PHYSICAL SELF

 The physical self- is an important component in the study of the person’s self and
identity. According to
William James, “the self is the sum total of all that man can call his, body, family and
reputation, also his
clothes and his house…”
Such body, family, clothes and etc. are also described by Russell Belk as part of
our extended self.
 Well-dressed, elegant, good-looking, attractive are the words that we usually associate
with beauty. These are the determining factors that shape beauty. In fact, attractive
children and adults are treated favorably by others in the society.
 “Standards of beauty and appearance”- are the product of a diverse mix of cultural and
historical
influences. Norms of beauty and appearance are tied to ideals of appearance and hard work.
Today, the
norm or standard of beauty includes wavy blond hair, light skin and almond or ‘chinita’ eyes and
a tall and slim form.
 Physical appearance is dealt with great importance. Some people have the good fortune
to possess features that adhere to standardized ideals of beauty. But in several cases, a lot
of individuals are so
dissatisfied with his/her physical attributes that he/she seeks to alter them through surgical
means.
“Body image” and “identity” – it refers to the person’s perception of the level of attractiveness
of his/her body or it can be somebody’s own impression of how his or her body looks. It may
also be our sense of how other people view our bodies.
Body image can be seen as both internal(personal) and external (social). Body image lies at the
heart of
adolescence and it is the mental representation of one’s own body, which is the important aspect
of
identity.
Beauty has to types: Inner beauty- refers to the inner qualities of the person
External beauty- refers to the physical characteristics of the person.
-focuses on the physical features of the body such as shape, color or
form that pleases the aesthetic senses- sight
 Aesthetic Capital- this is a new term which refers as privileges and wealth that people receive
from
aesthetic traits, such as their face, hair, body, clothes, grooming habits and other markers of
beauty.
Such attraction to “body image” and “aesthetic capital” is increasingly becoming today’s
preoccupation
particularly the young people because it becomes the basis upon which one’s identity and self-
esteem are
built.
What’s the role of culture in understanding body image and self-esteem?
 Culture is defined as shared patterns of thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and habits in both
material and symbolic realms.
 Culture includes language, technology, economic, political, educational system,
religious and aesthetic patterns, social structures and so on.
 Through our culture, society shapes us in many ways. How we perceive our bodies
visually, how we feel about our physical appearance, how we think and talk to ourselves
about our bodies and our sense of how other people view our bodies.
 Sometimes we try to fit in the cultural standards of beauty as well as the religious and
social obligations. People modify and adorn their bodies as part of the complex process
of creating and recreating their personal and social identities.

Pop Culture or commonly called as popular culture- it is a culture widely accepted and
patronized by the public as in pop music which is very appealing to the youth.
Self-definitions- refers to the way a person sees himself. For teens, that image is influenced to a
large extent by personal choices, which are in effect influenced by the images and associations
teens pick up from the pop culture on a daily basis. Pop culture becomes the basis of the teens
definition of the self.
self-definition can be intrinsically tied into self-esteem and confidence. Two components of a
healthy disposition throughout maturation and into adulthood.
hyper-mediated society, we are constantly surrounded with media images, advertisements
representing appropriate bodies or skin and that we internalize these ideals and attempt to
conform to them or resist them.
Media creates ideals, in the form of celebrities and models for men and women to admire.
These give us pressure to conform to the expectations.
Self-esteem – referred to as self-worth or self-respect and an important part of success.
Too little self- esteem -can leave people feeling defeated or depressed. Can lead the person to
make bad choices, fall into destructive relationships or fail to live up to their full potential.
Too much self-esteem as exhibited in narcissistic personality disorder, can certainly be irritating
to others and can even damage personal relationships (Kendra Cherry, 2013).
Self-esteem is used to describe a person’s overall sense of self-worth or personal value. It is how
much you appreciate and like yourself. It involves variety of beliefs about yourself such as the
appraisal of your own appearance, beliefs, emotions and behaviors.
 According to Dr. Ben Carson, “If beauty and fame bring ideal relationships, then
celebrities should have the best marriages. But for these who live simply, walk humbly
and love genuinely, all good will come back to you! That’s life. Enjoy yours!”
 SEXUAL SELF
Puberty marks the start of sexual development in an individual. Physical changes start and as an
individual continues to adolescence, these changes are highlighted as sex hormones, undergoing
physical changes and producing feelings that are sexual in nature.

What is your sexual self?

