THE MATERIAL AND ECONOMIC SELF

Objectives
1. To define the material and economic self
2. To identify and discuss the components of the material self
3. To explain the main variables in material and economic self

We buy things we don’t need using money we don’t have to impress people we
don’t like (The Fight Club). Truly, you have heard the statement, “you are what
you eat or you are who your friends are.” Having a material self simply notches
up these statements into saying, “you are what you have”; “you are what the
brands you buy”; and you are what the things you cannot live without.

I. Defining the Material and Economic Self

The material and economic self refers to the tangible objects, people
or places that carry the designation of my or mine. It is categorized into two
types:

1. Bodily self - This consists of intimate/personal categories that

are clearly associated with our identities and to which we could easily
confer ownership.
⮚ Capitalism and consumerism (Marx and Goldthorpe)
⮚ Conspicuous consumption and the joyless economy
(Scitovsky)

2. The Extracorporeal Self – This is the extended self which

expresses our psychological ownership of particular things, objects,
places, and even people.
⮚ Material possessions as emotional investments (Scheibe,
1985 and Ulric Neisser, 2002)
⮚ Materialism as an expansion of one’s sense of self (Sartre ,
1943)
⮚ The mere ownership effect (Beggan, 1992):
⮚ When material possessions are imbued with value, we
accumulate and use them to elevate self-worth (Kahneman,
Knetch and Thaler, 1990):
⮚ Impression Management (Erving Goffman, 1994)
⮚ Materialism and symbolism (Roland Barthes, _______)
II. Components of Material Self
1. Self-Concept
The ways in which we look at ourselves affect how we
materially express that self.

For example, it is expected that a make-up enthusiast would invest

on tons of cosmetics and less on food while the cooking enthusiast would
spend more time in baking and cooking stores than in department stores.

2. Body Image
How we look at and value our bodies and how we look like are
also important determiners of the brands and things that we buy
and items that will make us happy.

For example, the body conscious would go to certain lengths like

build a home gym, eat exclusively organic foods, and buy dietary
supplements.

3. Self- Esteem
The level of value we give ourselves also has an effect in the
material things we buy. Needless to say, more confident, outgoing
people would sport certain items more beautifully while introverted,
socially aloof people who have been conditioned that they have ceiling
points in all aspects of life would not have the same confidence.

4. Role Performance
The roles we play and the demands of these roles also
determine our sense of materiality.

For example, the academician would invest in books, highlighters,

skills training, forum, symposia and seminars; people in film would flock
premiere nights and block screenings of the most talked-about films; and
athletes would spend more time in gyms and health and well-being
facilities than most people.

These components include important social categories such as gender,

ethnicity, socio-economic status (occupation), and specific roles in one’s social
relationships.

III. The Main Variables in Material and Economic Self

 1. Material possessions
Our sense of self or identity influences how we choose to
purchase our wants and how we make economic decisions that will
address our economic needs.

2. Dimensions
The following dimensions of material and economic self simply
present our guiding principles when we are investing in particular
items which in the long-haul, inevitably identifies us and the type of
people we are.

2.1. Needs versus Wants

When we buy, our budget is divided between two categories, those
items which fall under our needs and those under our wants. The
essential difference between the two is that, needs compel us to
apportion our money and list them as priorities because they
satisfy our basic needs or survival needs. On the other hand, our
wants are the things we save up for or impulsively buy because
they often represent our psychological investments or simply,
the things that make us feel intrinsically accomplished and
motivated or simply happy. This logic is akin to William James’
understanding of utility (need) versus significance (wants).

2.2. Experiential versus Material Purchases

These categories were put forward by the sociologist John
Goldthorpe. He said that consumerism can be divided between
experiential versus material purchases. Material purchases
would be things being bought impulsively without any
significant rationality or purely out of necessity. On the other
hand, experiential purchases may be a case of conspicuous
consumption and may be a point of discourse in social mobility since
access to things and experiences are no longer limited to those with
higher purchasing power and the elites.

Take for example the Disney World experience. Round trip

tickets and the cost of the entire stay in Hong Kong and other Disney
World locations may not be shelled out immediately by people in the
middle and the lower class. But a year of saving for it might. The
saving process or the concept of working hard for it add to the
experience and as such, build up psychological fulfillment for the
person.

