorder is characterized by the
acquisition and retention of possessions up to the extent of impairing a person’s
life, regardless of the value of the items (Christopher, Moulding, & Knight,
2017).
2. Consumer Culture
Consumer culture refers to a marketing strategic planning theory that
focuses on the relationship consumers have with certain goods and services. It
helps target groups of individuals who share the same interest, desire and need
for a certain product or services. It essentially considers consumer behaviour to
certain products. Entrepreneurs would look for ways in order to provide the
items desired by consumers. Significant predictors of materialism were
celebrity endorsement, peer group, and TV advertisement. Moreover,
materialism is the significant predictor of compulsive buying behavior (Islama,
Weia, Sheikhb, Hameeda, & Azamc, 2017)
When can we say that we are preoccupied with the acquisition of a product?
Are we a slave of consumerism? The following are the signs: being a
shopaholic, a panic buyer, buying the latest gadget, waiting for the latest gadget
to be out in the market, competing with peers in acquiring new products, buying
even if it is not necessary, seeking happiness in possessing expensive brands,
and always desiring for more.
People at times are more interested on what the brand says and not on its
usefulness. They buy signature products because the brand speaks of the quality
of life they enjoy. People buy because they are driven by the status symbol
attributed to the things they have which in turn favourably influences a higher
self-esteem. What kind of cellular phone do you have? Do people say, “wow”
92
when they see it? Are you proud having it? Does it have the specifics, your
peers are wanting to have?
UNDERSTANDING THE WAY WE SEE OURSELVES
1. Biological:
Hypothlamus: “I need that”
Prefrontal Cortex: Correct! It’s necessary
Amydala: I want this
Prefrontal Cortex: Ok
2. Psychological:
a. Sigmund Freud’s concept of Id (pleasure principle)
b. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
If you plan on being anything less than you are

capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the
days of your life. A musician must make a music, an
artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be
ultimately at peace with himself.
- Abraham Maslow
https://ph.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=abraham+maslow
93
(Discuss the 8 Hierarchy of Needs Hey! Wanna check

by Maslow) my pyramid?
1. Biological & Physiological
Needs
2. Safety needs
3. Love and belongingness needs
4. Esteem Needs
5. Cognitive Needs
6. Aesthetic Needs
7. Self-actualization Needs
8. Transcendence Needs
FUNCTIONS OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
Instrumental Functions relate to the functional properties of a product. For

example, a person bought a van for family and business use.
Social Symbolic Functions signify personal qualities, social standing, group
affiliation, gender role. For instance buying an iphone instead of Samsung, Oppo,
Hwawei, Vivo, or Cherry mobile phones.
Categorical Functions refer to the extent to which material possessions may be
used to communicate group membership and status. Example is buying or renting
condo unit in Makati City.
Self-expressive Functions reflect a person’s unique qualities, values or attitudes.
There are people who may represent themselves by collecting objects with a Hello
Kitty brand. Others may express their favorite color through the color of their
clothes, accessories, shoes etc.
The purchase and use of material goods depends on its specific function and
oftentimes people may be reluctant to admit that material things fulfil symbolic
and affective rather than instrumental functions.
WHY ARE WE SO ATTACHED TO OUR THINGS? Christian Jarrett
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2_by0rp5q0
SUPPLEMENTAL INPUT:
Research Findings Updates:
The following research articles are available at sciencedirect website
a. Materialism as compensation for self-esteem among lower-class students

Jing Lia, Mengxi Lua, Ting Xiaa, Yongyu Guob,⁎
b. You are what you own: Reviewing the link between possessions, emotional
attachment, and the self-concept in hoarding disorder
Christopher A. Kings⁎, Richard Moulding, Tess Knight
94
c. Determinants of compulsive buying behavior among young adults: The

mediating role of materialism
Tahir Islama,∗, Jiuchang Weia, Zaryab Sheikhb, Zahid Hameeda, Rauf I.
Azamc
d. Will Materialism Lead to Happiness? A Longitudinal Analysis of the

Mediating Role of Psychological Need Satisfaction
Rong Wang, Hongyun Liu, Jiang Jiang, Yue Song
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Budget Plan
List down things you will buy Look for patterns in your buying
using this P1000 peso bill. behavior (for you or for others, for
your needs or for your vanities)
Explain each of the choices made Create a new budget plan and cite
in relation to self. ways on how to avoid materialism
Note to teacher: Play the music, Material girl by Madonna, while they are doing
the activity.
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! WatchYah
Watch the movie, Shopaholic

1. Reflecting on the movie, what defines you as a person?
2. How does consumer culture influence your definition of yourself and your
self-identity?
95
Assignment:
Clip articles (could be research article) or sayings about money or material

possessions and write a one-page reflection on these articles./ Choose from the
saying below and write a one- page reflection.
Rubric
Exceeds Meets Approaches COMMENTS

3 2 1
Vaguely
Clearly states the Implies but states the
purpose of the not clearly purpose of
Focus activity and states the the activity
never diverges purpose of and diverges
from the topic the activity from the
topic
Fairly Lacks
Demonstrate a
demonstrate development
thorough
self- and
Content reflective self-
analysis on experiential
analysis on the
the analysis
experience
experience
Presents the Presents the
Presents the
reflection in a reflection in
reflection in
Organization compelling, a poorly
an organized
highly organized organized
manner
manner manner
96
TOPIC 4: THE SPIRITUAL SELF

Dr. Ma. Angelita S. Rabanal, RN, MSN, LPT
“The soul feels what the mind ignores.”

– Stace Morris
You have just unpacked your material self in the

previous topic. Now, you will be given the
opportunity to explore questions such as, “What does
it mean to be a spiritual being? What molds your
spirituality? How can you best cultivate your soul and
deepen your connection with the divine creator?”
www.canstockphoto.com
On a more personal level, this chapter will offer you in 6 hours a wide range of
resources to draw on which will help you search and discover your own unique
spirituality, to find your own ways of creating sacred space in the midst of
everyday life and to identify those particular paths to the Sacred that have the
potential to connect you more deeply with your spiritual self.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. describe the concept of spiritual self;

2. identify your experiences with God;
3. demonstrate personal ways of deepening your faith and spirituality;
LET’S LEARN
Do This! The Gallery Walk
a. Artifacts such as images, texts and quotations prepared by the teacher will
be displayed in a ‘gallery style’ and in a manner that permits you to
disperse yourselves (by groups of 6 to 8 members each) around the four
corners of the classroom.
b. Take informal notes as you walk around the four areas of the room where
the artifacts are placed. Identify similarities and differences among the
collection of the objects in each area.
c. When all of you had the chance to view sufficient resources around the
room, take your seat and think about all the impressions you noted. Share
your reflections with your group and draw conclusions about the
evidences you have examined. Categorize each of the four groupings of
resources. Debrief the activity with your group and present your final
output to the class.
97
Note to teachers: For this activity, the teacher will need to prepare a gallery walk
with a selection of artifacts as described in this section.
DEVELOPING YOUR SPIRITUALITY

Andrew Wallas, has been described as a
“Modern Day Wizard”
If you were able to correctly identify the four

sections in the gallery walk, you have dealt into the
‘New Model of Spirituality’ that Andrew Wallas
presented in one of his works. The four stages
according to Wallas, are the following:
Stage 1 - Anything Goes. In this corner you viewed objects such as (1) a letter of a
narcissistic (2) photo of a manipulative classmate (3) self-love placards (4)
images of self- absorbed people and (5) narcissists phrases. This stage represents
your undeveloped spirituality; at this point of spiritual growth, you are
manipulative and self-serving. Though you may pretend or you even think you are
loving toward others, you are narcissistic and don’t really love yourself or others.
Stage 2 - Rigid. In this corner, you saw things like (1) copy of the Ten
Commandments (2) Holy bible/ scriptures (3) prayer books (4) images of a
prayerful family and (5) illustrations of different religious worship activities. This
stage is characterized by firm set of external rules which you need to follow.
The prescriptive nature of this phase provides you comfort, as you do not have to
think for yourself. In religion, you will mainly view your God as an external,
transcendent Being. You generally need a legalistic God, who will punish
misdeeds, to keep you from chaotic behavior.
Stage 3 - Questioning. In this corner you found things such as (1) quotations
about questioning God (2) image of an angered person toward his God over the
death of his mother (3) photos depicting peer pressures (4) news clips on issues
about clergy/ priests and (5) a question mark icon.
This is a difficult, troubling **stage as what you have taken to be untouchable is

now being challenged. The biggest stumbling block in this stage is the fear that
you are falling back to Stage I and hence you often retreat into the perceived
safety of the second stage.
Stage 4 - Free Flowing. In this corner you saw materials like (1) image of peace
and serenity (2) quotes about happiness and contentment (3) the book on Purpose
Driven Life (4) sample personal reflection on life, love and God and (5) photos of
good deeds and acts of love.
98
Through the struggle and insecurity of Stage III, either suddenly or slowly, you
emerge into the final stage which is characterized by an acceptance and peace
with who you are. You discover an alignment with the flow of life. You
recognize, not as an intellectual concept but as a lived experience, the true unity
and interconnectedness of all things.
It is essential to embrace each stage of your spiritual journey and not try to rush
on to achieve the next. Wanting to move quickly towards enlightenment is often
an ego need rather than a spiritual one. Embracing each stage fully and accepting
yourself as in the perfect place in every moment of your journey can make the
process of spiritual growth smoother and less challenging.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! The Elevator Speech
a. Organize a two- minute speech about yourself unfolding the core of your
spirituality, and where you think you are right now. You may want to
share a personal story or a remarkable experience where you think your
faith has been challenged. You can talk about your family and school, or
your values and religious beliefs.
b. You will present your speech in a conversational manner like you are
riding an elevator with two passengers at a time. Do this until everybody
has had their time to talk.
c. After sharing, wrap- up the activity by answering the following questions
in writing.
Probing Questions:
1. How do you describe your experience going through this activity?