This is the part of yourself where you learn and understand your sexual development and how
people’s sexual activity, beliefs, misconceptions and unlimited access from the internet on sex
can influence your own sexual behavior and responses. Your sexual self speaks of your sexual
health, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and values around sexuality.

Sexual development is a lifelong process that starts at the moment of conception. People are all
a little different from each other, so it make sense that they don’t develop in the same way.
Sexual dev’t can be predicted as part of the human dev’t but not everyone is expected to have the
same pattern of changes or the same pacing.

Freud’s Psychosexual stages of development and the concept of Erogenous zone.

Freud believed that every child goes through a sequence of development stages and that the
child experiences during these stages determine adult personality characteristics.
Each stage has an erogenous zone association with stimulation and pleasure. Freud uses the term
fixation to describe what occurs when a person does not progress normally from the stage but
remains overly involved with a particular stage.
Human Reproductive System. One of the many magical things about human reproduction is
that only one sperm can ever penetrate an egg.
Sex is not just for reproduction, not in humans. That may be its primary biological mandate, but
it serves other purposes as well. It helps strengthen relationships- the bond, encourages a man to
stick around to care for his child and affects not only health but also well-being.
Sexual Response Cycle. According to William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the cycle
consists of four phases:
1. Excitement (desire/arousal)
2. Plateau
3. Orgasm
4. Resolution

Human Sexuality- it is an important part of who a person is and what she/he will become. It
includes the feelings, thoughts and behaviors associated with being male or female, being
Hypothalamus plays a big role in this, stimulating the production of the sex hormones
testosterone and estrogen from the testes and ovaries.

testosterone increases libido in just about everyone.

Estrogen some women report being more sexually motivated around the time they ovulate,
when estrogen levels are highest.
Gender Identity- refers to one’s sense of being male or female. Sexual orientation- is a
person’s emotional and erotic attraction toward another individual.

What is LGBTQ+?
- LGBTQ+ is an umbrella term for a wide spectrum of gender identities, sexual
orientations and romantic orientations.
- L= stands for lesbian. Females who exclusively attracted to women.
- G= stands for gay. Males who exclusively attracted to any other males.
- B= stands for bisexual or someone who is sexually/romantically attracted to both
men and women.
- T= stands for transgender is a term for people who do not identify with the
gender assigned to them at birth. Trans woman is an identity label adapted by
male to female trans people to signify that they identify themselves as women.
A trans man is an identity label adapted by female to male trans people to
signify that they identify themselves as men.
-
- Q= stands for queer. This is referring to those who are questioning their
identities and unsure about using more specific terms or those who simply do
not wish to label themselves and prefer to use a broader umbrella term.
-
- + = the plus is there to signify that many identities are not explicitly represented
by the letters. This includes intersex or people who are born with a mix of male
and female biological traits that can make it hard for doctors to assign them a
male or female sex. Asexual or a person who is not interested in or does not
desire sexual activity.
 Sexual health Issues. Teens need to know on different sexual issues like how STD
infections occur when engage in multiple sexual activities so they can make
informed decisions about sexual expression and protect their health.
 Sexual intercourse- is one of the most common behaviors among human. It is a
behavior that mayproduce sexual pleasure that often culminates in orgasm in females
and in males. This may result in pregnancy and/ or STDs.
 Premarital sex- it is a sexual activity practiced by people who are unmarried. It can
be any sexual relations a person has prior to marriage.
 Teenage pregnancy- this is pregnancy in human females under the age of 20 at the
time that the pregnancy ends. Pregnant teenagers face many of the same obstetrics
issues as other women. For teenage mothers aged 15-19, risks are associated more
with socio-economic factors than with the biological effects of age.

FEAMALE sex is considered the "fundamental" sex Because if a particular agent is absent,
all fertilized eggs will develop into females.
Erogenous Zones- This term is popularized in the 1960s and 1970s to describe areas of the body
that are highly sensitive to stimuli and often (but not always) sexually exciting.
 These are places where a person is more sensitive to both pain and pleasure.
 In this context, "highly sensitive" means these areas of the body have a high number of
sensory receptors or nerve endings that react to stimuli.
SKIN
The skin is the largest organ of the body, made up of water, nutrients, lipids, and mineral
deposits.The skin is our body's most sensitive organ. The skin acts as a sense organ because the
epidermis, dermis, and the hypodermis contain specialized sensory nerve structures that detect
touch, surface temperature, and pain. Much of the primary erotic stimulus comes from the skin.

