TOP I C 8 - TH E MA TE R IA L

SELF
• YOU HAVE EXPLORED YOUR SEXUAL SELF IN THE PREVIOUS LESSON, NOW IT IS TIME TO TAKE A CHANCE
TO LOOK AT YOUR MATERIAL OR ECONOMIC SELF. IN THIS LESSON YOU WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLORE
THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF AS FAR AS ECONOMIC OR MATERIAL
SELF IS CONCERNED. WHO YOU ARE AS A CONSUMER, SPENDER AND A SHOPPER?
MATERIAL SELF AND ITS DEFINITION

I SHOP THEREFORE, I AM
• WHEN YOU SHOP, DO YOU LOOK FOR SPECIFIC BRANDS THAT SUIT YOUR TASTE?
• DO THE THINGS YOU POSSESS DEFINE YOUR PERSONHOOD?
• WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, YOUR POSSESSIONS SPEAK ABOUT YOU, FOR THEY ARE EXTENSION OF
OURSELVES.
THE SELF AND OUR POSSESSION
• THE THINGS WE POSSESS DEFINE WHO WE ARE. THEY MANIFEST OUR BEING, OUR PERSONALITY OUR “SELF.”
IN FACT THEY ARE A GREAT MEASURE ON OUR LEVEL OF EITHER HAPPINESS OR LONELINESS. COMMENTS
SUCH AS, “BUTIKA PA” (GOOD FOR YOU) “SANA ALL” (HOPE EVERYBODY), “BUTINALANGNAKABILIAKO”
(GOOD ENOUGH I WAS ABLE TO BUY ONE), “CANNOT WAIT TO USE THIS,” ARE EXPRESSIONS OF
SATISFACTION OR DISSATISFACTION.

• IN A RECENT STUDY OF LOWER-CLASS STUDENTS, THE FINDINGS REVEAL THAT LOWER-CLASS STUDENTS
SHOWED HIGH MATERIALISM TENDENCIES TO COMPENSATE FOR SELF-ESTEEM (LIA, LUA, & XIAA, 2018).
MOREOVER THE STUDY ON INFLUENTIAL MECHANISM OF MATERIALISM ON PERSONAL WELL-BEING SHOWED
THAT MATERIALISM HAS NEGATIVE IMPACT ON A PERSON’S SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING AND DEPRESSION.
FURTHER, MATERIALISM INFLUENCES PERSONAL WELL-BEING VIA PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS SATISFACTION
(WANG, LIU, JIANG, & SONG, 2017).
• DEPENDENCE ON OUR POSSESSION AS DEFINITION OF OURSELVES ARE REFLECTED ON HOW WE
PURCHASE, CARE, AND WORRY, FOR THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE INCLUDING THE EFFORT EXERTED IN
ACQUIRING THEM. THE BRAND, COLOR, OR QUALITY OF BAGS, 91 PERFUMES, WRIST WATCHES, GADGETS,
BOOKS, SHOES AND OTHER POSSESSIONS WE HAVE ARE REFLECTIONS OF WHO WE ARE.

• AT TIMES, IT IS NOT THE CAPACITY TO BUY, BUT THE INTEREST TO POSSESS AND THE PRIORITY SET IN
HAVING THOSE POSSESSIONS. THE CLICHÉ, “TELL ME WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE AND I WILL TELL YOU WHO
YOU ARE” CAN BE TRANSLATED TO “TELL ME WHAT YOU POSSESS AND I WILL TELL YOU WHERE YOU ARE
OBSESSED. THIS IS SO FOR THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY PARTICULAR WITH THE COLOR OF
PRODUCTS, THE GENRE, THE BRAND, OR THE CARTOON CHARACTER THEY SYMBOLIZE.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE THINGS WE POSSESS DO NOT LIE ON THE THING ITSELF BUT ON THE MEMORY
ASCRIBED TO IT. FOR INSTANCE, YOU BOUGHT THE BAG DURING YOUR FIRST ANNIVERSARY, IT WAS A
GIFT TO YOURSELF; A RING YOU PURCHASED WHICH REMINDS YOU OF A FAITHFUL FRIEND; A BRAND OF
WATCH WHICH REMINDS YOU OF THE TIME SPENT WITH YOUR FIRST BOYFRIEND; PURCHASING THE
SAME BRAND OF PERFUME REMINDS YOU OF A LONG LOST FRIEND. THE SO CALLED, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
IS GREATLY VALUED BY MANY HENCE THE DIFFICULTY IN GIVING THEM UP OR FOREGOING THEM. SO THEY
END UP BEING POSSESSED BY WHAT THEY POSSESS.

