Week 7: Unpacking the Self
INTRODUCTION
Society shapes us in many ways,
possibly more than we realize it. This
involves:
 How we perceive our bodies
visually;
 How we feel about our physical
appearance;
 How we think and talk to ourselves
about our bodies; and
 Our sense of how the other people
view our bodies.
THE BEST PRESENTATION OF
THE PHYSICAL SELF
What is beauty? How beauty is
appreciated varies through time, culture,
and the various perception about the
world?
• Hellen Keller said, “The best and the
most beautiful things in the world cannot
be seen or even touched they must be
felt with the heart.”
• “What is essential is invisible to the
eye.”- The Little Prince
WHAT PHILOSOPHERS THINK
ABOUT BEAUTY?
The two most- debated views about
beauty are:
1. Beauty is objective (Norms set by the
society)
2. Beauty is subjective (How you carry
yourself confidently in front of other
people)
Before the 18th century, most
Western philosophical views on
beauty treated it as an objective
quality.
ST. AUGUSTINE
 He asked whether things were
beautiful because it gave delight,
or whether it gave delight
because it was beautiful. He
believed it to the latter.
PLATO
 connected beauty as a response to
love and desire.
 beauty exists in the realm of forms.
ARISTOTLE
 chief forms of beauty are order,
symmetry, and definiteness that can
be demonstrated by
mathematical sciences.
In the eighteenth century, however,
beauty was associated with pleasure
as a personal preference. Some
philosophers who hold this view are:
DAVID HUMES
 It exists merely in the mind which
contemplates them; and each
mind perceives a different beauty
and every individual thought to
acquiesce in his own sentiment,
without pretending to regulate those
of others.
 How you look at yourself / How you
treat yourself.
IMMANUEL KANT
 The judgement of taste is
therefore not a judgment of
cognition
 consequently, not logical but
aesthetical
 determining ground can be no other
than subjective.”
 FRANCIS HUTCHESON
 “The perception of beauty does
depend on the external sense of
sight;
 however, the internal case with
hearing: hearing music does not
necessarily give the perception
of harmony as its distinct from
the hearing.”
TRIVIA
• The term for a makeup artist in
Egyptian hieroglyphic is derived from
the root “sesh,” which means “to write,
to engrave”
 Makeup application was taken
pretty seriously back then: the
same accuracy was needed to
paint lips as etching symbols into a
rock.
WHAT DID PSYCHOLOGY
DISCOVER ABOUT BEAUTY?
Research found that a person who is
perceived as attractive makes more
money than a person of below-
average looks. In politics, voters who
are not actively engaged in social and
political issues choose candidates
based on “looks” 90 % all the time.
HALO EFFECT
 (also known as the physical
attractiveness stereotype and the
“what is good” principle)
 refers to the tendency of people to
rate attractive individuals more
favorably for their personality
traits or characteristics as
compared to those who are less
attractive.
o A cognitive bias is an
error in reasoning,
evaluating, remembering,
or any other mental
process that is often a
result of holding on to
one’s preferences and
beliefs regardless of
contrary information.
Evolutionary Psychology - faces hold
structural qualities (sex- typical)
Female - an attractive man is
generally one with relatively prominent
cheekbones and eyebrow ridges and
a relatively long lower face.
Male - women are attractive with
prominent cheekbones, large eyes,
small nose, a taller forehead, smooth
skin, and an overall young or even
childlike appearance.
TRIVIA
• A full-lipped, cheek-chiseled man in
Ancient Greece knew two things- that
his beauty was a blessing (a gift of
the gods no less) and that his perfect
exterior hid an inner perfection.
• For the Greeks a beautiful body was
considered direct evidence of a
beautiful mind.
o Kaloskagathos - which
mean being gorgeous to
look at, and hence being a
good person.
HOW CULTURAL TRADITIONS
SHAPE BODY IMAGE?
Culture has a significant impact on how
a person feels about himself or herself,
as well as his or her body image.
Cultural traditions can either be a
positive or a negative influence on body
image and on self- esteem.
Body image is generally defined as
how one thinks and feels toward one’s
body. (Yam, 2013; Cash and Smolak,
2011)
 Ideal standards of body sizes are THE SEXUAL SELF
culturally specific. Since the
“Self-love is about respecting and
1960’s ideal body sizes for white
appreciating every single part of who
American women have
you are and being proud to be you.”
emphasized thinness.
-Miya Yamanouchi, Embrace Your
 The Philippines is undoubtedly
Sexual Self: A Practice Guide for
influenced by Western culture,
Women
particularly American culture; a
culture that generally tends to
hyperfocus on dieting and body
appearance.

