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Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University

OPEN UNIVERSIW SYSTEM


La Union philippines

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF


(GECC 108)

L E
u J
F

"Tfuyursuit to Know Onzsef is tfie K.ey to


Untrerstanfing the Setr C.D.".ts.

CTAUDIA DENISE PALABAY. BARBADILLO, R.G.C., R.PM.


Module Writer
2

COURSE OUTLINE

ln

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF


(GECC 108)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Thisisa3.unitcourseundertheNewGeneralEducationCurricutum
(cMo 20, s. 2013) that deats sotety with the nature of identity or individuality.
ih" f..iorc and for."s that afiect the devetopment ,.who and maintenance of
p"rroniLiO"ntity are tikewise studied. The question on am l?" is usuatty
lsked more often and posted chattenge in adotescence-betieved traditionatty
great possibitities'
io Ue u tire of vutnerabitity, unhap[iness, unrealism and young' Thus,
ine isrue, of setf and identity are among the most critical for the to
i6" air".tir" to Know Oneietf has inipired counttess and varied ways
compty.

This course is intended to facititate the exptoration


of the issues and-
concerns regarding sett uJlaentity to arrive
at a better understanding of
,""finit of the
one,s setf. lt strives to loat by stressing the integration
in the ctassroom
p"""*f *itn academic-coniextuaiizing matters discussed for better t9ar1r1s,
and in the everyday oi st-udents-making
-"."1.,*i. ",p"'i"nt"iror. the learning process' and devetoping a
n"* .ppr"tlation
more criticat and rettectiie titii'd" white enibting them to manage and
ir.pt* it'"ir. setves to attain a better quality of tife'
The first part seeks to
The course is divided into three major Parts:
understand the construct-Jf in" i"ti
frornvaiious disciptinal perspectives:
psychotogv-as we[[ as the more
phitosophy, sociotogy, and;;oiogy' and
b"t*;;;[;'ii't ivest-eacn seeking to provide
iraditionat division 'nt of "what is the setf?" And
answers to the difficul't fii'
qu"ition
":;ti;i
raising, among otners, tn-e-questlon't
t'' tt'"t" even such a construct as the
self?'

The second part exptores some. of


the various aspects that make up-the
setf. such as biotogicat a-J materiat up
to and inctuding the more recent
of concern for voung
irliti., *it. in"ittiia -*a iii"i pt,.t la"niitl"t thre,e-areas for the
students: tearning, gout tnd managing stress' lt atso provides
'"iilnd, in this course and
more practicat apptlcatiin'oi'tn" tontt-ptidiscussed
enabtes them the nunor-oi'"-*p"ii"n."
of devel,opine setf-hetp plans for setf-
also inctudes the
regutated learning, g"tt;;;id;""tJ-t"tt'iit"'rt'isiourse
and Poputation Education'
mandatory topics on ramiiy Cta-nning

-Preliminaries-
GECC 108- Un derstan ding the Self
3

OBJECTIVES

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the course, the students wi[[ be able to:

'1. Understand and make reftections of one's identity in the .,Setf from
Various Perspectives" particutarly in the various traditionaI disciptinat
viewpoints on Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropotogy, Psychotogy, East
and West and make comparisons which inftuencethe development of
a person

2. Exptore, discover and assess one's identityin the ',Unpacking of


Onesetf" with emphasis on the Physical Self, Sexuat Setf, Material or
Economic Setf, Potiticat Setf, Spirituat Setf and Digitat Setf, and

3. Acquire proper attitude and tife skitts in loving and caring of one,s
identity in the "Managing and Caring for the Setf"

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
The Self from Various Perspectives
1. Discuss the different representations and conceptuatizations of the
setf from various discipIinaI perspectives

2. Compare and contrast how the self has been presented across
different disciptines and perspectives

3. Examine the different inftuences, factors, and forces that shape the
setf

4. Demonstrate critical and reftective thought in anatyzing the


devetopment of one's self and identity by devetoping a theory of the
self

Unpacking the Self


1. Exptore the different aspects of setf and identity
2. Demonstrate critical, reftective thought in integrating the various
aspects of self and identity

3. ldentify the different forces and institutions that impact the


devetopment of various aspects of setf and identity

4. Examine one's self against the different aspects of self discussed in


cIass

GECC 108- Understanding the Self +relirninaries-


4

Managing and Caring for the Self


1. Understand the different aspects of self and identity
2. Acquire and hone new skitts and learning for better managing of one's
setf and behavior

3. Appty these new skills to one's and functioning for a better quatity of
tife

d DIRECTIONS/ MODULE ORGANIZER

Reading is both an art and a skitt. lt is imperative to atlot time to


-read
exptore and this modute.Enjoy every moment going through the
thieemodutes. Revisit yoursetf and discover more of who you are' Every
module is a journey of yourself. Read and [earn!

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

measure how far you


Requirements are necessary to test a.nd
you have tearned' Be abte to work on
understood the course una'no* "tn major examinations'
il; i;;;;fu Activities, sum*itlue Teits and Pass the
Submit att requirements ,o Voui t'to' on
time'.Your standing in this subject
;iit ;;;;J ;; your performance and output with the fotlowing percentages'
50%
Midterm and Final Exam """""""" 50%
Requirements
o
MotivationatActivities
o
Learning Activities
.
Summative Tests
o
GrouP DYnamic Activities
oPerformance Task/ Demonstration
a Btoes and video ctiPs
etc'
a i"ii- portiaio (ref tection / reaction paper' essay' )

Totat 100

-Preliminaries-
CECc t og- Understan ding the Setf
5

COURSE CONTENT

MODULE I THE SELF FROM THE VARIOUS


PERSPECTIVES

Lesson 1 Phitosophy

Lesson 2 Sociotogy

Lesson 3 Anthropotogy

Lesson 4 Psychotogy

Lesson 5 The Setf in Western and Eastern/Oriental


Thought

MODULE II UNPACKING THE SELF

Lesson 1 The PhysicatSetf

Lesson 2 The Sexuat Setf

Lesson 3 The Material/Economic Self

Lesson 4 The Spirituat Setf

Lesson 5 The Potiticat Setf

Lesson 6 The Digitat Setf

MODULE III MANAGING AND CARING FOR


THE SELF

Lesson 1 Learning to be a Better Person

Lesson 2 Setting Goats for Success

Lesson 3 Taking Charge of One's Heatth

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Preliminaries-


6

REFERENCES

Books
Adotph, K. E., (2008), Motor/Physical Devetopment: Locomotion in
Encyctopedia of lnfant and Early chitdhood Devetopment, edited by M. M.
Haith and J. B. Benson. San Diego, CA Academics Press

Auretia Estrada, (201 1), Devetopmental Characteristics of Young Chitdren,


Rex Printing Company lnc., Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City, Philippines

Barbara Kotucki, MA and Dafnalemish, PhD, (20'l 1), Communicating with


Chitdren, Principtes and practices to Nurture, lnspire, Excite, Educate and
Heat, UNICEF

Henry 5. Tenedero, (2008), Creative Tips to Get through Student Life,


Center for Learning and Teaching Styles, Phits. lnc.

Henry 5. Tenedero, (2008), Cooking Up a Creative Genius, Center for


Learning and Teaching Stytes, Phils. lnc.

Henry 5. Tenedero, (2008), Super Teacher, Center for Learning and


Teaching Styles, Phits. lnc.

Henry 5. Tenedero, (2008), Mindfut ldeas, Center for Learning and Teaching
Stytes, Phits. lnc.

lmetda Vittar, (2009), Career Counseling in the Phitippines, Aligned


Transformat'ions Pubtications, 3423 Guernica St., Makati City 1235,
Phitippines

Kathryn Williams Browne, et.at., ((2013), Earty Chitdhood Field Experience,


Learning to Teach Wet[, Pearson Education lnc., Permissions Department,
One Lake Street, Upper Saddte River, New Jersey 07458, U.S,A.

Laura E. Marshak, et.at., (2010), The School Counsetor's Guide to HeLping


Students with Disabitities, Jossey-Bass, A Wity lmprint, 989 Market Street,
San Francisco CA 94103-1741 , U.S.A.

McMaster University, (lssue 3, Juty 2011), Preschooter Physical Activity and


Motor Skitl Devetopment Focus, Child Health and Exercise Medicine Program

Samuel Griffin, (2015), Handbook of Learning Disabilities, Arcter Press LLC,


New York, NY 10017, U.S.A.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Preliminaries-


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Published Researches
Geratdine French, (200&), Chitdren's Early Learning and Devetopment: A
Research Paper Executive Summary, National Counci[ for Curricutum and
Assessment (NCCA)
Nemours Heatth and Prevention Services, (2009), Best Practices for Physicat
Activity, A Guide to Hetp Chitdren Grow Up Heatthy (under editorial review,
for educationaI purposes)

Carotyn P. Edwards University of Nebraska - Lincoln,


cedwardsl @unt.edu, (June 2005), Moral Devetopment Study in the 21st
Century: lntroduction to Moral Motivation through the Life Span: Nebraska
Symposium on Motivation, volume 51
The Discipline andGuidance of Chitdren, MESSAGES FROM RESEARCH, A
Review of Research Literature forthe Office of the Chitdren's Commissioner
by the Chitdren's lssues Centre

WEBSITE!

Electronic References
https: / /www. cdc. gov/ ncbddd/childdevelopment/ positiveparenting/ pdfs/ pr
eschoolers-3 - 5-w-npa. pdf
http: / /www. preschoot-ptan-it.com /developmentat-mitestones. htmt
https: / /wcwpds.wisc.edu /chitddeve[opment/ resources/CompteteDevetopm
entDetaits.pdf
Learning in the 21st Century: Teaching Today's Students on Their Terms,
https: / /www. certiport.com / Portal/Common / DocumentLibrary/ EAB_Whitep
I

ape1040808.pdf)

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -preli,Tinarie$


MODULE I

THE SELF FROM THE VARIOUS


PERSPECTIVES

Lesson 1 Philosophy
Lesson 2 Sociology

Lesson 3 Anthropology

Lesson 4 Psychology

Lesson 5 The Self in Western and


Eastern/Orientat Thought
7

MODULE I

THE SELF FROM THE VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

INTRODUCTION

LIFE is the greatest gift one can


ever have. Life itsetf is a Blessing and
an Opportunity. Life is manifested in
ti
I the Setf.

Why a btessing? As one journeys


through the different stages of Human
Devetopment, the Setf is slowly being
discovered. lt is evolving and hidden
tatent is uncovered. Try to imagine a
baby learning how to ta[k, how to
crawl and how to grasp objects.
Everyday is a never-ending practice -
struggte it is until mastery is achieved.
The beauty of being able to see cotors,
hear the sound of nature and people
taughing and exchanging words, and to
feel the sensation of human touch.
These are atl btessings life can offer.

czerinesketches.com ,.1 , -:
-

Why an Opportunity? The Setf is a window of possibitities. Growing means


gaining awareness of what one is capabte of doing and creating, and making
it a reality. Taking advantage of what the environment and human resourcei
can offer is a means of packaging and refining the setf.

Modute 1 provides the learner a view of the Setf from the perspective
of Phitosophy, Sociology, Anthropotogy, psychotogy and Westein and
Eastern /Oriental Thoughts. Having an in-depth understanding of who a person
is from these contexts using concepts, theories and principles offer analysis
and reftections of the meaning of tife - the essence of the SeLf.

As a disciptine, Phitosophy is the study of tife,s existence, the tove of


knowtedge. When an individual seeks answers to questions on the
fundamental truths about self, this is the beginning of wisdom.

Sociotogy, whereas, is a sociat science that deats with the study of


society' its interactions and relationships. To understand the setf meani to
fathom the cottective behavior of peopte.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


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Anthropotogy, on the other hand, is a scientific study of humanity -


what makes us human beings. How is human species different from animal
species?

Psychotogy is the scientific study of the mind and the behavior. How a
person thinks, acts and fee[s is the direction of this discipline.

Lastly, the Western and Eastern view of the setf. Western focuses on
rationality white Eastern fuses supernaturaI in comprehending individuation.

ln the end, these disciptines guide the learner towards buitding an


objective, systematic and organized image of the setf.

@ OBJECTIVES

At the end of the semester, students wi[[ be able to;

1 Discuss the different representations and conceptuatizations of the


self from various disciptina[ perspectives;

2. Compare and contrast how the setf has been presented across
different disciptines and perspectives;

3. Examine the different inftuences, factors, and forces that shape the
setf ; and

4. Demonstrate critical and reftective thought in analyzing the


development of one's setf and identity by devetoping a theory of the
setf.

d DIRECTIONS/ MODULE ORGANIZER

Read carefutly the modu[e as presented in the different tessons. At


the end of each lesson, there are questions and/or activities for you to answer
and accomptish. These are designed to determine how wetl you benefited
from the lesson in terms of knowledge and information (cognitive objective),
desirabte vatues and attitude (affective objective) as we[[ as skilts and
competence (psychomotor or operative objective). Work on these
questions /activities conscientiously and submit your output to your tutor on
time. Reading and researching from references are strongty advised to gain
maximum understanding and experientia[ learning. lmmerse yoursetf into the
various activities and surely, you witl discover who you are.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


4

Lesson 1

PHILOSOPHY

Motivational Activity: "Who Am l?"


'(

On January 12 of 2020, Taa[ Votcano I

situated in Tagaytay, Phitippines


began erupting forcing severat c i

famities to evacuate. Taa[ is the


second most active votcano in I
thePhitippines istands which is
situated at severat tectonic ptates.
lf eruption wi[[ intensify, it is t' J
capable of producing deadtiest
votcanic hazards - tsunamis, t,,'l
.l

mudflows, and superheated f lows of


gas and debris. You and your famity
live in Tagaytay. The government issued an Alert 4 levet forcing residents to
leave the ptace immediatety. At the same time, you are required to fitl up an
lnformation Sheet for profiting and monitoring purposes. 6ource: Scientific
finerican 175, Notural Disosters, January 14, 2020)

Activity 1:
INFORA,IATION SHEET
Name
Sex ( ) Mate ( ) Femate Others: (ptease specify)
Retigion Citizenship:
Civit Status Tribat Affitiation:
Date of Birth Ptace of Birth:
Address
H'ighest Educational
Attainment
Occupation
Employer/Address
Contact No. Emait Address:
Body marks
lf married Name of Spouse:
0ccupation:
No. of chitdren No. of peopte in the house
Name of father
Name of mother
Sibtings (specify)

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Nursery/Address
Kinder/Address

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


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Elementa /Address
Hieh schoo[/Address
Senior High
Schoot/Address
Colte /Address
VocationaI School
Etieibitities
Skitts
Hobbies/ lnterests
Heatth lssues
Fears
Probtem/s at resent
ln case of Name:
emergency, whom to Address:
contact Contact Details:

Processing Questions:
1. How did you feel about the activity?
2. Was it difficutt to fitt up the form? Why?
3. What are your reflections about yourset?
4. What are your reatizations about the activity?
Reflections to Ponder:
1. Relevance of information about the setf
2. Preparedness during a crisis - catamity
3. Vatue of tife
PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF THE SELF:

. The etymology of the word pHILOSOpHy is a two-Greek words, pHILOS


which means "LovE" and sopHlA which means "wlsDoM" transtated to ,,love
of know_ledge" tikety instituted by pythagoras (c. 570- 495 BcE). rn othei
words, Philosophy deats with the ration;tity emptoyed by individuats in
learning. Aristotte for instance, an Ancient Greet< ptrllosopher from the
nineteenth century tried to exptore and understand the rationatity emptoyed
in understanding and learning things. He tooked into regutar ..".ronini in
discovering. and learning. Aristotte lntroduced stargazing] pharmaceutiiat,
and material science. Newton's 'r 697 Mathematicit erin.iptus of Naturai
Phitosophy named a book of material science.

ln the nineteenth century, the devetopment of current research,


methods of inquiry has evotved.
.Thus, various approaches to inquiry Uy
different cotteges drove scholarty rationatity and different ori"ri io
professionatize and practice the coniinuous searih for tearning.
rn $," *lting
edge period, a few examinations that were customarity part-of togic
up particular. schotarty approaches inctuding brain science,
w;;ni
h-umanism,
phonetics, and financiat matters.

The question on, ,,Who Am l?,,, continuousty baffted and chattenged


philosophers to answer. The setf becomes a subject of
schotarty stuiiei

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


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among phitosophers who made impact on our lives and influenced the way we
view human tife. Who are these phitosophers who contributed in the
understanding the se[f? Let us study them one by one and find out their
perspectives about individuatity.

SoCRATES (469-399 BC)

Philosophy on Understanding the Self: e


The goat of life is to "Know Thysetf"
and improve the setf through virtuous living , O*: t,
^l i
E
and pursue of goodness. The key to setf-
discovery is meditation. Know the self
means a person who can think, reftect and
I
know what is right.
! 1 I

The centra[ concern of phitosophy is the psyche, the "true self" or


"sout" being the core identity, the unique spirit that makes one distinct. This
is the authentic personatity, the distinct'ive character. The soul is the source
of deepest thoughts and highest aspirations, the unique life force that shapes
and defines itsetf through choices made on a daity basis. The soul is "immortal
and imperishabte, and after death shoutd continue to exist in another wortd."
Thus, every soul seeks happiness. Onty through the pursuit of goodness that
one can bring happiness. The Law of Karma is very strong.

The formation of a person's think'ing and character is typicatty the


resutt of many influences throughout their lives.

Core Life Teachings:

1 . "The unexamined life is not worth tiving".


2. "The truth lies within each of us".
3. "We shoutd strive in excettence in atl areas of tife".
4. "No one knowing does evit".
5. "lt is better to suffer wickedness than to commit it".
Place of Origi n: ATHENS GREECE

Significant Experiences:
o Phitosophical Career - His pursuit of wisdom which became his futl. time
job for the rest of his life because of his fascination with intettectuat
conversation (parties, going to Agora marketplace).

Petodonnesian War - He became a sotdier influencing students towards


his teachings, challenged the government which teads to fighting for
democracy and questioning tyranny.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self +iodrle t-


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a Socrates' Trial - He became more poputar among Philosophers when he


was indicted to be poltuting the minds of Greek students. His defense
on reason put him to death, yet he was abte to influence great
Philosophers tike Ptato, Euct'id and Xenophon.

Schools of Thought:
RATIONALISM, DUALISM
a. Rationalism - the search for truth and ctarity through
questioning, through reason
b. Duatism - The self is the immortal sout that exists over time. The
setf is not separated from the sout.

About Socrates that explains and manifests his schools of thought:


o Socrates laid down the conceptual framework and method of inquiry
for Western consciousness and cutture.

The Father of Western Phitosophy, Wisest man in Greece, Crown Jewel


in the native city for the fottowing:

a. He was a catatyst for a significant advancement in human


consciousness. "Know thysetf," Socrates was the first important
Western thinker to focus the light of human reason and inteltigence
on human beings themsetves.

b. He was an archetypat thinker, a quintessential model of rational


inquiry. Socrates betieved in the supreme imPortance of thinking as
well as possibte, and for him, everything in human experience was
an appropriate subject for exptoration and critical anatysis.

c. He was committed to making our actions reftect our convictions.


For Socrates, striving to think wett-meant striving to live we[t,
devetoping consistent and rigorous standards of conduct and then
fotlowing through with the choices that we make.

d. He betieved that phitosophicat inquiry was a sociat activity. ln


contrast to the "ivory tower" dreamer' He found his greatest
pteasure engaging in passionate and energetic discussions with
others. He was certainty capable of deep, introspective thought.

e. He was a heroic martyr to entightened thinking and virtuous tiving'


It wasn't just that he died but rather that he died wittingty for the
morat principtes and values on which his life was constructed.

His martyrdom, and the genius of Ptato, made him a secutar saint, the
superior man confronting the ignorant mob with serenity and humor'
This was Socrates' triumph and Ptato's masterpiece. Socrates needed
the hemtock, as Jesus needed the Crucifixion, to futfitt a mission.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


8

Proponent of Socratic Method - Seeking ctarity and truth through


penetrating questioning and astute anatysis. Reason is the path to the
truth.

Uses several strategies to converse with peopte


a. Dialectic, which is derived from a Greek word for conversation, and
its a
goal was to achieve deep, clear, rationally founded
understanding of the most significant areas of human experience:
knowtedge, justice, moratity, retigion, beauty, goodness, and the
traits of good character such as courage and piety.

b. Master of irony used to expertly create a fatse sense of security in


his dialogue partners and create the conditions for unmasking their
footishness and ignorance.

Ptj.TO G27-347 BCI


"l om the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is, that I know
nothing."
Philosophy on Understanding the Self:
Ptato betieves in the presence of a soul which
&
he called "psyche" consisting of three etements:
(1) Reason - refers to the divine essence
that enables a person to think deepty,
l
make wise choices, and achieve a true
understanding of eterna[ truths
(2) Physical Appetite - refers to the basic
biological needs such as hunger, thirst,
and sexual desire
(3) Spirit or Passion - refers to basic
emotions such as [ove, anger, ambition,
aggressiveness, empathy.

These three etements of our setves are working together. They are in
a dynamic relationship with one another either sometimes working in concert
or sometimes in bitter conflict.