2. How was this difficult for you?
3. What were you feeling before you told the story?
4. What is it you want others to see in you by telling this story?
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Short-film Analysis
You will watch a short film entitled Spiritual Self, created and uploaded on
YouTube by a group of freshmen students from the University of St. La Salle
Bacolod.
Note to teachers: The short-video can be downloaded at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ7ROEI1Oz0&t=70s
99
After watching the video clip, answer in writing the following questions:
1. What do you think is the video all about?
2. How do you think the actor managed his spirituality?
3. Looking back on your similar experiences, what area of your life are you
currently seeking to create a change?
4. If so, what stage of spiritual development would you currently place
yourself?
5. Is there something you think you might need to let go of or claim in order
to cause this change in your spiritual development?
Rubrics

3 2 1
All questions Most of the Most of the

Completeness were answered questions were questions were
completely answered not answered
All answers Answers were

Answers were
were profound clear but some
shallow and not
and clear and were not
Depth tied into the
reflective of the reflective of the
student’s
student’s student’s
experiences
experiences experiences
Answers were
grounded in
Answers were Answers were
concepts of the
clearly related vaguely related
Relevance lesson and built
to the concepts to the concepts
on these
of the lesson of the lesson
concepts in an
original way
grammar, There were few Grammar

error free spelling errors were evident.
This next resource is intended to aid you in discovering your ways of naturally
connecting to God.
100
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Jigsaw Activity
Organize yourselves into a groups of nine people. Each of the nine segments in
the article will be assigned to member of the group. Learn and process your
assigned segments independently. Group together into an ‘expert group’ with
those who completed the same piece, talk about and process the details of your
part. Return to your original ‘Jigsaw’ groups and take turns sharing the segments
you’ve become experts on.
SACRED PATHWAYS
1. Naturalist: Loving God Out of Doors. You feel closest to God when you
are surrounded by what He has made- the mountains, the forests or the
oceans. (Segment 1)
2. Intellectual: Loving God with the Mind. You feel closest to God when you
learn something new about Him that you didn’t understand before.
(Segment 2)
3. Ascetic: Loving God in Solitude and Simplicity. You feel closest to God
when you are alone and there is nothing to distract you from focusing on
His presence. (Segment 3)
4. Sensate: Loving God with the Senses. You feel closest to God when you
are in a church service that allows your senses to come alive – when you
can see, smell, hear, and almost taste His majesty. (Segment 4)
5. Activist: Loving God through Confrontation. You feel closest to God

when you are cooperating with Him in standing up for His justice: writing
letters to government officials and newspaper editors, picketing at a place
of injustice, urging people to vote or becoming informed about current
issues. (Segment 5)
6. Caregiver: Loving God by Loving Others. You feel closest to God when
you see Him in the needy, the poor, the sick and the imprisoned. You feel
God’s presence most strongly when you are sitting quietly by the bed of
someone who is lonely or ill or when you are taking a meal to someone in
need. (Segment 6)
7. Contemplative: Loving God through Adoration. You feel closest to God

when your emotions are awakened, when God quietly touches your heart,
tells you that He loves you and makes you feel like you are His closest
friend. (Segment 7)
101
8. Enthusiast: Loving God with Mystery and Celebration. You feel closest to
God when your heart is sent soaring and you feel like you want to burst,
worship God all day long and shout out His name. Celebrating God and
His love is your favorite form of worship. (Segment 8)
9. Traditionalist: Loving God through Ritual and Symbol. You feel closest to
God when you’re participating in a familiar forms of worship that has
memories dating back to your childhood. Rituals and traditions move you
more than anything else. (Segment 9)
Note to teachers: The nine different spiritual styles proposed by Gary L. Thomas
in his book, Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul’s Path to God, will be the 9
segments as described in this section.
Additional readings to include in each segment analyses can be downloaded at

https://visitgracechurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/SpiritualStyle.pdf
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! One-Minute Paper
a. Examine yourself based on the different spiritual practices presented in the

above lesson.
b. Pick one pathway that you think you can fully relate yourself well (based
on your religion, or worshipping activities, or the traditions and rituals you
are acquainted with).
c. Take at least three minutes to think about the pathway you chose without
writing anything yet.
d. Then have one minute to write as much as you can in a clean whole sheet
of paper.
e. Papers will be collected and be left confidential, so you are encouraged to
be open in your responses.
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Role- Play
Go back to your ‘expert’ group in the ‘Let’s Do This!’ activity of this lesson.
Decide among yourselves a good scenario or situation that will best represent
your assigned pathway. (e.g. Pathway 8 - Musical Worshipping for the
Enthusiasts) Then start drafting a simple script to depict the pathway assigned to
your group. Discuss among your members their specific roles. You will have 15
minutes to prepare for the role- play and another 5 minutes for the presentation.
102
Rubrics
3 2 1
The pathway is
The pathway is The pathway
difficult to
Content clear and portrayed is clearly
understand using the
in a creative way portrayed
scenario provided
Scenario was
Scenario was Scenario was
unrealistic,
Quality of realistic, well realistic and
inappropriate for
Scenario developed, and well
class, or poorly
engaging developed
developed
Presentation
Presentation fully engaged Presentation failed to
Impact engaged the most of the engage the student
student audience student audience
audience
Most
All presenters Few of the presenters
presenters
Presentation were prepared and appeared to be
appeared to
Skills spoke with prepared and
be prepared
confidence confident
and confident
Note to teachers: For the next lesson, the teacher will let the students bring the
following materials: oslo papers, coloring tools, pencils, sharpeners and erasers
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Song Analysis
Pay close attention to the lyrics of the song “I See You Lord” by Aiza Seguerra.
I'm so blessed my Lord
I can see you
In all the lovely things
So fine and true
I see you in the beauty
Of the flowers and the rain
I see you between the lines
Of a sweet refrain
I can see you
Even when I'm lonely and in pain
I see you in the beauty of the stars at night
103
I see you in my life
I feel alright
I see you Lord
In sorrow and in happiness
I see you in the glory
Of sweet success
I see you Lord
Every hour, every day
I can see you Lord
Whenever I pray
I can see you
In the smile of a baby
Sweet and true
I can see you in the eyes
Of my very best friends
I see you in these bonds
Just like your love that never ends
I see you Lord
In sorrow and in happiness
I see…
Note to teachers: For this activity, the teacher will play the song and ask the
whole class to sing with it.
YOUR LIFE PURPOSE AND MEANING
Upon hearing the song, what emotional response does it suggest? What might be
the message, viewpoint or lesson the songwriter was trying to convey? What
examples or concrete experiences can you relate from the song? Does it help you
find your real purpose and the true meaning of life? Why or why not?
In like manner, Victor

Frankl (1959) theorized
that we can discover
meaning in life in three
different ways: (a) by
creating a work or doing a
deed; (b) by experiencing
something or encountering
someone; and (c) by the
attitude we take toward
unavoidable suffering and
that everything can be
taken from a man, but one
thing: the last of the
human freedoms - to
choose one’s attitude in any
Victor Frankl‘s (1964) Meaning Triangle.
given set of circumstances.
104
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Guided Study
Read the inspirational story below about the Carrot, the Egg and a Coffee Bean.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things
were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and
wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one
problem was solved a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the
first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed
ground coffee beans.
She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minute she
turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out, she pulled the eggs out and
placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee into a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see?” “Carrots, eggs,
and coffee,” she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the
carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an
egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled
egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she
tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked, “What’s the point, mother?” Her mother explained
that each of these objects had faced the same adversity…boiling water – but
each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.
However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became
weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid
interior. But, after being through the boiling water, its inside became
hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in
the boiling water they had changed the water. “Which are you?” she asked the
daughter.
“When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot,
an egg, or a coffee bean?”
After having read the story, answer this – “When the hours of your life are at
their darkest and the trials are at their greatest, how do you handle them? Do
you choose to be the carrot? The egg? Or the coffee bean?
Write down your answers on a sheet of paper. After which, divide yourselves
into small groups of 4 to 6 members. In your group, assign roles such as
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problem poser, reflective analyst, devil’s advocate and theme spotter. Create
‘circle of voices’ in which each member of the group will speak at least 3
minutes on the topic. Discussion is open into a free-flowing format, however,
you are only able to expand upon ideas presented in the circles of voices.
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Poster Mania
Below are passages that talk about positivity. Choose one and create a poster out
of it.
1. “The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they
just make the best of everything that comes our way.”
2. “When faced with a mountain I will not quit. I will keep on striving until I
climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or simply stay and turn
the mountain into a gold mine.”
Rubrics