DOES YOUR BODY IMAGE HAVE

AN IMPACT ON YOUR SELF-
ESTEEM?

The term self- esteem was coined

William James in 1880. James
presented self-esteem as the number
of successes a person achieves in
the domains of life that are important to
him or her, divided by the number of
failures that occurred in those areas.

HOW IMPORTANT IS
PHYSICAL BEAUTY?
 Physical beauty is extremely
important. You must also
understand that you need to know
the correct definition of physical
beauty so that your self- esteem
will not suffer.

 A self- image problem happens

when your looks do not match your
beauty standards.
Week 8: The Physical Self

THE PHYSICAL SELF FACTORS AFFECTING THE

• It refers to the body. PHYSICAL GROWTH &
DEVELOPMENT
• Body has many functions such as
breathing, walking, eating, and sleeping • Heredity - it is the biological process

• Bodily functions are gradually aging. of the inheritance of traits from

If we are in our old age, we may not be parents to offspring.
that strong as young ones.
• Genes are the basic carrier of
• Physically efficiency slowly declines
hereditary traits
in the middle age.
o Dominant - strong genes
• Physical development and growth
o Recessive - weak genes
continue at slow rate during childhood
 23 pairs of chromosomes
years compared to growth in babyhood.
o Autosomes – trait
• Adolescence stage (critical stage) chromosomes
characterized by rapid physical changes o Gonosomes - sex
that include maturation of reproductive
chromosomes
system.
• Environment - refers to the factors
• Life Span refers to the development
from conception to death. and individual is exposed to
throughout life which includes
STAGES OF PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENT learning and experiences.
o Diet, nutrition and diseases
Stage Age Range play an important role in an
1. Prenatal Fertilization to individual’s physical
Birth development.
2. Infancy Birth to 2 weeks
of life
THEORIES OF PHYSICAL SELF
3. Babyhood 2 weeks of life Theory of Physiognomy
to 2nd year Physical characteristics such as facial
4.Early Childhood 2 to 6 years old features and expressions has
something to do with their character &
5. Late Childhood 6 to 10
personality.
6. Puberty 10 to 14
Five Element Theory
7. Adolescence 14 to 18
 It makes use the elements of
8. Early Adulthood 18 to 40 water, wood, fire, and earth and
9. Middle Adulthood 40 to 60 metal
10. Late Adulthood 60 to death  Each element is correlated to
seasons, colors, shapes,
sounds and facial features.
 Face readers may correlate facial
features to person’s mental,
emotional, and physical make-up.
Theory of Prominence of Body
Fluids by Hippocrates
It suggests that an excess of
deficiency in any of the four bodily
fluids influence their personality,
temperament, and well-being.
• Square-shaped faces- witty,
analytical, and great leaders.
• Heart-shaped faces- patient and
intuitive
• Long-shaped faces- are generally
perfectionists and tend to be aggressive