When conftict occurs, Plato betieves is the job of our Reason to fix
it
things out and exert controt, reestablishing a harmonious relationship
between the three elements of our setves. He shows his view of the sout/setf
in Phaedrus with a vivid metaphor - the sout is likened to a winged chariot
drawn by two powerfu[ horses: a white horse, symbolizing the Spirit, and a
btack horse, embodying Appetite. The charioteer is Reason, whose task is to
guide the chariot to the eterna[ reatm by controtling the two independent-
minded horses. Those charioteers who are successful in sett'ing a true course
and ensuring that the two steeds work together in harmonious unity achieve
true wisdom and banquet with the gods. However, those charioteers who are
unable to control their horses and keep their chariot on track are destined to
experience persona[, inteltectual, and spirituaI faiture.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


9

Plato's Lessons About the Soul and the Body

According to Plato, the body, with its deceptive senses, keeps us from
real knowtedge; it rivets us in a world of material things which is far removed
from the wortd of reatity; and it tempts us away from the virtuous [ife. lt is
through the soul that we shatl have knowtedge, be in touch with reality, and
lead a life of virtue. Onty the soul can truty know, for onty the sout can ascend
to the real wortd, the world of the Forms or ldeas.

Plato atso telts us about the nature of beauty. Beauty has nothing
essentiatty to do with the body or with the world of material things. Reat
beauty cannot "take the form of a face, or of hands, or of anything that is of
the ftesh." Yes, there are beautiful things, but they onty are entitted to be
described that way because they "partake in" the form of Beauty, which itsetf
is not found in the material wortd. Rea[ beauty has characteristics which
merely beautiful things cannot have.

lllustration 1: An individuaI ma y develop a romantic retationship with


someone who is an inteltectual companion (Reason), with whom he/she is
passionatety in love (Spirit), and whom he/she finds sexuatly attractive,
igniting lustful appetites (Appetite). Or he/she may find himself/hersetf in
personal conftict, torn between three different retationships, each of which
appeats to a different part of our setf: Reason, Spirit, Appetite.

lllustration 2: A student who is thirst y for knowtedge and driven towards the
achievement of her goat enrolted at D^.i/l\lrlSU Open University System
(Reason). She met friends and hang out with them during their vacant time,
discovering food hubs (Appetite). These friends for her brought her happiness
and a feeting of belongingness (Passion).

Activity 2: Make your own example how the three etements - reason,
appetite and spirit interact and cottaborate.

sT. AUGUSTTNE (354-430 C.E.)


Philosophy on Understanding the
Self:
,{ For St. Augustine, the Self is a
I
rti' great mystery. A person regardtess of
the many sins he/she had comm'itted
,\ 1 .\tltil.'Sl.lr-[
u ilrlo can have a great and mysterious [ife,
through the mercy and forgiveness of
God. The setf must continue to search
for the truth in order for his/her soul
i to be rested.

Augustine combines the phitosophicaI concepts of Ptato with the tenets


of Christianity. He was convinced that Ptatonism and Christianity were natural
partners, thus he enthusiasticalty adopted Ptato's vision of a bifurcated
universe in which "there are two reatms, an intettigible reatm where truth

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


'10

itsetf dwelts, and this sensible wortd which we perceive by sight and touch,"
but then adapted this metaphysic to Christian betiefs. Thus, Plato's uttimate
reatity, the eternal reatm of the Forms, became in Augustine's philosophy a
transcendent God. ln the same way, Ptato's vision of immorta[ souls striving
to achieve union with this eternat reatm through intetlectual enlightenment
became transformed by Augustine into immortal souts striving to achieve
union with God through faith and reason. The transient, finite nature of the
physicat wortd described by Ptato became in Christianity a proving ground for
our eterna[ destinies. Ptato's metaphysicat framework thus provided
philosophical justification for Christian beliefs that might otherwise have
been considered farfetched.

Place of Origin; Taghaste, North of Africa

Significant Experiences:
o He received a Christian education when he was young, but deferred
receiving the sacrament and became a heresy which his mother Monica
greatty suffered.

a He was sent to Carthage for a forensic career but he succumbed to the


pleasure of the city and his good virtues were corrupted. Hence; he
made his inquiring mind to search for the origin of evi[.

a ln Mitan through the influence of Bishop Ombrose his souls tong and
difficutt quest finatly rested. He possessed the certainty that Jesus
Christ is the onty way to truth and salvation.

School of Thought:
o Ptatonism-the use of reason to influence a person to do good

RENE DESCARTES (1 596-1650)

"lf you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary thot ot least
once in your life you doubt, as for as possible, oll things.,,

Philosophy on Understanding the Self:


He introduced the modern
perspective of the setf. According to
him, everything must be subjected to
doubt. "Cogito ergo sum" translated as
"l think therefore I am" means that there
should be the doubting I first then att
other existence (God, universe, events,
etc. ) become certain.

A French phitosopher, the founder of Modern phil.osophy. ln his


Meditations on First Phitosophy (1637), he deatt with issues surrounding

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


11

skepticism, mind/body dualism, and he apptied the geometric method


to phitosophy. The influence of this work was not onty important to the
modern period, but is atso incredibty influential to this day.

He wanted to penetrate the nature of our reasoning process and


understand its retation to the human se[f. He was convinced that to
devetop the most informed and wett-grounded betiefs about human
existence, we need to be clear about the thinking instrument we are
emptoying. For if our thinking instrument is ftawed, then it is tikety
that our conclusions witl be ftawed as wett.

He is a mathematician having .invented anatytic geometry and an


aspiring scientist, Descartes was an integrat part of the scientific
revolution that was just beginning. (His major phitosophicat work,
Meditations on First Phitosophy, was pubtished in 1641, the year before
Gatiteo died and lsaac Newton was born.) The foundation of this
scientific revotution was the betief that genuine knowtedge needed to
be based on independent rationat inquiry and real_wortd
experimentation

JOHN LOCKED (1 634-1 704)

Philosophy on Understanding the Self:


"Before we can anatyze the wortd and our
success to it, we have to know about
oursetves. lt is onty once we understand
our cognitive capabitities that we can
suitabty direct our researches into the
wortd"
The Setf is comparabte to an empty
space (tabuta rasa) where everyday
experiences contribute to knowledge. The
self is consciousness.

a phitosopher. ln his Essay Concerning Human


1_-ryili:h
(1690).
Understanding
Locke lays the groundwork fo.r.empiriciit pf,iioioptV.
that the mind is a tabuta His theori
raf, btank state, o, *ni.n experience
a.
writes, chattenges the rationatist phitosophy thit preieded
him.
a Founder of the school of thought "British Empiricism" where
foundationaI contributions to modern theories
government
of timited tiberaI
Betieved that government shoutd be more
toterant of religious diversity
Argued that many betiefs traditionatty believed
to be mandatory for
Christians were necessary

GECC ,l08- unders tanding the Self -Module l-


12

School of Thought:

. Knowtedge consists of a special kind of retationship between different


ideas,

DAVID HUME (711.1 7761

Phitosophy on Understanding the Self:


The setf is just a bundte or cottection of
I
A rise man pruportiom
iistdelloheaidemt,
fr different perceptions, which succeed each
other with an inconceivabte rapidity, and
are in a perpetua[ ftux and movement. lt
is just an impression or a fiction. To Hume,
there is no Setf .

a Scottish phitosopher whose phitosophy is seen as drawing out the


logical consequences of a thoroughgoing empiricism. His ikepticism
concerning causation, induction, and retigion is stitt widety inftuentiat
today.

According to Hume, there are onty two distinct entities, ',.impressions,.


and "ideas": rmpressions-rmpressions are the basic sensations
of our
experience, the elementat data of our minds: pain, pteasure,
heat,
cotd.,. happiness, grief, fear, exhitaration, and ,o
on. ih"r" impressions
a.re "tively" and "vivid." rdeas are copies'of impressions,
and as a resutt
they are less "tivety,, and .,vivid.', ihis inctude ttrougilts ana
imagei
that are buitt up from our primary impressions tf"rroJgfr a variety"of
retationships, but because they.are deiivative
they are once removed from reitity. -pi", ;fimpressions,

|MI,IANUEL KANT (1 724- 1 8O4t "All our knowledge begins with fhe senses
proceeds then to the understandi ng, and
ends with reoson.',

Phitosophy on Understanding the Self:


The setf is atways transcendentat. His
,"1, a phitosophy is catted the Transcendental
Unity of Apperception. The setf is not in
the body, instead it is outside the body
a,nd quatities of the body. It is somethini
I
that is mysticat.

German Phitosopher widety regarded as the greatest phitosopher


modern period. He attemptedlo synthesizeihe
of the
two Iompeting scnoots

GECC 108- Unders tanding the Self -Module l-


13

of the modern period, rationatism and empiricism, by showing the


important rote both experience and reason ptay in constructing our
knowledge of the wortd.

According to him, it is the setf that makes experiencing an intettigibte


wortd possibte, because it is the setf that is responsibte for synthesizing
the discreet data of sense experience into a meaningful whole. The
setf is the weaver seen metaphoricatty who, using the loom of the
mind, weaves together the fabric of experience into a unified whote so
that it becomes his/her experience, his/her wortd, his/her universe'
Without the setf to perform this synthesizing function, experience
wouLd be unknowabte, a chaotic coltection of sensations without
coherence or significance.

SIGMUND FREUD (185 6-1939) "Look into the depths of your own soul and
leorn first to know yourself, then you w ill understond why this illness was
bound to come upon you ond perhaps you will henceforth avid lalling ill."

Phitosophy on Understanding the Self:


There are two selves - one
Unconscious and one Conscious'
The setf is regarded as the "1"
which; constitutes both the mental and
ohvsical actions. The setf was multitiered'
di;ided among the conscious'
in
oreconscious, and unconscious as seen
i''ir th"ory on PsYchoanatYsis'

a Psvchotogist. Freud founded the schoot


of psychoanatysis which
and therapy
L"'.]r" i." the most inituentiat theories of psychotogy
"t century'
in the twentieth

a Thetwolevetsofhumanfunctioningtheconsciousandthe
and in the rutes and
unconscious differ radicatti Uoth in
in"it"tontent
ihe contains basic instinctuat
toeic that govern them. 'nconscious and., setf-destruction;
ir?*t'"i*illne ie,'utiiv,- aggressiveness'
wishes and chitdhood
.
fantasies;
irau;",i;-;;.1rl"r;,ni"ititiJi
*o'G be considered sociatty taboo' The
i'n"reh"-"^J-r""ringl tnaf
unconscious tevet is characierized by
the most p.rimitive [eve[ of human
most basic instinctual drives
fte
.i,i".ii". *a numan tunciionlng'
contrast' the
that seek immediate g"iitituii6n or discharge'..1n (rather than the
.*.i"*'t"ii i, eou"tn6iilv irre "reatity principte"
"pteasure principte"),.and; i;lt i"*t
i'r funciioning' behavior and
exoerience ur" org.n,."j it ;;tt that are
rationat' practicat' and
appropriate to the social environment'

-Module l'
GECC 108- Un derstan ding the Self
14

GILBERf BYLE (1900-1976) "l discover thot there are other minds in
understanding whot other people say ond do."

r Philosophy on Understanding the Self:


The setf is how you behave. No more inner

t- -t
setves, immortat souls, states of
consciousness, or unconscious entities:
instead, the setf is defined in terms of the
a behavior that is presented to the wortd, a
view that is known in psychotogy as
behaviorism.

o Anatytic Phitosopher, Ryte introduced the ,Linguistic Anatysis, which


focused on.the sotving of phitosophicat puzztes through an analysis of
[anguage. He mounted an attack against Cartesian mindlbody duatism
and supported a behaviorist theory of mind.

. A British phitosopher whose book, The Concept ofMind, had a dramatic


Behaviorism The view that the .,setf,, is defined by observabte
behavior. Ryte's behaviorism was a different sort fiom that of
psychotogy. He thought of his approach as a logicat behav.iorism,
focused on creating conceptual ctarity, not on devitoping techniquei
to condition and manipulate human behavior.

PAUL (1942) AND PATR ICIA CHURCHLAND

Philosophy on Understanding the Self:


The setf is the brain. The setf can
be understood in terms of neuroscience
:
that focuses on the function of the brain
and how it affects one,s behavior. The
couple thus introduced Etiminative
:\ Materiatism.

Pau[ Churchtand is an Ame_rican phitosopher (ph.D.,


University of
Pittsburgh, 1969); Areas of interest initude phitosophy of
mind,
phitosophy of science, cognitive neurobiotogy,
epistemotogy, and
perception. Authored several works on mind, inctuaing
fhe eiiine oi
Reason, The Seat of the Sout: A phitosophicit .lourney
into the Brain
(MrT, 1995)

He introduced a simp(e identity formuta_menta[ states


= brain states_
is a flawed way in which to conceptuatize the
retationihip between the
mind and the brain. He devetops a new, neuroscience-iajed
vocabutary
that witt enabte us to think and communicate cteariy about
the mind,

GECC 108- Und erstanding the Self - odule l-


15

consciousness, and human experience. He refers to this view as


"eliminative materiatism. "

a Churchtand's central argument is that the concepts and theoretical


vocabulary about setves using such terms as belief, desire, fear,
sensation, pain, joy are actua[ty misrepresent the reatity of minds and
setves. A[[ of these concepts are part of a commonsense "fotk
psychotogy that obscures rather than clarifies the nature of human
experience. Eliminative materiatists betieve that emotionaI connection
should be understood with reference to the neurophysiotogy of the
brain. Etiminative Materialism develops a new vocabutary and
conceptuat framework that is ground in neuroscience that witl be a
more accurate reftection of the human mind and setf.

MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY (1 908-1 961 )


Phitosophy on Understanding the Self:
The setf is embodied subjectivity.
The division between the "mind" and the
"body" is a product of confused thinking.
The setf is seen as a unity in which the
mental and physical are seamlessty woven
, together. This unity is the primary
experience of the self, and one only begins
to doubt it when the mind is used to
-.
concoct abstract notions of a separate
"mind" and "body." There is no mystery
in the bodv.
a The phitosophy of Ponty is known as Phenomenology of Perception
which is derived from the conviction that atl knowtedge of the setf and
the wortd is based on the "phenomena" of experience. Perceptions are
caused by the intricate experiences of the setf, and processed
intettectualty white distinguishing truthfut perceptions from ittusory.
Thus, the setf is regarded as a phenomenon of the whote, which is a
Gestalt understanding of perceptuaI synthesis.

SUMMARY

Lesson 1 on Phitosophy helped us to exptore the answers to the


question, "Who Am l?" as based on phitosophical views. This question actuatty
is oftentimes difficutt to answer as the setf is so comptex and intriguing.
However, phitosophers tried to provide us with an in-depth understanding as
based on their studies. The self is a puzzle that must be sotved and
discovered.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self ,,todule l-


16

This tesson surety guided you to understand the mysteries of who you
are and hetped you deepen your insights about yoursetf.

,/ OUTPUT PLAN

(1) Formutate your own Phitosophy in Life and make a video ctip. lt can be
in Filipino or English. Be creative. Running time at least 1 minute.
Uptoad your video ctip via fb and submit a screenshot of the comments
and feedbacks.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -rUodule l-


17

Lesson 2

SOCIOLOGY

Motivational Activity:
What Makes You Beautifut? by One
Direction (Song/Dance)
I .
tj- .
, Processing Questions:
h
lj
'i .
'l How did you find the activity?
2. What is your understanding of being
iEa beautifut?
3. How did the song affect you?
4. What have you learned about the
activity?
Sociology is the systematic study of social behavior and human groups.
It focuses primarily on the influence of social relationships upon peopte's
attitudes and behav'ior and how societies are estabtished and changed.

As a sociotogical approach to setf and identity, it


begins with an
assumption that there is a reciprocal retationship between the setf and the
society. This two mutuatty affects each other. The setf inftuences the society
through the actions of people, thus creating groups and organizations. The
society in return inftuences the setf through its shared language and meanings
that enabte the setf to take the rote of engaging in social interaction and
make self-reftection. This process of reflectivity constitutes setfhood. What
is the meaning of this? We need to understand our society in which the setf is
acting.

ln generat, Sociotogists are interested in understanding the nature of


society or the social structure. How the society is being formed, devetoped
and transformed. There are two approaches, (1) Situationat Approach to setf
and the society sees society as always in the process of being created through
the definitions and interpretations of actors in situations. This means that the
individuals are free to define the situation in any way they care to. Thus, in
this approach, the self is seen as u ndifferentiated, unstabLe and unorganized.
On the other hand, (2) Structural Approach looks at society as stabte,
organized and durable. There are patterned regularities that characterize
most human action. These patterned regutarities have varied levets of
anatysis. By pooling several similalindividuals, we can understand persons at
certain type.

lllustration 1: A scientist who has a pattern of behavior of being togicat,


anatytical, careful and experimentatty inctined can be viewed in a targer
social structure. Scientists, because of their background can be etected to
higher positions in their scientific organizations.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module I


18

This is a very good exampte of how a person may vatidate his conceptions
about himsetf / hersetf . Further, this impties that the basis in understanding
social structure may arise from the actions of individuats.

SOCIOLOGICAL VIEWS OF THE SELF

1. The Self as a Product of Modern Society Among Others

ln a Modern Society, tife is futt of possibitities and opportunities. The


process of finding onesetf is enforced upon att individuats - a process
of continuous transformation. Setf-identification becomes a reflexive
project of each individuat. Thus, the setf is ,.DELOCALIZED,, having a
freedom to seek its own identity.

lndividuals have lncreased Choices which makes possible new


dimensions of setf.devetopment.

a Gtobatization and lncreased Mediated Experience are present which


bring forth more unitary framework of experience and create deeper
forms of fragmentation and [evets of distance between individuats.

Reflections:

o Modern Society brings people to experience anxiety because


they have
troubtes choosing between avaitabre options and hiving fears
thit they
are not making the right choices.

o lndividuats are given tittte guidance on what is the best


opt.ion. The
rote of the famity, retigion ind traditionat authority has dectined
and
the constant drive of change within modern institut.ions and sociat
tife
makes everything uncertain and ftexibte.

. There is a concern on the dehumanization of the setf.

2. The Self in the post-Modern View

' The Setf becomes "DrGrrALrzED". sociat media becomes


of the cyber setf. Therefore, the setf is dynamic which has
the ptatform
narrative, a text written and rewritten. lt is continuousty
. iat; ;
changinl anJ
updating. This is because of modernity where etectronic
virtua[ interaction is part of daity tife.
,iali"J
. lndividuats try to avoid fixation and keep their options
open for self-
improvement
. The setf is found .in the prestige symbots of goods
consumed by
peopte. The post-modern person'has beco-me
consumer (Jean Baud rit [ard
an insatiable
).

GECC 108- Und erstanding the Self -Module l-


19

Reflections:

a Gtobatization produces diverse/mutticu[turat identities.

a The setf is "DIGITALIZED" in cyberspace; thus deviating from the


traditionat concept of the self. lnformation technotogy d'istocates the
setf.

3. The Self as a Necessary Fiction


a The setf is regarded as a symbolic and material weight, meaning an
ideotogical force that inserts us into particular rotes we may or may
not have chosen in a social script we don't controt.

a The self is the totatity of individuats' thoughts, feelings and actions. lt


'is seen as metaphoric or just a representation of something that is
abstract (Nietzche).

Reflections:

. Memory has a role in the concept of the setf.

4. The Social Constructed Self

a Social constructionism is a theory of knowtedge in sociotogy and


communication theory that examines the devetopment of jointty-
constructed understandings of the wortd that form the basis for shared
assumptions about reatity. An exampte of a social construction is the
concept of setf/ self-identity.

a The self/ setf-identity is acquired based on social roles that people


partake.

a Sociatization has an important role in discovering and exptoring the


setf. Sociatization agents such as the family, schoot, church and society
are active forces that shape a person.

5. Theory of the Self by George Herbert Mead


Mead supports the view that a person devetops a sense of setf
through social interaction and not the biotogicaI preconditions

a According to him, the setf has Two Divisions:


a. "1" is the Subjective etement and the active side of the setf
represents the spontaneous and unique traits of the individuat

b. "Me" is the Objective etement that represents the


internatized attitudes and demands of other peopte and
the individuat's awareness of those demands

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


?n

Fut[ development of setf- attained is when the .,1,, and the,,me,,are


united

. not present at birth. lt is onty devetoped with sociat


The 5etf is
experience in which Ianguage, gestures, and objects are used to
communicate meaningfuIty.

o Rote-taking is a process in which a person infers peopte,s intention or


direction of action, which may tead him to understand the wortd from
other's perspective, since there is meaning in human actions. The
person creates his own rote and anticipates how others
witt
look and respond. By performing his own rote, the setf continues to
change along with his social experience.

Three Stages of Development of Self (Mead):

(1) Preparatory stage (from birth to 2) begins


when we are born.
Genera[ty, chitdren are onty capabte of imitaiion. They tike
to pret-nd
to be someone etse.. They have no abitity to imagine how others see
things. They copy the actions of peopte with wiom th"y
interact, such as their s.ignificant o[hers.
;irt;rt;
(2) Play stage (Age 2 to 6) is when chitdren
start to take on the rote that
one other person might have. C.hjtdren might try
on a parent,s point of
view by acting out .,grown up,, behavior,-tike ptaying ..dresr
rlf,;
acting out the .,mom,, rote, or tatking on tov delepn6n.tt
i *JV tt"n6
see their mother do. " "V
(3) Game stage (Age 7 onwards) is when chitdren
learn to consider several
rotes other than being a chitd at ptay. They
aiso interact with other
chitdren, with their parents and otheisignifi.ini
figrre. fney feain to
understand interactions invotving differint peoptj
pu-rposes. For exampte, a chitd at this
with ;.ri"d ;;
"
stage ri tit<ity to be aware of the
different responsibitities of peop.e in a r6stauiant who
together make
for a smooth event/party expeiience. ffrey Uelin
games simitar to the reat life situations
to have formatized
lik;,,ba:hay-bohayon,,.

