Lesson 8: Material Self
in tis contours to be our own and making it part
A Harvard psychologist in the late nineteenth
century, William James, wrote in his book, The
Principles of Psychology in 1890 that
understanding the self can be examined
through its different components.
James described these components as:
✓ Its constituents
✓ The feelings and emotions they arouse – self-
feelings;
✓ The actions to which they prompt – self-
seeking and self-preservation.
The constituents of self are composed of the
material self, the social self, the spiritual self
and the pure ego. (Trentmann 2016; Green
1997)
The material self, according to James primarily
is about our bodies, clothes, immediate family
and home. We are deeply affected by these
things because we have put much investment
of our self to them.
The innermost part of our material self is our
body. Intentionally, we are investing in our
body. We are directly attached to this
commodity that we cannot live without. We
strive hard to make sure that this body
functions well and good. Any ailment or
disorder directly affects us. We do have certain
preferential attachment or intimate closeness
to certain body parts because of its value to us.
There were people who get their certain body
parts insured. Celebrities, like Mariah Carey
who was reported to have placed a huge
amount for the insurance of her vocal cords and
legs (Sukman 2016).Next to our body are the
clothes we use. Influenced by the “Philosophy
of Dress” by Herman Lotze, James believed that
clothing is an essential part of the material self.
Lotze in his book, Microcosmus, stipulates that
“any time we bring an object into the surface of
our body, we invest that object into the
consciousness of our personal existence taking
of the self.” (Watson 2014). The fabric and style
of the clothes we wear bring sensations to the
body to which directly affect our attitudes and
behavior. Thus, clothes are placed in the second
hierarchy of material self. Clothing is a form of
self-expression. We choose and wear clothes
that reflect our self (Watson 2014).
Third in the hierarchy is our immediate family.
Our parents and siblings hold another great
important part of our self. What they do or
become affect us. When an immediate family
member dies, part of our self dies, too. When
their lives are in success, we feel their victories
as if we are the one holding the trophy. In their
failures, we are put to shame or guilt. When
they are in disadvantage situation, there is an
urgent urge to help like a voluntary instinct of
saving one’s self from danger. We place huge
investment in our immediate family when we
see them as the nearest replica of our self.
The fourth component of material self is our
home. Home is where our heart is. It is the
earliest nest of our selfhood. Our experiences
inside the home were recorded and marked on
particular parts and things in our home. There
was an old cliché about rooms: “if only walls
can speak.” The home thus is an extension of
self, because in it, we can directly connect our
self.
Having investment of self to things, made us
attached to those things. The more investment
of self-given to the particular thing, the more
we identify ourselves to it. We also Atended to
collect and possess properties. The collections
in different degree of investment of self,
becomes part of the self. As James (1890)
described self: “a man’s self is the sum total of
all what he CAN call his.” Possessions then
become a part or an extension of the self.
We are What We Have
Russel Belk (1988) posits that “…we regard our
possessions as part of ourselves. We are what
1
we have and what we possess.” The
identification of the self to things started in our
infancy stage when we make a distinction
among self and environment and others who
may desire our possessions.
As we grow older, putting importance to
material possession decreases. However,
material possession gains higher value in our
lifetime if we use material possession to find
happiness, associate these things with
significant events, accomplishments, and
people in our lives. There are even times, when
material possession of a person that is closely
identified to the person, gains acknowledgment
with high regard even if the person already
passed away.
Examples of these are the chair in the dining
room on which the person is always seated, the
chair will be the constant reminder of the
person seated there; a well-loved and kept
vehicle of the person, which some of the
bereaved family members have a difficulty to
sell or let go of because that vehicle is very
much identified with the owner who passed
away; the favorite pet or book, among others
that the owner placed a high value, these
favorite things are symbols of the owner.
Summary: The possessions that we dearly have
tell something about who we are, our self-
concept, our past, and even our future.
Lesson 9: Spiritual Self
What Is the Difference between the Soul and
the Spirit?
The terms soul and spirit have been discussed
at length throughout philosophy, literature, and
religion. Even scientists have ventured remarks
about the soul. Often, though, soul and spirit
are interpreted to mean the same thing and
end up being used interchangeably. This can
lead to the question, “Is there a difference
between the soul and the spirit, and does it
really matter if there is?” Regardless of what
philosophy, literature, religion, or some
scientists say, we have to ask, “What does the
Bible say?” The Bible clearly makes many
references to both. So what does God’s Word
say about our soul and our spirit? And why can
knowing this be a crucial factor in our spiritual
progress and relationship with God?
Are they the same thing?