Four bodily fluids • Triangle-shaped faces- are generally

creative, artistic, sensitive and
• Sanguine Type (red bile)- tend to be determined.
impulsive, cheerful, happy and
• Diamond-shaped faces- are
optimistic
generally detail-oriented and like to be
• Melancholic Type (black bile)- tend in control.
to be depressed and pessimistic
• People with full and thick eyebrows
• Choleric Type (yellow bile)- tend to tend to be confident, assertive, and
be easily angry, jumpy and goal-oriented
temperamental.
• People with large or highly-defined
• Phlegmatic Type (excess phlegm)- jaws have strong values and firm
tend to be sluggish, dull and slow beliefs.
Theory of Body-Type by • According to Squier and Mew
William Sheldon (1981), people with long and angular-
shaped faces tend to be more
Based on physical characteristics responsive, assertive and genuine than
• Endomorphic Body Type (soft and persons with short and square-shaped
plump)- they are perceived to be easy faces
going and sociable.
BODY IMAGE
• Mesomorphic Type (string
•It refers to how individuals perceive,
muscular body)- perceived to be
think, and feel about their body and
energetic, adventurous, assertive and
physical appearance
courageous.
• Appearance refers to person’s
o competitive and tend to be
physical make-up such as height,
dominant.
weight, skin color, clothes and
• Ectomorphic Type (tall and thin)- hairstyles.
they tend to be restrained, quiet,
• Self-esteem (overall evaluation) of
introverted and artistic.
worth has something to do with our
Theory of The Wisdom of Your appearance or body image.
Face by Jean Haner •Adolescence tent to experience
• Oval-shaped faces- hospitable and negative self- image because they are
tactful in the stage of development that is
probably confusing them
• Round-shaped faces- friendly,
kindhearted and selfless •Girls are more concerned with the
overall physical appearance than boys
because of “conformity” on the idealized
notion of beauty.
•People surrounding us put some
pressures in our body image. If left
unpleasing, then an individual will be
bullied.
•Social media platforms construct the
notion of beauty.
•Some girls projects beauty based on
commercial advertisements, models or
known figure in public.
•The result of “projection”
physically
changing one’s beauty through
cosmetic
surgery, dieting, or excessive exercise.
•We strive a “good looking physical
body” because we want to get ideal
and pleasing impressions from others.
• Body image dissatisfaction may
lead to depression, low self-esteem and
eating disorders.
o Anorexia- refuses to eat for
fear of gaining weight
THE IMPORTANCE OF
BEAUTY
•Generally, humans who have clean
and unblemished skin, thick shiny
hair, well-proportioned bodies, and
symmetrical faces are traditionally
considered beautiful.
•Throughout history, beauty has
always been considered important
since it indicate health, youth, good
genes and fertility.
•Beauty nowadays is influenced with
advertisements, social media,
fashion
industry and surgery.
• Being attractive is an advantage
because it is being favored in social
situations.
• According to studies, physically
attractive men and women have more
opportunities, in finding jobs, getting
promotions and having higher income.
•People who tend to be viewed as
attractive are happier, smarter, and
better people.
• It is true that we are often judge
because of physical
is appearance. However, it is not
enough to understand than “real
self”
• It is also important to see the “inner
beauty”
PRENATAL PERIOD
The development of individual begins at
conception.
INFANCY PERIOD
Occupies the first two weeks of the
infant's life after being born.
BABYHOOD PERIOD
"Age of helplessness"
Early Childhood Stage
"Age of Curiosity"
Late Childhood Stage
"Smart Stage"
PUBERTY PERIOD
This stage overlaps the end of
childhood and it also touches the early
part of adolescence.
Early Adulthood
young adult enters a period of
adjustments to new patterns of life and
to new social expectations.
Middle Adulthood
This is the stage where there is a shift Late Adulthood or Old Age
from family-centered relationship to a "Age of Senescence"
pair-centered relationship.
Week 9: The Material Self
THE MATERIAL SELF
• Self is composed of the body,
material possessions, reputations,
and belief (James, 1980).
• Manifestation of one’s identity
through his/her material possessions
is called Material Self.
COMPONENTS OF THE
MATERIAL SELF
Body
• This is the acceptance and
appreciation of the physical
characteristics of the body.
• Adolescents tend to worry about their
physical appearance. Girls are more
concerned of their body than boys.
• Social Media influences our “ideal self”
Clothes that people wear
• Clothes we wear represents our self
(Example: school uniform, uniform of an
athlete)
• Style, brand, color, symbols and
other visible factors of the clothes
represents our own ideal self and social
identity
• Peer pressure, societal norms and
other external factors influence the
way we dress based on what we
perceived as socially accepted.
Other possessions (material/relational)
• Car, house and other things can
represent yourself and identity
• It includes our relationship with the
family, partner, friends and others
whom we have psychological
connections.
• People surrounds us likely shape who
we are
• Material possessions
o can give a symbolic meaning of our
social status in the society.
o act as an objective manifestation of
the self.
o individuals are being measured
based on the material possessions
he/she has.
o Owning materials can be a driving
force in the urge of one’s success.
o We judge others based on what
he/she has in terms of material
possessions. The greater the
possessions, the more we are
o likely to be regarded and accepted
by others.
o Accordingly, the more
expensive, impressive and
pleasing, the more we impress
and gain positive regard from
others.
Negative effects
• Materialism- refers to giving more
importance to material possessions
than intangible values.
o An individual is said to be
materialistic person if he/she is
excessively concern on what
tangible things can be
acquired as own rather than
values.
o Compulsive Buying Disorder
(CBD) - strong desire for
material possessions
 THEORIES OF PHYSICAL • Negative Effect

