U N I T I I I : T H E S E L F F R O M V A R I O U S P E R S P E C T I V E S

MODULE 6
U N PA C K I N G T H E S E L F:
PHYSICAL SELF
1. BODY AND SELF-ESTEEM
CONNECTION
2 . C U LT U R A L C O N C E P T S A N D
S TA N DA R D S O F B E AU T Y
3. PHYSICAL SELF VS INNER SELF
“MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL,
W H O ’ S T H E FA I R E ST O F T H E M A L L ? ”
 A M I B E AU T I F U L ?
DO PEOPLE FIND ME
AT T R A C T I V E ?
W H AT C A N I D O T O
E N H A N C E M Y F E AT U R E S ?
PHYSICAL SELF

• Refers to the body

• The part of us that can be directly seen and observed
by everyone.
• All of us have their own physical appearances or
physical characteristics.
BIOLOGICAL BLUEPRINT
• Underneath the skin is a dynamic system that cannot be seen by the
naked eye which includes the biological and chemical processes that
contribute to one’s physical features.

• HEREDITY- sum of all biological processes by which

particular characteristics are transmitted from parents to
their offspring
BODY
IMAGE
how and what you think and feel about your body. It
includes the picture of your body that you have in
your mind, which might or might not match your
body’s actual shape and size.
A POSITIVE
O R H E A LT H Y B O D Y
IMAGE IS FEELING
H A P PY A N D S AT I S F I E D
W I T H Y O U R B O DY, A S
WELL AS BEING
C O M F O R TA B L E W I T H
AND ACCEPTING THE
W AY YO U LO O K .
A N E G AT I V E
O R U N H E A LT H Y
BODY IMAGE IS
FEELING UNHAPPY
W I T H T H E W AY YO U
LOOK. PEOPLE WHO
FEEL LIKE THIS
OFTEN WANT TO
CHANGE THEIR BODY
SIZE OR SHAPE.
BODY IMAGE IS BOTH INTERNAL
AND EXTERNAL
• INTERNAL (PERSONAL) • EXTERNAL (SOCIETAL)
• how we perceive our bodies • view of others about our physical
visually appearance which include strangers,
• how we feel about our physical our families, close friends
appearance • standards of beauty dictated by
• how we think and talk to culture and media
ourselves about our bodies
• our sense of how other people
view our bodies
VIEW OF OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT
OUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
• We learn from other people, particularly those closest to us
about the things that are considered important.
• Friendships and families are particularly important in body
image development because we place high value on them,
spend lots of time with them and develop shared
experiences, values, and beliefs.
STANDARDS
OF BEAUTY
- C U LT U R E
-MEDIA
C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
T H E “ G O L D E N R AT I O ”
T H E P E R F E C T FAC E
STEPHEN MARQUARDT
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
1. THE LONG-NECKED WOMEN
( M YA N M A R )
• known as the "long-neck" or "giraffe" tribe (Padaung group)
• The odd practice is a sign of beauty and wealth.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
2. WOMEN SHOWING OFF THEIR NOSE
JOBS (IRAN)
• Iran has become the rhinoplasty
capital of the world.
• Women are so proud of going
under the knife that they will
continue to wear their bandages
long after they're needed, in
order to show off their beauty.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
3. STRETCHED EARLOBE AND SHAVED
H E A D ( K E N YA & A F R I C A )
• Members of the Masai tribe in Africa are known for their
practice of wearing heavy jewelry made of stones or
elephant tusks to stretch their earlobes over time.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
4 . L I P S T R E TC H I N G ( PA R T S O F A F R I C A
& SOUTH AMERICA)
• A Mursi or Suri woman in
Ethiopia, consider a lip
plate as denoting female
maturity, signaling that
she has reached child-
bearing age.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
5 . TAT TO O S O F M A O R I W O M E N ( N E W
ZEALAND)
• Māori women in New Zealand
have traditionally adorned a tattoo
on their chin as a means to attract
a mate.

• The sacred tradition is known as Ta

Moko.