. Finatty, children develop, understand, and [earn the idea of


the.generalized other, the common U"f,irifrui
society- By this stage of devetopment, an inaiviOuaii's
of generat
"rpectations
abte to iragi;; ho;
he or she is viewed by one or many others_and
thus, from a sociotogicat
perspective, to have a ..setf,, (Mead 1934;
Mead 1964).
LOOKING-cLASS SELF (Charles Horton
Cooley)
. flit concept is hetpfut in understanding how a person
himsetf as he interacts views
with the socia-t environment ln.friing
famity, schoot, peer groups, and mass media.

GECC 108- Und erstanding the Self


-i4odule t-
71

This further states that part of how we see ourselves comes from our
perception of how others see us, who serve as mirror of oursetves.
The process of discovering the tooking-gtass setf occurs in three
steps:
a. An individuaI in a social situation imagines how they appear
to others.
b. That individual imagines others' judgment of that
appearance.
c. The individual devetops feelings about and responds to
those perceived judgments.

SUMMARY

Lesson 2 on Sociotogy focused on the study of the functioning of society


and social retationships. The self and the society influenced each other. The
concept of setf can be validated by how others perceive a person which
becomes a pattern of behavior. Therefore, the setf may be viewed in terms
of the "l and Me" retationship, detocalized, digitatized, and constructed.

What coutd be the retevance of studying the society and its behavior?
Through comparisons of behaviors, we can attempt to sotve issues and gain a
rational understanding of some of society's socia[ probtems and concerns.
Sociotogical backgrounds can be studied and can be a basis for improving and
devetoping a society.

,/ OUTPUT PLAN

Q comrose AN EssAY wrrH THE TrrLE:

1. How Do I Negotiate my Setf-identity in the Social Contexts I am in?


(A Reftection Paper)

2. Listen to the song, "Beautifut" by Christina Aguitera and make a


Reftection Paper

Titte: Beautiful
A Reflection Paper

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


22

Lesson 3

) ANTHROPOLOGY

Motivational Activity:

Pinoy Ako!
What makes a Fitipino?
'l
Name at [east 10 unique practices or .,
betiefs.
.1.
Processing Questions:
1 . What makes you proud as a

Fitipino?
2. lf you wi[[ be required by the
school to come up with your
, '4 {

own [abe[ or ,,tatak,,, what


woutd it be and why?
-.....-u '
3. How did you find the activity?
4. What is your insight about it?

Whang-od Oggay is a tattoo artist. She was born on February 17,


-,
She is atso known as Maria Oggay, a Fitipino
. 1917 .
tattoo artist from
Buscalan, Tinglayan, Katinga, phifipp=inei. she is oiten described
as the',tast';
and otdest mambabatok (traditionat Katinga tattooist) and is part of
Butbut people of the targer Katinga ethnic group. She has been ihl
tattooing headhunters and. women of the indigenous peopre of
Butbut in
Buscalan, Katinga, since she was 15 years otd, 6ut the
But'but warriors who
used to earn tattoos through protecting vittages or kitting
enemiei no tlng"i
exist. Despite that, whang-od continues to a-ppty her traditionat
art forrn-to
tourists visiting Buscatan. The Nationat commission for cutture
and the
Arts (NCCA) conferred on the prestijiousDongol ng Uiriyi
,I: .-1pi,9r,Whang-od
of whang-od,s ethnic- provincJ or xitinga, in
lX"rJd.T^r.1P_:k:
rurd' 5ne was nominated_for. the Nationat Living Treasures Award (dawad
Mantitikha ng Bayan) inZ01Z. Her nomination is itiLt
Ueing proieised il il;
NCCA.

ANTHROPOLOGICAL VIEW OF THE SELF

Anthropotogy is the science of.humanity that studies


human beings in
from biotogicat to evolutionary history or aomo sopiens
::?:::-ri?g,lq
rearures ot society and cutture that decisivety
tJine
distinguish humans rro, otn"i
animal species. rt has several branches - physicat anihropotogy
is tn" u.*tn
that concentrates on the biotogy and evotu'tion oitrumanity.
greater detait human evolution. cuttura( anthropotogy
rt discussed in
1or ettrnorogyy, soiiii
anthropotogy, Iinguistic anthropotogy, anO psy[noio-giiat
antnrop-ofogy-ar;
branches that study the sociat a;d c;[iurat .onitir.tionr
of human groups.

GECC 108- U nderstanding the Self -r\{odule l-


23

Further, anthropotogy according to Wattz is the science of the nature


of man. Nature means a matter animated by the Divine Breath. Based from
Thomas Csordas, anthropotogy means "what it means to be human". For
Ctifford Gertz, it is the study of cuttures, practices, vatues, ideas,
technotogies, economies, and other domains of social and cognitive
organization. He even said that, "Without culture, there is no man". The
study of cutture is always a part of anthropology.

The word "culture" is derived from a French term, which in turn derives
from the Latin "colere," which means to tend to the earth and grow, or
cuttivation and nurture. lt shares its etymotogy with a number of other words
related to actively fostering growth is the integrated pattern of human
knowtedge, betief, and behavior that depends upon man's capacity for
tearning and transmitting knowtedge to succeeding generations. lt is also the
customary betiefs, social forms and material traits of a racia[, retigious, or
social group.

Cutture therefore; is the characteristics and knowtedge of a particutar


group of peopte, encompassing tanguage, religion, cuisine, social habits,
music and arts. lt is a shared pattern of behaviors and interactions, cognitive
constructs and understanding that are learned by sociatization. lt can be seen
as the growth of a group identity fostered by social patterns unique to the
group. The Center for Advance Research on Language Acquisition goes a step
further, defining culture as encompassing retigion, food, what we wear, how
we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong,
how we sit at the tabte, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved
ones, and a mitlion other things (Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet
and Southgate Coltege in London).

What is the retevance of studying Anthropotogy? lt provides us basic


assumption about human life. lt gives us information about different cuttures
and norms which hetp us understand betiefs, practices, and vatues of peopte
across the gtobe.

THE SELF EMBEDDED IN CULTURE

Cutture is a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbotic


forms by means of which people communicate, perpetuate and devetop their
knowledge about and attitudes toward [ife. Culture is everything a person
learns as a member of the society. lt is a powerful agent that shapes the
decisions and actions of humans. lt can material (tangibte) and non-material
(intangibte) which differ based on the country as a resutt of environment and
history. Cutture is likewise learned through sociatization agents. This can be
through;

a. Encutturation - the process of learning your own culture as a resutt


of interaction with significant others

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


24

b. Accutturation - the process of modifying cutture to accommodate


desirabte traits from other cutture (ex. lnctination of Fitipinos
towards Kpop cutture)

c. Deccutturation - happens when the culture of the o[der generation


comes in conflict with the needs and realities of the younger
generation (ex. Parental high expectation of etders is an instigator
of high suicidal rate and high educational attainment among
Japanese adotescents)

Cutture is atso shared intergenerationalty. lt even affects Bio[ogy such


as humans are born into cultures that have values on beauty and body (ex.
Mursi Tribe in Ethiopia Africa wearing lip plates is a sign of beauty. Women
are expected to wear them to attract men).

ln summary, the setf is embedded in culture once it identifies its


retationship with cutture. The setf has to respect these cuttural practices and
remain reflexive. lt is onty when the setf the power of cutture constituted by
every system that we can have an effective shaping of sociat reatity.
A reflection of this is the threat of Cuttural Degradation which happens
when there is a loss of a particutar cutture due to assimitation or toss of
interest (ex. lndigenous peopte not being proud of who they are and try to
conceal their background when enrotting in a university). Sociat media has
become a venue of cultural degradation due to commerciats or
advertisements and exposures to virtual activities that inftuence traditions,
language, betiefs, knowtedge, and personatities (ex. being thin is beautifut,
be'ing btack is ugly, hair must be sitky and btack, drinking liquor is coo[, etc.).

SUMATARY

Lesson 3 on Anthropotogy emphasized the importance of cutture in


shaping one's behavior. The self is understood in the context of anthropotogy
in a sense that the self is biotogicalty attuned to respond in the environment
where he/she lives.

OUTPUT PLAN

Q Compose your own originat Shout Out of who you are as a Fitipino. lt
shoutd reveal the identity of Fitipinos.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


75

LESSON 4

PSYCHOLOGY

Motivational Activity:

Group Dynamic Activity: "Personare"


T
Processing Questions:

1. How did you find the activity?


2. What are your strategies to be
abte to remember the detaits
of your partner?
i
3. ls it easy to know a person just
by tooking at his/her photo?
4. What did you learn from the
activity?

Psychology is a disciptine in
Behavioral science that seeks to measure, exp[ain and sometimes change the
behavior of man and animats. The word psychotogy is derived from 2 Greek
words, "psyche" (mind/sout), logos (science/ study). There are two
determinants of human behavior

(1) HEREDITY (NATURE) which comprises the totality of influences,


biotogicatty transmitted from the parents to the offspring that determines the
ways in which an individuat witl make use of h'is environment' lt covers atl the
factors that were present in the individual at the time of conception and

(2) ENVIRONMENT (NURTURE) which is the sum total of atl external


conditions and factors potentiatty capabte of influencing an organism. lt
covers atl the externat factors that have acted on him after conception' These
determinants comptimented each other toward the devetopment of an
individuat.

The setf is understood in the psychotogical context as a Cognitive


Construction and as a Proactive and Agentic.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF SELF


1. CognitiveConstruction
2. Proactive and Agentic

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


26

THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTION

(1 ) WILLIAM JA/v{ES (Me-Self, l-Self)

Wittiam James is a renowned American psychotogist who developed


a theory of self-consciousness. His theory of the self divides a person's
mental picture of his/her setf into two categories:

a. "Me" can be thought of as a separate object or individual a person


refers to when describing their personal experiences;

b. "1"is the self that knows who they are and what they have done in
their [ife.

Both concepts are depicted in the statement; "l know it was me who
ate the cookie." He catted the "Me" part of self the "empirical me" and the "l"
part "the pure Ego". For James, the "1" part of setf was the thinking setf, which
could not be further divided. He linked this part of the self to the soul of a
person, or what is now thought of as the mind.

Educational theorists have been inspired in various ways by James's


theory of setf, and have developed various apptications to curricutar and
pedagogicaI theory and practice.

James further divided the "Me" part of setf into: a materiat, a soc.iat,
and a spiritual se[f, as betow.

Material self
The materiat setf consists of things that betong to a person or entities that a
person betongs to. Thus, things like the body, family, ctothes, money, and
such make up the material setf. The core of the material setf was the body.
Second to the body, a person's ctothes were important to the materiat setf. A
person's clothes were one way they expressed who they fett they were; or
ctothes were a way to show status, thus contributing to forming and
maintaining one's setf-image. Money and famity are critical parts of the
material self. lf one lost a famity member, a part of who they are was lost
atso. Money figured in one's material setf in a simitar way. lf a person had
significant money then lost it, who they were as a person changed as wett.

Social self
Our social setves are who we are in a given social situation. peopte change
how they act depending on the social situation that they are in. peopte had
as many social setves as they did social situations they participated in. For
exampte, a person may act in a different way at work when compared to how
that same person may act when they are out with a group of fr.iends. ln a
given social group, an individual's social self may be divided even further. An
example of this woutd be, in the social context of an individuat's work
environment, the difference in behavior when that individuat is interact.ing
with their boss versus their behavior when interacting with a co-worker.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


27

Spiritual self
The spiritual setf was who we are at our core. lt is more concrete or
permanent than the other two selves. The spirituat setf is our subjective and
most intimate self. Aspects of a spiritual se(f include things like personatity,
core vatues, and conscience that do not typicatty change throughout an
individuat's Iifetime. The spirituaI setf invotves introspection, or looking
inward to deeper spiritual, moral, or intetlectual questions without the
inftuence of objective thoughts. Achieving a high [eve[ of understanding of
who we are at our core, or understanding our spiritual setves is more
rewarding than satisfying the needs of the sociat and material selves.

Pure eqo
This refers to as the "1" self. The pure ego is what provides the thread of
continuity between our past, present, and future selves. The pure ego's
perception of cons'istent individuat identity arises from a continual stream of
consciousness. lt is simitar to what we think of as the sout, or the mind. The
pure ego is not a substance and therefore coutd not be examined by science.

(2) KAREN HORNEY "Real Self and ldeal Self"

a Karen was a German psychoanatyst who practiced in the United States


during her later career.

a Horney believed that if


we have an accurate conception of our
own setf, then we are free to realize our potential and achieve what
we wish, within reasonable boundaries. Thus, setf -actualization is the
heatthy person's aim through life-as opposed to the neurotic's clinging
to a set of key needs

a There are two views of our setf: the "rea[ self" and the "ideal setf". The
rea[ setf is who and what we actuatty are. The idea[ setf is the type of
person we feet that we should be. The real setf has the potential for
growth, happiness, witl power, realization of gifts, etc., but it atso has
deficiencies. The ideal self is used as a model to assist the real setf in
devetoping its potential and achieving self-actuatization. But it is
important to know the differences between our ideat and real setf.

o The neurotic person's self is sptit between an idealized setf and a real
setf. As a resutt, neurotic individuals feel that they somehow do not
live up to the ideat setf. They feel that there is a flaw somewhere in
comparison to what they "should" be. The goals set out by the neurotic
are not realistic, or indeed possibte. The reat setf then degenerates
into a "despised self", and the neurotic person assumes that this is the
"true" setf. Thus, the neurotic is [ike a ctock's pendutum, osciltating
between a fattacious "perfection" and a manifestation of self-hate.
Horney referred to this phenomenon as the "tyranny of the shoutds" and
the neurotic's hopeless "search for gtory". She conctuded that these
ingrained traits of the psyche forever prevent an individuat's potential

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


28

'from being actuatized untess the cycle of neurosis is somehow broken,


through treatment or, in less severe cases, life lessons.

(3) CARL ROGERS "Self-actualization"


"The organism hos one basic tendency ond striving - to octualize,
maintain, ond enhance the experiencing organism" C.R.

a Car[ Rogers (1902-1987) was a humanistic psychotogist who betieved


that for a person to achieve setf-actuatization they must be in a state
of congruence. This means that self-actuatization occurs when a
person's "ideal setf" (i.e., who they woutd tike to be) is congruent with
their actual behavior (setf -image).

Humans have one basic motive, that is the tendency to setf-actuatize


that is, to futfitt one's potential and achieve the highest [eve[ of
'human-beingness' we can. Like a flower that witt grow to its futl
potential if the conditions are right, but which is constrained by its
environment, so peopte wit[ ftourish and reach their potential if their
environment is good enough. However, unlike a flower, the potential
of the individual human is unique, and we are meant to devetop in
different ways according to our personality. People are inherentty
good and creative. They become destructive onty when a poor setf-
concept or external constraints override the vatuing process. For a
person to achieve setf-actuatization, they must be in a state of
congruence. This means that setf-actualization occurs when a person's
"ideal self " (i.e., who they woutd tike to be) is congruent with their
actuat behavior (setf-imaee).

. Chitdhood experience is the main determinant of whether we witl


become self-actuatized or not.

(4) DONALD W. WINNICOTT "True Self and False Self"

a Donatd Woods Winnicott FRCP (7 Aprit 1896 - 25 January 1971) was an


Engtish paediatrician and psychoanatyst who was especiatty inftuential
in the fietd of object retations theory and devetopmental psychotogy.

The setf is a very important part of mental and emotional wet[-being


which ptays a vital rote in creativity. Peopte were born without a
clear[y devetoped setf and had to "search" for an authentic sense of setf
as they grew. The sense of feeting reat, feeling in touch with others
and with one's own body and its processes was essential for living a
tife.

TRUE SELF
"Onty the true setf can be creative and onty the true setf can feet reat.
The Irue Sell is a sense of being alive and real in one's mind and body,
having feetings that are spontaneous and unforced. This experience of
aliveness is what altows peopte to be genuinety close to others, and to

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module t-


79

be creative. "True Se[f" begins to devetop in infancy, in the relationship


between the baby and its primary caregiver (typicatty the mother). One
of the ways the mother hetps the baby devetop an authentic setf is by
responding in a wetcoming and reassuring way to the baby's
spontaneous feetings, expressions, and initiatives. ln this way the baby
devetops a confidence that nothing bad happens when she expresses
what she feets, so her feelings don't seem dangerous or probtematic to
her, and she doesn't have to put undue attention into controtting or
avoiding them. She atso gains a sense that she is rea[, that she exists
and her feetings and actions have meaning.

FALSE SELF
a A defense, a kind of mask of behavior that compties with others'
expectations. lt is what attowed one to present a "polite and mannered
attitude" in pubtic.

a This began to devetop in infancy, as a defense against an environment


that felt unsafe or overwhelming because of a lack of reasonabty
attuned caregiving. Parents did not need to be perfectly attuned, but
just "ordinarity devoted" or "good enough" to protect the baby from
often experiencing overwhelming extremes of discomfort and distress,
emotiona[ or physical. But babies who lack this kind of external
protection had to do their best with their own crude defenses.

"Comptiance", or behavior motivated by a desire to please others rather


than spontaneously express one's own feetings and ideas. For example,
if a baby's caregiver was severety depressed, the baby would anxiously
sense a lack of responsiveness, would not be able to enjoy an illusion
of omnipotence, and might instead focus his energies and attentions
on finding ways to get a positive response from the distracted and
unhappy caregiver by being a "good baby". The "False Setf" is a defense
of constantty seeking to anticipate others' demands and comptying with
them, as a way of protecting the "True Setf" from a wortd that is fett
to be unsafe.

(5)Albert Bandura, "THE SELF AS A PROACTIVE AND AGENTIC"


"Self-efficocy is the belief in one's obility to influence events that
effect one's life and control over the way these events are
experienced. (Bondura, 1 994)"

a Aged 93, is one of the most renowned living psychotogists in the fietd
of psychotogy
a Social Cognitive Theory takes an agentic view of the setf. This means
that individuats have the capacity to control their lives. They are
proactive, setf-reftective, setf-regulating and setf-organizing (Feist,
et., 2013). Peopte have the power to inftuence their own actions to
produce desired resutts. Thus, the Agent Self is the executive function
that attows for action. That is why; people make choices and utitize

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


30

their sense of control in various life situations. This leads to setf-


efficacy.

a Setf-efficacy is, according to


psychologist Atbert Bandura who
originatty proposed the concept, a personal judgment of "how we[[ one
can execute courses of
action required to
deal
with prospective situations"

Psychotogists have studied self-efficacy from severat perspectives.


Educator Kathy Kotbe adds, "Betief in innate abitities means vatuing
one's particular set of
cognitive strengths. lt
atso invotves
determination and perseverance to overcome obstactes that woutd
interfere with utitizing those innate abitities to achieve goats.

Self-efficacy affects every area of human endeavor. By determining


the beliefs a person hotds regarding their power to affect situations, it
strongty influences both the power a person actualty has to face
chaltenges competentty and the choices a person is most tikety to
make. These effects are particutarty apparent, and compelting, with
regard to behaviors affecting heatth.

Factors affecti ng self-efficacy:

1. Experience, or "enactive attainment" - The experience of mastery is


the most important factor determining a person's setf-efficacy.
Success raises setf-efficacy, white faiture lowers it. According to
psychologist Erik Erikson: "Chitdren cannot be fooled by empty praise
and condescending encouragement". They may have to accept
artificial botstering of their self-esteem in lieu of something better.
Ego identity gains reat strength onty from whotehearted and consistent
recognition of real accomptishment, that is, achievement that has
meaning in their cutture."

2. Modeting, or "vicarious experience" - Modeting is experienced as, "lf


they can do it, I can do it as wett". When we see someone succeeding,
our own setf-efficacy increases; where we see peopte faiting, our setf-
efficacy decreases. This process is most effectuat when we see
oursetves as similar to the modet. Atthough not as inftuentiat as direct
experience, modeting is particutarty useful for people who are
particutarty unsure of themsetves.

3. Sociat persuasion - Social persuasion generatLy manifests as direct


encouragement or
discouragement from
another person.
Discouragement is generally more effective at decreasing a person's
self-efficacy than encouragement is at increasing it.

4. Physiotogical factors - ln stressful situations, peopte commonty exhibit


signs of distress: shakes, aches and pains, fatigue, fear, nausea, etc.
Perceptions of these responses in onesetf can markedty atter setf-

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -modute t-


31

efficacy. Getting 'butterfties in the stomach' before pubtic speaking


wi[[ be interpreted by someone with low setf-efficacy as a sign of
inabitity, thus decreasing setf-efficacy further, where high setf-
efficacy woutd lead to interpreting such physiological signs as normal
and unrelated to ability. lt is one's betief in the implications of
physiotogicat response that atters se[f-efficacy, rather than the
physiotogicat response itself .

SUMMARY

Lesson 4 on Psychotogy presented the concept of the setf from various


personatities. The self is regarded as having components such as material,
sociat, spiritual and pure ego. lt consists of the real and ideat setf, true and
the fake setf. Further, the setf is also viewed as self-actualizing and setf-
regutating with a goal towards setf-efficacy.

OUTPUT PLAN

Analyze yoursetf. Come up with a picture Cottage of yoursetf. Cut out


pict ures or draw your ldeal and Rea[ Setf. lnctude your reftections.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -A{odule l-


32

Lesson 5

THE SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN/ORIENTAL


THOUGHT

Motivational Activity:

Audio-Visua[ Presentation on the


difference between Western and
Eastern in terms of betiefs, practices,
vatues, etc. a
Group work: Be abte to show the
difference between eastern and
western thoughts through a skit.
F
The comparison between the Eastern and Western thoughts about setf
led us to the richness of ideas, knowtedge, skitls, practices, betiefs of both
wortds. ln Western thought, peopte tend to think of the setf as an entity
separate from others. People tend to answer affirmativety. The search for
absotute truth is focused on the rote of people and individual events. Research
and anatysis outside the setf are bases in finding answers retated to absotute
truth. This imptied that the truth needs to be proven by science. On the other
hand, in the Eastern thought, the setf is often viewed as an ittusion like in the
case of Buddhism where they people in interconnectedness. Everything that
'is happening is in fact is connected. Because of this interconnectedness, the
approach to absolute truth is hotistic. At[ events in the universe are atl
intertwined. Meditation and right living become the bases for searching the
inside setf. This imptied that the truth is already given and does not have to
be proven rather look how to find batance.