2.3 High Materialists versus Low Materialists

 High materialism and low materialism are concepts
also introduced by Goldthorpe to understand consumerism and
consumer behaviors and trends. He said that high materialists
keep capitalism going because their frequent purchases keep the
flow of demand and supply. On the other hand, low materialists
are people living ascetic lives or are still in isolated communities
with low level of urbanization and contact with industries.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

Note to the Instructor:

There are two activities for you to consider in delivering the main points
of material and economic self. These activities are: bag raid or a simple
simulation game. The idea behind these activities is for the class to have a
sneak peak of what type of consumers their classmates are and from this also
understand what type of people they are or at least what they project to be.

A. Bag Raid

The Bag Raid is a common vlog content for YouTube vloggers and social
media influencers. The common step is to choose someone who have fascinated
them in terms of personality, wealth and fame, beauty regimen, and collections.
In here, the class must vote for the top five classmates who they think would
give an authentic and fascinating bag raid for the class.

Step 1: Open the nomination for the bag raid challenge.

Limit the nomination to eight people to vote for.

Step 2: The five students with the highest votes shall be

asked to come in front for you to raid their bags and find out the
items that are always there, every day, when they come to school.

Step 3: Ask the student whose bag was raided as to why

they have with them, in their bags, specific items that would not
be found in normal school bags.

Step 4: Ask the student spectators to brand the student

whose bag was raided in terms of one adjective only, based on the
items that were found in his/her bag.

Step 5: Process the activity using prompt questions such as:

 ⮚ Do material things really express who we truly are?
⮚ What do material things fulfill in our total well-being as
people?
⮚ Why do we have things that we cannot live without?

B. Simulation Game

Simulation games are go-to activities of teachers to present a concept in a

simpler, more practical manner. There are two scenarios to be followed in this
simulation game and they are as follows:

Step 1: The first scenario shall require them a scratch paper

where they will hypothetically list the first ten items that they will
buy if by accident, their ATM accounts were used for a one million
mafia deal by an assassin group. Give them ten minutes to list
them down. (By items we mean any material item so expect that
there will be happiness pills, love pills and other quantified
subjective constructs just to fit the idea of material items. If things
like these are asked, tell them it is valid and they can write them
down),
On this phase alone, you would already find
out how difficult it is for the students to choose between wants,
needs, items of utility and items of significance.

Step 2: After the ten minutes, flash the second scenario. The second
scenario will be: since the assassin group already tracked your
whereabouts and found out that you are on a plane trip to the
Bahamas for your grand island vacation, they orchestrated a way
to put the plane down. You have with you all the ten items you
listed beforehand. Magically, there is a special seat button that will
allow you to survive but stranded on the island for a month until
you are safe from the assassins. In exchange, you will only choose
two items from the ten to have with you in the island. Which
among the items will you choose and why?

Step 3: You may choose to have the students write down

their answers on a paper or you can cluster them again into groups
for a group discussion. Or, you can just process the activity
through a Q&A with random students who will recite. You may
use or modify the questions in Learning Activity A.
ASSESSMENT

Write on your learning journal, a reflection revolving around these

questions:
⮚ What are the five (5) things you cannot live without and
why?
⮚ Between the things you earned and the things you were
given, which is harder to give up? Explain your answer.

Rubric:

Learning Journal

Use of at least two discussed concepts in 15

arguments/reflections
Use of relevant examples 10
Overall clarity of points and connection to the 5
topic
Total 30
The Unpacking the Self: The Spiritual Self (the practice of Religion)

Objectives:

 Explore the spiritual side of self.

 Identify the different forces and institutions that impact the development of self
and identity considering the spiritual aspect of self

 
Examine one’s self against the spiritual self discussed in class.
 
Introduction

Spirituality and religion are very common that take part

in our lifestyle and shape the person’s
identity and self.

What is spiritual self?

One description of spirituality is the self's search for
"ultimate meaning"
 through an independent comprehension of the sacred. Spiritual identity appears when
the symbolic religious and spirituality of a culture is found by individuals in the
setting of their own life. There can be different types of spiritual self because it is
determined on one's life and experiences. Another definition of spiritual identity is "
a persistent sense of self that addresses ultimate questions about the nature,
purpose, and meaning of life,resulting in behaviors that are consonant with the
individual’s core values

." Another description of Mind, body, soul, and spirit is
a holism of one inner self being of one whole
. It all combines together as one whole instead of different parts. Individuals one
thoughts, one feeling, one breathing is all completed and occurs as one whole.
The Soul according to Indigenous Filipino
The ‘soul’ or spirit of a person is called:
 

 
Kaluluwa
 by the Tagalogs

 
Gimokud
 by the Bagobos

 
Makatu
 by the Bukidnons

 
Dungan
 
by the Ilonggos when the person is alive; “
kalag
” or “detached”,“free”, when he is dead.
 