• Each moko is different and

includes ancestral tribal
information specific to the wearer.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
6 . W O M E N W I T H PA L E S K I N ( A S I A N
COUNTRIES)
• Women in many Asian
countries abhor the sun
because pale skin is a
sign of beauty and
desirability.
• Pale skin depicts the life
of luxury and wealth.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
7. KAJAL UNDERLINING THE EYES
(MIDDLE EAST)
• In the Middle East beauty is not something that reveals, but something that
is kept secret from the human eye, enhancing mystery and a specific charm.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
8. WOMEN WITH FULLER FIGURES
( M A U R I TA N I A )
• In the African country of
Mauritania, drought and famine
is common, so being overweight
has traditionally been a sign of
prosperity.
• A heavier woman has been so
desirable that girls as young as 7
were sent to fat farms to put on
weight.
 HOW PEOPLE DEFINE BEAUTY

➢ journalist Esther Honig used the online marketplace

Fiverr to send out a photo of herself to graphic
designers in more than 20 countries.
➢Their task: to edit the photo to make Honig look
"beautiful" — however the designer defined the
term.
 S TA N DA R D S O F B E A U T Y A C C O R D I N G
TO MEDIA

• As long as the fashion industry is the one

dictating what is supposed to be “beautiful”,
be it for men or women, adolescents will
never be comfortable and please with their
bodies.
• The media can cause body dissatisfaction,
low self-esteem, and disordered eating. This
is most applicable especially to young girls.
 2015 STUDY BY
LAURA ROMO
• Focus group with Mexican
American adolescent
females to discuss their views
on body image and the
media. Most of the girls said
they were aware that being
thin is the standard of beauty
as shown by white women in
movies, television shows,
advertisements, and so forth.
 THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO GIVE BIGGER
VA LU E TO T H E I R FAC E S , A P P E A R A N C E A N D
S H A P E O F T H E B O D Y. M O S T E S P E C I A L LY
ADOLESCENTS.
 PUBERTY
• The process when the body starts to mature
• Adolescents experience puberty at the same
time they experience transition from childhood
to adulthood.
R E S E A R C H I N D I C AT E S T H AT G O O D
LOOKS DO NOT BOOST TEEN
CONFIDENCE
• It's widely believed that beauty and self-esteem go
together, but this may not actually be the case for
teens, according to a study published in The Journal
of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
T H E R E A R E O N LY F E W P E O P L E W H O
BECOME HAPPY WITH THE SHAPE OF
T H E I R B O DY.
• A healthy body image is
important. When you feel
good about your body, you
are more likely to have good
self-esteem and mental
health as well as a balanced
attitude to eating and physical
activity.
HOW CAN WE BUILD A STRONG
AND POSITIVE BODY IMAGE?
1. APPRECIATE ALL THAT
YOUR BODY CAN DO.
2. KEEP A LIST OF WHAT YOU
LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF.
3. REMIND YOURSELF THAT
“TRUE BEAUTY” IS NOT
SIMPLY SKIN-DEEP.
4. LOOK AT YOURSELF AS A
WHOLE PERSON.
5. SURROUND YOURSELF
WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE.
6. SHUT DOWN THOSE
VOICES IN YOUR HEAD
THAT TELL YOU YOUR BODY
IS NOT “RIGHT”
7. WEAR CLOTHES THAT ARE
COMFORTABLE AND MAKE
YOU FEEL GOOD.
8. BECOME A CRITICAL VIEWER OF SOCIAL AND MEDIA
MESSAGES.
9. DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF.
10. USE THE TIME AND ENERGY THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SPENT
WORRYING ABOUT FOOD, CALORIES, AND YOUR WEIGHT TO
DO SOMETHING TO HELP OTHERS.
WHERE DOES BEAUTY LIE?

BEAUTY IS OUT THERE; IT IS OBJECTIVE. IT IS PRIMARY

Q U A L I T Y T H AT R E S I D E S I N T H E O B J E C T.

B E A U T Y I S N OT T H E R E , I T I S S E C O N DA R Y Q U A L I T Y T H AT
R E S I D E S I N T H E P E R C E I V E R . (J O H N LO C K E )

B E A U T Y I S N E I T H E R P R I M A R Y N O R S E C O N DA R Y; I T I S
T E R T I A R Y I N N AT U R E . I T D E P E N D S O N T H E A P P R O P R I AT E
S I T U AT I O N A L P E R S P E C T I V E .