3 2 1
All graphics Most graphics
were related were related to Some graphics
to the chosen the chosen were related to
Relevance
passage and passage and the chosen
easy to easy to passage.
understand. understand.
All Graphics
Graphics were
used on the Most of the
made by the
poster reflect graphics used
student, but
Originality exceptional on the poster
most were
degree of reflect student
based on the
student creativity
ideas of others.
creativity
The poster is
exceptionally The poster is The poster is
attractive in attractive in acceptably
Attractiveness terms of terms of design, attractive
design, layout and though it may
layout, and neatness. be a bit messy.
neatness.
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LET’S LEARN
Do This! Pro and Con Grid
Take a few minutes to process your silent thoughts on the question, “Do you
believe that ‘Spirits’ or ‘Souls’ exist? After which, all those whose answer is
YES, proceed to the right side of the room, and for those whose answer is NO,
stay at the left. Discuss in your group, why and why not you believe in spirits or
souls. Assign a presenter in each group, then start an informal debate.
THE SOUL: ACCORDING TO INDIGENOUS FILIPINOS
In understanding the spiritual self, we also need to know the role of the spirit of a
sacred or of a God. Even in today’s modern era, we are still influenced by the
world views on the presence of spirits.
Let us read the article published in Lopez Museum and Library about how
primitive Filipinos understand the concept of soul or spirit.
Note to teachers: Furnish student with the copy of the article. It can be
downloaded from http://lopezseum.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-soul-according-to-
indigenous.html
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! 3-2-1 Countdown
You will have to work individually for this. From the article you have read,
answer the following three-separate statements. Write your answers in a clean
sheet of paper.
3 primitive Filipino beliefs about souls and spirits that you found interesting;
2 things that surprised you about the topic;
1 personal belief that you have about souls and spirits.
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Short-film Making
This will be a group production requirement. Make a creative short- film about
the Filipino beliefs in ‘souls’ and ‘spirits’. Work out and focus only on a specific
belief. Consider watching the video ‘5 Tips for Shooting a Short Film uploaded on
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y1GOgd3uXU to guide you in
coming up with a good output.
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Rubrics

3 2 1
Has a fairly
Has a clear Has a vague
clear picture of
picture of the picture of
the Filipino
Filipino beliefs Filipino beliefs
Concept beliefs on
on souls and on souls and
souls and
spirits. spirits
spirits.
The content The content Content lacks a
includes a clear does not central theme
purpose or clearly state or purpose, and
theme and is purpose or is irrelevant to
Content
creative, theme, and is the overall
compelling and vaguely message
clearly written. written
Events appears
Events and as a
Events and
messages are disconnected
messages are
presented in a series of scenes
Organization presented in a
less consistent with no
logical order.
order. unifying main
idea.
The video has

The video was The video was
very little
well edited and edited but
editing with
moves some poor
many poor
smoothly from shots remain
Quality shots remain, is
scene to scene with fairly use
very
with proper use of proper
fragmented and
of transitions. transitions
choppy.
Most of the
The whole
members of Only a couple
members of the
the team of team
team
contributed members
Teamwork contributed and
and were part contributed at
were part of the
of the final some level.
final project.
project.
108
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Team-Based Learning
In this activity, you will be working in teams. Teams will be the different
religions in the country e.g. Roman Catholic, Iglesia ni Cristo, Jehovah’s
Witnesses, Church of Christ, Islam, 7th Day Adventist, Protestant.
Based on your experiences, you will perform one known rituals practiced in the
religion assigned to you. Present it in class, and discuss the functions of the
religious ceremony you have untaken.
Note to teachers: The teacher will give preference on the students’ religion to
form the members of each team.
RELIGION, BELIEFS AND WITCHCRAFT IN THE PHILIPPINES
Your team presentations imply that in the country, religious rituals and
ceremonies are formed out of Filipino beliefs in spirits or souls and supernatural
beings. You also have learned from the previous lesson that many rituals were
practiced to welcome and foster the coming back of the Dungan or Karurwa to
the human body.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Research Task
a. Explore on the concept of magic and witchcraft in different parts of the

Philippines.
b. Have a dialogue with elders in your community about their ideas and
similar experiences on the things you found out.
c. Draw out similarities and differences in your discoveries. Present your
findings in class.
Note to teachers: The students may be grouped into the different regions of the
Philippines.
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Experiential Reflection
Join an Interreligious Dialogue or Ecumenical Service in your school or parish

and write reflection on your experience.
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Rubrics

3 2 1
Vaguely
Clearly states the Implies but states the
purpose of the not clearly purpose of
Focus activity and states the the activity
never diverges purpose of and diverges
from the topic the activity from the
topic
Fairly Lacks
Demonstrate a
demonstrate development
thorough
self- and
Content reflective self-
analysis on experiential
analysis on the
the analysis
experience
experience
Presents the Presents the
Presents the
reflection in a reflection in
reflection in
Organization compelling, a poorly
an organized
highly organized organized
manner
manner manner
TOPIC 5: THE POLITICAL SELF

Dr. Kathlyn A. Mata, RGC
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self- preservation, and that is an

act of political warfare.” – Audre Lorde
You have explored your spiritual self in the previous lesson, now it is time to take
a chance to look at your political self. In this
lesson (for 3 hours) you will be able to explore
theoretical considerations of understanding
yourself as a Filipino.
To know more about the Filipinos, digging the

culture is of great importance. As Claro M. Recto
said, “Nationalism is nourished by a sense of
history. It is of its essence to know profoundly the
past, so that we may be in complete openness with
the men who made that history and in intimate
www.caylacabagnot.com/home.blog communion with their thoughts, their deeds and
their noble lives.”
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. cite Filipino values and ways

2. identify ways on how Filipino identity is developed.
3. manifest behavior of Filipino sense of nationalism
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Signs you are a Filipino
Note to teacher: This video clip could be downloaded in the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu6FZ_QJH8U
Group the students into four. Each group prepares a description or expression of
a Filipino.
YOU ARE A FILIPINO WHEN . . .
(Could be any of the following: Hugot lines of a Filipino, memes of the

youth, #hashtags, values associated with Filipinos)
Example:
You let your visitors sleep in the You bring out the best kitchen
best room at home wares if you have a visitor
A. Who is a Filipino?
Article IV Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution (Official Gazette Republic

of the Philippines) states that you are a Filipino citizen if:
111
a. You were born in the Philippines;

b. Your parents are citizens of the Philippines;
c. You were born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who
elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and
d. You are naturalized in accordance with law.
Being a Filipino is not reflected by citizenship alone. The values and traits
must also be manifested.
B. Values and Traits of a Filipino
Filipinos have their own trademark. When asked to describe who is a

Filipino, there are adjectives or unique descriptions that are automatically
attached to them. Some of the cultural values are:
1. Utang na Loob – This is a way of showing gratitude for a favour or

assistance extended to a person, such debt can never be fully paid and the
obligation can last for generations. It is expected that when the grantor
asks for help, the debtor needs to return the favour with no excuses.
2. Hiya – Filipinos are generally dependent on what other people will think
or say about them. Social approval, acceptance by a group and belonging
to a group play a vital role in their life. Expressions such as “nakakahiya,”
“ano na lang ang sasabihin nila” are oftentimes heard from them:
3. Bahala Na – Filipinos have the tendency to utter this expression

especially if they are about to perform a difficult task or if they have
exhausted all possible efforts in performing a task. This shows their belief
that someone up there will take care of the rest for things that they are in
little or no control at all.
4. Bayanihan – This term comes from the word “bayan” which means
nation, town or community. This is a Filipino trait of helping others
without remuneration. This is a communal trait which shows favourable
deed towards one another in the community
5. Compadre System – It is expected that friends over non-acquaintance are

given priority to be given a favour such as job placement, promotion and
the like.(Panopio, Corder-McDonald, & Raymundo, 1995); (David & Macaraeg, 2010)
C. Role of Family, School, Church, Peer Group and Media in the

Development of a Filipino Identity?
1. Family – The family which is the most basic unit of society is the first
world of a child. Here, the child develops the initial sense of self,
his/her first place of indoctrination.
112
2. School – The school which is the first formal education of a child

continues whatever was instilled by the family during preschool age.
Since most of the waking time of the child is spent in the school,
values instilled at home are then further crystallized. In the
Philippines, for a person finishing a degree, at least seventeen years
are spent in the school, hence educational institution significantly
play in molding a person’s identity.
3. Church – The child is spiritually influenced by the church teachings.

The learnings one gets from the church manifest on one’s views and
actions to circumstances in life.
4. Peer group – The cliché “tell me who your friends are and I will tell
you who you are” explains how peer influence each other. Generally,
the opinion of one becomes the stand of the whole group and vice
versa, hence the statement, “one for all, all for one.”
5. Media – Filipinos are well-versed on media information. Findings of

Adel (2019) reveal that an average of four hours and 12 minutes is
spent on social media platforms. This record doubles the global
average of two hours and 16 minutes. Filipinos are also regarded as
world’s heaviest internet users.
D. How Is Nationalism Depicted By A True Filipino?
Nationalism is defined as identification with one’s own nation and support

for its interest. Do Filipinos consciously put an effort to be nationalistic?
Every Monday, you hear Filipinos in all government and private agencies
including educational institutions singing the national anthem. Is singing
the national anthem and putting your right hand over your chest reflects
your being a nationalistic? What describes a true Nationalistic Filipino?
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Fill Me In
Create a poem by supplying a phrase to the unfinished line. Make sure that you
will write something that is doable which will be checked by your teacher.
I love the Philippines
I love the Filipino people
I will ______(e.g. plant a tree for the next generation to see)
I love the Philippines
I love the Filipino people
I will _______ (e.g. post Filipino notable deeds at least once a week in my
newsfeed)
113
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Play and let the students sing the Patriotic Oath
Patriotic Oath
I love the Philippines.
It is the land of my birth;
It is the home of my people.
It protects me and helps me to be strong, happy and useful.
In return, I will heed the counsel of my parents;
I will obey the rules of my school;
I will perform the duties of a patriotic, law-abiding citizen;
I will serve my country unselfishly and faithfully
I will be a true Filipino in thought, in word, and in deed.
After singing the patriotic oath, the teacher may ask the students to reflect on the
following questions:
1. What have you done to show your love to your country, the Philippines?
2. After graduation, will you stay in the Philippines and serve the Filipino
people?
3. Do you patronize Philippine made products over the imported ones?
Reflection to be passed and graded:
Looking at the last line of the song, how could you as a student show your
being “a true Filipino?”
Rubrics