 
Ikararuwa
 by the Ibanags

 
Kadkadduwa
 by the Ilokanos when the soul is in the physical body andkaruruwa when it
departsKaluluwa, ikararuwa or kararuwa and inikaduwa all come from the root word
duwa, two. That isbecause the soul has two existences
 –
 one physical, where it is connected to the human body and its life,and the other
spiritual, where it exists on its own. The Ilokano kadkadduwa further derives from
kadduwa meaning “companion.” The doubling of kad intensifies the nature of the
companionship so that it means “a constant companion” or an “inseparable partner,”
therefore an attached companion of the living person (Manuel 1989).The Ibanags of
the Cagayan Valley, according to Mariano Gatan, are aware of the distinction between
body (baggi) and soul (ikararuwa) but not in the Western way. In Western philosophy,
the soul is the principle of life in man. Body is the matter, soul is the form. As long as
body and soul are one unit,man is alive. Death is the separation of the soul from the
body. The body cannot stay alive without the soul. But the soul lives without the
body. Freed from the body, it ceases to experience thirst and hunger,cold and heat. As
spirit, the soul is the opposite of the body which is matter.For Filipino groups the soul
is not taken as the principle of life. The phenomenon the Ibanags call
mekararuanan (from the word me and kararua means “to be rid of the soul”) is a state
in which, because
of shock, the soul leaves the body. The body is alive but it is without sense, and like a
rudderless boat has no direction. For the Ibanags, the role of the soul is to give
direction and wholeness to the man. But the body, as the Ibanags conceive it can stay
alive independently of the soul, while the soul itself, even when separate from the
body, experiences material wants and needs (Gatan 1981).

 
 The dungan or soul of the Ilonggos, according to Alicia Magos (1986), is not
normally seen by the human eye. Sometimes, however, it comes out of the body and
takes on a visible form such as that of an insect (a housefly or a moth) or a small
animal like a lizard. That is why lolas are always telling their
children “to eat even just a little before going to bed.” For if the child’s dungan “gets
hungry at night, it might go to the pot of rice in the kitchen and be mistaken for an
insect.” And be killed.
 The dungan may leave the body voluntarily as when the person us asleep, according
to the Bisayans. When a person can see himself in his dreams it means that his “other
self” has left the physical body. Among the ancient Filipinos it was deeply impressed
that a person who was asleep should not be awakened abruptly. Thus a slumbering
person is first called softly and gradually louder and louder to give the soul a chance
to return to the body.

The dungan’s travel outside the body should be free from accidents. It could get
trapped in a jaror be poured out with liquid from a vessel. Only when the soul has
safely returned home would the ownerbe able to wake up. Whatever happens to the
dungan happens to the physical body as well. It is alsobelieved that another cause for
the voluntary withdrawal of the soul is when the body is badly maltreated(Magos
1986). According to E. Arsenio Manuel the folk believe that a soul can leave the body 
involuntarily too(1989). Among the people of Alaminos, Laguna, when a child gets
frightened it is believed that the kaluluwa departs from the body. The babysitter or the
mother shows her concern by calling the child’s soul back, saying “Uli, uli, kalagyo,
Maria, magbalik ka sa bahay.” (Come bac, come back, namesake/soul of Maria,
return to your home/body”) The child becomes normal again the moment the
kaluluwa rejoins the body.
 Another involuntary departure of the soul happens when it is lured or captured by bad 
spirits orengkantu. Among the Bisayans it may be imprisoned, they say, in a spirit
cave guarded by old TanMulong whose spirit dog has one mammary gland and two
genitals. If the imprisonment is temporary theperson gets listless or sick, in which
case the dungan has to be lured out by a skillful shaman. If it is toodeep in the cave
(such as in the third or fourth compartment), the person dies, says Magos. Sickness
isthe temporary loss of the soul. Its permanent loss is death.The dungan is ethereal
 –
 something light and airy since it travels with the air or the wind. Prior toits entry and
habitation of a human body, the dungan is believed to inhabit the region above the
surface of the earth together with other dungan. It awaits the time when it can enter a
body. The dungan then takes a special interest in the “unborn” being, usually a
relative, which it has chosen to inhabit.
 
