LESSON 6: THE MATERIAL SELF

I. Intended Learning Outcomes

1. explain the association of the extended self and possessions;

2. identify the role of consumer-culture to self and; and
3. appraise one’s self based on the description of the material self

II. Inculcating Concepts

Introduction

We are living in a world of sale and shopping spree. We are given a wide array of
products to purchase. Product advertisements are suggestive of making us feel better or look
good. Part of us wants to have that product. What makes us want to have those products are
connected with who we are. What we want to have and already possess is related to our self.

Belk (1988) stated that “we regard possessions as parts of our selves. We are what we
have and what we possess.” There is a direct link between self-identity with what we have and
possess. Our wanting to have and possess has a connection with another aspect of the self, the
material self.

Let us try to examine ourselves further in the lens of the material self.

THE MATERIAL SELF

According to William James, the material self is about our bodies, clothes, immediate
family, and home. Other parts of the material self might also include possessions, cars, clothes,
home, and body.

ASSOCIATION OF THE SELF AND EXTENDED POSSESSIONS

Body

Clothes

Immediate
Family

Home
BODY

The inner most part of our material self is our body. Intentionally, we are investing in our
body. We strive hard to make sure that this body functions well and good. Any ailment or
disorder directly affects us. We strive to provide for our body and make sure that it functions
well. Certain people even have insurance for their body parts. 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 (Makan, 2016).

CLOTHES

“Philosophy of the Dress” by Herman Lotze, explains that clothing is an important part of
the self. The clothes become extensions of who we are that is why we strive to dress well.
Clothing is considered as a form of self-expression and the clothes we wear reflect who we are
as a person. Lotze, in his book, Microcosums, 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 in its contours to be our own and making it part of the self” (Watson, 2004).

IMMEDIATE FAMILY

The third hierarchy is our immediate family. Our parents and siblings hold another great
important part of our self. What they do or become affects 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 a disadvantageous 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 out self.

HOME

Home is where the 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”. This saying stems from the idea that the rooms
inside our house are witnesses to the experiences and memories we have experienced. The
home, thus, is an extension of the self, because in it, we can directly connect our self.

POSSESSIONS

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
tended 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.” Possession, then, become a part or an extension of the self.
SPECIAL CASES OF EXTENDED SELVES

COLLECTIONS

In the past, people collect out of necessity i.e. food, water, clothing, and other resources,
however, today, people no longer collect out of necessity, but out of luxury. “I shop, therefore I
am” somehow presents the idea that the things you buy reflects your personality and you as a
person. People get a sense of security when they have things that make them comfortable.
People collect things that give them comfort. Collecting has become a significant activity in our
consumer society as it has become more widely affordable through the discretionary time and
money available to the general population rather than just to the wealthy elite (Mason, 1981).

PETS

Some people treat pets as members of the family i.e. clothe pets, go to regular check-ups,
sleep with them, spend to groom them, photograph them, and even mourn their death. Pets are
seen as surrogate parents for children and surrogate children for adults. Pets are also
therapeutic for children, patients, and adults. “Bring your pet to work day” is an activity that can
be done by employees in order to relieve theirDogs and cats in universities that serve as stress
relievers

BODY PARTS

Body parts are among the most central parts of the extended self. In psychoanalytic
terms, such self-extension is called cathexis. Cathexis involves the charging of an object,
activity, or idea with emotional energy by the individual. The concept most commonly has been
applied to body parts and it is known, for instance, that women generally tend to cathect body
parts to a greater degree than men and that such cathexis reflects self-acceptance. When a
body part is more highly cathected, there is greater use of grooming products to care for this
body part.

APPRAISING ONE’S SELF BASED ON THE DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL SELF

MATERIALISM

Materialism refers to the theory or belief that nothing exists except matter, its
movements and its modifications; the theory or belief that consciousness and will are wholly due
to material agency; a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more
important than spiritual values.
REFERENCES:

Alata, E., Caslib, B., Serafica, J. & Pawilen, R,A. (2018). Understanding the Self (1st
edition). Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.

Makan, Sunil. 2016. ELLE. 13 Celebrities With Insured Body Parts That Are Worth More Than
Your House. Accessed October 10, 2017. http://www.elleuk.com/life-and-
culture/articles/a30167/mariah-carey-jennifer-lopez-doly-parton-celebrities-insured-body-
parts/.

Mason, Roger (1981). Conspicuous Consumption: A Study of Exceptional Consumer Behavior,

Westmead, England: Gower.

Watson, Cecelia. 2004. The Sartorial Self: William James’s Philosophy of Dress. Accessed
October 10, 2017.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8333321_The_Satorial_Self_William_James’s_
Philosophy_of_Dress.

William, James. The Principles of Psychology. New York: Dover Publications. Accessed
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