3 2 1
Presents the presents the
presents the
reflection in a reflection in a
reflection in a
Organization compelling, moderately
disorganized
highly-organized organized
manner
manner manner
Demonstrates
thorough reasonably
minimal
reflective
analysis analysis
analysis
114
Note to teachers: Let the students take a screenshot of their one week latest FB
profile. Print it and bring it to class next meeting.
TOPIC 6: THE DIGITAL SELF

Dr. Ma. Angelita S. Rabanal, RN, MSN, LPT
“Overloading attention shrinks mental

control. Life immersed in digital distractions a
near constant cognitive overload. And that
overload wears out self- control.” – Daniel
Goleman
Your digital self is the personality you use

when you’re online. Some of you at this point
maybe maintaining one or more online
www.canstockphoto.com
identities that are distinct from your “real
world” selves; or if not, some of you may have only a single online self that is
more or less the same as the one they live in the real world. This chapter will
allow you for 3 hours to examine how you extend yourself to the many social
media sites and other online platforms.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this topic, students will be able to:
1. explore how the self is presented digitally;

2. assess responsible use of social media and any other online platforms; and
3. reflect on how social media sites serve as an extension of one’s self.
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Me on FB
Look at the print-out of your Facebook profile account then identify what goes
into building your digital self by answering the following questions in writing.
On your online behavior: Is your FB profile up to date? Do you post regularly?

Are you consistent with your posts?
On your online voice: When you post in your FB account, what do you say? Are
you controversial? contentious? or otherwise inappropriate? Do you also think
you’re adding value to conversations?
On your online presentation: What does the fonts, styles and images you use say
about your presentation of yourself? Do you maintain a professional visual
image?
115
I, ME, MYSELF AND MY USER ID ONLINE IDENTITY
Given that your online behavior makes a huge impact on how you present your
digital self, it’s important to always use social media with care and consistency—
always make yourself aware of how your personal brand can be affected by what
you say and post. Always assume that potential people will often perform an
online search, so make sure that everything they find about you is positive and
professional.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Picture-Slogan
Study the four pictures below. Create your own slogan to depict the meaning of
each of the image on how your online identity creates or destroys you.
Image 1 Image 2
Image 3 Image 4
116
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Critiquing of a Research Output
Read the full copy of the research article of Nathalie N. Delise, a professor of the
University of New Orleans, entitled Me, Myself, and Identity Online: Identity
Salience on Facebook vs. Non- Virtual Identity
After thorough reading, examine the paper in terms of the following:

1. What new knowledge have you learned from the paper?
2. What new knowledge did the study claim it contribute?
3. How the did paper project the management and construction of the self
through social media?
Note to teachers: For this activity, download the research output at

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2487&context=td
Rubrics

3 2 1
All questions Most of the Most of the

Completeness were answered questions were questions were
completely answered not answered
All answers
Depth were profound
somewhat clear shallow
and clear
Answers were
grounded in
concepts of the
clearly related vaguely related
Relevance lesson and built
to the concepts to the concepts
on these
of the lesson of the lesson
concepts in an
original way
error free spelling errors were evident
117
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Watch and Learn
Let’s watch an episode of the ABS-CBN program Wansapanataym

Selfie pa more, Sasha no more at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsjJ_An8zlg
SELECTIVE SELF PRESENTATION AND IMPRESSION

MANAGEMENT
Let’s face it, like Sasha in the episode you watched, most often you try to impress
others – to put your best foot forward, to try to look good and always into new
trends, and to always get people to like you even if it means you need to lie, to
pretend and to create fictitious self of yours.
However, selective self-presentation and impression management is very

important in the development and maintenance of your social relationships, and it
is critically important for you to gain self-confidence and pride.
But your success in social relationships and your triumph as a person requires a
delicate balance of self presentation and impression management. It is with this
reason that you need to monitor and control how you appear to others. But never
forget that you also need to be straightforward and ‘authentic’.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Impromptu Speech
Prepare for a one-minute speech on this passage of Erving Goffman, “Choose

your self-presentations carefully, for what starts out as a mask may become your
face”.
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Mask Your Face
This can be done at home.
a. Design your creative ‘face-mask’ which you think is the most appropriate
representation of yourself.
b. Your output will be assessed using the rubrics below.
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Rubrics

3 2 1 115
The artwork is The art work

planned is planned The artwork
carefully; adequately; shows little
understanding understanding evidence of
Concept
of all concepts of some understanding
and concepts and the concepts and
instructions is instructions instructions
clearly shown. shown.
The artwork The artwork

The artwork
shows shows below
shows
outstanding average
average
Craftsmanship craftsmanship, craftsmanship
craftsmanship
with clear and little
and attention
attention to attention to
to detail.
detail detail.
The artwork
demonstrates The artwork
The artwork
original demonstrates
demonstrates
personal little personal
Originality an average
expression and expression and
amount of
outstanding problem solving
personal
problem skills.
expression.
solving skills.
LET’S LEARN
Do This! Fast Survey
Go out of the room and interview at least three people you meet. Ask those things
they think they need to post, and those they believe they should not post online.
Do this for only 15 minutes. After which, write down your data in your journal
and reflect on their answers. Write down your thoughts.
119
IMPACT AND BOUNDARIES OF ONLINE INTERACTIONS ON THE

SELF
As digital natives, the emergence of gadgets and your frequent online acts are
known to have been interfering your daily lives to a huge extent. You almost rely
fully on modern technologies to accomplish any task. Your social media account
is a face of modern technology that found its way in your life, which for sure have
both positive and negative effects on you.
The next activity will give you a glimpse on some of the negative impacts online
undertakings bring into our lives.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Acting Out
Read the situations below. The class may choose to dramatize each of the
situation before analysis is done.
1. Lita, a senior high school student who happens to be chubby, dark skinned
and curly hair is often bullied in school. One time, a classmate, took a
stolen photo of her, edited her face with a pig face and uploaded in the
Facebook with the caption, “black-boar for sale”. The post went viral and
many more insulting comments popped in.
2. John, 15 year old is fun of playing Mobile Legends using his gadget. He
would missed eating his meals, urinating, drinking water and the like just
to finish his online gaming for a win. He would chat with his ML friends
more often. He then loss his concentration in school and family affairs.
3. Teacher Anna is a quiet person. But lately she would always post rants and
complaints on her social media account. She discloses things on public,
and tries to humiliate her boss, her co-employees and subordinates online.
Reflect on the following questions:
On situation 1: What do you think will be the long term effect of cyberbullying to
Lita?
On situation 2: What do you think is the major loss of John in getting addicted to
playing Mobile Legends online?
On situation 3: What do you think is the persona Teacher Anna is being portrayed
on her negative posts?
120
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! Case Study
From the 3 scenarios above, choose one that you would like to work on. Find an
individual whom you think have a similar story. Interview the person and gather
additional information. You may use the following questions as your guide:
1. How social media does affects their life and their social relationships.
2. Are they not satisfied with their lives? Does it have something to do with
their use of your social media accounts? What are their reasons for their
online activities?
3. How often do they indulge in these online interactions?
4. Do they believe that their social media accounts reflect their true
personality?
Rubrics

3 2 1
Identified Failed to
Clearly identified
contributing identify the root
the root problem,
factors but problem, and
Content and provided
did not did not indicate
clear insight into
recognize the any causal
the causal factors
root cause factors
Identified
Clearly &
some of the Did not identify
completely
relevant relevant
determined the
information information that
Relevance relevant
that would would assist in
information
assist in resolving the
needed to address
resolving the issue
the problem
issue
Accurately Identified
identified the some of the
contributing contributing Failed to
factors & factors that identify the
provided a impact on contributing
Analysis
connection the problem factors that
information but didn’t impact on the
relevant to clearly root problem
solving the case connect the
problem information
121
UNIT SUMMARY
Read This!
The whole unit helped you deepen your understanding and appreciation for who
you are as a person. You were able to explore how you see yourself through the
lenses of your personal identity in the different aspects- the physical self, the
sexual self, the material self, the spiritual self, the political self and the digital self.
You were able to unpack yourself and have examined how you were able to
respond to the pressures of changes and transitions in your life.
LET’S REFLECT

2. What was the most important thing you learned? And why did you think
so?
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https://www.verywellmind.com/defense-mechanisms-2795960
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/theology/prevent-from-engaging-in-premarital-
sex-theology-religion-essay.php
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https://pairedlife.com/advice/Purity-Quotes-To-Grab-Your-Teenagers-Attention
https://christiananswers.net/q-sum/sum-f001.html
http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/love-actually-science-behind-lust-
attraction-companionship/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201603/the-
science-love-and-attachment
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320839.php
https://www.thewellproject.org/hiv-information/sexually-transmitted-infections-
or-diseases-stis-or-
stds?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6cHoBRDdARIsADiTTzY2UKHBgftBg1woKuo-
rOS_1S75qTZ4AILQ5l9vAWmnXtCU1-D_CpEaAuLAEALw_wcB
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception
Unit 3: Managing and Caring for The Self

