RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

MODULE NO. 2:
UNPACKING THE SELF

LESSON NO. 3:
The Material Self

• The Material Self:

- Aspects of Material/ Economic Self
- On Material Possessions
- Our Attachment to our Possessions
- Conclusion

Overview

Unpacking the self refers to the gradual unfolding of the self in which the six
aspects of the self develop in an integrated and healthy manner. As the Self
continues to interact with its environment, it gets various feedback that may affect
its self-knowledge, its self-image, and self-concept.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
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Study Guide

How to Use the Module

Before starting the module, I want you to focus solely in reading and
answering the task prepared for you in this module and make sure to set
aside all other tasks that will disturb you in doing this module. Read the
instructions below to successfully achieve the objectives of this module, and
don’t forget to have fun!

1. Follow carefully all the contents and instructions indicated in every

page of this module.
2. Write on your notebook the concepts about the lessons. Remember!
developing writing skills can help you strengthen your ability to make
reasoned arguments on a variety of subjects
3. Perform all the provided activities in the module.
4. Submit on time the necessary activities and assessment to your
teacher.
5. Retrieve the module once checked by your teacher and analyze
conceptually the assessment and apply what you have learned.
6. Enjoy studying!

Parts of the Module

1. Learning Competency – are statements that describe the knowledge or

skills learners should acquire by the end of this module
2. Topic Presentation – this part is the body of the modules. It includes
pictures, diagrams, and other illustrations that may help clarify the
information presented including exercises and hands-on activities that
the learners should engage in.
3. Guided Exercises / Learning Activities – this are set of learning activities
that help the learners hone and practice the knowledge or skills they
acquire in the lesson.
4. Assessment - This part evaluates the level of mastery in achieving the
learning outcomes, validates the concepts, and provides more
opportunities to deepen the learning.
5. Assignment - This is an optional part to reinforce or advance the
student’s learning. It is relevant to the past, current, and future lessons.
It includes clear instructions and Submission date of the assignment

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Learning Competency

After studying this lesson, the student shall have:

• Explored the different aspects of self and identity;

• Demonstrated critical, reflective thought in integrating the various aspects of
self and identity.
• Discuss the impact of the different forces and institutions on the development
of the self and;
• Examine oneself against the different dimensions of self as discussed in
class.

Topic Presentation

Unpacking the Self

The Material Self

The Aspects of Material/ Economic Self

Material self is a dimension of that self that relates to physical materials.

We are made aware of them by what we see in commercials on television, what
we hear over that radio and what we read in print and social media, like
newspapers and magazines, social platforms like Twitter, Facebook page,
YouTube, and Private Messages.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Material self refers to our body, as well as the tangible objects, places,
things that we describe as “My” or “Mine.” it has two sub classes: the body self,
referring to our body and all its parts and the extra-corporeal self, beyond the
body, which, according to Rosenberg (1979), is our extended self. It includes
all the people, places, things that we regard as OURS. It can also refer to our
possession. All components of objects we possess are our own instinctive
preferences coupled with the most important interest in life.

William James said that the material self basically refers to our body,
clothes, immediate family, and home. Of these four components, let us
consider first our body, the most essential part of Material self. Self and body
are intimately attached. As we discussed in Lesson 1, our body is of prime
importance to us. We value it the most. We keep it healthy and in good condition
because if our body is not well, our other selves will suffer. For example, if our
body is sick, our total well-being will be affected we cannot go to work and fail
to attend to our responsibilities, our attitude towards others may be affected
and we cannot appreciate the world around us. But if our body id healthy
relationship can be much better.

Some of us have special attachment, some closeness, to some of our

body parts. Like, we pay more attention to our eyes, nose, body shape, and
contours. In our study of the physical self, we saw how much money and effort
some people invest just to take care of certain body parts.

Noe lets us look at clothing, which, according to James, is the second

most essential part of the Material self. James’s idea was complemented by
Herman Lotze, in his book, Microcosmus Lotze commented that anytime we
bring an object into the surface of our body, we invest that object into the
consciousness of our personal existence taking in its contours to be our own
and making it a part of the self. This is true. When you wear a new dress that
fits you to a tee, you feel that you and your dress become one!

Clothes are very important to us. They protect our body from extreme
temperature. They enhance our physical appearance. This is the reason why we
ae careful in choosing the style, color and the quality of the material used. We
want to look at our best with whatever we use.