The tabte shows us more of the differences between the two thoughts
in terms of Phitosophy, cuttural vatues and mindset which hetp us appreciate
their contributions in the development of the setf.

EAST WEST
PHILOSOPHY
EASTERN MAIN PRINCIPLES WESTERN MAIN PRINCIPLES
Christianity, Scientific, Rationat,
The setf is embedded in retationships LogicaI schoots
and through Spiritua[ Devetopment.
Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism,
lntegral Yoga, lstam, Taoism, Zen
r Betieves in cosmotogical unity a Feeting onesetf as an element
o a
Life is journey towards of the Divine
eternat realities that are a
Life is service to God,
money, business, etc.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -,l odule l-


33

beyond realities that surround r Linear view of the universe


US and Life based on the
a Circutar view of the un'iverse Christian philosophy where
based on perception of everything has beginning and
eternat recurrence the end
a Setf tiberation form the "Fatse o Outer-wortddependent
Me" and finding the "True . Self-dedication to the goal
Me". The highest state is
believed to be a state of "No-
setf" where neither setf-
worth nor setf -importance
have an rea[ meanin
LIVING PRINCIPLES
VIRTUE ETHIC
"Be sotisfied with whatever you "One con live magnificently in this
have ond enjoy the same. When you world if one knows how to work
and
come to know that you hove how to love" (Leo Toistoy)
everything and you ore not short of
anything, then the whole world will "There is no reol excellence in
oll
be yours" (Lao Tzu) this world which con be seporoted
"Five things to be able to become from right living" (David Starr
virtuous -
gravity, generosity of Jordan)
soul, sincerity, earnestness,
kindness" Con uctus
BELIEFS AND VA LUES
The true key is lnside. The inner The main values are
success and
wortd of a human being and his/her achievement which
can be achieved
abitity to control and devetop it is of in many ways, but
rarety through
highest vatue. The way to the top is devetoping
inner strength. ffre
inside yourself through setf- majority of success and achievement
devetopment. criteria have external nature
(money, faith, poputarity, etc.) the
way to the top is through Active
Outside intervention.
50c AL c o N S TR U cTr o N o F T H E S E LF
INDIVI D U A L 5M c o L LE c T SM
A h u m a n be n o s a n n t eg ra a rt of A
human being h as an individuatistic
t he U n e rs e a n d t h e soc e t v D u t v nature and is an independent
part of
t ow a r d s a o t h e r5 s a VE ry the universe and the
rmportan t m a t t er c o ec t lvt s m s lndividuatism society.
is stronger.
stronger. Setf-sufficiency is encouraged which
rs retevant to independence. This
impties confidence in one,s capacity
to provide what the self needs.
Being Rationat is utitized. The setf
must not waste resources.

GECC 108- Unders tanding the 5elf


-,tlodule l-
34

IMPROVEMENT/ EVOLUTION
Cyctic devetopment, hence Linear devetopment,
hence
improvement is a
never ending improvement has a goat.
journey that has no limits. Development stops when the goal is
reached.
ACHIEVEMENT/WINNING
Winnin is lnside oursetf Win nin is Outside ursetf
IMPLEMENTATION
S irituaI and Missiona a roach Pra matic and Emotional a roach
GOALS AND KEY TO SUCCESS
SpirituaI Materialistic
"Live o virtuous lile and odhere to ""The secret of success in life ond
perf orming your duties" subsequently of moking money is to
(Conf ucionism) enjoy your work. If you do, nothing
is hard work no motter how mony
hours t in" Biu Butlin
E 5 TAB L S H N G c o N T R o L o E R YOUR EMO T o N S
Through Meditation Through Anatysis
"A man can seporate histher mind "l
con control my passions and
from his/her emotions and control emotions if lcon understand their
them" oolsm noture" I noso

LEADERSHIP
Spiritual Hands-on
Watking behind peopte. Sitence is Watking ahead of peopte.
Speech is
Iden olden

MODULE SUMMARY

. .ln summary' amidst the dichotomy of the Eastern and western


thoughts, the setf is devetoping. and being lxptorea-.
Eastern in gun"rat aiu
spirituatty and communatty inclined. Weslern' traditions put
high regard on
individualism, setf-efficacy, rationatity and science.'

the pursuit to understand the setf is chattenging and


lndeed,
interesting. Modute 2 witt further widen our f,nowfeAge
of who we are.

OUTPUT PLAN

e, Provide comparisons be-tween the Eastern


and Western thoughts using a
cottage. Ptace it
in a 1/g ittustration uoarJ. n"iy.tabte materiats are
encouraged. Make a one paragraph reftection
about your work.

GECC 108. U nderstanding the 5elf -rllodule l-


35

.6 SUMTAATIVE TEST

1. Explain the fottowing quotations. (Note: Foltow the format.)

a. The unexamined life is not worth living.


b. I discover that there are other minds in understanding what other
peopte say and do.

2. What are your personal insights or reftections of the various sociotogicat


perspectives of the setf?

3. Provide 2 itlustrations of each and be abte to cite your sources or


references. You may inctude a photo.

a. encutturation,
b. acculturation,
c. deccutturation and
d. cultural degradation

4. ldentify the name of the proponent based on the kind of self mentioned.

Setf-actuatization
lmitation
Setf-efficacy
Rea[ versus ideal setf
True versus fake setf

5. Conduct an interview to an individual with Asian background who was born


and raised in the Asian way and worked in the Western wortd. Be able to
list down his/her observations and experiences (at least 5) of the
differences between the two thoughts. Fottow format.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module l-


MODULE II
UNPACKING THE SELF

Lesson 1 The Physical Self


Lesson 2 The Sexual Self
Lesson 3 The Material/Economic Self
Lesson 4 The Spiritual Self

Lesson 5 The Political Self


Lesson 6 The Digital Self
2

MODULE II

UNPACKING THE SELF

INTRODUCTION

A }l E LlJ T oh* LF
s I
I
I
I I I I
I \
czeainesketches.clm rtll

Who are you reatly? ln Modute 1, you were abte to understand the self
as based on the perspectives of phitosophers. The setf as consisting of a body,
a soul and a mind, however the setf does not end in meanings only. There
should be a continuous exptoration of who we are. Why do you have to
investigate yoursetf? Why devetop yoursetf? Why maximize your potentiats?
There is a saying by Oscar Witde that says, "Be yoursetf. Everyone else is
taken." You cannot possess something which is not yours. lf there is one thing
in life that we can say we own it, that is - our setf. Life is so beautiful to be
wasted. As you age, there shoutd be a new discovery of who you are. Every
year, you are given the opportunity to uncover another layer of self
authenticity. As you celebrate your natal day, it marks a new beginning, a
new chattenge, a new struggle. lt is very difficutt indeed when you are not in
communion with your own setf. lt could be very exhausting attempting to be
someone you are not or trying yourself to fit into situations that are simpty
not you. Pteasing others a[[ the time sacrificing your own setf needs and
happiness can be very stressfut.

Therefore, being yoursetf means maximizing your best. How? Here are
five practical strategies by Vatori Burton (certified personal and executive
coach ).

(1) Say what you need to say. Are you too afraid to speak? Are you beating
around the bush? Have you found yoursetf telting a tittte tie to avoid
the embarrassment of telting the truth? This is a ctear sign you are not
being yourself. Think of a situation where you have not said what you
need to say. Authenticity means being forthright. Do not waste
precious energy pretending att is wet[ when it is not.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module ll-


3

(2) Wear what makes you feel best. lt may seem superficiat, but it is not.
Ctothing is a language. Be creative. Dress in a way that makes you feel
good.

(3) Do what you know is right. There is nothing more authentic than tiving
your own values. When your actions do not line up with your betiefs,
inner turmoil is sure to fottow. Do what is right and you witt have a
sense of peace about your decision and actions.

(4) Give yourself permission to be imperfect. When you are


uncomfortabte in your own skin, most of the time it is because you
have not permitted yoursetf to be human. You have not given yoursetf
permission to be imperfect. Enjoy yoursetf more. Expect bumps in life
journeys but it shoutd not keep you away from reaching your purpose.

(5) Breathe. Whenever you feet yourself being anxious, take a deep
breath. Let the air in and out slowly. Breathe and get centered aga.in.
It is such a simpte concept that can make an immense improvement in
your life and daity welt-being - just tike being yoursetf.

As a parent, an educator, a counsetor and a speaker, I too atways share


my bits of life strategies on reftections about life - (1) Cetebrate your birthday
with a twist. Make a journal about changes in you in att aspects - physicat,
mentat, emotionat, social and spirituat, (2) Mature every year. See to it that
your life is progressing and not regressing and (3) Live your vatues. Do what is
right and you witl feel at peace. This is the reason why persona[
development is a lifetong process. lt is an approach of evatuating our vatues,
qualities and skiIts.

Modute 2 focuses on Unpacking the Setf. What is the relevance of


unfotding onesetf? A simpte comparison is unpacking after travelling. What is
in the bag after journeying? ls there something new worth discovering?
Perhaps, you bought a new gadget, a new dress, a new toy that you have to
try and see if it works. Or in your travet, did you meet someone and made a
friend? By doing so, you realized that you have a lot to [earn about yoursetf
and that there are stitl areas in you for setf-improvement. you unpack your
physical, sexuat, material, politicat, spirituat and digitat selves to make your
life better and meaningfut.

The Physical setf is the first aspect that can be usuatty seen by others
which can be a basis for a positive or negative acceptance. The body is an
agent for setf-expression. You can make a sense about the wortd through the
information gathered by the sense organs.

The Sexuat setf is the house for understanding your sexual being, how
you respond to biotogical and physiotogical changes. lt speak of your sexuat
heatth, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and va[ues around
sexuatity that might have effects on personatity.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ltl


4

The Materiat/Economic Self on the other hand emphasizes your


attachment to your possessions which can become an extension of your setf-
identity.

The Potitica[ Setf is about the formation of a pubtic identity based on


the impact of learning historical background.

The Spiritual Setf is associated with your personal relationship with the
supreme being - your God, being at peace with yourself and finding meaning
in life.

Lastty, the Digitat Setf as created by digitat technotogies which


becomes an extended setf .

The setf in other words is a goal in progress. There shoutd be an


integration of a[[ the setves towards maturity and heatthy living.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the semester, students witl be abte to;


'l . Exptore the different aspects of setf and identity,

2. Demonstrate criticat, reftective thought in integrating the various


aspects of setf and identity,

3. ldentify the different forces and institutions that impact the


devetopment of various aspects of self and identity, and

4. Examine one's setf against the different aspects of setf discussed in


ctass

DIRECTIONS/ MODULE ORGANIZER

Journey in life as you read every lessons in this modute. Make sure to
participate in the Motivationa[ activities and accomplish the Output ptan and
Summative Tests.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self +,lodute ll-


5

Lesson 1

l t- THE PHYSICAL SELF

"l om not who I think I om. I om not who


you think I am. I am who I think you
think I am". - Joson Silyo

Motivational Activity:
"Mirror, mirror on the Watt"

Procedure:

Look at yoursetf using your cett phone.


What do you see? Do you see yourself
as you or do you see someone etse? List
down beautifut things you appreciate
about your body and [ist down worst
things you do not like about it.

Processing:
1. How do you feel about the activity?
2. Was it difficutt to identify beautifut things about your body?
3. Are there more beautiful than worst things about yoursetfl Why?
lnsights and Reflections:
1, Learn to accept your body.
2. Others may view your.body differentty; thus you react and you change
sometimes based on the way others perceive you.

"Are you reody to UN4ACK and DTSCOVER IOURSELF?,

. Reatity-wise
characteristics.
our society ptaces particutar high regard on physicat
oftentimes, sexy body with curvy b=ody itrapes, uL.i,tiiri
breasts, long tegs, and tong wavy hair ire characteiistics that
are often seen
as desirable in women. And for men, having strong muscular
body, abs, anJ
Fying q firm jawtine make up handsome, lood tJoktng ana aesiiiUte men.
This..is the expectation ptaced by both sexei and very
much visibte in sociat
media. The context of being beautifut is having a body as aerineo
uy irre
society. A vast amount of media coverage imptiZitty favors, and in tne
caie
of the advertising.industry expticitty promiote moderiof attru.uruneri.
Fitmr,
magazines and tetevision atl contribute to body shape images.
consumers are
lurked into products that create beautifut body by distoiting
the reatityoi
normal into the unreatity of ideats such as the ro-cattuo
ioeat Jr women u6ing
size zero. To be attractive is to have acceptabte physicat
characterrstr.ci
rather than.having positive personatity traiis such as kindness,
humor, -
intettigence, thoughtfuIness and intettigence.
,"nr" oi

GECC 108 - Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


6

Researches showed the rote of physical appearance. Darwin's theory of


evotution and natural setection states that characteristics that give an anima[
or human the best chance of survivat and of reproducing themselves witl be
prized. Psychotogists woutd suggest that attraction based on physicat
characteristics is retated to features which indicate heatthiness and especiatty
fertitity.

Another study by Viren Swami and Adrian Furnham (2006) suggested


influence on attraction based on physicat characteristics. Their research
focused on the heterosexual mate perspective. They pose the question of
whether there are physicat characteristics that are found to be attractive
across cuttures. lf so, do these characteristics signal procreative potentiat as
predicted by psychotogists taking an evotutionary approach to exptaining
behaviour? Swami and Furnham conclude that there is research evidence to
suggest that there are characteristics that have been shown to be attractive
across cultures.

The physical characteristics for femates focus on body shape,


especially the waist to hip measurement ratio (WHR). A WHR measure of 0.g
means that a person's waist measurement is 80 per cent of their hip
measurement. Thus, for a woman a WHR of around 0.7, is better than a high
WHR, of 0.9 and over, in terms of heatth and fertitity. ln most cultures men
witl rate women with a 0.7 WHR as more attractive than a woman with a
higher WHR. Poputar evidence to support this is the fact that present day
catwatk supermodets, as well as fitm stars of the 1950s such as Maiityn Monroe
and, going back even further, the famous (armtess) statue of the Venus de
Mi[o atl have WHRs in the 0.7 range. However, body weight may be even more
important than WHR in determining attractiveness. Swami and Furnham
report on research that shows some variation among cuttures when they
tooked at this measure.

Generatty, in economically developed societies men tend to prefer


women with a lighter buitd, white men in economicatty devetoping societies
tend to prefer a heavier buitd. These cutturat differences are'exptained by
evotutionary psychologists suggesting that in societies where food supptiei
were poor or uncertain it was understandabte women with a high body weight
would be seen as better choice of partner. ln economicitty devetop,-ed
societies these more basic considerations which are focused on survivai in
difficutt environments are not retevant and other factors may come into ptay.

The evotutionary approach is controversiat, with most psychotog.ists


viewing it as much too simptistic, but it does offer a wide-ranging exptanaiory
framework within which to begin to understand and inteipret numan
behaviour.

The work of Swami and Furnham above has introduced some of the
cuttural variation in what peopte consider to be attractive for potentiat
intimate retationships. There are a range of other features that have been
considered to influence attractiveness. whereas signs of heatthiness are most
important and once these have been considered, signats of weatth or status

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


7

may be taken into account. ln the last few decades in western societies
peopte have often vatued suntanned skin and stimmer buitds as this indicates
someone has the resources to eat a heatthy diet and take part in exercise as
we[[ as go on expensive hot'idays or at teast to a tanning saton. lnterestingly
with the dangers of sun tanning being researched and pubticized peopte with
tans or at least sunburned skin are now viewed more negativety.

There are numerous examptes, taken from different cuttures, of more


unusual physical adornments that have been considered to be attractive. ln
China the practice of femate foot-binding was carried out for hundreds of
years before being banned in 191 1. The process was started when girts were
about five years otd and the ideal was to have feet no tonger than four inches.
As you can imagine this was an extremety painfut process and girts and women
were often unabte to watk more than the shortest distance. This was a status
symbo[ and onty carried out on girls from weatthy famities who would be
expected to marry into a simitarty weatthy famity. Girts from poorer
backgrounds woutd be expected to work, which wouid be impossibte with
bound feet. simitarty in Renaissance Europe women woutd often btacken their
teeth to appear more attractive. The exptanation for this is that sugar was
onty avaitabte to the very weatthy and sugar did cause teeth to rot a-nd turn
btack so by painting your teeth btack you coutd appear to be of high economic
status and therefore a desirable person.

THE SELF AS IMPA CTED BY THE BODY

. The Physica[ setf refers to the body being the vehicle for our expression
in the wortd. our sensory organs pick up infoimation from the enviionment
and we react to it. This is the concrete and tangibre aspect of a person
that
can be seen, observed and examined. How ab-out the physicifs.ii u"G
l:9t9q t9 setf-identity? Wittiam James, a renowned psythotoglst inaicatej
that (a) the self is the sum totat of a[[ a man can calt tirTh"rs
o"av, i.ritv,
ctothes, reputation, etc.)which forms his/her identity and (b) the u6iv
i, t#
initial source of sensation and necessary for the origin and maintenance
of
personatity. what is the imptication of this? The bodyis
a way, an instrument,
a form of expression in which we make sense of the wortd.

THE IMP ACT OF CULTURE ON BODY IMAGE & SELF.ESTE EM: THE
IMPORTANC E OF BEAUTY

Motivational Activity: What is your concept of beauty?

The concept of body image is retated to the concept of


beauty. One,s
perception of his/her body teads to either pteislngtsatiiiyir;
unpte.asing./unsatisfying feetings. Body image is an imporiant ";
aipeit or
identity which is being devetoped at t-he stale of Adotescence. wnat
auout
the society's concept of beauty? cutture un.i'nirto.y infruence standards
beauty. Beauty and appearance norms are connected to ideats
oi
of uppuirin.u
and hard work. And there two kinds of beauty, (a) lnternat
Seariy *hiih

GECC 108 - Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


refers to inner quatities of a person, and (b) the External Beauty which refers
to the physicat characteristics of a person

What is the difference between the Body lmage and ldentity? The Body
image is the representation of an individual subject to att kinds of distortion
from earty experiences. lt strongty inftuences one's behavior. This mentat
image serves as a driving force. Thus, having a positive or negative body image
can inftuence perception of the setf
(https:/ /www. Dsvchotoevtodav. com / intt/basics /bodv-imaee)

. On the other hand, ldentity encompasses the memories, experiences,


relationships, and vatues that create one's sense of setf. rrik rrikson
Psychosocial stages of Devetopment proposed eight (g) stages of tifecycte
that
each contained a conflict, with the resotution of ihose ionfticts teading
to
the devetopment of persona[ity.
(https: / /www. psvchotoqytodav. com / intt/basics/identitv).

. self-concept is a general term used to refer to how someone think


about, evatuates or perceives h'imsetf / hersetf . To be aware of oneself is to
have-a.concept of onesetf. Baumeister (1999) once said, .The
individuat,s
belief about himsetf or herself, inctuding ihe person's attributes and
who and
what the setf is". what is the impticatio-n of iuch? A person who
appreciatei
his/her physicat body has a positive setf-concept which atso
affects his/her
setf-esteem. Thus, his/her self-esteem is atso positive or
high.
Observation:

"Much emphasis is given to the Externat


Beauty rather than the lnternat Beauty as
what our cutture is tetting us. Beauty is
judged by numbers,,. Being beautifui
means
having a perfect body.

THE ROLE o F CULTURE IN UNDERS TANDING BODY IMA GE & SELF.


ESTEEM

Culture is shared Datterns of thoughts, betiefs,


behaviors and habits in
|;:t ffi,""J,,:*!d
symboric rearms. whal d;;;;[;;"
say about b"dy ,.r.c;

Recent Researches:

(1) A study on "culture influences young


peopte's self -esteem: Futfittment
of
value priorities of other individuati
respondents base their self.'esteem noi
irdri;;[i"
y*in,, ,"r"it"J'ituiil;
on ih;i, o';; personat vatues - which
seem to have tittte or no influence on
their setf-relard'- but on the futfittment
of the vatue priorities of other indrviduais in th"rriirtiu.ut
environments. The
researchers noted that their respondentt'
r"riustu"m was based, in att

GECC 108- Under standing the Self -Modute ll-


9

cuttures, on four key factors: controlting one's Iife, doing one s duty,
benefiting others and achieving social status (201 4).

For exampte, participants in the survey who live in cultural contexts


that prize vatues such as individual freedom and leading a stimulating [ife (in
Western Europe and certain regions of South America) are more tikety to
derive their setf-esteem from the impression of controtting their lives. On the
other hand, for those living in cultures that vatue conformity, tradition and
security (certain parts of the Middte East, Africa and Asia) are comparativety
more tikety to base their setf-esteem on the feeting of doing their duty.

Recommendation: These subtle processes can encourage people to act


according to the expectations of the society they tive in , thus helping
maintain social sotidarity.
()

Jlll lfl cuttures


rnar att T :Encyctopedia on.Body Adornment by De Metto (2014) exptained
everywhere. have
.attempted to change their body in an
attempt to meet their cutturat.standards of beauty, as w-ett as their r;ti;i;
and/or social obtigations. peopte
modify ana aaorn itreir bodies ur
comptex process of creating and recreating thei; persona[ f.ri o? trc
identities. Body adornment refers to physicat itt"riiion and sociat
through the use oi
surgery, tattooing, piercing, scarification, branding, genital
mutitation,
imptants and others of the body, the practice of ptyii.i[ty-"nf,"n.i.Ciilil;
and decorating. tiody riroaificatiorii 'are either permanent
9l_r,ty!i.C
temporary. or

Watch the attached tink to see an exampte: pixee,


(httos:r /www. voutube. the Famous Barbie Dott
com i watch?v=zlzL5We2ip4 )

THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN UN DERSTAND ING BODY


I MAGE & SEL F.ESTEEM

(1)A study on ,.Effects of Media on Body lmage


and Setf-Esteem (2015)
indicated that the media has been iornJt U"
conveyor of socio-cuttural vatues regarding body
tt" most poweriui
ideats, ,ir" una
weight, which has been tinked to boZy disiatisfiction
and in turn,
related to other heatth concerns such as depression,
low setf esteem
drro eating disOrders.