• DETRIMENTAL EFFECT OF MATERIALISM OCCURS WHEN HOARDING DISORDER HAPPEN. HOARDING

DISORDER IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE ACQUISITION AND RETENTION OF POSSESSIONS UP TO THE EXTENT
OF IMPAIRING A PERSON’S LIFE, REGARDLESS OF THE VALUE OF THE ITEMS (CHRISTOPHER, MOULDING, &
KNIGHT, 2017).
CONSUMER CULTURE
• CONSUMER CULTURE REFERS TO A MARKETING STRATEGIC PLANNING THEORY THAT FOCUSES ON THE
RELATIONSHIP CONSUMERS HAVE WITH CERTAIN GOODS AND SERVICES. IT HELPS TARGET GROUPS OF
INDIVIDUALS WHO SHARE THE SAME INTEREST, DESIRE AND NEED FOR A CERTAIN PRODUCT OR
SERVICES. IT ESSENTIALLY CONSIDERS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR TO CERTAIN PRODUCTS.
ENTREPRENEURS WOULD LOOK FOR WAYS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE ITEMS DESIRED BY CONSUMERS.
SIGNIFICANT PREDICTORS OF MATERIALISM WERE CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT, PEER GROUP, AND TV
ADVERTISEMENT. MOREOVER, MATERIALISM IS THE SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR OF COMPULSIVE BUYING
BEHAVIOR (ISLAMA, WEIA, SHEIKHB, HAMEEDA, & AZAMC, 2017)
• WHEN CAN WE SAY THAT WE ARE PREOCCUPIED WITH THE ACQUISITION OF A PRODUCT? ARE WE A
SLAVE OF CONSUMERISM? THE FOLLOWING ARE THE SIGNS: BEING A SHOPAHOLIC, A PANIC BUYER,
BUYING THE LATEST GADGET, WAITING FOR THE LATEST GADGET TO BE OUT IN THE MARKET, COMPETING
WITH PEERS IN ACQUIRING NEW PRODUCTS, BUYING EVEN IF IT IS NOT NECESSARY, SEEKING HAPPINESS
IN POSSESSING EXPENSIVE BRANDS, AND ALWAYS DESIRING FOR MORE.

• PEOPLE AT TIMES ARE MORE INTERESTED ON WHAT THE BRAND SAYS AND NOT ON ITS USEFULNESS. THEY
BUY SIGNATURE PRODUCTS BECAUSE THE BRAND SPEAKS OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE THEY ENJOY. PEOPLE
BUY BECAUSE THEY ARE DRIVEN BY THE STATUS SYMBOL ATTRIBUTED TO THE THINGS THEY HAVE
WHICH IN TURN FAVOURABLY INFLUENCES A HIGHER SELF-ESTEEM. WHAT KIND OF CELLULAR PHONE DO
YOU HAVE? DO PEOPLE SAY, “WOW” WHEN THEY SEE IT? ARE YOU PROUD HAVING IT? DOES IT HAVE
THE SPECIFICS, YOUR PEERS ARE WANTING TO HAVE?
UNDERSTANDING THE WAY WE SEE OURSELVES

1. BIOLOGICAL
HYPOTHLAMUS: “I NEED THAT”
PREFRONTAL CORTEX: CORRECT! IT’S NECESSARY
AMYDALA: I WANT THIS
PREFRONTAL CORTEX: OK
2. PSYCHOLOGICAL:
• SIGMUND FREUD’S CONCEPT OF ID (PLEASURE PRINCIPLE)
• ABRAHAM MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
FUNCTIONS OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS

• INSTRUMENTAL FUNCTIONS RELATE TO THE FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF A PRODUCT. FOR EXAMPLE, A PERSON
BOUGHT A VAN FOR FAMILY AND BUSINESS USE.

• SOCIAL SYMBOLIC FUNCTIONS SIGNIFY PERSONAL QUALITIES, SOCIAL STANDING, GROUP AFFILIATION, GENDER
ROLE. FOR INSTANCE BUYING AN IPHONE INSTEAD OF SAMSUNG, OPPO, HWAWEI, VIVO, OR CHERRY MOBILE
PHONES.

• CATEGORICAL FUNCTIONS REFER TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH MATERIAL POSSESSIONS MAY BE USED TO
COMMUNICATE GROUP MEMBERSHIP AND STATUS. EXAMPLE IS BUYING OR RENTING CONDO UNIT IN MAKATI
CITY.

• SELF-EXPRESSIVE FUNCTIONS REFLECT A PERSON’S UNIQUE QUALITIES, VALUES OR ATTITUDES. THERE ARE
PEOPLE WHO MAY REPRESENT THEMSELVES BY COLLECTING OBJECTS WITH A HELLO KITTY BRAND. OTHERS MAY
EXPRESS THEIR FAVORITE COLOR THROUGH THE COLOR OF THEIR CLOTHES, ACCESSORIES, SHOES ETC.
• THE PURCHASE AND USE OF MATERIAL GOODS DEPENDS ON ITS SPECIFIC FUNCTION AND OFTENTIMES
PEOPLE MAY BE RELUCTANT TO ADMIT THAT MATERIAL THINGS FULFIL SYMBOLIC AND AFFECTIVE
RATHER THAN INSTRUMENTAL FUNCTIONS.