1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “And the God of
peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may
your spirit and soul and body be preserved
complete, without blame, at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.” This verse clearly tells us that
human beings are made up of three parts—the
spirit, soul, and body. In the original Greek
language, the conjunction “and” in “spirit and
soul and body” indicates the three are different
from one another. So just as the body is
separate and distinct from the soul, the soul is
also separate and distinct from the spirit, as
illustrated in the diagram below:
Hebrews 4:12 makes an even finer distinction,
saying, “For the word of God is living and
operative and sharper than any two-edged
sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul
and spirit and of joints and marrow, and able to
discern the thoughts and intentions of the
heart.” From this verse, we can understand that
the soul and the spirit are so close to one
another that the two require the word of God
to divide them, to separate them from each
other.Based on these two verses alone, we can
conclude that our soul and our spirit are not the
same thing. In fact, it is evidently not only
important for us to see that they are distinct
components, but also to discern one from the
other.
Religion - Rebecca Stein (Stein 2011) works on
the definition of religion "as set of cultural
beliefs and practices that usually includes some
or all of basic characteristics. These
characteristics are:
1. A belief in anthropomorphic
supernatural being, such as spirit and
gods.
2
 2. A focus on the sacred supernatural,
where sacred refers to a feeling of
reverence and awe.
3. Supernatural power or energy that is
found on supernatural beings as well as
physical beings and objects.
4. The performance of ritual activities that
involves the manipulation of sacred
object to communicate to supernatural
beings and/or influence or control
events.
5. The articulation of worldview and moral
codes through narratives and other
means.
6. Provide the creation and maintenance
of social bonds and mechanism of social
control within a community; provide
explanation for unknown and a sense of
control for individuals.
An individual lives in a society where there are
many practices of religion. The choice of
religious belief lies within the spiritual self.
Although the choice maybe influenced by the
society and its culture.
Ritual - is the performance of ceremonial acts
prescribed by a tradition or sacred law
(Britannica 2017). Ritual is a specific, observable
mode of behavior exhibited by all known
societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a
way of defining or describing humans.
There are three fundamental characteristics of
rituals according to Penner (Britannica 2017).
Ritual has the characteristics of:
1. A feeling or emotion of respect, awe,
fascination, or dread in relation to the
sacred.
2. Dependence upon a belief system that
is usually expressed in the language of
myth.
3. Is symbolic in relation to its reference.
The self can be described as a ritual being who
exhibits a striking parallel between their ritual
and verbal behavior. Just as language is a
system of symbols that is based upon arbitrary
rules, ritual may be viewed as a system of
symbolic acts that is based upon arbitrary rules.
Participation to rituals is expressions of religious
beliefs.
SOME WORLD RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND
PRACTICES
There are different religions with different
beliefs and practices. Some major world
religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism,
Islam, and Judaism. Excerpt of some religious
beliefs and practices are found in the University
of London’s Religion and Belief Guide 2017.
Buddhism
Beliefs - Buddhism believes that life is not a bed
of roses. Instead, there are suffering, pain, and
frustrations. When people suffer, they want to
experience the goodness of life and avoid
disappointments. It becomes a habit known as
the reactive cycle of wanting and hating, like
and dislike, and craving and aversion. This
reactive cycle can be broken through the
practice of mediation, acquiring more wisdom
and deeper understanding, and acceptance of
things as they are.
Customs and Practices - There are two types of
meditation practices: samatha and vipassana.
Samatha is practiced as mindfulness of
breathing and development of loving- kindness
(Metta Bhavana). Vipassana practices aim at
developing into reality. Acquiring wisdom is by
studying Buddha's teaching, the Dharma.
Through the reflection of Dharma, Buddhists
can achieve a deeper understanding of life.
Buddhist believe in non-violence principle -
Some of the major Buddhist celebrations are
Parinirvana Day in February; Buddha Day
(Wesak) in May; Dharma Day in July:
Padmasambhava Day in October; and Sangha
Day in November.
3
Christianity Customs and Practices - Diwali, and Navrati are
the most celebrated festivals of the Hindus.
Beliefs - Christians believe in Trinitarian God. Diwali is the Festival of Lights while Navrati is
One God in three personas: God the Father the festival of nine nights, which celebrate the
(Creator), God the Son (Savior), and God the
Holy - Spirit. Eternal life after death will be triumph of good over evil. Hindus have set
achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus dates to honor particular manifestations of God.
Christ is, God the Son, who came into flesh, to
spread the Good News of Salvation. He died on Islam
the cross for the sin of the humanity but
Beliefs - Muslims believe in Allah, who is their
resurrected from the death, so that anyone
"One God." They believed in the unity and
who believes in Him will be saved and have
universality of God. Muslims also have a strong
eternal life. The Holy Bible is a selection of
sense of community or "ummah" and an
books, which is divided into two, the Old
awareness of their solidarity with all Muslims
Testament and New Testament
worldwide. Islam means 'willing submission to
Customs and Practices - Sacrament of Baptism God."
and Sacrament of Communion are practiced by
Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and
Christian churches. The Sacrament of Baptism
final prophet sent by God. Mohammed was
symbolizes the birth in Christian World, while
born in Mecca in 570 CE and received
the Sacrament of Communion is an act of
revelations from God through the Angel Gabriel
remembrance of Jesus Christ's sacrificial love.
over a period of 23 years. The Holy Book of
Jesus Christ teaching in unconditional love that
Islam is called the Quran, which was taught to
is expressed in loving the poor, oppressed, and
be recited in Arabic because any translation is
outcast of the society.
seen as inadequate.