GECC 108 - Understanding the Self -Modute ll.


10

(https: / /esource. dbs. ie/ bitstream / handte/ 1 0788/25051ba-qorman-s


20'l 5. pdf?sequence=1 &isAttowed=v

(2) Body lmage, Confidence, And Media lnftuence: A Study Of Middte


School Adolescents (2013) showed that Hispanic femates are the most
tikety to be inftuenced, foltowed by White femates. Black femates
reported no inftuence. With respect to adotescent boys, onty a few
reported any influence at
att. (https: i fwww. researchqate. net/oubtication/ 2875 68277 Body lmaqe Confidenc
e And Media lnftuence A Studv O f Middte Schoot Adotescents)

(3) "Mass Media and Setf-Esteem, Body lmage, and Eating Disorder
Tendencies" (2007) reveated a significant positive retationships
between exposure to fashion or beauty magazines and (a) overatl
appearance dissatisfaction and (b) eating disorder tendencies were
found. No retationship resulted from television exposure. ln addition,
risk of eat'ing disorder tendencies was associated with (a) low setf-
esteem, (b) body dissatisfaction, and (c) overat[ appearance
d issatisfaction.
h ttDs : / /www. researcheate. net/DUbtica
lion / 27 4998493 ss Media and Setf-
Esteem Bodv lmaee and Eati nq Disorder Tendencies

(4) Setfie-Esteem: The Retationship Between Body Dissatisfaction and


Socia[ Media in Adolescent and Young Women. The increase in usage
of social media, especiatty Facebook and lnstagram, may negativety
affect adotescent girls and young women in regard to their setf-
confidence and body satisfaction (Lenhart, 2015). Lewatten and Behm-
Morawitz (2016) suggest that adolescent girts and young women
fottowing fitness boards on Pinterest were more likely to report
intentions to engage in extreme weight-loss behaviors, such as crash
dieting or a radical exercise ptan. Overatt, the resutts of this study
reveated that social media environments might inftuence adolescent
girts and young women to engage in social comparison leading to
feetings of inadequacy and body dissatisfaction (Atperstein, 2015).
Furthermore, based on the resutts of this study and others,
negative body image concerns appear to be higher for those who
internalized negative messages and images (Alperstein, 2015; Betl,
2016l..

How to Develop a High Self-Esteem:

'l
) ldentify troubting conditions or situations. Common triggers might
inctude stressors, crisis.
2) Become aware of your thoughts and beliefs that might be positive,
negative or neutral. They might be rational, based on reason or facts,
or irrational, based on fatse ideas.
3) Chattenge negative thoughts. Test the accuracy of your thoughts. Ask
yoursetf whether your view is consistent with facts and logic or whether
other exptanations for the situation might be ptausibte.
4) Adjust your thoughts and betiefs.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


11

https: / /www. mavoclinic.ore/ heatthv- tifestvte / adutt-heatth / in-depth i setf-


esteem /art-20045374

,/ OUTPUT PLAN

Reflection Activity:

Plastic Surgery Animation Open the link to watch


https: / /www.youtube. com /watch?v=O85Hvkzd8tA

Processing:
1. How do you feel about the video?
2. To what extent you are inftuenced by your culture and the social media
as to how you view yoursetf?
3. lf you are given an opportunity, would you change your body? Why?
4. What are your insights about it?

Listen to a song by Christina Aguillera "Beautifut".


Study and understand the lyrics. Make a Reftection Paper with the titte, "On
Being Beautiful"

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


17

Lesson 2

THE SEXUAL SELF

Motivational Activity: Watch the attached


link
t
I' lnterview with Toni Gonzaga by Boy
Abunda
(httDs://www.Voutube. com/watch?v=GOs9iPzbQx4)

Processing:
1. How do you feet about the video?
I 2. Woutd you do the same? Why?
The Sexual Self refers to the totatity of onesetf as a sexual being,
inctuding positive and negative concepts and feelings. lt speaks of your sexual
heatth, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and values around
sexuatity. A part of yourself where you learn and understand your sexua[
development, how's people sexua[ activity, betiefs, misconceptions, access
to internet on sex can inftuence your sexuat behavior and responses.

Retative to sexual setf is sexual devetopment to which it is considered


a [ifetong process that starts at conception (Tsiaras, 2006). What is the
importance this? (1) Learning experiences are determined by the individual,s
sex. Chitdren learn what is considered appropriate for members of their sex,
(2) They atso reach important mitestones in how they feet and learn about
their bodies, how they experience relationships with famity members and
friends, and how they become aware of and identify their gender, (3) Chitdren
atso devetop thoughts and feetings and vatues and betiefs about sexuatity.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SECONDARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS AND THE


HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

The Human Reproductive System consists of the mate and femate


reproductive systems. The mate reproductive system has one function: to
produce and deposit sperm. The female reproductive system has two
functions: to produce egg ce[[s, and to protect and nourish the fetus untit
birth. Humans have a high tevel of sexuat differentiation. ln addition to
differences in nearty every reproductive organ, there are numerous
differences in typicaI secondary sex characteristics.

Secondary sex characteristics are features thatappear


during puberty in humans. These are pubic hair, entarged breasts and
widened hips of femates, and facial hair and Adam's apptes on mates.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


13

SIGMUND FREUD PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT


(httDs: / /www. voutube. com /watch?v=WBXTlDuhl bU)
According to Freud, every "heatthy" chitd evotves through five
different stages. Each stage is associated with a specific part of the body, or
more specificatty termed as the erogenous zone. Each zone is a source of
pteasure and conftict during its respective stage. A person's abitity to resotve
that conflict determines whether or not they were abte to move onto the next
stage. The progression to the next [eve[ of development means having been
abte to resolve the conftict in a given stage. The opposite is remaining stuck
which might be because of (a) devetopmental needs weren,t adequatety met
during the stage, which caused frustration, (b) developmental needs
were so wett met that they didn't want to leave the state of indutgence. Both
can lead to what he calts a "fixation" on the erogenous zone associated with
the stage.

1 Oral Stage (from Birth to 1 year), erogenous zone: mouth. A human,s


tibido is located in their mouth. Meaning the mouth is the primary
source of pteasure. This stage is associated with breastfeeding; biting,
sucking, and exptoring the wortd by putting things in the mouth.
Freud's theory says that things like excessive gum chomping, nait
biting, and thumb.sucking are rooted in too tittte or too much orat
gratification as a chitd. Overeating, overconsumption of atcohol, and
smoking are atso said to be rooted in poor development of this first
stage. The primary need of a baby during this time is satisfaction of
the mouth mothers /caregivers are supposed to be providing mitk.

2 Anal Stage (1 to 3 years otd), erogenous zone: anus and btadder. How
a parent approaches the toilet training process inftuences how
someone interacts with authority as they get otder. lt is during
this
stage that potty training and learning to conirot your bowet movements
and bladder are.a major source of pteasure ani tension. Harsh potty
training is thought to cause adutts to be anal retentive: perfectionists,
obsessed with cteantiness, and controtting. Liberat training,
on the
other hand, is said to cause a person to be anat exputsivE, ,"rry,
disorganized, oversharing, and having poor boundaries.

3. Phallic Stage (3 to 6 years otd), erogenous zone: genitats specificatty


the. penis. For young boys, this meant obsession *-jth
thei, b*n p"ni',
and for young girts, this meant fixation on the .,penis
envy.,,There are
two terms which needs thorougtr understanding _ the Oedipus
comptei
and.the. Etectra comptex. The Oedipus corrrptei is based
on the Gieek
myth. where a young man named'oed;pus kitts his father
and then
marries his mother. When he dtscovers what he,s done,
he pof,ui ni,
eyes out. Freud betieved that every boy is sexua[y atiractla
to nii
mother. And that every boy betieves th;t if his father found
out, hi;
father woutd take away the thing the tittte boy tovei most
in the world:
nrs pents. Ihts is caIted castration anxiety. According
to Freud, boys
eventuatty dec.ide to become their fathers through r:mitation
iather
than fighting them. He catted this,,identification,lind
believed it was

GECC 108 - Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


14

uttimatety how the Oedipus comptex got resolved. Whereas, Etectra


comptex is when young girts love their moms until they reatize they
don't have a penis, and then become more attached to their fathers.
Later, they begin to identify with their mothers out of fear of [osing
their love - a phenomenon he coined the "feminine Oedipus attitude.,'
He betieved this stage was crucial for girts to understand their rote as
women in the world, as we[[ as their sexuatity.

4 Latency Stage (7 to 10 years otd, elementary days), erogenous zone:


sexuat feelings inactive. Freud argued that this is when sexual energy
was channeled into industrious, asexuat activities tike tearning,
hobbies, and social retationships. He fett that this stage is when peopte
develop heatthy social and communication skitts. He betieved faiture
to move through this stage coutd result in tifetong immaturity, or the
inabitity to have and maintain happy, heatthy, and futfitting sexual and
non-sexual relationships as an adutt.

5. Genital Stage (12 up or puberty untit death), erogenous zone: genitats.


This is when an individuat begins to have stronglexuat interelt in the
opposite sex. lf the stage is successfut, this is when fotks have
heterosexual intercourse and devetop toving, tifetong retationships
with someone of the opposite sex.

The Human Reproductive System:


1. Mate (ctick the tink)
https: / / utube.c om/watch?v=Ll4pOOF CiYH4
2. Femate (ctick the tink)
httDs tube.com/watch ?v=ZZEsP 1eG4

EROGENOUS ZO NES

This is the area of the human bodv that has heightened sensitivity,
the stimulation of which m ay generate a sexua[ response, such as
retaxation, sexuaI fantasies, sexual arousal and orqasm. lt is located in
atl
over the human body, but t he sensitivity of each varies, and de pends on
concentrations of nerve endinqs that can provide pteasurabte sensations when
stimulated. The touching of an other person's erogenous zone is regarded
as
an act of h sicaI intimac . Whether a person finds sti mutation in
these areas
to be pleasurabte or objec tionable depends on a range of factors, incLudin o
their tevet of arousat the circumstances in which it takes ptace, cutturat
context, nature of the retat ionship between persons invotved, and personat
history.

HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE:

Both men and women experience these phases, atthough the


timing
usuatty is different. lt is untiketythat both partners wi[t reach
same tr'me. The intensity of the response and the time spent
5rgurr;iihi
in iach phase
varies from person to person.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


15

PHASE 1: EXCITEMENT - Last from a few minutes to several hours


.Muscte tension increases.
.Heart rate quickens and breathing is acceterated.
.Skin may become ftushed (btotches of redness appear on the chest and
back).
. Nipptes become hardened or erect.
. Btood flow to the genitats increases, resutting in swetting of the
woman's ctitoris and labia minora (inner [ips), and erection of the man's
penis.
. Vaginal [ubrication begins.
. The woman's breasts become futter and the vaginal watts begin to
swett.
. The man's testictes swett, his scrotum tightens, and he begins secreting
a Iubricating Iiquid.

PHASE 2: PLATEAU
Extends to the brink of orgasm:
. The changes begun in phase 'l are intensified.
. The vagina continues to swe[[ from increased blood flow, and the
vaginal watls turn a dark purpte.
. The woman's ctitoris becomes highty sensitive (may even be painful to
touch) and retracts under the ctitoral hood to avoid direct stimutation
from the penis.
. The man's testictes are withdrawn up into the scrotum.
. Breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure continue to increase.
. Muscte sDasms may begin in the feet, face, and hands.
. Muscle tension increases.

PHASE 3: ORGASM
The climax of the sexual response cycle. lt is the shortest of the phases and
generatty lasts onty a few seconds.
. lnvotuntary muscte contractions begin.
. Btood pressure, heart rate, and breathing are at their highest rates,
with a rapid intake of oxygen.
. Musctes in the feet spasm.
. There is a sudden, forcefut retease of sexual tension.
. ln women, the musctes of the vagina contract. The uterus atso
undergoes rhythmic contractions.
. ln men, rhythmic contractions of the musctes at the base of the penis
result in the ejacutation of semen.
. A rash, or "sex flush" may appear over the entire body.

BASIC BIOLOGY OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR: THE CHEMISTRY OF LUST LOVE &


ATTACHMENT THE SCIENCE OF LOVE AND ATTACHMENT

Lust is a feeling of physicatty attracted and drawn to the object of


affection. There is seduction (or be seduced), an element of mystery or an
intensity that makes things exciting. This is driven primarity by the
hormones testosterone in men and estrogen in women. This usuatty occurs

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module ll-


16

across species and may be part of the basic drive to find a partner to spread
genes with.

Whereas, Attraction is the start of obsession about the lover and crave for
his/her presence. Heart races and he/she doesn't feet tike steeping or eating.
There is a presence of sweaty patms, a feeting of a surge of extra energy and
excitement as fantasize appears of the things done together. Feetings are
created by three chemicats, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin.

Attachment on the other hand invotves wanting to make a more tasting


commitment to the loved one. This is the point at which one may move in
together, get married, and/or have chitdren. After about four years in a
retationship, dopamine decreases and attractjon goes down. lf things are
going wett, it gets replaced by the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin, which
create the desire to bond, affiliate with, and nurture the partner.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

sexuatity is more than sexual feetings or sexual intercourse. lt inctudes


att the feetings, thoughts and behaviors associated with being a male or a
femate, being attractive, being in [ove. lt inctudes sexual iniimacy, being
sensual and sexual activity. lt inctudes enjoyment of sex which inctudes th6
senses, httD s: / /www.advoca tesforvouth. /vtD-
content / u ptoad s/storaqe/ /ad vfy/documents /circtes. pdf

+ intimacy xxY
It at.d.-d De,rlrtre
o,rE;ml closffis r0 .mrE hLtun
andn6d il ral!,rEd
+ idantlty
ll..hrQdlr ol. e.se d 6rto
arr lrruary .ctrtng a *ce
d tr*!!r.r..rld
's irtE:.i.ss
+ sensuality
lrir,SEa.lat
crrrfo.t *th oi€i r,*i) t 6y
otyloloq cal .n|olrrfl d o.? s
M bor! aid &. bo(Ft: oi o|rBs

+ sexualisation + health & repro


IL r- ol Ely D ir!€..e cc.tro, /llib all llrir! ,eared a! p.ocr ro
chtCr.n. .r€ .nd nuidmnce ot rl9 s€r
.nd ,ercdd t! ryga.s aid i!.irrh
cqreq*ncB ol aerlal ba\a@

The FIVE CIRCIES OF SEXUAL|TY

GECC 108 - Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


17

Self-activity:
o What is your idea of a good sex?
o When is the right time to engage in it?

DIVERSITY OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

Gender and sexual diversity (GSD), or simpty sexuat diversity, refers to


atI the diversities of sex characteristics, sexuaI orientations and gender
identities, without the need to specify each of the identities, behaviors, or
characteristics that form this pturatity.

Genderbread Person
---Ideniiiy
C >
( - Oraentation
)
E><pressiori-
---se><

GD (l<-,rr<l<:r <l<:r r --.-. r


ce de-q(Jeer
^r\an
.<=-.- -, ';
A^drogyrrous
.t=f Biotogical Se)< ^r\ascullne
Inlerse)<
-, SexLrat Orientation
Heterose)<Lral Bisei<Lral Homose)<ual

Self-Activity:

Determine yoursetf based on the foltowing:


1 Gender identity - Who you think you are
2 Gender expression - How you demonstrate who you are
3 Biological - What is your sex as based physicatty
4 Sexual orientation - Who you are attracted to

The WHO, as wet[, has made its gtobat pos'ition ctear: "ln none of its
individual manifestations does homosexuatity constitute a disorder or an
ittness and therefore it requires no cure" (PAHO, 2009). There is now wide
gtobat consensus among scientists that homosexuatity is a normaI and natural
variation of human sexuatity without any inherently detrimentat health
consequences.

Gender Bias is a preference or prejudice toward one gender over the


other. Bias can be conscious or unconscious, and may manifest in many ways,

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


18

both subtle and obvious. (https: / /www.diversity.com/page/What-is-Gender-


Bias)

PREMARITAL SEX

This a sexuat activity practiced by peopte before they are married.


Historicatty, premarital sex was considered a moral issue whic'h was taboo in
many cultures and considered a sin by a number of religions, but since about
the 1960s, it has become more widety accepted, ispeciatty in Western
countries.

2014 Pew study on gtobat moratity found that premaritat sex was
. .A
considered particutarty unacceptabte in "predominantty Mustim
nations,,, such
as Mataysia, lndonesia, Jordan, pakistan, and Egypt, iach
having ou", nX
disapprovat, while peopte in western ruropein' countries were
the most
accepting,. with Spain, Germany, and France expressing tess than
10%
disapprovat.

SEXUAL H EALTH AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTE D INFECTION S/DISEASES


STls/STDs

Peopte who have premaritat sex are recommended by heatth


professionats to take precautions to protect
tnemietves aga,hst iilsisrDs.
There is also a risk of an unptannea piegnancy in
heGrosexuat retationships.
Around the wortd, sex education progr.-r, .rl
,rn to teach school students
about reproductive heatth, safer iexiractf; ,;;;
abstinence, and br:rih
contro[.

Hrv/ArDS A|DS is the tate stage of Hrv infection that occurs when the
body's...immune system is
bad[y ouruc"J'il..rr" of the virus.
The Phitippines is a tow'Hrv'prevatence .ouni-ry,
,rrtt'-0.1 percent of the adutt
population estimated to be Hrv-positive,
but itr" ,..tu or in.rease in infections
ir^j1"..91 highest. As Augusi ZOre,-ih"- iepartment of Heatth
-the
(?oH) AtDs Registry .oi
in the phitippin"i r"poit"j oi',izicrrrrative
1984. cases since
( http tv, q ovlhiv-basi cslovervi ew/about -hiv-and-aid
hiv-and-aids) s/what-are-

FAMILY PLANNING & RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD

Family ptannine attows peopte to attain


their
children and determinE the spacing br prugnincr:ur.lils desired number of
actrtevea through use
of contraceptive methods ana tne-treatminl oiinr.rti[tv.
securing the wett'being and autonomy rt is essential to
of women, whiie supporung the heatth
and devetopment of communities.

GECC 108- under standing the self


-Modute ll-
19

Self-activity:
1. What is the right age to get married?
2. What is the right age to bear a chitd?

METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION

(1) Natural Birth Control methods do not inctude any chemicat or foreign
body introduction into the human body. Most peopte who are very
conscious of their retigious beliefs are more inctined to use the natural
way of birth controt. Some want to use natural methods because it is
more cost effective.
a) Abstinence
b) Calendar
c) CervicaI Mucus
d) Ovutation detection
e) SymptothermaI
f) Lactation Amenorrhea
c) Coitus interrupts

(2) Artificial Birth Control - employment of surgery or chemicats in the


prevention of unintended pregnancy
a) Birth control pi[[s
b) Diaphragm
c) Condoms
d) Spermicide
e) Cervicat caps
f) lntra-uterinedevice
g) Birth controt patch and shot and imptant
h) Tubat ligation /vasectomy
i) Tubat imptants
j) Emergency contraception pitt

OUTPUT PLAN

. create a slogan that depicts eradication of the fottowing issues and


share it to facebook.

1. Gender Bias
2. Premarita[ Sex
3. Responsibte parenthood

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


20

Lesson 3

TH E MATERIAL/ECONOMIC SELF

Motivational Activity:

Batikan ang mga gamit sa iyong t


bahay. Ano yong mga bagay na
meron ka na hindi mo kayang +t t
ipamigay o ibenta? lto ay nakatago
at iniingatan mo. Kuhanan ito ng l

larawan gamit ang iyong camera.


May mga panahon ba na kapag r
nakakita ka ng bagay na gusto mo eh I

hindi mo mapigilan ang sariti mo na


bithin ito kahit pa kutang ang pera
mo? Bakit kaya?

Processing Questions:
1. How do you feel about
the activity?
2. Why is it so difficult to
give up materiat things?
3. Insights from the
activity.
Additional Ref lection Activity:

Watch the attached [ink:


Why are we so attached to our things?
https://www.voutube.com/watch?v=H2 bvOrp5q0

I SHOP THEREFORE I Al,1: I HAVE THEREFORE I AM?


The Materiat/Economic Self refers to tangible objects, peopte, or
ptaces that carry the designation, my or mine. Such possessions are viewed
as extensions of individuats' identities. According to Wittiam James, a
psychotogist, there are two (2) subclasses of material setf: (a) bod'ity setf and
the (b) extracorporeal (beyond the body/extended) setf. material lf
possessions grew, the owners felt triumphant but if they faded, peopte fett a
part of themselves was dying (Trentman,2016).

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


21

Material Self as a Component of the Empirical self

James Witliam used the term "the empirica[ setf" to refer to a[[ of the
various ways peopte answer the question "Who am l?" He went on to group
the various components of the empiricat setf into three subcategories: (a) the
materia[ setf, (b) the sociat setf, and (c) the spiritual setf. The body is the
innermost aspect of the material self. The perceived certain body parts are
seen more private as compared to the others. The next aspect is ctothing; the
garments which protect and project the body. This is fottowed by famity being
connected by btood and famity shares their glory as well as shame. The home
comes next - it is where many aspects of life have been developed, it is where
one feels most comfortabte, and it is greatty linked to one's identity. This is
then foltowed by other possessions such as gadgets, cars, cotlections, etc.