INTRODUCTION
“Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what is left of you.”
- Katie Reed
This unit will cater 6 hours and will primarily

dwell on the principles that may be applied in
caring and managing the self. Caring for the self
is a basic human strategy to survive and to
develop as a unique individual. Self-care and
self-management helps us to become more
responsive to our survival needs. It enables us to
become physically healthier, emotionally
stronger and cognitively abler. Self-care is the
key to a balanced life. It makes us take control
of ourselves, our environment and many of our
https://www.dreamstime.com
life circumstances.
Self-management is associated with empowerment. It also goes hand-in-hand with

self-care. Self-management is a personal resource that covers skills, attitudes,
qualities and experience that help us deal with difficult life circumstances with
tenacity. It may involve identifying personal strengths and weaknesses, managing
emotions, working for success and enhancing well-being.
This topic will therefore help you learn and apply the fundamental concepts of
how to keep yourself healthy- physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
124
By applying these principles, you will be able to sustain your motivation to

achieve what you intend to achieve and be successful in almost all your
undertakings.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this unit, the students will be able to:
a. develop in them the qualities, attitudes and sound perspectives that

will lead to a more balanced and productive life by applying the
fundamentals of self-care and self-management.
LET’S RECALL
In the previous topics, you have explored the different dimensions of the self. You
have learned that the self can be viewed from different perspectives. The self is
multi-faceted and metamorphosing. We shape our “self” or identity as we perform
various roles that are expected of us to play. As a student, how can you play the
roles that are expected of you by your parents, teachers, peers and the community
as a whole? How can you become. a well-rounded individual?
TOPIC 1: LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT

Dr. Marie Benita E. Balagan, RGC
“They are able who think they are able”. – Virgil
We all learn differently, and we each have our

own style of studying. No two people are exactly
the same when it comes to study preferences. To
get the most out of your studying, it's important to
better understand what works for you, and what
doesn't. This chapter will enable you to strategize
ways on improving yourself as a student.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. to know the meaning and importance of self-efficacy.

2. to relate self-efficacy with academic success.
3. differentiate between self-efficacy and time management
4. apply the techniques of time management
5. build effective study habits
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LET’S LEARN
Try This! Study Skills Checklist
To get started we recommend printing out the study skills checklist below. Once
you've done this, read each statement and determine if it applies to you. If it does,
then mark Y. If it doesn't, mark N. The purpose of this checklist is to provide you
a basic self- assessment of your study habits and attitudes, so you can identify
study- skill areas where you might want to focus on.
1. Y__ N__ I spend more time than necessary studying for what I am learning.
2. Y__ N__ It's common for me to spend hours cramming the night before an
exam.
3. Y__ N__ If I dedicate as much time as I want to my social life, I don't have
enough time left to focus on my studies, or when I study as much as I
need to, I don't have time for my social life.
4. Y__ N__ I often study with the TV or radio turned on.
5. Y__ N__ I struggle to study for long periods of time without becoming
distracted or tired.
6. Y__ N__ I usually doodle, daydream, or fall asleep when I go to class.
7. Y__ N__ Often the notes I take during class notes are difficult for me to
understand later when I try and review them.
8. Y__ N__ I often end up getting the wrong material into my class notes.
9. Y__ N__ I don't usually review my class notes from time to time throughout
the semester in preparation for exams.
10.Y__ N__When I get to the end of a chapter in a textbook, I struggle to
remember what I've just got done reading.
11. Y__ N__I struggle to identify what is important in the text.
12. Y__ N__I frequently can't keep up with my reading assignments, and
consequently, have to cram the night before a test.
13.Y__ N__ For some reason I miss a lot of points on essay tests even when I feel
well prepared and know the material well.
14.Y__ N__ I study a lot for each test, but when I get to the test my mind draws a
blank.
15. Y__ N__ I often study in a sort of disorganized, haphazard way only
motivated by the threat of the next test.
16. Y__ N__ I frequently end up getting lost in the details of reading and have
trouble identifying the main ideas and key concepts.
17. Y__ N__ I don't usually change my reading speed in response to the difficulty
level of what I'm reading, or my familiarity with the content.
18. Y__ N__ I often wish that I was able read faster.
19. Y__ N__ When my teachers assign me papers and projects, I often feel so
overwhelmed that I really struggle to get started.
20. Y__ N__ More often than not I write my papers the night before they are due.
21. Y__ N__ I really struggle to organize my thoughts into a logical paper that
makes sense.
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If you answered "yes" to two or more questions in any category listed below, we
recommend finding self-help study guides for those categories. If you have one
"yes" or less in one of the categories, you are probably proficient enough in that
area that you don't require additional study help. However, no matter how you
score it's always advisable to review all study guides to help you improve your
study skills and academic performance.
 Time Scheduling - 1, 2, and 3.

 Concentration - 4, 5, and 6.
 Listening & Note taking - 7, 8, and 9.
 Reading - 10, 11, and 12.
 Exams - 13, 14, and 15.
 Reading - 16, 17, and 18.
https://www.educationcorner.com/study-skills-checklist.html/
LEARNING TO BECOME A BETTER STUDENT
Learning to become a better student is learning to study smarter, not harder. When
you study effectively, you apply certain techniques of time management, study
habits, self-discipline and self-efficacy. Each of these techniques will be learned
in this topic. Let us first begin with self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy is a construct anchored from the Social Cognitive Theory of Albert

Bandura. It is associated with self-confidence. Self-efficacy refers to an
individual’s belief in his or her capacity to execute behaviors necessary to
produce specific performance attainments ( Bandura, 1977, 1986, 1997). It
reflects confidence in the ability to exert control over one’s own motivation,
behavior and social environment (Bandura, 1994).
When developed, self-efficacy positively affects all aspects of human life. One
can be self-efficacious when he/she forms positive thoughts about himself/herself.
Positive self-thoughts build our self-esteem and create in us the inner strength to
take control of social situations. According to Bandura (1997), there is a tangible
way to develop self-efficacy. When you apply these tips, then you are likely to
succeed as your self-efficacy grows.
1. Mastery experience. Savor your mastery experiences, but the key to

mastery is approaching life with dedicated efforts and experimenting with
realistic but challenging goals. According to Bandura (1997), Easy success
with little effort can lead us to expect rapid results, which can in turn,
make us easily succumbed to failure Experiencing failure is important so
we can build resilience to it. This is done by treating failure as an
opportunity to learn and a chance to reach competence with a different
approach.
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2. Vicarious experience. Choosing role models who demonstrate self-

efficacious behavior can help you develop similar behavior. Priming or
role-modeling is a way of addressing ambivalence, which is a common
problem among young people like you. Ambivalence puts you into a state
of uncertainty when you make difficult decisions.
Contemplating on what your role model has done to achieve success can
help you build competence and mastery skills. Seeing people similar to
oneself succeed with consistent effort, raises the observers’ belief in their
own abilities to succeed (Bandura, 2008). Role models do not necessarily
come from your social environment, the internet and digital resources can
provide windows into the lives of many inspiring models. However, the
potency of the persuasion depends on the credibility, trustworthiness and
expertise of the persuader.
3. Social Persuasion. Social persuasion is about having others directly

influence one’s self-efficacy. While social modeling refers to the
observation of a role-model, social persuasion is about having others
directly influence you by providing opportunities for mastery experiences
in a safe manner.
In line with social modeling, social persuasion is choosing the right

mentor. When competency builds and positive self-beliefs are formed,
self-efficacy becomes self-fulfilling prophecy.
4. Emotional States. Emotional states or physiological states are also

sources of efficacy information. Powerful emotional arousal such as
anxiety can effectively alter individual’s beliefs about their capabilities.
People may view a state of arousal as an energizing factor that can
contribute to a successful performance, or they may view their state of
arousal as completely disabling.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SELF-EFFICACY:

By: Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury
1. Set your goals above your abilities. In setting your goals, keep in mind
your three personal zones - your panic zone, comfort zone and stretch
zone. Your panic zone constitutes everything that is outside your abilities.
Trying to do such things will decrease your self-efficacy and might lead to
panic. Your comfort zone are all things that you like to do. Being in your
comfort zone allows you to do things skillfully. By staying in your
comfort zone, you may maintain your self-efficacy but you might not be
able to improve it. If you continuously stay on your comfort zone, you
might not be able to explore opportunities for growth. The stretch zone is
where you are supposed to be. You stretch zone consists of all things that
are challenging but possible to achieve. These are the things within your
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reach yet make you feel uncomfortable. Being in your stretch builds your
self-efficacy. You need to set goals above your abilities to build your self-
confidence. Achieving high goals can do wonders to your self-efficacy.
2. Simplify your goals into small pieces. People with low self-efficacy
imagine that tasks are harder than they are. Hence, they do not make an
effort or even plan to complete it. When this becomes a cycle, the goals or
plans that you have set for yourself remain as a plan. Tasks are harder if
you fail to make the few steps to complete them. The core to developing
your confidence in building your skills is to learn how to break your goals
into smaller pieces. What does this mean? Learn to cut from your list the
unessential ones and focus on the more manageable ones. Select those that
will make you feel comfortable and confident in reaching.
3. Focus on the main goals. It was emphasized earlier on that to develop self-
efficacy, you need to set your goals and simplify them. If you were to
improve self-efficacy, try to look at your bigger goals and make a plan.
But before making a plan, believe in your abilities first. A person with
high self-efficacy will identify his/her priorities and works hard to achieve
the main goal.
4. Think positive. Keeping this attitude will help you overcome all obstacles.
This is not like being like “superman” or “wonder woman” but it is how
you can reframe negative thoughts into positive ones.
5. Take control of your life.
IMPROVING ONE’S STUDY HABITS:
If you want to succeed in school, try to apply the following techniques:
1. Plan when you are going to study. Set a fixed schedule for studying.
Students who whimsically and sporadically study do not perform well as
those who have set a study schedule. Even if you are all caught up in your
studies, following a schedule will help you manage your time well.
2. Never cram. Successful students typically space their work schedule into
shorter periods of time. Spacing your study sessions will reduce the risk of
forgetting during written examinations.
3. Set a specific for each study session. Simply studying without direction
is not effective. You need to know what exactly you want to accomplish
each study session. Each specific study objective must in harmony with
your overall academic goal.
129
4. Never procrastinate your planned study session. Successful students

Do Not Procrastinate. Procrastination leads to rushing and rushing
consequently leads to errors.
5. Start with the most difficult subject. When you give more time in
studying the most difficult subject, it would be faster to work on the less
difficult ones; thus enabling you to complete the work.
6. Make sure you are not distracted while studying. Free yourself from
any form of distraction. When you are distracted while studying, you will
lose your train of thought and unable to focus. Both will lead to poor and
ineffective study habits.
7. Join study groups. Working in groups will benefit you in three ways:
1) get help from others when you are struggling to understand a concept,
2) complete assignments more quickly,
3) teach others. Effective students use groups effectively.
8. Review your notes, schoolwork and assignments over the weekend.
Reviewing what you have learned for the week over the weekend will
make your long-term-memory system work more efficiently. Our long-
term memory system keeps information for longer storage and use.
Forgetting is less likely to happen during examinations when information
are stored in our long-term memory.
LET’S PRACTICE
Do This! My Checklist
To have a healthier self-image, you may use self-affirming statements. The

purpose of these statements is to remind yourself of the good qualities that you
possess in order to give your strength and resilience when confronted with
distressing situations. These statements will remind you that hidden underneath is
an inner strength that will enable you to handle overwhelming emotions.
Here are some self-affirming statements. Check the ones you’re willing to use and
then create your own.
_____1. “I might have some faults but I’m still a good person”.
_____2. “I care about myself and other people”.
_____3. “I accept who I am.”
_____4. “I love myself.”
_____5. “I am a good person, not a mistake”.
_____6. “I am good and nobody’s perfect.”
_____7. “I embrace both my good and bad qualities.”
_____8. “Today, I take responsibility for everything I do and say.”
_____9. “I am becoming a better person every day”.
____10. “I am a sensitive person who experiences the world differently”.
____11. “I am a sensitive person with rich emotional experiences.”
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____12. “Each day I do the best I can.”

____13. “Even though I forget sometimes, I’m still a good person.”
____15. “Even though bad things happened to me in the past, I am still a good
person.”
____16. “I am here for a reason.”
____17. “There’s a purpose in my life even though I might not always see it.”
____18. “I radically accept myself.”
Other self-affirming statements:
__________________________________________________________________
Adapted from McKay, Wood, J., & Brantley, J. (2007), The dialectical behavior
therapy skills workbook: Practical DBT exercise for learning mindfulness,
interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation and distress tolerance
Note to the Teacher: To further enhance learning, let the students watch this
video: https://youtube/how self-efficacy develops
LET’S ASSESS
Check This! One of the most difficult things to do is to avoid procrastination.

What do you think are the reasons why people procrastinate?
Rubrics

Comments
3 2 1
Clearly identified
the root problem,
clear insight into
the causal factors
root cause factors
Identified
Clearly &
completely
relevant relevant
determined the
Relevance relevant
information
needed to address
resolving the issue
the problem
issue
131
Clearly and
accurately Identified
Failed to
contributing contributing
identify the
factors & factors that
contributing
Analysis provided a impact on the
factors that
connection problem but
impact on the
information didn’t clearly
root problem
relevant to connect the
solving the case information
problem
TOPIC 2: SETTING GOALS FOR SUCCESS

Dr. Marie Benita E. Balagan, RGC”
“If you want to have a happy life, tie it to a goal not to people or things.”
- Albert Einstein
Goal setting is our way of establishing concise

and relevant targets or goals to which oblige us
to perform a certain task at a specific direction or
outcomes expected of us. This chapter will help
you set your own goals to better guide you on the
things you ought to do to attain a gainful learning
experiences.
https://www.pngkey.com
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. define motivation, goal and incentive.

2. discuss the process of motivation.
3. explain the paths from goal-setting to goal- achievement based on a
scientific theory.
4. identify your short-term and long-term goals.
5. cite ways of achieving your short-term and long-term goals
LET’S LEARN
Try This! Understanding our Goals
Whether we achieve our goals depends on whether we take action. But what
132
decides whether we take action in the first place? How motivated you are! So
simply pick your Top 3 goals, then answer the questions below. Keep writing
even if you repeat your answers. The information below will help you feel clear,
focused and more motivated to achieve your goals.
https://positivepsychologyproduct.com/science of self-acceptance
THE CONCEPT OF MOTIVATION
Motivation is defined as the psychological forces that determine the direction of

people’s behavior, their level of effort and their level of persistence (Osland, J.,
Kolb, D., Rubin, I., & Turner, M., 2007). It is an internal state that directs
individuals toward certain goals and objectives.
The sources of motivation are both intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation
brings about happiness and pleasure from the things we do. We are intrinsically
motivated when we like doing things even if there are no material rewards or
incentives that follow. Extrinsic motivation involves performing the behavior
because of the consequences it brings. Money, gifts and other material rewards
are examples of extrinsic motivators.
133
Theories of Motivation
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. According to Maslow, needs are arranged in a

hierarchy, starting with physiological, safety, love and belongingness, recognition
and self-actualization. He further contends that lower order needs must be
satisfied first before higher order ones.
http://www.edpsychinteractive.org/topics/motivation/motivate.html
134
McClelland’s Need Theory. McClelland postulates that the three basic human
motives are affiliation, power and achievement. The need for power is defined as
the need to influence others while the need for affiliation is the desire for friendly
and close relationship (Osland, J., Kolb, D., Rubin, I., & Turner, M., 2007). The
need for achievement is the need to accomplish goals, excel and strive
continuously.
Reinforcement Theory. This theory places emphasis on how behavior is learned.

For instance, Skinner who introduced operant conditioning holds that people
continue behavior that is rewarded and suppress behavior that does not lead to
desirable outcomes. Positive behaviors have to be rewarded while undesirable
ones must be extinguished or diminished through punishment ( Macapagal & Teh,
1999)
Goal-Setting Theory. Edwin Locke, a modern theorist propounded that one of

the easiest way to spur motivation is through goal-setting. Goal-setting involves
setting a clear objective and ensuring that every participant is aware of what is
expected of him or her, if this objective is to be achieved (Osland, J., Kolb, D.,
Rubin, I., & Turner, M., 2000).
The research on goal-setting showed the following significant results: 1) specific

goals increase performance, (2) in the workplace, difficult goals that are accepted
by individuals result in higher performance, (3) feedback leads to higher
performance than no feedback, and (4) people are committed to goals that are
made public and that they themselves set. Goals should be challenging but
feasible. This will encourage achievement.
LET’S PRACTICE
Do This! Concept Web
Form a group of five members and choose your facilitator. Group facilitator
assigns the following topics to discuss and apply. Share your insights with the
other members of the class by completing the concept web. Do this activity for 30
minutes.
a. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
b. McClelland’s Need Theory
c. Reinforcement Theory
d. Goal-setting Theory
135
Guide Questions:
1. What common definition of motivation emerged from the four

perspectives? What is your own definition of motivation?
Note to the Teacher: You may enhance learning by instructing your students to
watch the video: Flourish with Martin Seligman.
http://www.edpsychinteractive.org/topics/motivation/
LET’S ASSESS
Check This!
Based on the discussion, brainstorm some ways to motivate yourself and your
classmates. Home-task: Create a timeline indicating what you plan to accomplish
after a year, after 3 years, and after five years.
Rubrics

Comments
3 2 1
Clearly
identified the
contributing identify the
root problem,
factors but root problem,
did not and did not
clear insight
recognize the indicate any
into the causal
root cause causal factors
factors
136
Clearly & Identified Did not

completely some of the identify
determined the relevant relevant
relevant information information
Relevance
information that would that would
needed to assist in assist in
address the resolving the resolving the
problem issue issue
Clearly and
Failed to
identify the
contributing
factors that
impact on the
root problem
problem
TOPIC 3: TAKING CHARGE OF ONE’S HEALTH

Dr. Marie Benita E. Balagan, RGC
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over
another”- William James
Health is the ability to adapt and manage

physical, mental and social challenges throughout
life (WHO, 2001). It is further defined as a state
of complete physical, mental and social well-
being and not merely the absence of any disease
of infirmary (WHO, 2001). To be able to meet
the challenges of student life, one must be
physically, mentally and psychologically fit. In
this chapter, you’ll learn the different ways on
how to take care of your over-all wellbeing.
https://www.pngmart.com/image/tag/health
137
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. define stress and coping strategies.