Our choice of clothing is one of the best ways to distinguish our social
class, as well as our culture, our profession or occupation and our sex
preference, in fact, the first impression of people about us is based on the
clothes we wear, the brand, the color and our accessories, like, our bags and
shoes and other things we consider our own. It is a reflection of our personality,
our character and even our attitude.

Equally important as our clothing is our choice of style and material of

the clothes we wear. A style that suits our person and the material of the fabric

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

that suggest good taste, may cause us certain sensations that can be affect our
attitudes and behaviors. We exude a pleasing personality, confident and
beautiful, because we are wearing the latest style in fashion, made out of quality
material, done by our favorite couturier, the fit of which perfectly flows with the
contour of our body. All these contribute to the feelings of assurance and self-
confidence.

The third essential part of Material self is our family, the source of our
life, the single, most important influence on a child’s life. At the first moment of
life, the child depends on the parents to protect and provide for his/her needs.
The parents are presents to serve as role model on how to act and experience
the world around him/her. A child grows up according to what he/she sees and
lives in the family. The kind of world he/she lives with his/her family could set
his/her sail towards life. His/her moral sense of value and personality are
shaped in the family. Based from our own experience, the world in which we
live shows us how truly our family influences us. Thus, as popularized by one
TV jingle, family is forever.

The family signifies love and hope; it gives the members a sense of
purpose and goal. As communicated within the family, every member strives to
live a life in accord with what the family aspires to achieve. With the family, we
share and celebrate our successes; it is, likewise, with the family that we seek
support and comfort if we fall short of what the members expect of us. Our
family is the replica of our self.

We value our dignity and integrity and respect our name because it
symbolizes us. We respect family principles, roles, and values. It is in our family
that we first learn and experiences respect for authority, as we look up to the
father as head, the mother as support, the children as followers or members.
In our family we learn the values of working together, respecting the rights of
members, cooperating with one another, and living in solidarity with the others.
These we bring with us to the wider community.

In the family, we live out family tradition, the ways of the family in the
past, lives out to the presents. For instance, we hear of family of doctors, of
politicians, engineers, or teachers. As the parents were, so are the children.
This is true in many families. This might even be true in your own family.

Setting aside family time is necessary to keep the bond and love for each
other alive. Members may spend time together through different activities, like
worshipping God together on Sundays and other occasions, spending weekends
together by the beach, travelling and vacationing together, or by simply
cleaning the house or the car, together. These allow members of the family to
play, laugh and eat together and other similarities activities. Being present for
and with one another enhances unity and closer relationship besides living out
the family values.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Maintaining family ties is as important as family time. The essence of

being family has to be sustained by connecting with family members and
relatives. Special occasions like Christmas Day, New Year, Easter Sunday may
be good reasons for family reunions, when members, young and old, come
together to renew relationship and meet new members of the family.

The fourth essential part of Material self is the home. Our home is our
source of life; it Is where our heart is. It is our sanctuary where we can relax,
rest and enjoy life with friends and family. It is in our home where we could be
our real selves. It is our safest refuge. It is a symbol of our security.

Some families put premium in the structure, style, size, and the over-all
make-up of their house because they reflect the economic and social status of
the family. While this is important, it is not always a guarantee that it is a home
based on the value of a happy home where everyone wants to experience
acceptance and whose rights are respected. Neil Young, in his song, Home,
Home, on the Range, expresses it eloquently: Oh, give me a home, where the
buffalos roam, where the deer and the antelope play; where seldom is heard a
discouraging word and the sky is not cloudy all day.

Our home can say a lot about us. It is a witness to out becoming who
and what we are. It is where we learned our first footsteps, uttered our first
words, learned how to make choices and decisions, whether to love or hate; It
is also where we first experienced success or failure.

Our home is an extension of our self. It is where we develop our sense

of what is right and wrong and form our personality and self-identity. It is in
our home where we can easily connect to our self.

On Material Possessions

We live in a fast-paced society where shopping malls abound and sales

are held the whole year round, offering all sorts of items at much discounted
prices. Add to this is online shopping where one could get anything he or she
wants under the shopping where one could get anything he or she wants under
the suns, without leaving the comfort of home. Different goods and services are
made known to consumers through advertisements on TV and radio
commercials, the social and print media, like magazines and newspaper,
Facebook, and others.