An apptication can be understood in this situation. A person speaks of


my arms or my [egs. These entities are clearty an intimate part of who we
are. But our sense of setf is not limited to our bodies. lt inctudes other peopte
(my chitdren), pets (my dog), possessions (my car), ptaces (my home town),
and the products of our labors (my painting). lt is not the physicat entities
themsetves, however, that comprise the materiat setf. Rather, it is our
psychotogical ownership of them (Scheibe, 1985). For example, a person may
have a favorite chair she [ikes to sit in. The chair itsetf is not part of the seti.
lnstead, it
is the sense of appropriation represented by the phrase ,,my
favorite chair." This is what we mean when we tatk about ihe exiended setf.
It inctudes all of the people, places, and things that we regard as ,,ours.,'

How to identify if a material possession (entity) is part of the Self?


Examine one's emotional investment in the entity. lf one responds in
an.emotional way when the entity is praised or attacked, the entity is tikety
to be part of the setf. see how one acts towards it. lf one tavishes attention
on the entity and labors to enhance or maintain it, then the entity is part of
the setf.
The possible exptanation of this is that an equa[y instinctive imputse
drives one to cottect property; and the cottections thus-made become, with
different degrees of intimacy, parts of one's empirica[ selves. The parts of
weatth most intimately his/hers are those which are saturated with tabor.

Shapi nq the Way We See Ou rselves : The Role of Consu mer Culture on our
Sense of Se lf and ldentitv: The Cvcle of Work and Soend

Receiving one's satary/compensation is very retieving to a worker. once


they
have it, emptoyees spend their additionat income. T-he imperatives to
spend
in consumer society are numerous, and the incentives to save are weak.
iising
!11om9s
create social pressures to spend. A more teisured, to*ur-rp"naln!
tifestyte does not emerge. lnstead, peopte get more money and put'in ton!
hours.on the job. As tong as a few fashioi-minded or highty consumerisi
households take on the rote of innovators, spending their iicreased
income
on new, better, or more consumer items, the impict of their consumption

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


27

ripptes through the system. Marketing and advertising accelerate the


process.

Once a pay increase is granted, it sets off the consumption cyctes


described. The additional income will be spent. The employee witl become
habituated to this spending and incorporate it into his or her usual standard
of tiving. Gaining free time by reducing income becomes undesirabte, both
because of retative comparisons (Joneses versus Smiths) and habit formation.
The next year, when another increase in productivity occurs, the process
starts again. The company offers income, which the employee spends and
becomes accustomed to. What can be a probtem out of this? Disciptine! There
is no disciptine on the worker. How to sotve the problem then? SAVE!
(http: / /www. mdmoroofine.com / ivm /cvcte. ph p).

More Money + No More lnteltigence

Deteriorating Financial Position

The role of motivation ptays in identifying what is setf from what is not.
Possessions are not simply valued for what they provide; they are atso
prized because they become part of the setf.
Researches:
1. People spontaneousty mention their possessions when asked to
describe themsetves. These cottections are not simpty treasured for
their material vatue (which is often negligibte); instead, they represent
important aspects of setf. The tendency to treat possessions as part of
the setf continues throughout tife, perhaps explaining why so many
peopte have difficutty discarding old ctothes or possessions that have
long outlived their usefutness.

2. Possessions serye a symbotic function; they hetp peopte define


themselves. Peopte may be particutarly apt to acquire and exhibit such
signs and symbots when their identities are tenuousty held or
threatened.
3. A recent Ph.D., for example, may prominently disptay his diptoma in
an attempt to convince himsetf (and others) that he is the erudite
schotar he aspires to be. People accumutate possessions to entarge
their sense of setf. These functions support Sartre's (1943) ctaim that
peopte accumulate possessions to entarge their sense of setf.
4. Possess'ions atso extend the se[f in time. Most peopte take steps to
ensure that their letters, photographs, possessions, and mementos are
distributed to others at the time of their death. Peopte seek
immortality by passing their possessions on to the next generation
(Unruh, '1983, cited in Betk, 1988).
5. Peopte's emotional responses to their possessions also attest to their
importance to the setf. A person who [oses a wattet often feets greater
anguish over a lost photograph than over any money that is missing.
Many peopte who lose possessions in a naturat disaster go through a

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


23

grieving process simitar to the process peopte go through when they


lose a person they love (Mcleod, 1984, cited in Bel,k, 1988).
6. Evidence that possessions become part of the extended setf comes
from a series of inyestigations on the "mere ownership effect" Beggan
(1992). Once possessions become part of the setf, people imbue them
with value and use them to promote feetings of self-worth (see atso,
Kahneman, Knetch, &. Thater, 1990).
7. The tendency to overvalue that which is "ours" even extends to letters
of the atphabet. When asked to judge the pleasantness of various
tetters, peopte show enhanced tiking for the letters that make up their
own name, particularly their own initiats (Greenwatd & Banaji, 1995;
Jones, Pelham, Mirenberg, & Hetts, 2002; Nuttin, 1985, 1987).
8. This effect, has been observed in a variety of cuttures (Hoorens &
Todorova, 1998; Kitayama & Karasawa, 1997), and may even influence
important Iife decisions.
9. ln one study, Petham, Mirenberg, and Jones (2002) found that peopte
are more tikety to live in cities or choose occupations that match their
name or initiats. (Gattucci, 2003; Petham, Carvallo, DeHart, & Jones,
2003).
10.A fottow-up study found that peopte show greater tiking and romantic
interest in a person whose name is similar to their own (Jones, petham,
Carvalto, & Mirenberg, 2004). petham and cotleagues have dubbed thii
tendency "impticit egotism," because peopte aie generaLLy unaware
that their preferences are shaped by their tiking for their own initiats.

,/ OUTPUT PLAN

REFLECTION ACT|V|TY: Watch the movie, .,CONFESStONS


OF A SHOPAHOLtC"
and make a Reflection Paper

Choices:
1. English: "CONFESSIONS OFA SHOPAHOLIC"
(A Reflection paper)

2. Fitipino: "CONFESSTONS OF A SHOPAHOL|C"


(Ang Aking pagnin.i taynitay)

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module ll-


24

Lesson 4

THE SPIRITUAL SELF

r$otivational Activity:
..SHIELD
ME FROM PANDEMIC"

t, ,.
t i The outbreak of coronavirus disease
I 2019 (C0V|D-19) may be stressful for
i peopte. Fear and anxiety about a
t disease can be overwhetming and cause
! strong emotions in
adutts and
I I t chitdren. Coping with stress witt make
I i you, the peopte you care about, and
your community stronger.
I
Processing:
I
I 1. How are you?
2. What are your coping strategies?
3. lnsights from this pandemic

"Every once in a while you need to be quiet and listen for the guidance of that still,
small voice" - Valorie Burton

Peopte with spiritual faith find praying a part of their system atready.
The power of praying creates miracte that is unexptainabte. Attached to thls
is the faith that one has. Many times, it is our own faith and betief in our God
that saved us from turmoit, keeping us ative and giving us hopes amid tife
adversaries. There is this other side of us that is in communion with our God.
The Spiritual Self is you in your most beautifut and powerfu[ form. lt is the
authentic setf, the unconditioned part, the you without patterns. This is
something persona[ for each of us. Some may identify with Higher Setf, The
Universe, God, Higher Power, your inner Buddha, your true being. lt is the
part of you that is connected to everything, the part that is [ove. Atong with
this, there is a feeting of peace within you. Being spirituat can be assoiiated
with nature, [ove, creativity, or anything etse which induced a sense of
serenity. lt speaks of the quality of one,s retationships - with God, setf,
others, institutions and God's entire creation, marked by respect,
fo-rgiveness, generous service and prayer. Likewise, it is an ongoing, p"rsonai
life journey, a contextualizer by the betief in a higher beini; 'cutture,
relationships, nature, and the discovery of meaning in one,s -
tife.

GEC C 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


25

Researches associated with Spirituality:

1. Pucholski (2014), spiriluatity is the aspect of the setf that is associated


to an individuat's process of seeking and expressing meaning and how
he or she is connected to the setf, to others, to the moment and to
everything etse that composes his/her environment, including the
sacred and significant.

2. Beouregard ond O'Leory Q007), il is any experience that is thought to


bring the experiencer in contact with the divine; it is not just any
experience that feets meaningful.

3. Sinnott (2N2), il is atso posited as the individuat's personal retation to


the sacred or transcendent, a relation that then informs other
relationships and the meaning of one's own [ife.

4. hlyers ond his colleogues (2N0), it is the "personat and private beliefs
that transcend the material aspects of life and give a deep sense of
wholeness, connectedness, and openness to the infinite."

THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION: BELIEF lN SUPERNATURAL BEING & POWER

Spirit is the vital principte or animating force within at[ [iving things
(fotk betief).
(W. Harvey, R. Descartes, 1628 & 1633) somewhere within the body,
in a speciat locatity, there was a 'vital spirit' or'vita[ force', which
animated the whote bodity frame. Conceived of as Supernatural being
or non-physical entity (exampte, a demon, ghost, fairy, angel).
(Ancient lstamic) a spirit (Afi'1, appties only to pure spirits, but not to
other invisibte creatures, such as jinn, demons and angets.
(Engtish Bibtes) Spirit denotes the Hoty Spirit.
The concepts of spirit and sout often overtap, and both are betieved to
survive bodily death in some retigions, and "spirit" can atso have the
sense of ghost, i.e. a manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person.
Spirit is also often used to refer to the consciousness or personality
Hebrew language concept of spirit is ruach or pneuma in Greek which
means "breath" which comes from God (tife giving part of man). The
sout is termed is nephesh or in Greek psyche which means originatty is
throat or neck which becomes human [ife. ln Modern Psychotogy, both
spirit and soul mean tife.
Ancient Fitipinos were animists - betieved that everything has a spirit
and soul even symbots have spiritual meaning. Bagobos betieve that atl
things possess a gimokud or soul (sumangot), inctuding man-made
objects. The Sama of Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi betieve that
the sumangot or sout is found in atl nature, even inanimate things. (The
Sou[ Boat and the Boat-Soul: An lnquiry into the lndigenous "Sout" by
M. Abrera)

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


76

Fitipinos use spirit and soul interchangeably. The term for spirit is
"Espiritu or espirito", "ginhawa" in Visayan term, "hininga" in Tagatog
and "anges" in ltocano.
Sou[ is termed as katutuwa (Tagatogs), kararwa (ltokano) or
kadkadduwa (from root word dua meaning two, kad means constant
companion), gimokud (Bagobos), makatu (Bukidnons), dungan if the
person is ative and katag if dead (llonggos), dungan (Visayans which
means wittpower), katuha (Cebuanos), karadwa or katag (Mindoro
fotks), ab-abbik (Cordiltera, term for spirituat setf)
Bibte regards the sout as the "breath of tife", the innermost aspect of
a person that signifies the spiritua[ principte in him. lt is because of
this spiritual sou[ that the body becomes ative.

self-activity: Provide 3 betiefs about spirits or souts that are being practiced
sti[[ in the present time.

RELATIONSHIP BETW EEN LOO 8 AND PERSONHOOD

Filipino virtue eth ics are based on two foundationat concepts i n Filipino
cutture. The first is lodb , meaning 'retationa[ witt' , and the second is kopwa,
which is literatty trans lated as 'other person' b ut is better understood as
'togeth er with the person'. These serve as pitlars for a special cottection of
viftues (kogondoha ng-loob, utang-na-loob, pakikiromdam, hiya, lokos-ng-
loob / bo holo na) which are not individualistic virtues in the same way
as most
of the cardinal virtues of the Western tradition (i.e. prudence, justice,
temperance and fortitude) b ut are atl di rected towards the preservation and
strengthening of human re[ationships.
httDs: / /www. tandfonti ne.com /doi/abs/ 1 0.1080/09552367.2 015.10431 73?
io
urnatCode=cas D20

Historical Perspective of Loob


' Must be continuatty purified and strengthened in the forms of sacrifices
[ike abstinence and prayers.
. Revolutionary sense, the body has to be purified to be worthy of agimat
or anting-anting (prospero Covar)
. Loob is atso retated to Bait (intrinsic goodness)
. Mercado (1994) mentioned that ,,a purified katooban is supported by
prayer". Fitipino Catholics practice sacrificing during Lenten'Season.
. Loob is closely related to man,s spirit. A person whoie toob is pure ian
have special powers granted by Christ such as the abitity tJ;o;t-i
etements, cure the sick, speak in different tongues, interpret signs,
among others.

FINDING MEANTNG tN L|FE by Viktor Frankl


"hl9n's Search for Mlay!11' (1945) inspired mittions of peopte to
identify their attitude towards tife. Frankt'i experiences in the horiors
of the
Holocaust, a prisoner in Auschwitz and Dachau taid the foundation
,".v
personal type of therapy, loeotheraDv. The toss of his
famity ctarified"ifor
" him

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


27

that his purpose in this wortd was simpty to hetp others find their own purpose
in [ife. There were three very specific points to it:

work day by day with motivation


live from a perspective of love
have courage at a[[ times in adversity

The meaning of life centers around the fact that every second of every
day is a chance to make a decision, a decision that witt determine whether
we witl be subject to circumstance like a puppet in the hands of fate, or if
we witl act with true dignity, listening to our true setf .

3 Ways to achieve meaning in life:


1. Experiencing a Vatue - experiencing something or someone we vatue in
tife (famity, relatives, friends, workmates)
-
2. Attitudina[ values (suffering) practicing vatues like compassion,
bravery, good sense of humor, making sacrifices
3. Creative Vatues - finding creativity and passion in arts, music, writing,
invention and work

FINDING MEANING IN LIFE THROUGH PRAYER AND BELIEVING IN GOD


ALT TGHTY (BTBLTCAL CONTEXT)

Prayer is absotutety vital to make any progress in tife in (!


Thessatonians 5:17 ).
The way of prayer is the way of tife, "... for everyone who osks
receives." Luke 11:5-13 and Luke 18:1-8.
"You do not hove becouse you do not ask. " James 4:2.
"Until now you hove asked nothing in lAy name. Ask, and you wilt
receive, that your joy moy be fu ll." John 16:74
lf you desire [ife, and [ife in abundance; if you want more and more of
it; if you want to make constant progress, to be increasingly cteansed,
purified, and conformed to the image of Christ; if you want to make
steady progress - step by step - then pray and pray again: pray
without ceasingl (1 Thessatonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18 Cotossians 4:2-
3)
The way of prayer is truty the way of [ife. Jesus prayed much even
though He was God's onty begotten Son from eternity past. He offered
up prayers with vehement cries and tears. (Hebrews 5:7)
"Now in the morning, having risen a long white before daytight, He
went out and departed to a sotitary ptace; and there He prayed.,, Mark
1:35.
We have no tess of a need to seek out these sotitary places, wherever
it is most suitable to cry out from a fervent heart and with uptifted
hands (as the Scriptures tetl us many times was how they prayed in
those days) no tess than He did! lt works wonders with far-reaching
resutts! Onty the one who has tried it knows this.
Daity, fervent prayer meetings have the same effect on a person as
atternating rain and sunshine on a ptant. (Acts 2:42,46; Acts 3:1; Jude
70-21)

GECC i08- Understanding the Self +,todute -


28

,/ OUTPUT PLAN

REFLECTION ACTIVITY: PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE


Watch the attached link:
httDs: / /www.voutube.com / watch?v=STV2BSJ- ies

Make a reftection report about yoursetf white tistening to the song. During
time of sickness, natural disasters, time of pandemic, have you been
connecting with your God? Have you been opening your feelings to Him? Have
you been offering a[[ your worries and anxieties? How is your retationship with
your God?

God is smiting at us every day as we live our lives to the futtest. Let us not
stop being one with our spiritual setf. Let us find sotace in God's dwetting
place.

GECC 108- the Self -Module ll-


29

Lesson 5

THE POLITICAL SELF

Motivational Activity:
Pinoy ka ba?
u i'1- . ', t ..1:
Name 3 Fitipino values worth
practicing and passing to the next
generation. Be able to share to
f) ,a
group mates.
FILIPINO
Processing:
1. How did you feel about
T. 1,I,
the activitY?
2. What have you [earned?
The Potiticat Setf refers to a representation of yourself. lt is the pubtic
identity that you make and construct. This is a Potitical position based on the
interesl and perspective of one social organization. For Fitipinos, due to
cotonization, identity is mixed and fragmented. The impact of cotonization
affected the culture of Filipinos in generat.

Retative to potiticat setf are Potitics. These are activities that are related
to inftuencing the actions and poticies of a government or getting and keeping
power in a government. This atso refers to work or job of peopte (such as
etected offi-iats; who are part of a government. The opinions that someone
has about what shoutd done by governments, a person's potiticat thoughts and
opinions.

Factors that account for political self:


1. lndividual Factors
. Attitudes and values
. Presence of duatism
trHightights the contradiction between setf-interest and the good
of the communitY
trPositive and negative reinforcers
trAttitudes change
r Due to events that sweep the nation
Due to involvement in service'oriented activities

2. INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
o Famity
o School
. Gender
. Church
. Media

-Modute ll-
@lf
30

. Government
o Non-government and peopte's organizations

PEJLLQPING FILIPINO IDENTITY: IMPACT OF COLONTZERS TO FtLtptNO


IDENTITY

. Spain, the United States and Japan are contributories in the identity
formation of Fitipinos. The quest for setf-identity has been pervasive,
making it difficutt for Fitipinos to carye out their identity in ihe wortd.

' The colonizers fragmented the cotony to achieve opportunistic controt.


Higher education in the phitippines was designed by the Americans in
such a way that it produced narrow speciatists of their respective
fietds, motding people who are obtivious to the issues and iil.s of society
and of their fel[ow men. Students thus faited to futty grasp sociai
problems.

' A study on The rnftuence of cotoniat Mentatity on the Ethnic rdentity


Formation of second Generation Fitipino American youth reveated the
powerful rote co[onial mentatity ptays within famity sociatization,
as it
both promotes successful assimilation and hampers F.iripino ethnic
identity formation. Cutturat retention is often devatued
(httrr, / /rr*r..orf.r..or /tr*r/201 0/*"bpro*r.. / p.o"r12937.htr i)

' spanish influence made an impact on the indigenous cutture through


the change in Fitipino.names, intermarriagei, the ptaza .orpt"i,
fiestas, and other retigious rituats, forms oi amrrer"nt, attire and
ornaments, house
.stytes, painting and engraving, retigion, and
education. Many Fitipinos not change thiir nimes. tienfity oi
Fitipinos is partty a resu[t of-did
Spanish rute.

The cutture of the phitippines is a combination of cultures of the


East
and west. Fitipino identity was created primarily as a result of pre-cotoniai
cuttures, colonial inftuences and foreign traders intermixing and graduatty
evolving together.

Self-activity: , n\ r..- t{HY


Cite practices of Pinoys which are *. FTLIPTttgs
tEYF
products of cotonization.

Based on the Cotoniat Mentatity


)f
It
II'lPEBTEP
trQEPT?
Scale, there seem to be at teast
five indicators of CM among Fitipinos:

Feetings of inferiority for being Fitipino;


Feetings of shame, embarrassment, resentment, or setf_hate about
being a person of Fitipino heritage;

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -l odute ll-


31

Denigration of the Fitipino body (regarding white physical


characteristics as more attractive, advantageous, and desirabte than
typical Fitipino physical traits such as brown skin and ftat nose);
Discriminating against less-Westernized Fitipinos (e.g., making fun of
peopte from the provinces-"Promdi"-or indigenous peoptes and
regarding them as "backward"); and
Toterating or minimizing historical and contemporary oppression of
Fitipinos (because such oppression is accepted as the appropriate cost
of civitization).
The most egregious exampte of CM in the Phitippines is the abundance
of skin-whitening products and ctinics being advertised and sotd
everywhere. (20M, Skin Whitening in Southeost Asia), reveated that
at least 50 percent of Fitipinos use skin-whitening products. lt showed
that skin-whitening use is most common among Fitipinas, and among
the lower class and less-educated people in the Phitippines.
Current experiences of racism are also retated to CM among Fitipino
Americans. The more Fitipino Americans experience the denigration of
their cutture and ethnicity, the more tikety they are to devetop CM.
Research shows that 99 percent of Fitipino Americans report
experiencing racism in the past year. Thus, it is very likely that many
FiLipino Americans may hotd CM.
(WHO) The use of skin-whitening has been associated with mentat and
physicat health damage. Specificatty, it has been shown to be retated
to tower levets of setf-esteem, more depression symptoms,
more anxiety symptoms, and lower levets of life satisfaction. These
corretates of CM are concerning as research atso shows that they
typicatty co-occur with other troubting conditions Like atcohot and drug
use, and poor school or job performance.
httDs: //www Dsvchotosvtodav com/us/bloe/unseen-a nd-unheard/20'l 71 1 /fitiDinos-
coloniat-mentatitv-and-m entat-heatth

ESTABLISHING A DEMOCRATIC CULTURE

Fitipinos are a freedom-loving peopl.e, having waged two peacefut,


btoodtess revotutions against what were perceived as corrupt regimes.
ISource: Phitippines Department of Tourism]

The Phitippines government is modeted after the U.S. government. lt


has a President, Vice President and Congress with a Senate and a House
of Representatives. The main difference between the two systems is
that the Phitippine constitution limits the presidents to one six year
term (he or she cannot be reelected for a second term); senators to
two consecutive six-year terms and representatives to three three-year
terms. There are also separate batlots for the president and Vice
President.