2. identify their sources of stress.
3. explain how stress affects one’s physical, emotional and social well-being.
4. reflect on the impact of their coping styles on their well-being.
5. identify healthy ways of coping with stress.
LET’S LEARN
Stress is a part of day-to-day living. Anytime we face a stressor, a number of

physiological responses kick in. Known collectively as fight-or-flight responses,
bodily changes such as increased heart beat and elevated blood pressure prepare
the body to either face the threat or flee from it. The sympathetic system also
stimulates the release of a number of hormones like epinephrine or
norepinephrine that prepares the body to react.
As noted by Rice (1988), two major perspectives have influenced our views of
health and illness. First is the biomedical tradition, which developed over time as
people sought to gain knowledge about illness and health. The biomedical
tradition arose from the Hippocratic tradition of humoral theory of disease and
treatment. However, biomedical theories focused on anatomy, “germ theory’, and
ultimately genetics in their attempt to define and understand illness. A second
major influence on our views of health and illness is the psychosocial perspective
(Rice, 1998 cited by Trull,2008). For centuries, medical literature has recognized
that psychological and social processes may either cause or influence illness and
disease. By 1940’s, this broad generalization was integrated in the field of
psychosomatic medicine. The third perspective stemmed up from the
Biopsychosocial Model (Engel, 1977). This model is an integration of the
biomedical and psychosocial perspectives. Biopsychosocial model holds that
illness and health are a function of biological, psychological and social influences.
We turn now to a discussion of how stress can affect our health.
Stress and Health
The physiological effect of stress on the body involves a complex chain of events.
The stress process as shown by the Interactionist View holds that the perception
of stress causes the sympathetic nervous system, a system responsible for
mobilizing body resource in urgent situations, to stimulate the adrenal gland
(Ader & Cohen, 2007 cited by Trull,2008)). This results in the production of
catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine) whose effects on the body
138
include increased in heart rate, rate of respiration, blood flow, and muscle
strength. Stress also causes the pituitary gland to release the adrenocorticotropic
hormone (ACTH), and ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex of the adrenal gland
to secrete glucocorticoids. The most important glucocorticoid where tress is
concerned is cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that mobilizes the body’s sources.
Physiological effects of stress

Source: Brannon L., & Feist , J. (2004). Health psychology: An introduction to behavior and health
(5th edition). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Page 105.
Although responses of the body to stress can be helpful, severe stress and
prolonged activation of these systems can have adverse effects on body organs,
mental functions and the immune system. Stress can affect the immune system so
that it cannot effectively destroy viruses, bacteria, tumors and irregular cells.
Years ago, Ader and Cohen (1975) presented evidence suggesting that the
nervous system and the immune system interact and are interdependent by
demonstrating that immune system responses in rats could be classically
conditioned. This initial report eventually led to a number of studies investigating
the relationship between physiological factors (reactions to stress) and immune
system response (Brannon & Feist, 2004 cited by Trull, 2008). In any case, stress
does appear to be an important influence on health and illness.
Personality Factors of Health and Illness
Personality characteristics can directly or indirectly affect health and illness in

many ways. According to Friedman & Booth-Kewley, (1987 cited by Trull,
2008)), the following factors may result from disease processes: a) personality
features may lead to unhealthy behaviors; c) personality may directly affect
disease through physiological mechanisms; d) underlying biological variable may
relate to both personality and disease; e) several causes and feedback loops may
affect the relationship between personality and disease.
139
The most widely studied association between personality trait/behavior pattern

and illness is that between Type A behavior and coronary heart disease (Friedman
and Rosenmann, 1974 cited by Trull, 2008). These scientists identified a set of
discriminating personality characteristics and behaviors and proposed that these
constitute a Type A behavior pattern. Glass (1977 cited in Trull, 2008) describes
Type A individuals as those who tend to:
a. Perceive time quickly
b. Show a deteriorating performance on tasks that require a delayed
responding
c. Work near maximum capacity even when there is no time deadline
d. Arrive early for appointments
e. Become aggressive and hostile when frustrated
f. Report less fatigue and fewer physical symptoms
g. Are intensely motivated to master their physical and social
environments and to maintain control.
In an important methodological and conceptual analysis of the research examining

hostility and health, T.W. Smith ( cited by Trull, 2009) presented several
theoretical models that might explain the link between hostility and health. The
psychophysiological reactivity model posits that hostile individuals experience
larger increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and stress-related hormones in
response to potential stressors. This model proposes that hostile individuals are
more likely to experience stressful psychosocial environment because they have
higher levels of mistrust and are scanning their environments for possible future
mistreatment.
Coping With Stress
In the previous topic, we mentioned that stress is a part of our existence. It may
have some negative or positive effect on us. Positive outcome of stress is called
eustress while its negative consequence is distress.
Coping has two functions: 1) manage the problem causing the distress, 2) to
regulate the emotions of distress (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984 as cited in
Michenbaum, 1986, Teh & Macapagal, 1999). We all know that people who
seem to be able to handle severe stress
extremely well are resilient. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficult
times with renewed vigor (Hoeksema, 2007).
Coping with stress involves how one interprets events. People who tend to have
pessimistic style are more vulnerable to stress (Peterson et.al, 1998 cited by
Hoeksema, 2014).Pessimism may contribute to poor health by causing chronic
arousal of the body’s flight or fight response, resulting in physiological damage.
Moreover, pessimistic outlook may lead individuals to engage in unhealthy
behaviors.
140
The two major styles of coping are avoidance coping and positive coping.
Avoidance coping is denying that you are ill or facing other stresses. Studies show
that avoidance coping has been linked to several related problems such as greater
pain after surgery (Rosenberger et.al., 2004 cited by Hoeksema, 2007)), lower
adherence to medical regimens and subsequently poorer health in HIV positive
individuals (Weaver at.al., 2005 cited by Hoeksema, 2007)).
In contrast, expressing negative affect such as talking to someone about important

issues in one’s life appear to have positive effects on health. Additionally,
understanding and finding meaning from life events reduce the physiological
strain associated with chronic negative emotions (Hoeksema, 2014). Positive
coping strategy on the other hand involves seeking help or support from others.
Studies have found that positive strategies lead to positive health outcomes on the
microlevel measures such as the immune system activity to the macrolevel such
as progression of major diseases (Hoeksema,2014).
Self-Compassion
Self-compassion is a construct drawn from Buddhist Psychology. It refers to a

way of relating to the self with kindness (Abrams, 2017). It is how we treat
ourselves with kindness, warmth and acceptance. Research has shown that there is
a positive correlation between self-compassion and well-being. People who have
self-compassion also have greater social connectedness, emotional intelligence,
happiness and over all life satisfaction. Self-compassion has also been shown to
have a negative correlation with anxiety, depression, shame and fear of failure.
Ravi Shah (cited by Adams 2017) believes that self-compassion is critical for
healthy self-esteem and resilience.
Following are ways of developing self-compassion (Abrams, 2017)
1. Treat yourself as you would a small child.

2. Practice mindfulness or being in a state of nonjudgmental awareness.
3. Remember that you are not alone.
4. Give yourself permission to be imperfect.
LET’S PRACTICE
Try This! Developing Distress Tolerance Skills

Adapted from McKay, M., Wood, J.C., Brantley, J. (2017) The Dialectic Behavior
Therapy Skills Workbook
People struggling with overwhelming emotions often deal with their pain in very
unhealthy, very unsuccessful ways because they don’t know what else to do.
141
Here’s a list of some coping strategies used by people dealing with this problem.
Check the ones that you use, to cope with stressful situations:
____You spend a great deal of time thinking about past pains, mistakes and
problems.
____You get anxious worrying about possible future pains, mistakes, and
problems.
____You isolate yourself from other people to avoid distressing situations.
____You make yourself feel numb with alcohol or drugs.
____You take your feelings out on other people by getting excessively angry and
at the same time trying to control them.
____ You engage in dangerous behaviors such as cutting, hitting, picking at, or
burning yourself or pulling out your own hair.
____You engage in unsafe sexual activities, such as having sex with strangers or
frequent unprotected sex.
____You avoid dealing with causes of your problems, such as an abusive or
dysfunctional relationship.
____ You use food to punish or control yourself by eating too little, or eating too
much or throwing up what you eat.
____You avoid pleasant activities such as social events and exercise.
____You surrender to your pain and resign yourself to living a miserable and
unfulfilling life.
Now that you have identified your coping strategies, what assessment can you
make about yourself?
Relax and Soothe Yourself

We have different ways of coping with stress. One method is through relaxation
techniques. Included here are some simple relaxation techniques that utilize our
five senses of smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch. Try to explore the list and see
what really works for you.
Self-soothing Using Your Sense of Smell
___Burn scented candles or incense in your room. Find a scent that is pleasing to
you.
___Wear scented oils, perfume, or cologne that makes you feel happy, confident
and happy.
___Cut out perfumed cards and carry them with you in your wallet.
___Go some place where the scent is pleasing to you, like a bakery or a
restaurant.
___Bake or cook your own food that has a pleasing smell.
___Lie down in the park and smell the grass and outdoor smells.
___Hug someone whose makes you feel calm.
___Other ideas_____________________________________________________
142
Self-Soothing Your Sense of Vision
___ Go through magazines and books.

___Find a place that is soothing for you to look at, a park or a museum.
___Go to the bookstore and find a collection of photographs or paintings.
___Draw or paint your picture or work on a coloring book.
___Carry a picture of someone you admire or like.
___Other ideas____________________________________________________
Self-Soothing Your Sense of Hearing
___ Listen to soothing music.

___Listen to books on tape or compact discs.
___Turn on the television and just listen.
___Listen on a gentle talk show.
___Open your window and listen to the peaceful sounds outside.
___Listen to a recording of a relaxation exercise.
___Listen to a sound of trickling water.
___Other ideas____________________________________________________
Self-Soothing Your Sense of Taste
___Enjoy your favorite meal.