Christmas and Resurrection (Easter) are the two
Customs and Practices
major celebrations in Christianity. Christmas,
usually on December 25, commemorates the Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam,
birth of Jesus Christ while Resurrection Sunday which are the foundation of Muslim life:
(depends on the lunar calendar, sometime in
March or April) celebrates the resurrection of 1. Shahadah - statement of faith: "There is
Jesus Christ from death. no God but the one true God and
Mohammed is his messenger."
Hinduism 2. Salat - the prayer that is practiced five
times a day.
Beliefs - Hinduism covers a wide range of
3. Zakat - the monetary offering for the
traditional beliefs and religious groups; thus,
benefit of the poor. It comprises the
there is no single founder or leader. Hindus
2.5% of a Muslim's assets.
believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death
4. Hajj - the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca.
and rebirth, governed by Karma. Karma is a
Muslims who can afford are asked to do
concept where the reincarnated life will depend
the pilgrimage at least once in their
on how the past life was spent. Hindus believe
lifetime.
that the soul passes through a cycle of
5. Sawm - the fasting. Muslims do fasting
successive lives and its next incarnation is
from food, drink, and sexual act, during
always dependent on how the previous life was
the celebration of Ramadan. Ramadan
lived. Vedas are sacred scriptures of Hindus.
is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar
Mahabharata and Ramayana are two other
important texts of the Hindus.

4
 calendar. The fast is from dawn to
sunset.
Two of the major festivals in Islam are Eidul-Fitr
and Eidul-Adha. Eidul-Fitr is the celebration at
the end of Ramadan, while Eidul-Adha is
celebrated within the completion of the
Pilgrimage, the Hajj.
Judaism
Beliefs - The Jews believe in the God of
Abraham, the same God that liberated the
Hebrew slaves from Egypt to Canaan, the
Promised Land through the leadership of Moses
and later, Joshua.Jews believe in the coming of
Messiah, the Savior. The sacred scripture of the
Jews is called the Torah or the Law. The Torah is
the guide of the Jewish living. The study and
interpretation of Torah is part of the Jewish
culture.
Custom and Practices
Five major festivals observed by Jews:
1. Rosh Hashanah – New Year
2. Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement
3. Pesach – Passover
4. Shavuot – Pentecost
5. Sukkot – Tabernacles. The Jewish
Sabbath begins on Friday evening at
sunset and is an important time when
families gather for the Shabbat meal.
Religious beliefs, rituals, practices, and customs
are all part of the expression of the spiritual
self. What to believe and how to manifest the
belief is entirely dependent on the individual, to
the self. Religious beliefs and practices,
therefore, are formed relative to its context and
culture.
Finding and Creating Meaning of Life
Another extensive study of self can be found in
the works of Dr. Viktor E. Frankl. The Viktor
Frankl Institute in Vienna was created in 1992.
Dr. Viktor E. Frankl was born on March 26, 1905
in Vienna, Australia where famous psychiatrists
Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler lived. At a
young age, he wrote a short paper to Freud
which was published after three years. He
graduated with a medical degree from the
University of Vienna in 1930. Was assigned in
Vienna Hospital suicide ward and headed the
Rothschild Hospital, eight years later.
A survivor of the Holocaust, Dr. Frankl published
a book about logotherapy. In 1959, the book
was translated to English and was revised in
1963 as The Doctor and the Soul: An
Introduction to Logotherapy. His book, Man’s
Search for Meaning has been used as a
textbook in high school and college courses. Dr.
Frankl died in 1997.
Logotherapy
Logotherapy is a psychotherapy introduced by
Dr. Viktor Frankl, the Father of Logotherapy.
Main belief of this is that “man’s primary
motivational force is search for meaning.”
Which aids individuals to find personal meaning
of life, whatever life situation they may be.
In logotherapy, meaning can be discovered by
creating a work or doing a deed, experiencing
something, or encountering someone and the
attitude toward unavoidable suffering.
According to the Viktor Frankl institute of
Logotherapy, it uses the philosophy of optimism
in the face of tragedy, where people are
capable of “fuming suffering into human
achievement and accomplishment; deriving
from guilt the opportunity to change oneself for
the better; and deriving from life’s transistorizes
an incentive to take responsible action.”
Basic Concepts of Franklin Psychology
● Life has meaning under all
circumstances.
● Main motivation for living is our will to
find meaning in life.
● Freedom to find meaning.
5
Furthermore, it aims to: (1) become aware of
spiritual resources, (2) make conscious spiritual
resources, and (3) use “defiant power of the
human spirit” and stand up against adversity.
Logotherapy Assumptions
All psychotherapies make philosophical
assumptions about the human persons that
cannot be proved with certainty. Viktor Frankl
Institute of Logotherapy states the assumptions
of logotherapy, which include the following:
1. The human being is an entity consisting
of body, mind, and spirit. First
assumption deals with body (soma),
mind (psyche), and spirit (noos).
