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 will help you explore the bodily make-up of the self. For you to better understand
the self, it is time for you to open up to gain knowledge and explore more of your physical
attributes.

THE SELF AS IMPACTED BY THE BODY

The first aspect 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

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. 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
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.

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).

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.

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

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
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.

THE FIVE GLOBAL BEAUTY

ARCHETYPES: