MATERIALISTIC/

ECONOMIC SELF
CHRISHA DAINE RED
JOSH MICHAEL ESTOYA
STTEVEN MALUNES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this lesson, you should be able
to:
1. explain the association of self and
possessions.
2. identify the role of consumer culture to self
and identity.
3. differentiate between needs and wants.
4. appraise one’s self based on the description
of material self.
ACTIVITY: DEBIT
CARD CHALLENGE
A very wealthy relative of yours gave
you a debit card worth one (1) million
pesos. What are you going to do with
such a huge amount of money?
ANALYSIS
1 How do you feel as you do the Debit Card
Challenge?

2 Which among the items in your list you

like the most? Why?

From the list, identify your needs as well

3
as your wants.
 ABSTRACTION
Material Self William James, a Harvard psychologist in the late 19th century,
wrote in his book, The Principles of Psychology, that understanding the self can
be examined through its different components.
He described three components as 1) its constituents, 2) the feelings and
emotions they arouse - self-feelings; and 3) actions to which they prompt - self-
seeking and self-preservation. The constituents of the self are composed of the
material self, the social self, the spiritual self, and the pure ego.
 ABSTRACTION
Our focus for this lesson is the MATERIAL SELF.

The material self, according to James is primarily about our bodies,

clothes, immediate family and home. We are deeply affected by these
things because we have put much investment of our self to them.
 Body
We invest in our body. We are directly
attached to it and we strive hard to make
sure that the body functions well and is
healthy. We make sure that it looks and
feels good. Any ailment or disorder
directly affects us. We do have
preferential attachment or intimate
closeness to certain body parts because
of its value to us.
Clothes
James believed that clothing is an essential part of the
material self. Hermann Lotze, a German philosopher,
stipulates in his book Microcosmus, that any time we bring
an object into the surface of our body, we invest that object
into the consciousness of our personal existence taking its
contours to be our own and making it a part of the self.
The fabric and style of the clothes we wear bring
sensations to the body which directly affect our attitudes and
behavior. Thus, clothes are placed in the second hierarchy of
the material self. Clothing is a form of self-expression. We
choose and wear clothes that reflect our self.
 Immediate Family
Our parents and siblings are another important
part of the self. What they do or become affects us.
Their success becomes ours, too and we feel down
in their failures. We get affected when anybody in
the immediate family gets sick and more so when
the ones we love pass away. In difficult situations
we always prioritize our immediate family for we
always say that blood is thicker than water. We
place huge investment, emotionally or otherwise, in
our immediate family because we see them as the
nearest replica to our self
Home
The home is the extension of the self; it
is where the heart is. Our home was the
non-living witness to many of our
experiences, pleasant or not. It is the
earliest nest of our childhood. There are
parts of the house and possessions which
are unforgettable. There be some of you
who transferred homes several times but
may still be able to connect with a home
which held many of your memories.
The Consumer
Culture on One’s
Sense of Self and
Identity
 MATERIALISM
- is defined as a trait that can affect both rich and poor, and which the
researchers define as “a value system that is preoccupied with possessions
and the social image they project is both socially destructive and self-
destructive.”

It smashes the happiness and peace of mind of those who succumb to it. It
is associated with anxiety. There has long been a correlation between
materialism, a lack of empathy and engagement with others, and
unhappiness.
 MATERIALISM
We are what we have and what we possess. A man’s
self becomes the sum total of all that he has, these
possessions become part of an extension of the self.
 N T S
WA
DS
NEE

NEEDS
VERSUS
WANTS
 N T S
WA
E D S
NE

NEEDS
VS WA N T S

WANTS N EE D S
NEEDS
Needs are those important for survival. Food,
clothing, and shelter are basic needs so people
purchase them out of necessity.
WANTS
Wants, however, are synonymous with luxuries.
People buy them for reasons that do not warrant
necessity.
As a consumer, one should know what to prioritize that would
benefit him or her in the long run. One should also allocate part
of his or her earnings for savings so that when important
reasons to expend comes in the future, one is ready. In spending
money, one should avoid being impulsive and instead be
practical and prudent. One should take note that every person
has free will whether to buy or not. Conscious consumption is
about practicing responsible buying habits.
In the process of acquiring material goods, people
generally consider two things:

Utility & Significance

UTILITY
is concerned with how things serve a practical purpose

SIGNIFICANCE
is concerned with the meaning assigned to the object.
The possession of material things also indicates one’s status
in the society. People can tell whether the owner is part of a
wealthy family or in the middle class. One’s possessions
are perceived as personal choices that define people to a
certain extent. These personal choices build one’s material
and economic self which is an extension of his or her social
identity.