2. Life has meaning under all
circumstances, even the most
miserable. Assumption two is “ultimate
meaning”
3. People have a will to meaning. The third
assumption is seen as our main
motivation for living and acting.
4. People have freedom under all
circumstances to activate the will to
find meaning. Assumption four is that
we are free to activate our will to find
meaning, and this can be done under
any circumstances.
5. Life has a demand quality to which
people must respond if decisions are to
be meaningful. The meaning of the
moment is more practical in daily living
than ultimate meaning.
6. The individual is unique. Deals with
one’s sense of meaning. Enhanced by
the realization that we are
irreplaceable.
In essence, all humans are unique with an entity
of body, mind, and spirit. We all go through
unique situations and are constantly looking to
find meaning. We are always free to do these in
response to certain demands.
Frankl’s Sources of Meaning
Popova (2017) discussed Viktor Frankl’s work.
There are three possible sources of the meaning
of the purposeful work, courage in the face of
difficulty, and love.
1. Purposeful Work. To find the meaning
of life starts with holding a future goal.
2. Courage in the Face of Difficulty. A
meaningful life is a life with suffering.
3. Love. Popova (2017) quoted Dr. Frankl’s
notes about his experience in the Nazi
Camp: “For hours I stood hacking at the
icy ground. The guard passed by,
insulting me, and once again, I
communed with my beloved. More and
more I felt that she was present, that
she was with me; I had the feeling that I
was able to touch her, able to stretch
out my hand and grasp hers. The feeling
was very strong: she was there. Then, at
that very moment, a bird flew down
silently and perched just in front of me,
on the heap of soil which I had dug up
from the ditch, and looked steadily at
me”
Dr. Frankl’s wife, parents, and some relatives
were victims of gas chambers. His love for his
wife kept him fight for his life. Popova (2017)
also quoted Dr. Frankl’s definition of love: “Love
is the only way to grasp another human being in
the innermost core of his personality. No one
can become fully aware of the very essence of
another human being unless he loves him. by
his love, he is enabled even more, he sees that
which is potential in him. Furthermore, by his
love, the loving person enables the beloved
person to actualize these potentialities. By
making him aware of what he can be and of
what he should become, he makes these
potentialities come true”
Castello (2015) captured Frankl’s message: “The
ultimate secret on the spiritual foundation of
life is that love is salvation and joy eternity.”
The ultimate factor to find the meaning of life is
love.
6

Lesson 10: Political Self
POLITICS - The English word "politics" derives
from the Greek word and the title of Aristotle's
classic work politiká (Πολιτικά; affairs of the
cities).
It is defined as (1) the science of government;
and (2) the activities of a political party. The
word politics is a noun, while the word political
is an adjective which pertains to governmental
affairs or to politics.
Simply, politics is a set of activities that are
associated with making decisions in groups, or
other forms of power relations between
individuals.
Filipino - The word Filipino has roots from the
Spanish colonization, more specifically from “las
Islas Filipinas” or "the Philippine Islands".
Filipino means (1) a native or national of the
Philippines, or a person of Filipino descent; and
(2) the national language of the Philippines.
Political Self is a result of various personal
and environmental factors that impact the
individual. Before we tackle the politics, we
first have to learn who exactly is a Filipino,
and what exactly make him a Filipino.
WHO IS A FILIPINO?
● The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines
tells us who the citizens of the
Philippines are.
● According to the Constitution, Filipino
citizens are: (1) Those who are citizens
of the Philippines at the time of the
adoption of this Constitution; (2) Those
whose fathers or mothers are citizens
of the Philippines; (3) Those born
before January 17, 1973, of Filipino
mothers, who elect Philippine
citizenship upon reaching the age of
majority; and (4) Those who are
naturalized in accordance with law.
● To understand that better, let’s look at
the modes of acquiring Philippine
citizenship.
▪ There are two (2) generally recognized forms
of acquiring Philippine citizenship:
1. Filipino by birth
a. Jus soli (right of soil) which is
the legal principle that a
person’s nationality at birth is
determined by the place of
birth (e.g. the territory of a
given state)
b. Jus sanguinis (right of blood)
which is the legal principle that,
at birth, an individual acquires
the nationality of his/her
natural parent/s. The Philippine
adheres to this principle.
2. Filipino by naturalization which is the judicial
act of adopting a foreigner and clothing him
with the privileges of a native-born citizen. It
implies the renunciation of a former nationality
and the fact of entrance into a similar relation
towards a new body politic (2Am.Jur.561,
par.188).
● However, citizenship is not the only
element we need to consider in
identifying who a Filipino is.
○ History, culture, traits, and
values are also part of what
makes one a Filipino.