SELF It encourages people to buy products

and services that they do not really
• Different media platforms can
need
influence one’s own desire for material
possessions that may be critical or or afford.

alarming to the individual.

• The loss of the material possessions

could lead to anxiety, insecurity and
depressions.

Question:

• Based on your material possessions,

do you really need them or you just
want them?

CONSUMER CULTURE
• It is a social system in which
consumption is dominated by the
consumption of commercial products.

The consumption of market-made

commodities and desire- inducing
marketing symbols is central to
consumer culture

CONSUMERISM
• It is the consumption of material goods
and services in excess of one’s basic
needs.

• It is closely tied to materialism

• Positive Effect

People tend to be happier and more

motivated when their wants and needs
are met
Week 10: The Spiritual Self

THE SPIRITUAL SELF Spiritual self can connect us to the

divine interventionist, to supernatural
• The spiritual aspect of the self is the
being, to ourselves, to others, etc.
inner sense
SPIRITUALITY
o the part of the self that
connects the person to the The word spirituality is taken from the
sacred, the supernatural, and Latin word “spiritus” which means
the universe. breath or life force.
o It enables the person to • It can be understood at the search for
experience a feeling of the sacred, a process through which
oneness with a higher being people seek to discover, hold on to,
and the universe and gives a and, when necessary, transform
deeper purpose or meaning of whatever they hold sacred in their lives.
one’s life
• It originally developed in early
• Spiritual self Christianity, in which Christians use
o develops through interaction, the term “Spirit” to describe the Holy
observation, and imitation. Spirit.
o Family, school and church • Peschke (1994) describes that the
play a very important role in a experience of the sacred characterized
child’s spiritual development. by reverence, faith, fear, trust, love, and
o It begins at an early age but admiration which are intimately
develops throughout life as people connected to God.
continuously interact in the • Acts of worship may include prayer,
environment reading the Bible, attending
According to Existentialism, we are sacraments, and doing sacrifices
always looking for our purpose and • Spirituality is connected with Religion.
meaningful life.
o Religion - organized system of
o Meaningless Life –
ideas about the spiritual sphere
always a factor of anxiety
Spirituality and religion fulfill
& depression.
numerous social and psychological
needs, such as the need to explain
human sufferings and death
Week 10: The Spiritual Self
People may find comfort, security, and
stability in times of suffering through the
practice of religious activities.
SEARCH FOR THE MEANING
OF LIFE
Logotherapy is the pursuit of human

existence as well as on man’s search

for

such a meaning.