Sad to note, but people are just willing to submit themselves to these
allurements. And they become materialistic. Commercialism and consumerism
have successfully created in us the desire to acquire more, to update and
upgrade our gadgets and buy more, to keep up with the trends.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

We are what we buy and what we have. So, what should we consider if
we want to buy something or upgrade anything we already have? Our decision
will depend on some factors. For example, we need to confront ourselves with
this reality: Can we afford? If we can afford, is it necessary to buy it, upgrade
it, or we just simply want it?

To decide objectively we should clearly difference what we NEED from

what we WANT. Needs are those that are basic to our survival, like, foo, clothing
and shelter. We buy them regularly because they are necessary for our daily
subsistence. Wants, on the other hand, are those that do not warrant necessity.
Meaning, we can do without them.

In the process of acquiring material possessions, smart consumers

consider their capacity to buy and their economic self-sufficiency. Some people
would satisfy first their need in daily life; they curtail their wants knowing their
ability to consistently meet their needs, but there are others who choose more
luxurious materials, buy high-end brands because they are aware of their
economic identity and economic status. They are rich and sustainable. So, their
choices project class, elegance and affluency, reflecting their social status. But
whether a person is meeting his needs, or satisfying his wants, his materials
possessions and choices reflect his personality, aspiration, and self – identity.

Roland Barthes (1915-1980), a French Critical theorist, was the first to

observe the relationship that people have with objects. According to him, a sig
has two elements, the signifier, referring to its physical form and the signified,
referring to one’s mental concept about the object and its effect on him. So, we
can say that a person buys the object because he believes it is a reflection of
who and what his is.

Likewise, he introduced semiology, a study of objects as signs. According

to him, objects, as signs or things, could be decoded t convey a message beyond
the object itself and about the person using it. Objects are not just things; they
are also a reflection of the lives of communities and individuals. One buys the
product because other people in his community or organizations are buying it
to show he belongs. This points to the realization that the buying or purchasing
behavior of a person can also be influenced by what the community or the
organization values. It enhances and sustains community or organizational
relationship and behavior.

Our Attachment to our Possessions

Why are some people attachments to their possessions? Have you

noticed how a child is in rage when deprived of the things they own? Piaget
found out that it is part of human nature to develop a sense of ownership and
attachment to things one values. This is called endowment fact. For example,
we value the award or any reward, in recognition of something we have done.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

So, we would want to keep it. As a child, we keep the things that we received
from a significant other, as something special and memorable. We are also
attached t family heirloom because of its sense of history and connectedness
with someone dear to us in the past. Added to these, we keep memorabilia that
we received from significant people whom we value, admire, and idolize in our
life.

Conclusion

The foregoing discussion is in accord with what Russel Belk (1988)

posited: that we regard our possessions as part of ourselves. They reflect our
culture and beliefs, economic identity, and economic status. Through them, we
are viewed either as belonging to the rich or to the poor stratum of society. We
can also claim that our possessions are our personal choices and preferences
and that they convey to people our taste, our style. They define who we truly
are. We can safely state, to a certain extent, that our material and economic
self is an expression of our personality and a revelation of our social identity.

ADDITIONAL READINGS

For additional reference please refer to the following articles:

- https://www.slideshare.net/JehnMarieSimon1/understanding-the-
self-unpacking-the-self-the-material-self
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167811620
30029X
- https://www.slideshare.net/Assassinspyguy/material-self-by-
william-james

Guided Exercises / Learning Activities

Instruction will be announced by your teachers

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Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Assessment

Instruction will be announced by your teachers

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Assignment

Instruction will be announced by your teachers

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References

- Corpuz, B. B., Lucas, M. R. D., Andas, C. D., Dayagbil, F. T., &

Gacasan, E. M. P. (2020). Understanding the Self [Review

of Understanding the Self]. Lorimar Publishing Inc. (Original work

published 2020)

- Bagozzi, R. P., Ruvio, A. A., & Xie, C. (2020). The material self.

International Journal of Research in Marketing, 37(4), 661–677.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2020.03.002JehnMarieSimon1.

(2021, April 4).

- Understanding the Self |Unpacking the Self | The material self.

Slideshare.net.

https://www.slideshare.net/JehnMarieSimon1/understanding-the-

self-unpacking-the-self-the-material-selfOrlando Pistan, MAEd.

(2021, April 24).

- Material Self by William James. Slideshare.net.

https://www.slideshare.net/Assassinspyguy/material-self-by-

william-james

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