FILIPINO TRAITS AND VALUES
Any geographical unit has common traits and
values. For Filipinos, the following are what we
are most known for (some of them are positive
traits, while some are negative traits, can you
tell which is which?):
1. The Filipino Hospitality
A true trademark of Filipinos It involves;
▪ welcoming guests and tourists as if they are
blood related
7
▪ making their guests “feel at home”
▪ bringing out their best sets of plates and
utensils for honored guests and would even go
as far as spending a lot of money and going into
debt.
2. Respect for Elders
Filipinos greet and address their elders in
distinct ways to show respect.
▪ Mano culture, po at opo
▪ Ate for older sister, Kuya for older brother,
Tito for uncle, Tita for aunt, Lolafor
grandmother and Lolo for grandfather, Manong
and Aling for older people outside the family.
3. Respect for Elders
Filipinos greet and address their elders in
distinct ways to show respect.
▪ Mano culture, po at opo
▪ Ate for older sister, Kuya for older brother,
Tito for uncle, Tita for aunt, Lola for
grandmother and Lolo for grandfather, Manong
and Aling for older people outside the family.
4. Cheerful Personality (Joy and Humor)
Filipinos have cheerful and fun-loving approach
to life. We have a pleasant, happy disposition.
▪ Contributes not only to Filipino charm, but
also to the indomitability of spirit.
- It has been said that smiling is a coping
strategy for many Filipinos especially during
trying times and calamities.
- Filipinos always try to maintain a positive
outlook in life which makes them resilient.
5. Self-Sacrifice
• the giving up of one's own interests or wishes
in order to help others
• Filipinos often wish comfort and better lives
for their loved ones and would even go to the
extent of working abroad hundreds of miles
away to earn more money and save up for them
(OFW).
6. Bayanihan
• Derived from the word Bayan which means
town, nation, or a community in general.
• Bayanihan literally means “being a bayan” and
is thus used to refer to the spirit of communal
unity and cooperation of Filipinos.
• A traditional system of mutual assistance in
which the members of a community work
together to accomplish a difficult task. In later
use also: a spirit of civic unity and cooperation
among Filipinos.
• Usually observed during calamities, but best
exemplified by the old tradition of neighbors
helping to relocate a family by carrying the
whole house (bahay kubo).
7. “Bahala Na” Culture
• “Bahala na” is the Filipino version of the
famous line “Hakuna Matata” meaning no
worries.
• The phrase is said to have originated from
“Bathala na,” where Bathala means God.
8. Colonial Mentality
• Colonial mentality is regarded as the lack of
patriotism and the attitude where Filipinos
favor foreign products more than their own.
o It does not only concern goods, but also the
desire to look more foreign than local and keep
up with foreign beauty trends.
• Attributed from the centuries of colonization
Filipinos had experienced under the Spanish,
American, and Japanese rule.
8
 9. Mañana Habit
• Filipino term for procrastination.
• Derived from longer Filipino phrase “Mamaya
na”.
• Poor habit of laziness that results in heavier
workloads
10. Ningas Kugon
•“Ningas” is a Filipino term for flame and
“kugon” is a term for Cogon grass that easily
burns out after it is put into flames.
•Refers to the attitude of eagerly starting things
but quickly losing eagerness soon after
experiencing difficulty, just like how fast fire
burns Cogon grass.
11. Pride
•A high or inordinate opinion of one's own
dignity, importance, merit, or superiority,
whether as cherished in the mind or as
displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
•Filipinos are known for being prideful (e.g.
holding on to their pride as if they are more
precious than keeping a good relationship with
family and loved ones)
•A lot of Filipinos find it hard to apologize first.
12. Crab Mentality
•Resents the achievement of another, instead
of feeling happy for that person.
▪ Just like crabs in a container, they pull each
other down and ruin each other’s reputation
rather than bringing them up, resulting to no
progress.
13. Filipino Time
Arriving late at commitments, class, dinner or
parties especially if they are meeting someone
close to them.
FILIPINO MAKERS - The hallmarks of being a
Filipino, a constant reminder of our nationality.
1. Proverbs or Salawikain
These are sayings that convey lesson and
reflections on Filipino practices, beliefs and
traditions.
▪ An example of a Filipino proverb are the
sayings “Kung may tiyaga, may nilaga” and
“Kung ano ang itinanim, siyang aanihin”.
2. Superstitions
A belief or notion, not based on reason or
knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of
a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence,
proceeding, or the like.Some of Filipino
superstitions are passed down from generation
to generation.
▪ Some of these maybe influenced by beliefs
from other cultures but Filipinos have retold
these superstitions according to their own
experiences.
▪ Some examples are:
- Serve pancit (noodles) at birthdays - believed
to represent long life.
- Referred to as either “usog” or “bati”, this
superstition says that when a person with
strong energy greets a child, the child may soon
after suffering from unexplainable discomfort.
2. Myths and Legends
These stories are aimed to explain the origin of
things, at the same time, teach a valuable
lesson.
Alamat ng Pinya is one example of myth.