TWO TYPE OF EROGENOUS

NON SPECIFIC- t is similar to any other portion of the usual-haired skin. The nerves
supplyingit are composed of the usual density of dermal-nerve networks and hair-follicle
networks.
- It is similar to any other portion of the usual-haired skin. The nerves supplying it are
composed of the usual density of dermal-nerve networks and hair-follicle networks.

SPECIFIC- It is found in the mucocutaneous regions of the body or those regions made both
of mucous membrane and of cutaneous skin.

 prepuce is a piece of skin that covers the round tip of the penis. It is also a similar fold of
skin covering the tip of the clitoris (for women). Nontechnical name: Foreskin

The penis is a male erectile organ of copulation by which urine and semen are discharge
from the body.

external genitalia- are the accessory structures of the female reproductive system that are
external to the vagina.
MONS PUBIS- This mound of tissue is prominent in females and is usually covered in pubic
hair.
CLITORIS A female sexual organ that is small, sensitive, and located in front of the opening
of the vagina.
The labia majora are fleshy lips and the vagina. These are larger outer folds of the vulva.has
to surface; the outer convex surface and inner surface
LABIA MINORA also known as the inner labia inner lips, vaginal lips or nymphae are two
flaps of skin on other side of the human vagina opening in the vulva situated between the
labia majora.
VAGINAL INTROITUS-The opening that leads to the vaginal canal
HYMEN a membrane that surrounds or partially covers the external vaginal opening
PERIANAL SKIN -the area of the body surrounding the anus, and in particular, the skin.
LIPS are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of
sound and speech.
NIPPLES- The raised region of tissue on the surface of the breast. A sensation from the
nipples travels to the same part of the brain as sensations from the vagina, clitoris, and cervix.
SEX- is the process of combining male and female genes to form an offspring.
Brain – the largest sex organ controlling the biological urges, mental process as well as the
emotional and physical responses to sex.
- Responsible for translating the nerve impulses sensed by the skin into pleasurable
sensations.

Limbic system- feelings and emotions

Oxytocin- love hormone
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)- responsible for the ovulation for females
Luteinizing hormone (LH)- regulating the testes for men and ovaries for women.
Testosterone for women.
Vasopressin- A hormone that helps blood vessels constrict and helps the kidneys control the
amount of water and salt in the body. 

THREE STAGES OF FALLING INLOVE

1. LUST-This stage is marked by physical attraction. 
2. ATTRACTION-you begin to crave for your partner's presence.
3. ATTACHMENT-This stage involves the desire to have lasting commitment with
your significant other.

Testosterone- is a hormone produced primarily in the testicles. 

Estrogen- regulates the growth, development, and physiology of the human reproductive
system. 
Sexual desire is typically viewed as an interest in sexual objects or activities.
Sex Drive -represents a basic, biologically mediated motivation to seek sexual activity or
sexual gratification.
Amyglada- is the integrative center for emotions, emotional behavior, and motivation.
Nucleus accumbens- plays a role in motivation and cognitive processing of aversion.
 MATERIAL SELF
William James, material self is referring to our body, family, reputation, clothes , house or our
treasures in life.
a. Curtis (2017) manifested that cash can have serious bearing on one’s belief regarding
the way a person views himself/herself.
b.
c. Social and business value- the person recognizes a task’s social value, which means
he/she sees it as a worthy investments of time and a part of his/her social duty and
he/she is usually happy to help out.
d. Self-sufficiency and service- those who are conscious of money strive to be more
self-sufficient than those for whom money is not a priority individuals are more self-
sufficient than their peers, particularly when money is made the focus.
e. Self-view- this means that the amount one earns could have an effect on how he/she
views both himself/herself and others. The wealthiest people are those with the
deepest sense of class essentialism- this is an idea that differences between classes
are based upon identity and genetics rather than circumstance
f. Ethics- those who perceive themselves to be in higher class were the most likely to
engage in unethical behavior, particularly when a symbol of wealth was introduced
such as cutting off a pedestrian when in a luxury car, for example, Piff, (2012) in his
study labelled the behavior
“self-interest maximization”- an idea that suggests those who have the most money
or occupy higher classes are more likely to take a “what’s in it for me?”
attitude.They actively work toward the most benefit for themselves.