The Bukidnons believe that the soul or makatu already exists before a child’s birth but
that is separate from its body. In a pregnancy ritual a miniature cradle is hung over the
place where the pregnant mother sleeps. This is where the soul of the unborn baby is
supposed to sleep before it joins the infant at birth (Unabia 1986).The Bisayans
believe the soul or dungan is not located in any specific part of the body. It is also
believed to grow proportionately with the person’s body. It is normally weak at the
baby’s birth, that is why attractive babies are said to be susceptible to usug, that is the
unintentional transfer of disturbing vapors of a strong body to a weak one by holding,
talking or looking at the weaker one (Magos 1986).For this reason the dungan needs
protection and nurture. Soul-nature, the folk believe, means the performance of age-
old spirit rituals many of which are still followed in the provinces today. Examples of
these are birth, illness and death rituals consisting of trances, prayers and animal
sacrifices. An adult person with a healthy dungan properly lodged in his physical
body should have bodily health and well-being, intelligence and good sense (Magos
1986).
The Bisayan dungan has a secondary meaning of “willpower.” A strong dungan is the
intellectual and psychological capacity to dominate or persuade others to one’s way of
thinking. A person with a lot of will power is said to “have a strong dungan.”
Constant companionship (sometimes under the same roof) of two people may lead to
a spiritual competition between the two dungan and the defeat (and sickness) of the
one with the weaker dungan (Magos 1986). 
At death the dungan leaves the body via the nose, eyes, ears and other orifices and eve
ntuallygoes with the air or the wind towards the upper regions. There it waits until it
can find another body toenter. The Bagobos believe that when the throbbing of the
skull cap ceases, the soul exits through whatused to be the fontanel. The Negritos
believe that the soul can exit through any parts including the bigtoe.

Haviland’s Anthropology: Spirituality, Religion, and the Supernatural

The collective body of ideas that members of a culture generally share concerning the
ultimates hape and substance of their reality is called worldview.

Religion
is an organized system of ideas about the spiritual sphere or the supernatural,along
with associated ceremonial practices by which people try to interpret and/or influence
aspects of the universe otherwise beyond their control.

 Spirituality
concern with the sacred, as distinguished from material matters. In contrast to
religion, spirituality is often individual rather than collective and does not require a
distinctive format or traditional organization.

 Polytheism
- a belief in several gods and/ or goddesses (as contrasted with monotheism- belief in
one god or goddess).

Pantheon Animism
- a belief that nature is animated (enlivened or energized) by distinct personalized
spirit beings separable from bodies.

Animatism
- a belief that nature is enlivened or energized by an impersonal spiritual power or
supernatural potency.

Rituals, Ceremonies, and MagicPriest or priestess

 is a full-time religiou sspecialist formally recognized for his or her role in
guiding the religious practices of others and for contacting and influencing
supernatural powers.

 Shaman
is a person who enters an altered state of consciousness- at will- to contact and utilize
an ordinarily hidden reality in order to acquire knowledge, power, and to help others.

Taboo
is a prohibition, which, if not observed, leads to a penalty inflicted by magic, spiritual
force, or religion.
RitualsRite of passage
Ritual that marks an important stage in an individual's life cycle, such as rebirth,
marriage, and death.
Separation
 is in a rite of passage, the ritual removal of the individual fromso ciety.
Transition
 is in a rite of passage, isolation of the individual following separation and prior to
incorporation into society.
Incorporation
 is in a rite of passage, reincorporation of the individual into society in his or her new
status
Rite of intensification
Ritual that takes place during a crisis in the life of the group and serves to bind
individuals together
Two Types of MagicImitative magic
 - magic based on the principle that like produces like; sometimes called sympathetic
magic.
Contagious magic
- magic based on the principle that things or persons once in contact can influence
each other after the contact is broken.
Ceremonies
 
Divination
 - a magical procedure or spiritual ritual designed to find out what is not knowable by
ordinary means, such as foretelling the future by interpreting omens
Revitalization movement
- a movement for radical cultural reform in response to widespread social disruption
and collective feelings of great stress and despair
Cargo cult
- a spiritual movement (especially noted in Melanesia)in reaction to disruptive contact 
with Western capitalism,promising resurrection of deceased relatives, destruction or e
nslavement ofwhite foreigners, and the magical arrival of utopian riches