3. Heroes and Icons
Heroes serve as a reminder of true patriotism
and nationalism as they have sacrificed their
lives for the sake of their country’s freedom and
9
progress. Icons have made the Filipinos known
worldwide through their abilities and expertise.
Now that you have a more concrete sense of
who you are as a Filipino, let us talk about the
politics side of things. The political self is shaped
and enhanced through active citizenship.
THE POLITICAL SELF AND DEVELOPING ACTIVE
CITIZENSHIP
● Politics function based on a particular
social economic and cultural context.
The nature of politics and political
systems is dependent on the culture of
the state.
▪ Political claims made by any person are
influenced by their geographical location and
ideology (i.e. Being a Filipino Citizen living in the
Philippines influences your political claims).
▪ Politics is concerned with power. Power
inequalities can be observed within societies.
The one who holds power holds influence.
● Politics goes hand in hand with the
society.
▪ Politics pervades the structure of society, and
thus influences inhabitants in their beliefs,
ethics, and behavior.
● Political Identity
▪ Identity is the story that we tell ourselves and
others about who we are, who we were, and
who we foresee ourselves to be. Identity shapes
many of aspects of life, from how we see the
world to how we behave.
▪ The concept of a political identity can best be
understood as an inner narrative of one’s
political self.
- Orientation of political self
o National identity
o Various forms of specific knowledge, feelings,
beliefs about political institutions
o More transient views about specific policies,
issues, programs, personalities and events
▪ Much of the literature on identity admits that
a political identity is a vague concept inherently
difficult to measure (Valde 1996).
As members of the society, people are naturally
obligated to participate in a political system.
▪ As Aristotle stated, “Man is, by nature, a
political animal.” This is because man is a social
being and are naturally drawn to various
political involvements in order to satisfy their
social needs.
▪ The political self is not only shaped by one’s
political affiliation or beliefs. One’s sense of
accountability should be manifested in
promoting certain advocacies through healthy
political engagement. This is aligned with the
concept of active citizenship.
- Active citizenship refers to the structured
forms of engagement with political processes
and everyday forms of participation in society.
- It is also defined as the process of sharing
decisions which affect one’s life and the life of a
community in which one lives. Participation is
the fundamental right of citizenship.
- Active citizenship is anchored on one’s
cognitive and behavioral engagement to
participate in formal and informal political
activities.
- Different people manifest different levels of
active citizenship; some they take a more active
approach in making their voices heard, while
some, less so.
Active citizenship is a practice of democracy.
o Democracy should not only be thought of as a
form of government. It is a communal system
that allows freedom of citizens to make
informed choices that allow them to be heard.
- Active citizenship is a social construct.
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o It fosters social relatedness and
belongingness.
- The most important goal of active citizenship
is to instill change and influence society at large.
- Active citizenship is also associated with the
“sense of community.”
o People, including adolescents, participate in
communal activities because it gives a sense of
belonging in a particular group.
- For the younger generation, active citizenship
can contribute to their social development.
o Engaging in such activities can also enhance
efficacy and competence of the younger
generation, as they are considered to be the
“future leaders” of the society.
o The participation of the youth in nation-
building activities enhances their value
orientation and fosters integrity, compassion,
and the sense of justice, which are crucial to the
holistic development of a citizen of a nation.
o The participation of the youth in political
discourse and social activities can result in
cultural and political paradigm shifts that may
be felt even by future generations.
HOW TO BE A GOOD FILIPINO
Be an active and responsible Filipino citizen.
▪ Keep abreast of current events and participate
in government programs aimed at
the country’s progress and development.
▪ Exercise your right to vote; choose a
representative that would serve the interests of
the people and the Filipino nation.
▪ Exercise your rights responsibly and with due
regard for the rights of others.
▪ Uphold the Constitution and obey the laws.
Study the Philippine history.
▪ By learning the Philippine history, you will
hopefully develop a sense of nationalism and
patriotism.
▪ This will help you recognize abuse of political
power, and how to contribute into making a
better country.
▪ This will put you in perspective, not to take for
granted the sacrifices of our ancestors.
Support local products.
▪ Help strengthen the local economy.
▪ A strong economy means there is stable work
for more Filipinos, and more investments within
and from outside the country.
Speak the Filipino language.
To love of our own language is to show pride at
being a Filipino, it is a way of displaying love for
one’s own country.
Do not spread fake news and be democratic in
engaging with dissent.
▪ Verify your resources, be responsible in your
postings and arguments. Remember that you
also have the duty to be a role model to the
younger generations.
Do not litter. Dispose of your garbage properly.
Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.
▪ Take care of our home, the land that feeds us
and sustains us.
Summary:
✓ The whole Filipino identity does not only
include cultural traits and values, but also active
citizen participation and is influenced by
political identity.
✓ Politics function based on a particular social
economic and cultural context. The nature of
politics and political systems is dependent on
the culture of the state. Active citizenship, on
the other hand, refers to the structured forms
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of engagement with political processes and
everyday forms of participation in society.
✓ The Filipino value system or Filipino values
refers to the set of values that a majority of the
Filipino have historically held important in their
lives.