Political and judicial institutions in the phitippines are regarded as


weak. The functioning of government has been hampered by coup
threats, insurgencies, street protests, and impeachment proceedings.
To relieve the "chronic gridtock" in the Fitipino tegistative system, the

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module ll-


32

U.S. nationaI Security CounciI has suggested that the Phitippines switch
from a Congressional to a partiamentary system.

Government type: repubtic. Under the Constitution, the government is


divided into executive, legistative, and judiciaI departments.

ln February 1987, the Phitippines adopted a new constitution that


instituted the presidentiat-styte republican form of democracy, which
resembtes the U.S. modet much more than the European parliamentary
system.

Creation of the Phitippines Freedom Constitution of 1986. Aquino


proctaimed the new Constitution in effect on February 11, 1987
httD f actsanddetaits.com /southeastasia/ Phi ti ool nes,/sub5 6f /entrv-31 64.htmt

Through the years, Phitippines enjoyed Democracy.

,/ OUTPUT PLAN

Reftection Activity:

1. What are ordinary day-to-day potitical decisions that you make? How
do these decisions affect your routine?

2. Do you consider the Phitippine government as truly democratic? Why


do you say so?

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module ll.


5.5

Lesson 6

THE DIGITAL SELF

Motivational Activity:
My Online ldentity
F t

Think of a character or anyone L,


that witt represent your avatar.
What would it be and why? \ l1
-
Processing: *
3. How did you feel about :
the activity? I
4. ls it difficutt to come up
with an avatar? Why?
5. What have you learned?

Self-evaluation Exercise: Are you a Digital Native?


Watch Digitat Natives and lmmigrants via youtube

I. ME. MYSELF & MY USER ID ONLINE IDENTITY

Ontine identity is not the same as your reat-wortd identity because the
characteristics you represent online differ from the characteristics you
represent in the physicat wortd. Every website you interact with has its own
idea of your identity. The resutt is that you have one true identity and many
partial identities. Some of the information associated with a partial identity
is under your controt; other information may be out of your controt or even
comptetety invisibte to you. They att contribute to "who you are and what you
dO, "httos: / /www. internetsocietv. ore/wD-content/ uDtoads / 2017l 11 / Understandine-Vour-
Ontine- ldentitv-An-Overview'of ' ldentitv. Ddf

SELECTI VE SELF.PRESENTATION & IMPRESSI ON MANAGEMENT

The lnternet and digitat technotogies present abundant opportunities for


individuats to manage the impressions they make on others. The ubiquitous
nature of the lnternet means that for most, presenting the self to other
individuats via the lnternet is a common, usuatty daity activity. The question
is how reat is your Digitat Setf? How ctose is your online setf'presentation and
impression management to the reat you?

CECC tOA- understandins it'e Setf -Modute ll-


34

IMPACT OF ONLINE INTERACTIONS ON THE SELF

A. NEGOTIATING NEW LEARNING SPACES


Ontine interaction can be both rewarding and chal.tenging. For
introverts/ quieter students who may not feel comfortabte speaking up in the
traditional ctassroom in the midst of other learners can increase interactions.
Perceived anonymity ontine creates a nonthreatening environment. The
synchronous and asynchronous ontine environments pose different chattenges.
The asynchronous environment is an online space in which interaction Zan
occur at different times and often when others may not be onLine. This
enabtes the individual student to post, reftect, and digest content at their
own pace and in their own time.

The synchronous environment is an ontine space in which partic.ipants


meet together simultaneousty. This requires students to interact with others
in that moment. The time in which an individual can type or voice a comment
is immediate, as it woutd be in a traditional ctassroom.

lmplication:
Excetting in either the synchronous or as ynchronous learning
enviro nment reguires attention to some particular aspects
of this
envtronmen t. For instance, studying in a di gital space is predicated
on a basic
understandi ng of the technol ogy you are using to access thi
s space. One must
familiarize with the technica I features availabte.
Crystal Fulton, Ctaire rr,lcGuinness , in Dieital Detectives, 2016
h .sciencedi rect.com /t ics/ s a[-scie nces/ontine- interaction

B. SOCIAL AS A VENUE FOR EMOTION REGULATION


AMONG ADOLESCENTS

ontine interaction via sociat media is targety seen as a positive


venue for adolescents whereby their interacti6ni sociat
se.nse.of.setf (Vatkenburg, Schouten,. & peter,
,"y promote a positive
2005), attow'fo,. a"r"toping n"*
friendships particutarty among.chitdren ug"i e_r8'iL;nnart
A maaaJn, iOo'z;
Pempek et at., 200g), and facititate ctose-r retationsnips
particularly-among otder adolescents aged
with current friends
15 17 lmiaaen, Coit"ii, Curr"-r,
Lenhart, & Duegan, 2012; pempek et a[, ZOOel. Tieie
positive interactions
with peers and vatidation of ihe setf, ioflectivety, nave
ramifications for
adotescents' psychotogicat wett_being
fostering of positive emotions and moods.
iCiti"ri"n a'ri"ttmore, 2014) and the
Fran C. Btumberg, ... Anne Dickmeis, in Emotions,
Technotoev, and Sociat Media,

C. PRIVACY, SOCIAL NETWORKING AND YOUR


CAREER

ln an area of ontine interactions, privacy


is. being significantty chattenged. piiru.v
matters -i,
where the status quo
"s-ense
information, the context wherJsharing iu'f", pt".",ind of contro[ over
u

can gain access. lnformation is not piivate be.ar;; the audience who
no one knows it; it is

GECC 108- Und erstanding the Self


-Modute ll-
35

private because the knowing is limited and controtted. ln most scenarios, the
limitations are often more social than structura[. (boyd, 2008)

Other Benefits of Online lnteraction:

Facebook provides opportunities for increased identity. young users report


increased self-esteem and general wett-being (Vatkenburg, et.at, 2006).
However, ontine interactions cannot reveal true feetings and can decrease
peopte's happiness tevets. (Kraut, 1998).

EXTENDED SELF IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

DIGITAL
TECHNOLOGIES
t DIGITAL SEIF OR
EXTENDED SEIF
c
H

1.
A
DEMATERIATIZATION
2. REEMBODIMENT 3. SHARING
N
G
4. CO- E
CONSTRUCTION OF
5. DISTRIBUTED
MEMORY
SELF
s

as part of the selves knowingty, unknowingly, intentionatty or


unintentionatly (Russe[[ Betk 2013). rt hiiimpacted tivls of many in
vaiious
aspects.

1 . DEMATERIALI ZATION
Technotogies makes it easier to keep our possessions (information,
music, photographs, videos, communication, etc) convenient
and
faster, termed as DtGITAL ARTIFACTS

Advantages:
.
Transform the way we.present oursetves, having the opportunity
to
share our interests with other peopte.
.
We get to know peopte and interact with them.
.
Group identities are expressed.

Researches or Updates on the Digitat Self/Extended Self due


Dematerialization: to

1. Consumers become attached to virtuat consumer goods (digitat


devices), fear and mourn their [oss and singutarize them.
4 Functions of Virtuat consumptions:

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll.


36

a. can stimutate consumer desire for material and virtuat


goods
b. Can actualize possible daydreams
c. Can actualize impossibte fantasies
d. Facititate experimentation
(R. Belk 1988, Martin 2008, Sellen et.al 2012)

z. Digitat virtual possessions appear to lack some of the characteristics


that invite attachment to material possessions. They are intangibte
held onty within software parameters, easity reproduced and may not
gather the patina (coating) of a wetl-loved material possessions.
(watkins et. at 2012)

3. There may atso be age difference in the tendency to regard digital


possessions as a part of the extended setf. Older consumers were less
tikety than younger consumers to see digital possessions as part of the
extended self. (cushing 2012)

REFLECTION ACTIVITY
1. What is the role of our digital possessions in our contemporary
(modern) extended setf?
2. Do their rote changes when we leave or turn off our digital device?

2. REEMBODIMENT (personification, expression)


. Digitat devices and applications help us make our own AVATAR (own
character, partty us, partly a separate entity).

Advantages:
.The re[ative freedom of configuring our avatar bodies represents our
ideat selves, possible setves and aspirational setves,
.Our avatar may be our atter ego. lt serves as an effective mirror and
reinforcement than simply retying on others' feedback.

Researches or Updates on the Digital Setf/Extended Self due to Re-


embodiment:

Attachment to avatars because of in-wortd autobiographicaI memories


attached to these characters. (Boettstorff 2008)

2. Proteus Effects (after the ancient Greek God who could take on
whatever form he wished). The mind is an embodied mind, but it is
atso now a reembodied mind extended into our avatar. (Yee 2007).
However, Virtual reatity bodies is a fantasy of desire. Absence of a real
ftesh. (rhde 2oo2)

3. Muttipticity. Having Digitat muttipte avatars /characters is a way to


exptore different personaIity possibitities. Consumers may house

GECC 108- Understanding the Self .AAodute ll-


37

multiphrenic setves who may bargain when buying or lnqurnng.


(Etadhari 2007). This signifies multiple and shifting ways of
understanding the setf. (Sorapure 2003)

REFLECTION ACTIVITY:
1. Amidst the presence of digitat world, can you sti[[ separate
yoursetf from your own avatar?

3. SHARING
Digital devices hetp us to share more. This weatth of goodies is there
because others have shared.
Digital music, videos, researches, games, photos, experiences,
inventions, discoveries are products of sharing.

Advantages:
.lt leads to greater self-awareness and setf-reftection.
.lt sotves a probtem.

Disadvantages:
.The danger of "oversharing" (ex. Facebook).
.Lack of privacy in many aspects of social media can leave the users
feeling vutnerable, leading to computsively checking posts, news feeds
and twitters to appear active and interesting.
.Disinhibition Effect. The lack of face-to-face gaze meeting together
with feetings of anonymity and invisibitity seems to free us from setf-
disctosure but atso sometimes flame others (toxic disinhibition).
Resulting disinhib'ition leads to better expression of the true setf online
rather than face-to-face. Setf-revetation can be therapeutic.

Making Confessions online.


a. Confession along with contemptation, setf-examination,
learning, reading and writing self-critical letters to friends are
part of the "technotogical se[f" through which we seek to
cleanse oursetves.
b. Confessional blogs may be therapeutic for the audience to read,
atlowing sincere empathy and the voyeuristic appeal of
witnessing a pubtic confession.
c. Confession is no longer in the hands of confessor (Ex. Korean girl
with a pet).

Researches or Updates on the Digital Self/Extended Self due to Sharing:

t. Revelation. lt is now easier to present oursetves in ways that would


have been awkward at best in predigitat (otden) times. (Zhao 2005)

2. Loss of Control. There is no guarantee that the info we shared ontine


will not be reposted, retweeted or quoted. lt is harder to controt our

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


38

digitat setf representations when others may reshare with unintended


audiences.

3. Shared digital possessions fosters feeting of community and aggregate


sense of self. lBrown et at 2006)

a. Shared sense of cyberspace. lnternet and digital devices free us from


the constraints of our physicat space and providing us with new
abitities. This is termed as "re-wortding", the abitity to remodel the
virtual environment. (sherry et at 2007)

5. Online sharing provides us our "third place" where we hang out, enjoy
oursetves, be oursetves and feel accepted. (Etadhari et at 2007)

REFLECTION ACTIVITY:
1. How far do we share our private information to the digital wortd or
in the internet?

CO.CONSTRUCTION OF SELF
. Digitat wortd hetps us construct our extended setf.
. Social networking sites are seen as important sites of psychotogicat
development between adolescence and adulthood. (Steimfiel.d et. at.
2008)
Advantages:
. DigitaL comments of us ontine are metadata referred as digitat patina
(coating) of our digitat/extended self.
Disadvantages:
. The danger of "lying or being dishonest".(Ex Thaitand)

Researches or Updates on the Digital Setf/Extended Self due to Co-


construction of self:

1, Affirmation seeking. Ontine friends hetp to co-construct and reaffirm


each other's sense of setf through postings, taggings and comments.
Cumulative comments buitd up and continue to enhance extended self
long after they have been posted. (Drenton 2012)

2. Affirmation of the self is also often an affirmation of the aggregate


extended self. The setf is cuttivated partty with the hetp of others.
(Manghani 2009)

REFLECTION ACTIVITY
1. How honest are you in sharing your extended setf in the digital
wortd?

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Modute ll-


39

DISTRIBUTED MEMORY
Digita[ devices used to record and archive (document) our memories
atlow access to an expanded archive of individuat and coltective
autobiographicaI memory cues.

Advantages:
. Outsourcing memory enhanced our extended setf. lt hetps us recatt
factual information - we remember peopte, emotions, events, photos
with comments and we can stit[ interact. We participate in the
cottection of memories of others with their tags.

"Photography ptays a key rote in facititating autob.iographicat memory.


A photograph can be a message from a former setf to a future setf that
is intended to recreate the emotion of the originat experience,'. (Betk
and Yeh 201 1)

Virtual representations of ourselves avaitabte online act as a memorial


and gravesite where others can come to mourn and pay tribute to us
after death. Or living users can craft their uttimate setf presentation
leaving detailed funerat and cremation or burial instructions - Digitat
Legacy.

Researches or Updates on the Digital Self/Extended Self due to Distributed


Memory:

1 Digitat Ctutter. lt may bother us less than physicat ctutter, but our
distributed memories run a very reat risk of overtoad that witt never be
accessed by our survivors. Who knows fb is atready devising a way to
reduce this probtem by selecting what is retained and putting it in
chronological order. (Barnet 2001) "fb moments"

Strategy of keeping everything and then searching for what we want to


reconnect with a later point in life - usb, externat drive, etc. (Cushing
2012)

2. Narratives of the self. Digitat technotogies attow for setf-retevant


information to be instantaneously accessed, refined, even fabricated
in setf presentation. (Gotdman et. at. 2005)

3 Digital cues to sense of past. Digital technotogies hetp us shift from


"taking pictures" to "making pictures,,. The protiferation of online
photos, videos, btogs, etc. provides cues that tink us to memories
constituting both individual and cottective sense of the past. (Lansberg
2004)

REFLECTION
1 How ready are you to embrace digitat technotogies as means of
storing and retrieving your coIective memories?

GECC 108- Understanding the self -Modute lt_


40

MODULE SUMIAARY

The Unpacking of the Se[f inctudes the formutation of the Physical,


Sexuat, Material, Potiticat, Spiritual and Digital Se[f, where the self is now
extended into avatars, broadty construed, with which we identify strongty and
which can affect our offtine behavior and sense of self.

The extent of our setf-disctosure range from semi-private to a more


pubtic presentation of our setf (ontine confessions and post morten extended
setf and digita[ estate). Thus, the aggregate setf can no longer be conceived
from personaI perspective but jointty constructed and shared. We increasingly
outsource our memories for both facts and feetings, which are commented or
responded to by others in a more active co-construction of cottective sense
of past. The se[f is much more activety managed, jointty constructed,
interactive, openty disinhibited, confessionat, muttipty manifest and
inftuenced by what we and our avatars do online.

,/ OUTPUT PLAN

Create a Video ctip being you as the actor/actress. The content is a 2-


minute marketing of how to promote a heatthy setf- presentation and positive
ontine interact'ions.

,6 SUM,I ATIVE TEST

Provide answers to the fottowing questions.

1. What is the role of cutture in the development of setf-esteem?

2. What is the role of social media in the construction of positive body


image?

3. What is the role of tust, attachment and attraction towards a heatthy


maritaI retationship?

4. To what extent does shopping become detrimental to one's we[t-


being?

5. ls cotonial mentatity an indicator of lack of patriotism? Why?

6. What are the benefits of ontine sharing?

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module ll-


MODULE III
MANAGING AND CARING FOR
THE SELF

Lesson 1 Learning to be a Better


Person

Lesson 2 Setting Goals for Success


Lesson 3 Taking Charge of One,s
Health
7

MODULE III

MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF

INTRODUCTION

i Managing and caring for

I 1.-l
? yoursetf start from a goat
setting. lf you set your mind on
how to improve yourself and
erC Self manageme nt ffi commit to create and
strategize ways, then surety
I
a ,i
I you are in the right direction.
It is onty you who can rightfutty
manage your tife. A challenge

er you have to take.

Caring for the setf is a responsibility one has to take. Setf-care is any
planned activities to take care of the tife aspects - mentatty, emotionatty,
spirituatty, sociatly and physicatly. Good setf-care is the key towards reducing
stress and anxiety. Retationship with others witt become even betterl
Likewise, productivity witt increase.

There is a retationship between managing and caring for the setf and
becoming a better person. Being a good person does not invotve being overty
hard on the setf. ln fact, it is quite the opposite. The more setf-kindnlss and
self'compassion one can foster, the more equipped one witt be abte to treat
those.around the same way. Doing good for others provides a deeper sense of
meaning. lt may even help to improve one,s physicat and mentat heatth.

.beings,Modute 3 is geared towards Managing and Caring for the Setf. As human
we endeavor to become what we are created for - to tive our tife futty
and to hetp others. How can we possibty extend oursetves to others if w;
cannot even take care of our own setves?

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the semester, students witt be abte to:

1. Understand the different aspects of setf and identity;


2. Acquire and hone new skitts and tearning for better managing of one's
self and behavior; and
3. Appty these new skitts to one's and functioning for a better quatity of
tife.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module lll-


3

d DIRECTIONS/ MODULE ORGANIZER

This is the last module of Understanding the Self. By this time, you
have learned a lot about who you are. Continue your journey as you discover
ways on how to take care of your setf. Read and be abte to appty it in your
tife.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module lll-


4

Lesson 1

LEARNING TO BE A BETTER PERSON

Motivational activity: My Daity Routine


Get a partner or group yourself into 5 and
share your daity routine at home.

Processing: Y0tJcul pux


1. How did you fee[ about the activity? FR0ll l^r
2. Were you abte to learn new techniques
of caring about yoursetf that you
yourself is not doing or never thought
W,
tlf.
about? What are these? 'nIEu(XE
3. What are your insights from the 0F.'fu,(Elf
activity? FrttT

What makes a good person? Becomin g a better person is


continuousty
striving to help other peopte without expecting anything
ht lmind.com/wh at-is-attruism-2 794828
in return.
Pro-socia[ behaviors are related to being a good person.
Attruism is
the-principle and moral practice of concern rJr trappiness
Derngs or anrmals, resulting in a quatity of r.ife
of other human
both material and spirituat. rt
is a traditionat virtue in many cuttures-and a core aspect
of various retr.gioui
traditions and secutar wortdviews, though the co.cept of "others,,
toward
whom concern shoutd be direcred cun riry among
cu[iure, unJ i"iigioni. in
a.n extreme case, attruism may become a-rynonyi,
the opposite of setfishness.
of setftessness, ;hl.i
;;

Attruism is the unsetfish concern for other peopl.e_doing


things simpty
out of a desire to hetp, not because you feet obtigite;
to out oiJutvi6;i[;
or religious reasons.

is
.This one aspect of .what. sociat psychotogists refer to as pro_social
behavior. lt refers to any action that benefits
oftriipeopte, no matter what
the,motive or how the giver benefiti?r". til;;;.'what is rhe importance
of devetoping a hetping behavior? rn tife, it i;;t;;;"
go through life never needing herp from
that an individuat witt
unotn"i j"rlon. we att need hetp and
we do expect that others especiatty o*
signiii.unt others extend the
assistance we need. part of becoming. good'
he-tping others in any way f"r_n o being pro-sociat,
can. On-a da-ity basis, peopte are exposed to
-we
many situations that catt for,hetp. Most peopte eiperience ,oru ii.t n"rr,
emotionat break-down, or other probtem in'wnrininey
need at teast the
temporary assistance of others. Others witt expe.ien.e
an emergency or

GECC 'l08- Unders tanding the Self


-Module lll-
5

personal tragedy for which they wi[[ need much greater assistance. Letting
others know that we understand their situation and that we care witt tessen
their worries. Promoting helpfutness is a benefit to individuats, famities, and
communities. lf the community is prepared to be hetpfut, then the hetp witt
be there when each community member needs it. Better understanding
helping processes may even lead to ways to prepare those who need hetp t6
ask effectivety.

DEVELOPING PRO.SOCIAL BEHAVIOR TOWARDS BECOMING A BETTER


PERSON

is the best way to become a better person? ls hetping teads you


,be a{hat
better person? what is the
to
easiest approach? And what ire ttre most
important aspects of setf to work on? Taking into account your
own wett-being
as wetl as the best interests of others, herl are some
ofihe most importani
ways to become a better person.

(l ) Manage yo-ur anger. Uncontrotled anger can


create retationship probtems
and may affect heatth which, eventuitty tead to pited
up stress. Manasins
is the key - ventitate to someone you trust ana
First,. recognize the presence of anger. Second,
ao ieilrat;;;;;;;;:
tiy to identify ttre cause
and third, adapt coping strategies.