___Carry gums, lollipop or candies with you to eat when you are upset.
___Drink something soothing such as tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.
___Buy a piece of ripe and juicy fresh fruit and then eat it slowly.
___Other ideas ____________________________________________________
Self-Soothing Using Your Sense of Touch
___Carry something soft or velvety in your pocket to touch when you need to.
___Take a hot or cold shower and enjoy the feelings of the water falling on your
skin.
___Get a massage.
___Play with your pat.
___Wear your most comfortable clothes.
___Other ideas ____________________________________________________
Adapted from McCay, M., Wood,J., Brantley, J. (2007) The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook
LET’S ASSESS
Check This!
Create a relaxation plan. Now that you’ve read the suggestions to help you relax,
construct a list of techniques you are willing to use. Make a list which you can try
at home and those that you can take with you when you are away from home.
143
Rubrics

Comments
3 2 1
Clearly identified
the root problem,
clear insight into
the causal factors
root cause factors
Identified
Clearly &
completely
relevant relevant
determined the
Relevance relevant
information
needed to address
resolving the issue
the problem
issue
Clearly and
Failed to
identify the
contributing
factors that
impact on the
root problem
problem
UNIT SUMMARY
Read This!
Unit 3 allowed you to endeavor in becoming the best version of yourself,

intensifying the level of your self-awareness and self-knowledge which seems not
enough. There has been concrete translations of the theories and concepts you’ve
learned in a way that you would become more efficacious- wiser in decision-
making, bolder in goal-setting, and firmer in convictions.
144
In this unit, you were oriented on how to become an effective learner without
compromising your health in the process. You were taught of some practical
strategies on self-care and self-management.
LET’S REFLECT

2. What was the most important thing you learned? And why did you think
so?
UNIT REFERENCES
Bandura, A. (1982). Self-efficacy: Mechanism in human agency, American

Psychologist, 37, 122-147
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control, New York:
Freeman
Becton, L. (2019). Ten habits of highly effective students. Retrieved July
3,2019 from https:// www.educationcorner.com
Chowdburry, M. (2019). Four ways to improve and increase self-efficacy.
Retrieved July 3, 2019 from Positivepsychology.com
Hoeksema, J. (2008). Abnormal psychology. Cengage Learning Asia,
Singapore
Huit, W. (2011). Motivation to learn: An overview, Educational Psychology
Interactive., Retrieved from: http://www.edpsychinteractive.org
/topics/motivation.html
Krstevska, A. (2019). Five rules to improve self-efficacy. Retrieved July
5,2019 from https://motivationgrid.com
Margalis, H.& McCabe P. (2006). Improving self-efficacy and motivation:
What to do, what to say: Intervention in school and clinic, The Journal
of Geoscience Education, vol p. 218-277
McCay, M., Wood, J. & Brantley, J. (2007). The dialectical behavior therapy
skills workbook: practical DBT exercises for learning mindfulness,
emotion regulation & distress tolerance. New Harbinger Publications,
Oakland Canada
Osland, J.S., Kolb, D.A. (2007). Organizational behavior: An experiential
approach: 8th ed. Pearson International Edition, Prentice Hall, New
Jersey, USA
145
Sari, J. (2018). Locke’s goal-setting theory. Retrieved July 4, 2019 from
Tools Hero: https://www.toolshero.com/timemanagement/Edwinlocke-
goal-setting-theory/
Teh, L. & Macapagal, M. (1999). General psychology: Textbook and
manual. Philippine Social Science Council
Trull, T.J. (2008). Clinical psychology:7th edition. Cengage Learning Asia,
Singapore
ICON REFERENCES
https://webstockreview.net/explore/document-clipart-lab
report/#gal_post_993_clipart-pen-reflection-paper-12.png
https://pngimage.net/objectif-png-4/
http://onlineresize.club/pictures-club.html
https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/1296370/book_note_icon
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/215469163399087874/?lp=true
https://iconscout.com/icon/book-folder-pen-pencil-notebook-education-log-
office-1
https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/brainstorm_201557
146
About the Authors

Maribi Ma. Benita E. Balagan is an Associate Professor and the Admission Officer
of Cagayan State University. She finished Bachelor of Science in Psychology at
Far Eastern University and Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling at St.
Paul University Philippines. She completed her Doctorate degree in Counseling
Psychology, major in Clinical Counseling at De la Salle University, Manila. As a
professor of Psychology at the Cagayan State University, she teaches major
subjects in Psychology and Research. As a registered guidance counselor, her
compassion for individuals with mental health needs propelled her to specialize in
individual and family counseling.
A Licensed Professional Teacher and Registered Guidance Counselor by
profession, Dr. Jona Addatu-Cambri had been into the fields of teaching and
counseling for more than a decade already. She is currently an instructor at
Cagayan State University-Carig Campus handling psychology and professional
education subjects. She is also at present the designated Human Resource,
Training and Scholarship Coordinator of the Campus. She is involved in research
works particularly along students’ well-being and development which she had
presented in national and international fora. She was also recognized as a
Regional Topnotcher (Top 6) in the Licensure Examination for Teachers in 2012
and the first among the counselors of the Cagayan State University who hurdled
the Licensure Exam for Guidance Counselors in 2008.
Gladys Acebedo Maguigad-Lavarias is an instructor of the College of Teacher
Education, Cagayan State University Andrews Campus. She is teaching
Preschool, Professional, and General Education subjects. She is a graduate of BS
Family Life and Child Development from the University of the Philippines –
Diliman. She finished her Master of Arts in Psychology from the CSU Andrews
Campus. She is a former college instructor at the School of Education of St. Paul
University Philippines Tuguegarao. She spent almost eight years as a former OFW
who served as a Preschool teacher in Riyadh, KSA, Sultanate of Oman, and Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She attended the Modified Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) 2nd Generation General Education (GE) Faculty Training on
Understanding the Self held at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
(DMMMSU) South La Union Campus (SLUC) on December 17 to 23, 2017.
Kathlyn A. Mata is a guidance counselor by profession and a faculty member of
the College of Business Entrepreneurship and Accountancy at Cagayan State
University. Currently. She is the Training and Scholarship Coordinator of the
Campus and former Campus Guidance Counselor. She holds a PhD in Educational
Management and have been working on social science researches. An associate
member of the National Research Council of the Philippines, she has been
presenting papers in international conferences bringing home a Best Presenter
award. She attended the Modified Commission on Higher Education (CHED) 2nd
Generation General Education (GE) Faculty Training on Understanding the Self
held at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) South La
Union Campus (SLUC) on December 17 to 23, 2017.
Ma. Angelita S. Rabanal is both a licensed nurse and a teacher. She is currently
an Associate Professor at the Cagayan State University, Aparri Campus. She
received her doctorate in Philosophy of Education major in Educational
Management in the same school last 2013. She earned her Master’s Degree in
Nursing major in Adult Nursing at Saint Paul University Philippines. She has
been teaching Psychology subjects for almost ten years already. She is also a
certificate holder of the Diploma Program for Research in Education granted by
Isabela State University- Regional Center for Innovation and Teaching
Excellence. Her specialization includes Child Development, Social Issues,
Health, and Education. She is currently the Auxiliary Service Coordinator and
Planning and Development Officer of the Campus.

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Cagayan State University

Marie Benita E. Balagan, RGC, Ph.D.

The publication of the Understanding The Self Module is a laudable

This is a landmark of our cooperative efforts with the Office of Director of

It is on this premise that this learning module was conceptualized. Responsive to

The module embraces an interdisciplinary approach as it offered a wide array of

As educators and mental health practitioners, the authors believed that

The University Administration is likewise applauded for venturing into such an

Unit 1: The Self From Various Perspectives ----------------------- 1

Unit 2: Unpacking The Self ------------------------------------------ 45

Unit 3: Managing and Caring for the Self -------------------------- 124

Unit 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

“The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a

What encompasses your “self”? Do

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self

LET’S START #GuessWhat?

a. Assemble in a circle where a Deep Box being gift wrapped with a

After the activity, answer the following in your Journal.

1. What have you seen inside the box?

TOPIC 1: PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

“To find yourself, think for yourself.” – Socrates

In efforts to appreciate and understand reality, and

This topic on the philosophical perspective of the

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Do This! Classroom Walkway Tour

PHILOSOPHERS’ PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

1. SOCRATES (470-399 B.C.)

He explored his philosophy of

According to him, an unexamined life is

He believed in dualism that aside from

2. PLATO (428/427-348/347 BC)

He was greatly affected by Socrates’

a. Reason – the divine essence that

b. Physical Appetite - your basic

c. Spirit or Passion – your basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition,

3. ST. AUGUSTINE (354-430)

He was a great explorer in his youth and

His explorations led to his conversion to

At first, he thought the body as the

4. RENE DESCARTES (1596-1650)

Descartes was a scientist in his

He was a devout Catholic who believed

The self is a thinking thing, distinct

5. JOHN LOCKE (1634-1704)

The intolerant and charged atmosphere

According to Locke, the human mind at

Personal identity is made possible by self-consciousness. In order to discover the

6. DAVID HUME (1711-1776)

He left the University of Edinburg at

For him, there is no “self” only a

According to him, humans are so

7. IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804)

Although Kant recognizes the

For Kant, there is unavoidably a mind

Therefore, Kant believed that the self

8. SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939)

Freud develops his theories during a

Based on him, the self is composed of

The conscious mind includes thoughts,

9. GILBERT RYLE (1900-1976)

His father was a general practitioner but

He graduated with first class honors in