✓ There are many ways you can do to be a
“good Filipino”, but the best one is by being an
active and responsible citizen.
Lesson 11: Digital Self
DIGITAL SELF
More than half of the worldwide population
uses the Internet and it continues to increase.
25 years ago, Tim Berners-Lee made the World
Wide Web. The Philippines isamong one of the
countries with the most active Internet users.
More people are becoming interested and
devoted on online activities. In a survey in the
Philippines (2016), the most avid users of the
Internet are adolescents.
Among the Filipino youth, the use of digital
technology has now become part of the self—
the digital self. The digital self is the aspect of
the self that is expressed with others through
online interactions on the internet, specifically
in social networking sites. On such sites, users
normally disclose personal information such as
their name, age, birthdate, address, and contact
details. Some users also provide very personal
information about themselves such as their
likes, dislikes, hobbies, favorite food, favorite
movies, places they have visited, relationship
status, thoughts, feelings, and important events
in their lives. This sharing of
personalinformation on social networking sites
may be related to the strong desire of
adolescents for social approval and acceptance.
Similar can be said about adults.
I. SELF-PRESENTATION & IMPRESSION
MANAGEMENT
Self-presentation is the process of controlling
how one is perceived by other people. To
construct positive images, individuals selectively
provide information about them and carefully
cater this information in response to other’s
feedback. Personal identity is the interpersonal
level of self which differentiates the individual
as unique from others, while social identity is
the level of self whereby the individual is
identified by his or her group memberships.
Digital devices help us share information
broadly, more than ever before. Facebook and
other social media applications are now a key
part of self-presentation for about 49% of
humanity. As a result, researchers become
concerned with actively managing identity &
reputation. In addition, they also warn against
the phenomenon of “oversharing.” Sometimes,
people become unaware of the extent of
information they share online. They forget to
delineate what can be shared online and what
should not. Furthermore, it provides a more
complete narration of self and gives people an
idealized view of how they would like to be
remembered by others. One of the reasons for
so much self-disclosure online is the so-called
disinhibition effect. The lack of face-to-face
meetings, together with feelings of anonymity
& invisibility, gives people the freedom for self-
disclosure but can also “flame” others and may
sometimes cause conflict. The resulting
disinhibition causes people to believe that they
are able to express their “true self” better
online than they ever could in face-to-face
contexts. However, it does not mean that there
is a fixed “true self.” The self is still a work in
progress and we keep on improving &
developing ourselves every single day. Self-
revelation can be therapeutic to others
especially if it goes together with self-reflection.
But it does appear that we now do a large
amount of our identity work online. When the
internet constantly asks us: “Who are you?” and
“What do you have to share?” it is up to us if
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we are going to provide answers to such queries
every time we use the internet and to what
extent we are going to share details of
ourselves to others.
In addition to sharing the good things we
experience, many of us also share the bad,
negative, and “sinful” things we experience. We
also comment and react on the negative
experiences of others. Sometimes, we
empathize with people but we also argue with
others online. Relationships may be made
stronger or broken through posts online.
Consequently, we should have a filtering system
to whatever information we share online, as
well as to what information we believe in,
which are being shared or posted by others
online. We should look at online information
carefully whether they are valid and true before
believing and promoting them. In the same
way, we should also think well before we post
or share anything online in order to prevent
conflicts, arguments, and cyberbullying thus
preserving our relationship with others.
II. ONLINE GUIDELINES
✓ Stick to safer websites
✓ Guard your passwords
✓ Limit what you share
✓ Remember that anything you put online is
there forever, even if you try to delete it
✓ Do not embarrass or be mean with other
people online
✓ Always tell if you see strange or bad behavior
online
✓ Be choosy about your online friends
✓ Be patient
III. DATA PRIVACY ACT
To protect the people from invasion of privacy,
Republic Act 10173, otherwise
known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012 was
passed in the Philippines. The act states that:
It is the policy of the State to protect the
fundamental human right of privacy, of
communication while ensuring free flow of
information to promote innovation and growth.
The State recognizes the vital role of
information and communication technology in
nation-building and its inherent obligation to
ensure that personal information in information
and communication systems in the government
and in the private sector are secured and
protected. Personal information in this context
refers to any information, whether recorded in
a material form or not, from which the identity
of an individual is apparent or can be
reasonably and directly ascertained by the
entity holding the information, or when put
together with other information would directly
and certainly identify an individual.
Summary:
✓ The digital self is the aspect of the self that is
expressed with others through online
interactions on the internet, specifically in social
networking sites.
✓ The Philippines has the fastest growing
internet population in Southeast Asia.
✓ Self-presentation is the process of controlling
how one is perceived by other people.
✓ Personal identity is the interpersonal level of
self which differentiates the individual as
unique from others.
✓ Social identity is the level of self whereby the
individual is identified by his or her group
memberships.
✓ The disinhibition effect causes people to
believe that they are able to express their “true
self” better online than they ever could in face-
to-face contexts.