Finding meaning in life

1st - through achievements or

accomplishments.

2nd - experiencing something or

someone, such as loving a person

•According to Frankl, suffering is one

of the way to find meaning in life.

•“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find

meaning in the suffering. If there is
purpose in life at all, there must be a
purpose in suffering and in dying”.

THE PRACTICE OF ANIMISM

• Spirituality is also associated with
animism

• Beliefs about the sacred also include

the primitive concept about animism or
the belief that creatures, objects, and
places possess certain spirits.

• Animism

o belief that things and places are

alive and grounded by a
supernatural order.
Week 11: The Political Self
UNDERSTANDING POLITICS
• Kendall defines politics as a social
institution through which power is
acquired and exercised by people and
groups
• Aristotle describes the role that
politics and the political community
must play in bringing about the virtuous
life in the citizenry.
• Politics exists in all human societies, it
serves as the mechanism by which
individuals develop power and
understand proper functioning of a
democratic society as a citizen
• Citizenship is the most basic
identification with the nation.
o denotes the membership of a
citizen in a political society.
• Stevens, Anglin and Jussim (2015) -
Politics is a central component of their
identity.
• The political community where people
belong offers an opportunity to satisfy
their needs for affiliation.
POLITICAL SELF AND
IDENTITY
• The political self organizes self –
relevant information about politics
• It helps in defining the structure and
functions of the government, in telling
and understanding the relationship
between the state and the citizens, and
in describing their rights, freedom, and
obligations as citizens
• Identity- is one of the important
components of political self.
- the person’s understanding of
who and what he or she is.
• The political self is often defined by
citizenship
• Social and psychological
perspectives, the individual’s claim to
citizenship means that the person
relates himself or herself to a group of
others who also see themselves as
citizens of a larger policy.
• The political self and identity are
developed through socialization, the
ways people learn the knowledge,
norms, values, motives, and roles
appropriate to their positions in group or
community.
 Through social interaction,
people learn the status,
duties, rights, and power
necessary to interact
successfully with other
people in the group or
community.
THE ORIGINS OF POLITICAL
SELF
• Family
- has a hierarchical structure
which requires each member
to perform his or her role.
- consists of members who differ
in status, obligations,
influence, or power.
• Father
- is the most influential member
of the family.
- acts as leader entails power
and authority which he
coordinates with the mother in
helping the children.
 o This shows that authority is o People give meanings to symbols
necessary in the development and they express these meanings
through language and
of the political self and identity. communication.
• Church THEORY OF POLITICAL
- also helps shape the ideals of PARTICIPATION
citizenship and democracy - Any activity concerning government
through their religious or governance of the state.
teachings, values and - The extent and scope of political
traditions. participation may be an important
• Peers criteria for assessing the value or
- In peer groups, the members quality of symbols and meanings
are equal status that people ascribe to politics.
- Thus, interaction with peers Questions:
encompasses and emphasizes
• Why is it easy for some people
the equal distribution of power,
to convince other to follow
rights and privileges among them?
members of the group. Because they have strong
personality and convincing power,
Theories of Political Self
they feel that they are equipped
Social Learning Theory with the qualities that they need to
A person can acquire learning through be a leader.
observation and imitation. • Why is it easy for some people
o In Imitation, the learner to get convince?
watches the behavior in a Because we belong to the Eastern
similar way. country, we are more collectivist,
• Political Socialization- life long
we tend to think about what will
process by which individuals gain
make other people happy, satisfied,
knowledge about politics
or more respectful.
Cognitive Theory • Would a person’s trait and
The mental activities of individuals are values impact his political self?
important determinants of behavior. Yes, when you have this trait of
being a leader, commitment to
THEORIES OF SYMBOLIC
other people then you have a big
INTERACTION
chance to be a leader. You value
Suggest that behaviors are products of leadership, people, and what’s
communication, meaning and symbols.
going on around you.