GEC101

Material
Self

GEC101
Understanding The Self GROUP 4
" 'Cause we
are living in
a material
world....' "
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We are living in a
world of sale and
shopping spree.

Belk (1988) stated

that "we regard our
possessions as
part of ourselves.
We are what we
have and what we
posess." 3
The Material Self By James
The material self can be examined in three
different components;

The constituents
Self- Feelings

The feelings and emotions they arouse

Self-seeking and self preservations

The actions to which they prompt

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The Material Self By James Self
Body
The material self
Clothes
is primarily about
our bodies, Immediate
Family
clothes,
immediate family, Home

and home

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The Material Self By James
Lotze in his book Microcosmus, stated that
“any time we bring an object into the surface
of our body, we invest that object into the
consciousness of our own personal existence
taking in its contours of our own and making it
part of the self.”

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The Material Self By James
Third Component: Immediate Family
Our parents and siblings have a huge part in
our definition of our “self”.
What happens to them affects us.
Fourth Component: Home
The nest of our selfhood
Our experiences in our home are recorded and
marked on particular parts and things in our home.
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The Role of Material Possessions on the
Sense of Self and Identity
Regardless of how much or how little material possessions
people have they remain valuable because these
possessions are symbolic of one’s social status.
Russel Belk (1988) in his work, Are We What We Own?,
suggests that material possession acts as an objective
manifestation of the self.
Defining the self by material possessions can contribute to
a feeling of well-being, including sense of personal growth
and purpose or meaning of life. 9
Materialism
Refers to giving more importance to material possessions
than intangible values. A materialistic person is one who
is excessively concerned with the acquisition of material
possession.
Materialism does not make us happy.
Positive Psychology shows that we are not statistically happier
than the previous generations.

Do not pursue the wrong source of happiness.

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Consumer Culture
Consumer culture is a social system in which consumption is
dominated by the consumption of commercial products
(Arn0uld, 2010). It denotes a social arrangement in which the
relations between lived culture and social resources, and
between meaningful ways of life and symbolic and material
resources on which they depend on , are mediated through
markets.

Consumerism
Consumerism is the consumption of material goods and
services in excess of one’s basic needs. It is closely tied with
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materialism.
Consumerism as a Lifestyle
Consumers are often viewed as victims of greedy companies.
But, note that everyone has free will.

Need or Want?
Know the difference
between needs and
wants.

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