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✓ Republic Act 10173, otherwise known as the
Data Privacy Act of 2012, protects people from
invasion of their privacy.
Lesson 12: Managing and caring for the self
Metacognition is commonly defined as
“thinking about thinking” (Livingston, 1997;
Papaleontiou- Louca 2003). It is the awareness
of the scope and limitations of your current
knowledge and skills (Meichenbaum, 1995 in
American Institutes for Research 2010). Due to
this awareness, metacognition enables the
person to adapt their existing knowledge and
skills to approach a learning task, seeking for
the optimum result of the learning experience
(American Institutes for Research 2010).
Metacognition is also not limited to the thinking
process of the individual. It also includes
keeping one’s emotions and motivations while
learning in check (Papaleontiou-Louca, 2003).
Some people learn better when they like the
subject, some when they are challenged by the
topic, and others if they have a reward system
each time they finish a task. The emotional
state and the motivation of a person then
should be in the preferred ideal state for that
person in order to further facilitate his or her
learning. (Alata, E. 2018)
Metacognition basically has two aspects:
1. self-appraisal and;
2. self-management of cognition.
Self-appraisal is your personal reflection on
your knowledge and capabilities while self-
management is the mental process you employ
using what you have in planning and adapting
to successfully learn or accomplish a certain
task (Paris and Winnograd, 1990 in
Papaleontiou-Louca, 2003). Metacognition
allows people to take charge of their own
learning. It involves awareness of how they
learn, an evaluation of their learning needs,
generating strategies to meet these needs and
then implementing strategies (Hacker, 2009)
According to Waterloo Student Success Office,
the following are skills that can help you in
exercising metacognition:
1. Knowing your limits. Knowing your
limits also looks at the scope and
limitations of your resources so that
you can work with what you have at the
moment and look for ways to cope with
other necessities.
2. Modifying your approach. It begins with
the recognition that your strategy is not
appropriate with the task and/or that
you do not comprehend the learning
experience successfully.
For example, you are not able to understand
what you are reading, you should learn to
modify your strategy in comprehending your
material. You might wat to read and reread a
page in five-minute intervals instead of trying to
finish the material in one sitting.
3. Skimminghis is basically browsing over a
material and keeping an eye on
keywords, phrases, or sentences. It is
also about knowing where to search for
such key terms.
4. This is not just about repeatedly talking,
writing, and/ or doing what you have
learned, but also trying to make a
personal interpretation or summary of
the learning experience.
5. Self-test. This is trying to test your
comprehension of your learning
experience or the skills you have
acquired during learning.
For example, you can make an essay questions
or definition of terms test while you are reading
or watching a material.
Other strategies that you need to develop
include asking questions about methods, self-
reflection, finding a mentor or support group if
necessary, thinking out loud (though you have
to be considerate of others also when doing
this), and welcoming errors as learning
experience.
14
Queensland University of Technology Library, Summary:
identified other guidelines or techniques that
you can use in studying. ✓ Metacognition is commonly defined as
“thinking about thinking”.
1. Make an outline of the things you want
to learn, the things you are reading or ✓ Metacognition allows people to take charge
doing, and/ or the things you of their own learning. It involves awareness of
remember. how they learn, an evaluation of their learning
2. Break down the task in smaller and needs, generating strategies to meet these
more manageable details. needs and then implementing strategies
3. Integrate variation in your schedule and (Hacker, 2009)
learning experience. Change reading
✓ According to Waterloo Student Success
material every hour and do not put
Office, the following are skills that can help you
similar topics together. Also include
in exercising metacognition: 1. Know your
physical activities in your planning.
limits, 2. Modifying your approach, 3. Skimming,
4. Try to incubate your ideas. First, write
4. Rehearsing. 5. Self-Test
your draft without doing much editing.
Let the ideas flow. Then leave your draft ✓ Queensland University of Technology Library,
at least overnight or around 24 hours— identified other guidelines or techniques that
some even don’t look at it for a week— you can use in studying.
and do something else. After a given
period, go back to your draft and you o Make an outline of the things you want to
might find a fresh perspective about it. learn.
Sometimes, during incubation, you
suddenly have ideas coming to you. o Breakdown the task in smaller and more
5. Revise, summarize and take down manageable details.
notes, then reread them to help you
o Integrate variation in your schedule and
minimize cramming in the last minute,
learning experience.
especially when you have a weakness in
memorizing facts and data. o Try to incubate your ideas.
6. Engage what you have learned. Do
something about it. On a reading o Revise, summarize, and take down notes then
material for example, highlight reread.
keywords and phrases, write your
opinions about the matter on a o Engage what you have learned and do
separate notebook, or create a diagram something about it.
or concept map. Some people also learn
best by copying the key paragraphs
word for word. You may want to look
for other definitions and compare or
contrast materials.

In summary, metacognitive strategies are

methods used to help students know and
understand the way they can acquire and
process knowledge or in simplest term, it
means processes intended for learners to “think
about their “thinking”.

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