GEC – UNDERSTANDING THE SELF (MIDTERM)

Module 1– Physical Self

LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this learning module, the student is
expected to:

a. Identify and reflect on the different forces

and institutions that impact the
development of the physical self.
b. Explain the impact of culture on body
image and self-esteem.
c. Discuss the role of media on the
adolescents’ understanding of beauty and
self-esteem and its influence on their
body image satisfaction. ACTIVATINGPRIOR KNOWLEDGE
d. Examine one’s self against the different
concepts and aspects of the physical self. When you look at the mirror…who do you see? Do
e. Propose measures to enhance the you see beautiful human being looking back at you,
adolescents “body image satisfaction.” someone who is contributing to life, who is accepting
and loving… who is connected to a bigger picture
that fills you with joy, or do you see someone who
TOPICOUTLINE doesn’t fit the “image” of who you think you are
“supposed” to be.

1. The Physical Self

a. The Self as Impacted by the Body
b. The Impact of Culture on Body
Image and Self-esteem: The
Importance of Beauty
OVERVIEW
Nowadays, people are so conscious with their
physical features. While some people become
contented of who they are and how they look like,
most people are busy making themselves prettier,
sexier, more handsome and therefore, more
acceptable. Relationships are built or destroyed
because of transformation of one’s physical
characteristics. Some people are willing to exert
much effort and financial resources jut to improve
their bodies. Beauty is sometimes correlated to
physical attractiveness.
This module identifies and explains the factors that
shape the physical self. It also delves into socio-
cultural issues associated with physical well-being.
The Physical Self
When we talked about physical self, it pertains to our
body.This is the part of us that can be directly seen
and observed by everyone.
A crucial aspect of the self is one’s physical features
including the face, bodily structure, height and
weight. However, people should also consider their
physical competencies, valuation of physical worth,
and perception of beauty. AM I BEAUTIFUL? DO
PEOPLE FIND ME ATTRACTIVE? WHAT CAN I DO
TO ENHANCE MY FEATURES?
However, the physical self is not only limited to what
can be seen by the naked eye; underneath the skin
is a dynamic system of biological and chemical
processes that contribute to one’s physical features.
Body structure, weight, height, skin color, hair color,
and other physical characteristics do not just
develop at random. These are triggered by genetic
transformations and biological development through
heredity. Heredity is defined as the transmission of

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traits from parents to offspring. The traits are made The Impact of Culture on Body Image and Self-
up of specific information embedded within one’s esteem: The Importance of Beauty
gene, the basic unit of heredity. The genotype is the
Well dressed, elegant, good-looking, and attractive!
specific information embedded within one’s genes;
These are some words we usually associate with
not all genotypes translate to an observed physical beauty. These are the determining factors shaping
characteristic. It can be determined by blood testing. beauty. According to Kenny and Nicholas “Attractive
The next one is the phenotype, it is the physical children and adults are treated more favourably by
expression of a particular trait. It can be directly others in the society.”
observed. Furthermore, maturation is known as the
completion of growth of a genetic character within an
organism. It enables man to walk, run and talk which
are evident in the adolescent stage. These are what
we called the biological blueprint of a physical self.

The Self as Impacted by the Body

As the years passed by, the concept of physical self

has gained a considerable attention in the fields of
Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology, including
religious and biological or health studies. The
physical self is an important component in the study Lloyd Lee and ShamceySupsup
of person’s self and identity. As what William James
(a renowned psychologist and a pioneer of American Standards of beauty and appearance are the
product of a diverse mix of cultural and historical
Sociology) said, “the self is the sum total of all that
influences. Norms of beauty and appearance are
man can call his, which includes his body, family and tied up to ideals of appearance and hard work.
reputation, also his clothes and his house.” Such
body, family, clothes and the like are part of our Today, the norm standard of beauty includes, wavy
extended self as what Russel Belk described it. hair, light skin and eyes, tall and slim form and so
Extended self is composed of a person's mind, body, on. The male ideal remains “muscular wash-board
physical possessions, family, friends, and affiliation abs, powerful legs, chiselled features. Needless to
say, this pursuit of perfection puts a huge strain on
groups. It is another ways in which we may
both genders. Females in particular receive a
represent ourselves to others. massive amount of societal pressure to conform to
conventional beauty standards.
According to Erik Erickson, experience is anchored
in the group plan in the body and it is supported by
Sigmund Freud who states that the physical body is
the core of human experience. Furthermore, Maurice
Merleau placed the body at the center of human
existence, as a way of experiencing the world.

Such ideas make clear to us the fact that the body is

the way through which we make sense of the world
and our environment. We experience life through our
bodies and senses (sight, smell, touch, etc.),
allowing us to interpret the world around us.
However, the body is not merely an object for our
expression in the world. The body is the sight for the
articulation of all our identification of gender, class,
sexuality, race, ethnicity and religion. A self-image problem happens when your looks
doesn't match your beauty standards. For example if
you believed that attractive people are slim ones and
if you were not slim (but not obese) then you might

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believe that you are unattractive even though others
might believe that you are attractive.
The problem here is with your own beauty standards
and not with your looks. In order to like your looks in
such a case you must fix your false beliefs about
physical attractiveness.
Society shapes us in many ways, possibly more than
we realize – from our interactions, to our personal
development through to others’ perception of our
bodies as a reflection of self-worth.
We are social beings. Genetically, we rely on one
another for the survival of humanity. That primal
connection makes our interactions physiologically
and psychologically important. So it’s not surprising
that how society perceives us affect us on many
levels.
And it’s partly how society perceives our bodies that
is of concern; we’re talking body image. So what
does that involve?
Along with the concept of body image is the concept
of beauty. Beauty is of two types: the inner beauty
which refers to the inner qualities of the person and
the external beauty which refers to the physical
characteristics of a person.
Much effort is exerted to reach the ideal body called
“body beautiful” by men which is the admired
muscular “Adonis” body built. The “Coca-Cola”
contoured figure for women is equally desired and
each one, male or female strives to acquire the body
of his/her dream.
Culture is commonly defined as the shared patterns
of thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and habits in both
material and symbolic realms. It includes language,
technology, economic political and educational
systems, religious and aesthetic patterns, social
structures and so on. Through culture, society
shapes us in many ways. As I mentioned earlier,
body image is both internal (personal) and external
(society). These include how we perceive our bodies
visually, how we feel about our physical appearance,
how we think and talk to ourselves about our bodies
and our sense of how other people view our bodies.
Furthermore, Audrey Tramel (2013) mentions that
the predominance of “pop culture” in today’s society
definitely has some effects on the way the teenagers
think of themselves, how they associate with others
and how they express characteristics of their
maturation. What is pop culture? Pop culture or
popular culture from a common understanding is a
culture widely accepted and patronized by the public
as in pop music which is very appealing to the youth.
It influences how teens define themselves as in the
case of a recent famous K-pop, which gained the
admiration of millions of teenagers. Its influence on
them goes to the point of imitating the way they
dress and style in their bodies, the way they talk and
express themselves. Indeed, an important
characteristic of every teenager’s maturation is
his/her self-definition.
So how can we build a strong and positive body
image?Positive body image involves understanding
that healthy attractive bodies come in many shapes
and sizes, and that physical appearance says very
little about our character or value as a person.
How we get to this point of acceptance often
depends on our individual development and self-
acceptance. To get to that all important point of
balance there are a few steps we can take: 1) Talk
back to the media. All media and messages are
developed or constructed and are not reflections of
reality. So shout back. Speak our dissatisfaction with
the focus on appearance and lack of size
acceptance. 2) De-emphasize numbers. Kilograms
on a scale don’t tell us anything meaningful about
the body as a whole or our health. Eating habits and
activity patterns are much more important. 3)
Realize that we cannot change our body type: thin,
large, short or tall, we need to appreciate the
uniqueness of what we have – and work with it.
Stop comparing ourselves to others. We are unique
and we can’t get a sense of our own body’s needs
and abilities by comparing it to someone else, we
need to move and enjoy our bodies not because we
have to, but because it makes us feel good. Walking,
swimming, biking, dancing – there is something for
everyone. Lastly,spend time with people who have a
healthy relationship with food, activity, and their
bodies.
LEARNINGACTIVITY 1
MEvolution
Create a Moviemaker, PowerPoint or Collage using
your own pictures to show how you developed from
the time you were born up to present. For each
picture, write a caption to tell a story about your own
evolution. Focus on the physical changes
manifested while you were growing up. Be creative.
Module 1 – Physical Self |Page 3 of 4
 Pop culture or popular culture from a common
understanding is a culture widely accepted and
LEARNINGACTIVITY 2 patronized by the public as in pop music which is
very appealing to the youth. It influences how teens
Reflective Essay define themselves as in the case of a recent famous
K-pop, which gained the admiration of millions of
Look at yourself in front of a mirror and answer the
teenagers
following questions below:
 Few steps we can take to maintain balance;
1. Which part of your body are you most proud
1) Talk back to the media. 2) De-emphasize
of? Are you not happy about? Why?
numbers. 3) Realize that we cannot change
2. If you were given a chance, which part of
our body type.
your body do you want to change? Why
3. What is your ideal body? Describe the body
you want to have.

SUMMARY
Bear in mind the following key points.
Physical self - pertains to our body. This is the part
of us that can be directly seen and observed by
everyone.
Heredity is defined as the transmission of traits from
parents to offspring. The traits are made up of
specific information embedded within one’s gene.
Genotype refers to the specific information
embedded within one’s genes; not all genotypes
translate to an observed physical characteristic.
REFERENCES
Brawner, Dalisay&Arcega, Analiza, (2018).
Understanding the Self. C&E Publishing Inc.
Quezon, City
Macayan, Jonathan V. et.al. (2018). Understanding
the Self. Outcome-Based Module. C&E Publishing
Inc. Quezon, City
Villafuerte, Salvacion L.et.al. (2018). Understanding
the Self.Nieme Publishing House Co. Ltd. Quezon
City, Philippines

Phenotype is the physical expression of a particular

trait.

Maturation is known as the completion of growth of a

genetic character within an organism or the
unfolding of an individual’s inherent traits or
potential.

Two types of beauty: the inner beauty which refers

to the inner qualities of the person and the external
beauty which refers to the physical characteristics of
a person.

“Adonis” body built is the ideal body beautiful for

men while “Coca-Cola” body for women

Culture is commonly defined as the shared patterns

of thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and habits in both
material and symbolic realms.

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