g. Addiction- many addictions begin because a person gets a positive response from a
certain type of behavior.
 The Roles of Consumer Culture on our Sense of Self and Identity
1. Possessions and the extended self- people take regard of their possessions as part
of themselves.
2. Collections ( “I shop, therefore I am”) Belk (1982) notes, humans nowadays are
more often assemble collections of non-necessities for distinction and self-
definition.
- Collections of this sort may be initiated by gifts or other unintended
acquisitions, but the cultivation of a collection is a purposeful self-
defining act.
3. Pets as Extended self- as we observed that like people, pets are regarded as
family members.
 Body parts- body parts are among the most central parts o the extended self. In
psychoanalytic terms, such as self-extension is called cathexis. Cathexis involves the
charging of an object, activity or idea with emotional energy by the individual.
 Luxury and materialism are by-products of the material self. It is the tendency of some
people to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than
spiritual values. They become greedy to wealth and engross so much to accumulating
money or treasures in the world.
SPIRITUAL SELF
 The Concept of Spirituality- the spiritual self is who we are at our core. It is more
permanent than the other two selves, material self and social self. The spiritual self is our
subjective and most intimate self.

 The Spirit and the Soul- the spirit in the Hebrew language is ruach or pneuma in Greek
which means breath (esp. the breath of life)
- Spirit is described as the disposition of an individual, a person’s habitual attitudes,
as man’s supernatural power which comes from God.
- Spirit is the “life-giving part of man”
- Soul on the other hand, is in Hebrew, nephesh or in Greek, psyche, meaning
“throat or neck”, which means ‘human life’, the animating principle of human
nature.
- In modern psychology, it is described as the ‘will, mind, the seat of emotion,
conscience’
- Both spirit and soul mean life. But Soul(nephesh-psyche) stands for natural man
- While Spirit( ruach-pneuma) is the ethical factor which adds the new dimension
of relationship with God.
- For Filipinos, the term spirit is a loan word, “espirito” or “espiritu”, which in
Visayan term “ginhawa”, in Tagalog, “hininga” and in Ilocano- “Anges”
- The soul according to indigenous Filipino- means “kaluluwa”, kararwa,
kadkadduwa, all come from the root word duwa- means two, because the soul has
two existences- one physical is connected to the human body and its life and the
other spiritual, where it exists on its own. The Ilocano “kadkadduwa” is derived
from kadduwa, means “companion.” The doubling of “kad”intensifies the nature
of companionship so that itmeans “constant companion” or an “inseparable
partner” , an attached companion of the living person.
- The Tagalog call the soul- kaluluwa; the Bagobos- gimukod; the Bukidnons-
makatu; the Ilocanos- kadkadduwa or kararwa (inside physical body); the Illonggos-
Dungan(if person is alive) and kalag(if person is dead) and the Visayas- Dungan
(willpower).
- For the Cebuanos, the soul is referred to askaluhaand the Mindoro folks- karadwa
or kalag.For the Kankanays of Cordillera- ab-abiik- is the term used for the spiritual
self which is also applicable to trees, stones, rivers, etc. which are also believed to
have ab-abiik.
- The Value of Loob and Prayer- prayer is said to “the first expression of man’s
interior truth.” The interior truth refers to the core of one’s personhood, hisloob,
which is closely related to man’s spirit. It is the ultimate organizing center of human
reality. Those whose “loob” is pure, serene and controlled have “special powers”
-
- Prayer is the Christian’s acknowledgment and awareness of the true nature of the
loob and the richness or weakness of this loob as exposed by the light of faith.
- Prayer is an activelistening to what God is revealing through one’s loob. It is our
conscious personal communion with God, our Father, in Christ Jesus. Prayer is
always a free gift of God which leads us back to Him- pagbabalik-loob (conversion)
when astray, restoring the original goodness of one’s kalooban.
 Three Ways of Discovering Meaning in Life – coined by Viktor Emil Frankl, he is a
medical doctor, psychiatrist who developed logotherapy- a form of psychotherapy based
on helping clients find a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.

1. Experiential Values- involves experiencing something or someone we value. The

most important example of experiential values is the love we feel towards another-
family, relatives, friends and workmates.
2. Creative Values- this is the traditional existential idea of providing oneself with
meaning by becoming involved in one’s projects, or in the project of one’s own life.
It includes the creativity and passion involved in art, music, writing, invention and
work.
3. Attitudinal Values- this includes practicing virtues such as compassion, bravery, a
good sense of humor and the like. Frankl famous example is achieving meaning by
way of suffering. The ultimate goal is transcendence, in the spiritual realm. It is a
reference to God, a reference to religion.
 The Practice of Religion- it is the people’s way of connecting themselves to God as they
search meaning in life. Religion is understood as “beliefs and behaviors related to
supernatural beings and powers.”
- Religion of relating with the supernatural or the Divine. Religion has significant
effect on happiness and an overall sense of personal well-being.
- Regular religious attendance led to much less psychological distress. Religion
provides emotional support, provides answers to ultimate questions in life. How do
people practice religion? There are many ways through which religion is practiced:

a. Rituals- are “patterned forms of behavior that have something to do with

the supernatural realm”.
b. Magic- commonly referred to as “tricks and “illusions” that make
impossible things seem to happen usually performed as entertainment.
Magic is describe as a special talent or skill;
c.
d. Witchcraft – is commonly understood as “kulam” refers to the idea that
certain people have an inborn power to harness spirits or energies for
specific purposes