(2) Learn to support others_unconditionatty. Hetping others is one way


finding meaning in tife. There is a uig ctnneiiln of
emotiona[ may seem tike an obvious r6ute to
b"t*""n attruism and
becoming a better p.iron in
that we often think of ,,good peopte,' ., ih;;;;
are witting to sacrifice
for others. This, in the mindi oi rany, tiwtui
However, good deeds can atso make'us
i"x", a person,,good.,,
Uettei peopte because of the
connection between altruism and emotiona[
wett_Leing.
(3) Leverage your strensth. Losing
track of time when you,re absorbed in
futfitting work or anolhe,. engqging activity,
as "flow," is a familiar statJfJr iort
oi*n"t psychotogists refer to
or Lt. rtow-rs wtrat happens when
you get deeply invotved in a.hobby,
in tearnin!1 new skitt or subject, or
in engaging in activities that supfty
ease. You can experien.ce. ftow by :urt]f,"
-writing, iigni mix of chaltenge and
-or-b|
a'incing, creating,
absorbing new material that you ..n
t"u.t, oitu-ri'.'
(4) Use Stages of Change modet.
Take a few minutes to [ist, on paper or on
your computer, the changes and goals
picture. Be specific aUo111fr-a_t-v-ou *i"t.
that woutd o" in.fr?uliln.ilil,
ili
that you seemingty have no control over, such"i "v'r vo, *irt-ror"tt,i.g
for you. Just write it. ala mate who is perfect

GECC 108- Un der standing the Self


-,t odule lll-
6

HOW LEARNING TAKE PLACE - THE HUATAN BRAIN

The brain acts as a dense network of fiber pathways consisting of


approximatety 1 00 bittion (1 010) neurons. The brain consists of three principLe
parts - stem, cerebellum and cerebrum. Of the three, the cerebrum is most
important in learning, since this is where higher-ordered functions tike
memory and reasoning occur. Each area of the cerebrum speciatizes in a
-
function sight, hearing, speech, touch, short-term memory, tong-term
memory, language and reasoning abitities are the most important for teJrning.

Through a network of neurons, sensory information is transmitted by


synapses atong the neural pathway and stored temporarily in short-term
Temory, a votatite region of the brain that acts tike a receiving center for the
ftood of sensory information we encounter in our daity tives. 6nce processed
in short-term memory, our brain,s neural pathways cirry these memories to
the structural core, where they are compared with existing memories and
stored in our long-term memory, the vast repository of eve[rthing *e f,ire
ever experienced in our lives. This process occurs in an instant, bu1 it is not
atways perfect.

ln fact, as information races across bittions of neurons, axons, which


transmit signals to the next neuron via synapse, some degradation is
common. That's why many of our memories are incomprete or r'-nctude
fatse
portions that,we make up to fitt hotes in the real
memory. Neuroscientists
nave tong betieved that learning and memory formation
are made by the
strengthening and weakening of connections among brain
cetts. Researcheri
found that when two neurons frequentty interact] they form
a bond thii
attows them to transmit more easily and accuraiety. This
teads to moie
comptete memories and easier recatt.

_ conversety, when two neurons rarety interacted, the


transmission was
often incomplete, teading to either a fautty memory o,.
no ,"rory at att. This
has important imptications.for teirning, eipeciatty
11e1rch r"guriing ho* *u
-retr]eve
acquire new knowledge, store it in meriory' and it *n"n
needed. When tearning new things, memory and recatt
,tr"r,gtt,"n"J iV
frequency and recency. The more we practice anJiehearse "r" ;;ihi;;;;
and the more recently we have practiced.
University of catifornia rrvine's tenter for the Neurobiotogy
of Learning and
Memory.

Another recent study found that the structural core of


receives sensory information from different regions
the brain
ind ttren assemoies ur:ti
of data into a comptete picture that becomesi-ruro.V
of an event. This
memory is strengthened by muttipte sensory inputs.
For exampte, if we Uoifr
see and hear something, we are more tikety to
remember it ttran if ;;;;i;
hear it. lf we experience an emotionat reaction
to something f"ur,
laughter or tove - that emotion becomes purioi
tf,u ,"rory and strengthens
"ng"ii
it dramaticatty.

GECC 108 - Understanding the Self -Module lll-


7

ln recatling memories, subjects who had experienced an emotional


reaction were far more tikety to remember the event and with higher accuracy
than those who simply witnessed an event without any emotional
attachment. That explains why highty emotional events - birth, marriage,
divorce and death - become unforgettabte.
lmptication: Ensure that learning engages atI the senses and taps the
emotional side of the brain, through methods like humor, storytetting, group
activities and games. Emphasis on the rational and logical atone does not
produce powerfuI memories.

A third recent discovery at the University of Michigan's Biopsychotogy


Program confirmed that the brain behaves setectivety about how it processes
experiences that enter through our five senses. The brain is programmed to
pay speciat attention to any experience that is novel or unusuat. lt does this
by making comparisons between the new information brought through the
senses and existing information stored in our brain's tong-term memory. When
the brain finds a match, it witt quickty etiminate the new memory as
redundant.

When new information contradicts what's already stored in memory,


however, our brains go into overdrive, working hard to exptain the
discrepancy. lf the new information proves useful to us, it becomes a
permanent memory that can be retrieved later. lf this new information does
not seem useful or if we do not trust its source, we are likely to forget it or
even reject it attogether, preferring to stick with the information we already
possess. Since learning inherently requires acquisition of new information,
our brains' propensity to focus on the novel and forget the redundant makes
it a natural learning atly.

On the other hand, past memories can be an impediment to future


learning that contradicts previous information. As we age and gain more
experience, we tend to rety too much on our past knowtedge. We may miss
or even reject novel information that does not agree with previous memories.
Recent brain research is
untocking many of the mysteries of
learning. Learning professionats shoutd stay abreast of these devetopments
and derive learning methods based upon the way the brain [earns naturatty.

METACOGNITION

Cognition "thinking "knowing is becoming "aware of one's awareness"


and higher-order thinking skitts. The term comes from the root
word meto, meaning "beyond", or "on top of".

It can take many forms; it inctudes knowtedge about when and how to
use particular strategies for learning or problem-sotving. There are
generatty two components of metacognition: ('l ) knowtedge about
cognition and (2) regulation of cognition.

Defined as knowing about memory and mnemonic strategies

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -i4odule lll-


8

Metacognition is atso a significant factor in whether students


cantransfer their learning to new scenarios. Students who are
metacognitive are activety embedding new information in their
existing network of knowtedge and creating connections among ideas.
This is the sort of thinking that gets students beyond surface learning
and drives them to deeper understanding.

How to become lY{etacognitive

1) Modet your thought processes. Teachers can model by demonstrating


their own thought process white they read. They can let students see
how they interact with the text, how they determine the purpose of
their reading, where they pause to ask a question, how they connect
new ideas to previous knowtedge, how they track whether they
understand the content, how they decide when to stow down and re-
read, and how they assess what they have tearned. Teachers can do
this through read-atoud or by sharing their annotations with students.

2) create simple tasks for students to demonstrate thinking. Teachers ask


students to demonstrate their thinking in writing or dun-ng discussion.

3) lncrease writing. Writing is a particutarty usefuI way to make


metacognition visibte because it enabtes students to took back on their
previous notes and see how their thinking has changed.

4) Pre and post reading potts. To demonstrate the impact of learning,


teachers can record students' attitudes and preconceived notions
about a topic prior to reading a text, then foil.ow up after the readin!
to gauge whether students have changed their minds based on whai
they've [earned.

5) Buitd in a one question for students to ask themsetves. Teachers can


,,How
ask students, did you figure that out?,, after a student offers an
answer to a question. This hetps students reftect on the tearning
strate.gies they employ and gives their ctassmates an opportunity
to se6
how their peers [earn.

6) Peer assessment. students can hetp get in the habit of assess.ing


different learning strategies by judging work: after viewing a detaitei
answer to a question, students can discuss whether the anlwer
shows
an effective use of reasoning and how it can be improved.

7) Make revisions part of assignments. F.inatty, students benefit


tremendousty from opportunities to revise their work and reflect
on
how their thinking has improved. This gives them the chance to
understand what errors they made the first time around and
how the
learning process has ted them to see the probtem differentty.
https: / /www. activetvlearn. com / post / metacoqnition

GECC 108 - Understanding the Self -Module lll-


9

OUTPUT PLAN

Reflection Activity: Make a journal of pro-social behaviors you do on a daily


basis. lndicate your insights - how did it made you a better individuat?

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module lll-


10

Lesson 2

SETTING GOALS FOR SUCCESS

Motivational activity: GOALS


Be able to create a word for each of the tetter
Of GOALS and be abte to share it to the group

Processing:
'1. How did you feel about the activity?
2. What are your insights form the
activity?

. Try thinking of situations in your tife when your tevet of motivation is


very high and you cannot b-e stopped untit you have reached your
goats. you
feel good about yourself. After sohetime, you start setting anotheigoat.
Vou
make a tong list and start achieving it wanting to accomptish
evervthins. ontv
to realize it is overwhetming. you find yourietf arrUforral
know whether to continue oinot anymori. you attempt
u;i;;t;;i
to change a lot about
yoursetf and you want to have immediate
resutts. Then discoufig"r"ni-.nJ
frustration start to surface. This is catted g;;f;"i;;r".
tt is okay to have
muttipte goats but be sure to manage it wett.- '
Setting goals hetos trigger new behaviors and guides your
hetps you sustain that momentum in tife. Goats
focus and
atso herp arign your focus and
promote a sense of setf-mastery. rt is a process
goats you ser in your twenrie-switt
that changJs d*. tir*. ii,"
most tikety;; r".,,
you set in your forties. Try to revisit your
iin"[nt]r;r-il;;;;i;
tife goatiiniwork to ril"i;f,;:
The lmportance and Value of Goal Setting

3 Types of Goats (Ettior and McGregor (2001)

1) A mastery goa[ is a goal someone sets


something such as "/ wiil score higher in
to accomptish or master
this event next time.,,
2) A performance-approach goal is a goat where
someone tries to do
better than his or her peers. This tV6" of g".i ioutd
be a goat to took
better by [osing 5 pounds or gettinii beitil]uirorr.n." review.
3) A performance'avoidance goat is a goat where someone tries
doing worse than their peeis such as-a goat to avoid
to uroiO negative feedback.

GECC '108- Unders tanding the Sela -Module llt-


11

4) Goats hetp motivate us to devetop strategies that witt enable us to


perform at the required goal level.

5) Accomptishing the goal can either lead to satisfaction and further


motivation or frustration and lower motivation if the goal is not
reached.

6) Goat setting can be a very powerful technique, under the right


conditions according to the research. (Locke and Latham).

7) According to Lunenburg (201 1), the motivational impact of goats may,


in fact, be affected by moderators such as setf-efficacy and abitity as
wett.

Five Goal-setting Principles

1. Clority - Sett'ing goats that are clear and specific eliminate the
confusion that occurs when a goa[ is set in a more generic manner.

2. Challenging goals stretch your mind and cause you to think bigger. This
hetps you accomptish more. Each success you achieve hetps you buitd
a winning mindset.

3. Commitment. lf you don't commit to your goat with everything you


have it is less likely you witl achieve it.
4. Feedbock helps you know what you are doing right and how you are
doing. This attows you to adjust your expectations and your ptan of
action going forward.

5. Task Complexity. lt's important to set goats that are atigned with the
goal's comptexily. Toword a Theory of Task Motivation" Locke 20M

Researches:
. Goa[ setting in language learning is commonly regarded as one of the
strategies that encourage a student's sense of autonomy (Moetter,
Theiter and Wu, 2012)

Those who write down their goals and share their goats with a friend,
as wetl as send weekty updates, were on average 33% more successful
when it comes to accomptishing their stated goats compared to those
who merety formulate goats Dr. Gait Matthews, a ctinicat psychotogist
from Dominican University of Catifornia.

The perceived barriers to mentat heatth care and goat setting amongst
depressed, community-dwelling otder adutts include:
PsychologicaI barriers such as sociaI attitudes, betiefs about depression
and stigmas.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -A{odule lll-


12

LogisticaI barriers such as transportation and avaitability of services.

lltness-related barriers that are either modifiabte or not such as


depression severity, comorbid anxiety, cognitive status, etc.
Weinberger, Mateo, & Sirey (2009)

MIND SET Carol Dweck, psychologist, Standford University

' Peopte can have different mindsets towards different aspects of their
lives, e.g. a fixed mindset towards their abitity to ao ratf,r, Urii
growth mindset towards their abitity to ptay tennis.

1. Fixed Mindsets - lntettigence is fixed. Chattenges are avoided,


as to
fait suggests that they .tack the intettigenc6, required. Efiort
seen as fruitless'if they don't'get it'then it suggests
l;
thut tt"y
lack the intetligence. Getting things wrong and reJJiving
is negative- it reveals limitations.
i";;ili
2. Growth Mindsets - lntettigence can be devetoped. Chattenges are
embraced as it is betieved that they can improve at
a task. Effort
therefore is seen as worthwhite- a path to mastery. cetting
thingi
-iurtnir
wrong and receiving feedback is positive_ it
guides
improvement.

' Failure, even for individuats who have a growth mindset


can stitt be
painfu[- but it doesn,t define you as a tearn-er.
Faiture reveats
that must be faced, deatt with and learned from. faiture tr;i;;;
provide feedback and a solution to be foilowed. stroutJ

. The particular mindset a person has is not necessarity permanent.


Mindsets can be changed. Note that her work
shows tf,it ttuy 1.,
change in either direction.

lmplications:
. Just by knowing abou.t the.two Mindsets, peopte can
start thinking and
reacting in new growth _orientated ways.'

. Students benefit from being taught about


the brain. Knowledge of how
the brain makes new neurat ionnections-in response
provides them with. a modet of why effort to tearning
practices lead to achievement.
and mastery_retatej

. Achievement increased in studies that inctuded


control groups.
. Sessions linked to Mindset-related tearning
differences in motivation, engagement and
ted to measurable
eff6rt tevels

GECC 108- Und erstanding the Self


-Module tll-
13

FA,
,s
r}-

OF

OUTPUT PLAN

Reflection Activity: Five to ten years from now, create your long
term plans
for yoursetf.

GECC 108- Unde rstanding the Self -Module lll-


14

Lesson 3

TAKING CHARGE OF ONE'S HEALTH

Motivational activity: HEALTHY LIVING


Form a group of five. Be abte to share your daily
routine from the moment you wake up in the
morning until you go to bed at night.

Processing:
1. How did you feel about the activity? JU$IAll
2. What are your insights form the activity? tAr
T

Self-care is defined as, "a multidimensionat, muttifaceted process of


purposeful engagement in strategies that promote heatthy functioning and
enhance we[['being. lt is vital for buitding resitience toward those stressors in
life that you can't etiminate. When you've taken steps to care for your mind
and body, you'tt be better equipped to tive your best tife.

Assess how you're caring for yourself in several different domains so


you can ensure you're caring for your mind, body, and spirit.

\..-(=Es oF SELF-
E -_

PHYSICAL
T EFTOT'IONAL SOCIAL SPIR.ITI'AL
-rrt- 6roe
s+--+<;rr€ S.-ff--+ ry-kng r.r-{r -lq+r-^
v\rour- P€r+r- .-<!6r
Prt-r--r *i-
H-qr+ht +*,a - Fq.-r-'-'. <a!5^6r<A#-^
-rr'E
<cifa--r-^ $3-r+-- -.,a*7gr|^-
. A-rr- +o-- l-rP s@d
-Fa<.

HOW TO CARE FOR THE SELF?

(1) Phvsical Care

Take care of your body if you want it to run efficientty. There is a


strong connection between body and mind. Caring for the body means
feeling better.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module lll-


15

Physicat se[f-care inctudes how you fuet your body, how much steep
you're getting, how much physical activity you are doing, and how wetl

you're caring for your physicat needs. Attending appointments, taking


medication as prescribed, and managing your health are atl part of
good physicaI setf-care

Guide Questions to improve yourself:


.
Are you getting adequate sleep?
.
ls your diet fueling your body wett?
Sel fc are
.
Are you taking charge of your heatth?
.
Are you getting enough exercise? lolns ior
OoillS
orjltida 6d,
tol,
totn lf
Lkre ornnr
Siqtre lrydrot d
PtEflid.?
ftatlrg yor
t'.oa*r firrr
(2)Social Self-care
Pu,

Sociatization is key to setf-care. Ctose connections are important to


your wetl-being. The best way to cultivate and maintain close
retationships is to put time and energy into building your
retationships with others,
The key is to figure out what your social needs are and to buitd enough
time in your schedule to create an optimal social [ife.

Guide Questions:
1. Are you getting enough face-to-face time with your friends?
2. What are you doing to nurture your relationships with friends and
famity?

(3) Mental Self-care

The way you think and the things that you're fit[ing your mind greatty
inftuence your psychotogicaI wett-being.
Mental setf-care inctudes doing things that keep your mind sharp, like
puzz[es, or learning about a subject that fascinates you. Reading books
or watching movies that inspire you fuets your mind.
It invotves doing things that hetp you stay mentalty heatthy.
Practicing setf-compassion and acceptance, for example, hetps you
maintain a heatthier inner diatogue.

Guide Questions to improve yourself:


. Are you making enough time for activities that mentatty stimutate you?
. Are you doing proactive things to hetp you stay mentatly heatthy?

(41 Spiritual Self-care


Research shows that a lifestyle inctuding retigion or spirituality is
generatly a healthier Iifestyte.

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module lll-


16

. Nurturing your spirit, however, doesn't have to invotve retigion. lt can


invotve anything that hetps you devetop a deeper sense o-f meaning,
understanding, or connection with the universe.
. Whether you enjoy meditation, attending a retigious service, or
praying, spirituat care is important.

Guide Questions to improve yourself:


. What questions do you ask yoursetf about your tife and experience?
. Are you engaging in spir.ituat practices thai you find futfitting?

(5) Emotional Self-care


It's important to have heatthy coping skitts to deat with
uncomfortable
emotions, like anger, anxiety, and sadness. Emotionat setf-care
may
include activities that hetp you acknowtedge and exfress your
feetings
on a regutar basis.
Whether you tatk to a partner or ctose friend about
how you fee[, or
you set aside time for leisure activities that
hetp you process your
emotions, it's important to incorporate emotionat'
setf-cire into your
tife

Guide Questions to improve yourself:


. Do you have heatthy ways to process your
. emotions?
uo you rncorporate activities into your tife that
recharged?
hetp you feet

Develo p Your Self-Ca re Plan


Setf -care isn't a one-size-fits-att strategy. your
self-care ptan wilt need
tobe customized to your needs.
A setf-care ptan for a busy cottege student
stimutated att the time and -has Utittirg who feets menta[y
_.iai'iire migtrt need to
emphasize physicat self_care. "
Assess which areas of your life.need some
more attention and setf_care.
And reassess your life often. As
vorl. ,itu.iion ;h;;g"r, your setf_care
needs are tikety to shift too.

|t: ,9, disrover that you're negtecting a certain aspect of your [ife,
create a plan for chanse.
You don't have to tackil everything
att at once. ldentify one smatt step
you can take to begin caring
ior yoiursetfUetter.--"''
rnen, schedute time to focus on your
needs. Even when you feet tike
you don't have time to soueeze
in on" ,oiu tf,ing,'r.x" setf.care a
priority. When you're caring for att
aspects ot vorrilfi, you,tt find that
you are abte to operate moie.effectivety
i.J .irii.i"ritv.

GECC 108- understandi ng the Self


-Module lll-
17

+ +@ s v

t
tts?'t Airi*, khgCrlt lrir.billty er Im*l! dr.tirf
rhogelerr moodlrxx

STRESS MANAGEMENT
Taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedute, your
environment, and the way you deat with problems, The uttimate goat
is a batanced [ife, with time for work, retationships, retaxation, -and
fun - ptus the resilience to hotd up under pressure.
ldentify your true sources of stress by tooking ctosety at your habits,
attitude, and excuses:

1. Do you explain away stress as temporary even though you can,t


remember the last time you took a breathei?
2. Do you define stress as an integrat part of your work or home tife
or as
a part of your personatity
3. Do you btame your stress on other peopte or outside events, or view
it
as entirety normat and unexceptionat?

Stress
body's naturaI responses to something that is threatening or frightening
not necessarity harmfut: motivate and energize a person
pressures or excessive life demands which produce physicat
&
psychotogicaI reactions that require adaptive response

Stressors
Physica[ ([imitations/handicap)
Work-retated (demoratization)
Heatth-re[ated (sickness)
Persona[ (insecurities)
Conftict (separation)
Academic-retated (requirements)
Environmenta[ (naturaI catamities)

Unhealthy ways of coping:


. Drinking too much, smoking
. Overeating or under-eating
. Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer
. Withdrawing from friends, famity, and activities
. Using pitts or drugs to retax
. Steeping too much
. Procrastinating
. Fitting up every minute of the day to avoid facing probtems

GECC 108- Understanding the 5elf -Module lll-


18

. Taking out your stress on others (tashing out, angry outbursts, physicat
violence)

HEALTHY COPING STRATEGIES:

SM Strategy 1 : Avoid unnecessary stress


. Learn how to say NO.
. Avoid people who stress you out.
. Take control of your environment.
. Avoid hot-buttons topics.
. Pare (trim) down your to-do [ist.
. Be mindful.

SM Strategy 2:
Alter the situation
Express your feetings.
Be wilting to compromise.
Be more assertive.
Manage your time better.

SM Strategy 3:
Adapt to the stressor
.
Reframe problems.
.
Look at the big picture.
.
Adjust your standards.
.
Focus on the positive.
(avoid thinking traps)

Slrt Strategy 4: Accept the things you cannot change


.Don,t try to controt the uncontrottabte.
.Look for the upside.
.
Share your feetings.
(recognize your emotions)
.
Learn to forgive.

SM Strategy 5: Make time for fun and relaxation


.
set retaxation time.
(deep brea.thing, massage therapy, visuatization)
.
Connect with others.
.
Do someth.ing you enjoy everyday.
.
Keep your sense of humor.

SA Strategy 6: Adapt a healthy lifestyle


.
Exercise regularty.
.
Eat a heatthy diet.
.
Avoid atcohot, cigarettes and drugs.
.
Reduce caffeine and sugar.
.
Get enough steep.

GECC 108- U nderstanding the Self -Module lll-


19

OUTPUT PLAN

Make an Existing Setf-Care Ptan and your New Modified Setf-Care ptan.

,6 SUMMATIVE TEST

Be abte to exptain the fol[owing.

'l . What is stress management?

2. What is setf-care ptan?

3. What are factors that might hinder a person from caring for the setf?

GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module lll-

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