POLITICAL SELF
 Strengths of the Filipino Character:
a. Pakikipagkapwa-tao like openness, helpfulness and generosity, bayanihan or mutual
assistance and hospitality.
b. Strong family orientation gives the Filipino the sense of belonging and security.
c. Filipinos are also cheerful and fun-loving like celebrating fiestas and social
gatherings which demonstrate the joy and humor.
d. Filipinos are flexible and easily adapt/adjust to any difficult situations. To
overcome life’s challenges and work hard to thrive in various parts of the world.
e. The value of hard work and industry like the willingness to take risks and work in
other countries for the love of family and desire to provide the comforts of life.
f. Value of faith and religiosity, this can be related to our bahalana mindset- serve as a
“kickstarter “or “pampalakasloob” to move him/her into action (Gripaldo, 2005).
 The ability to survive depicts our survival instinct.

 Weaknesses of the Filipino Character:

a. Extreme personalism-this leads to the prevalence of graft and corruption in the
country
b. Extreme family-centeredness- family is valued above anything and everyone else.
This is manifested in our political system where political dynasties .
c. Lack of discipline- the “ningas cogon” attitude of Filipinos, project an image with
full of enthusiasm and interest at the start of the journey but, it will not sustain
because it will die down.
d. Passivity and lack of initiatives- rely all solutions of the problems to the leaders
ability/capacity to find ways while members do not feel the need to initiate or
contribute to the solution.
e. Colonial mentality- this is connected to the general feelings of inferiority where we
think that foreigners are superior and more fortunate than us.
f. Kanya-kanya syndrome- the crab-mentality, where we tend to pull others down to
climb up.
g. Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection- this relate to Filipinos are
“madalingmakalimot”, we forget the mistakes we have made thus, we make the same
mistakes again. One reason why traditional politicians or “trapos” are always
reelected into office.

 Digital Self- is oriented inward toward the world of thoughts and feelings because others
cannot see the online user’s overt attributes. Online users will only come to know the
person primarily through what that person tells them. People able to present themselves
on line in the manner that they want to. This is called self-presentation.
 Impression management- it is the attempt to control or influence any other people’s
perceptions. This may be: Instrumental- this motive is to basically gain rewards and
increase one’s self-esteem.
 Expressive- this is about attempting to be in control of one’s personal behavior and
identity. It is a response to moral norms, expectations or restrictions seeking to show
others that he/she as a person, is different.
 Impression-management strategies:
 a. Self-Promotion- is a proactive process in which a person actively says things or takes
action to show his/her competence to an audience.
b. Ingratiation- the process by which someone tries to win the approval or acceptance
of another.
c. Exemplification- involves a strategic self-sacrifice so that observers may recognize
the dedication.
d. Intimidation- a strategy that involves showing off authority, power or the potential to
punish in order to be seen by observers as someone who could be or is dangerous.
e. Supplication- an approach where individual exploits his/her weaknesses or
shortcomings to receive help or benefits.
 Private Vs. Public self
- Private self- refers to mental events in a person that are inherently unobservable by others.
- Public self-are behaviors that are open to the observations of other people.

 Personal (individual) identity- this is the concept you develop about yourself that
evolves over the course of your life. This is the aspects of your life that you have no
control over, such as where you grew up or the color of your skin. It also includes, how
you spend your time and what you believe in.
 Characteristics of personal identity:-the emphasis is on the individual
-it is created through differences in personal
characteristics when
comparing the self with others
 Social identity- it is a person’s sense of who he/she is based on group membership(s).
they asserted that the groups (s.g., social class, family, basketball team and so on., to
which people belonged to were an important source of pride and self-esteem.

 Characteristics of social identity: - the emphasis is on what the person has in common
with the members
of his/her group.
INTERNET - plays an essential role in shaping our conception of the world, our opinions and
our values.

 Stereotype- is a fixed, overgeneralized belief about a particular group or class of people.

The use of
stereotypes is a manner in which people simplify the social world.