UNPACKING THE SELF

PHYSICAL SELF
PHYSICAL SELF – refers to the body, this marvelous container & complex, finely tuned, machine
w/ which we interface w/ our environment & fellow beings.
It is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspects of the person that can be directly
observed & examined. – Singh, 2018
The body is one of the objects that most people would want to change to enhance one’s
appearance seemingly to appear beautiful.
The Influence of Culture to Beauty
De Mello (2014) noted that for the evolutionary psychologists, beauty is universal if all cultures
appear to have the same notion of what I beautiful & that it is helpful for people to survive.
Evolutionary perspective explains that both men & women have to develop physical features
that not only make one beautiful but w/c are considered indicators of health & good gene.
Swami and Harris (2012) added that for the evolutionary psychological approach a
person’s inclination for physical attractiveness & choice of a mate is dependent on the latter’s
capability for reproduction.

 The indicators of fitness (health & good gene) are clean, unblemished skin, think shiny
hair, & symmetrical face
 More so, individuals w/ unusual facial features are seen as more beautiful since they are
more noticeable than those w/ average facial features
 Female beauty is also defined by youth & fertility aside from health and good genes.
Features such as high cheekbones, full lips, narrow jaws & large eyes imply low testosterone
& high estrogen w/c are indicators of fertility

 Male Beauty on the other hand is said to be associated w/ physical traits that are
predominantly determined by their hormone (testosterone) good gene such as strong
jaws, big muscles, heavy brows, tall structure & broad cheekbones
However, for a woman who considers to have long-term or short-term relationship w/ a man,
her preference may vary:
It is mentioned that for women who intend to have a long term relationship, men w/
capabilities to raise their family on the basis of financial means are said to be more attractive
than those who possess physical masculinity & fertility.
Beauty is cultural as well.
De Mello (2014) notes that in:
India – beauty comprise cleanliness, graceful use of clothing, how a woman carries herself, if her
skin, hair & bindi on the forehead are well cared for.
  Africans in the past – only a woman w/ face or body scarification is considered beautiful:
a woman w/ large plates inserted into the lower & sometimes upper lip is beautiful &
considered marriageable.
 Long nose for European imply beauty
 For Asian countries like Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia, flat noses are considered
beautiful before colonization
 In Japan, beauty is said to be symbolized by the geisha
 In South Korea, standards of beauty are said to include round eyes, pale skin, sharp
nose, and long legs although in reality these features are unusual among them.
 In the Philippines, our preference for beauty is highly influenced by our much love for
movie and television actors and actresses that we idolize. Thus, standards of beauty are
characterized by fair skin, long, straight black hair, tall nose, and slanted eyes.
For scientists, a face is attractive when ideal measurement is achieved for the space between
the eyes, the length of the chin, the height of the eyes, the length & width of the nose, & the width
& the shape of the mouth.
The Importance of Beauty

 Its importance is derived in the premise that it is the face that we become aware of when
we encounter people.
- What we observe makes a difference in the way we perceive them. Both men &
women, although women appear to be more conscious of their beauty, take extra
effort, time & money to engage in activities that enhance their appearance just to meet
the beauty standards that modern society seem to promote.
 Why do some people adapt to the seemingly unrealistic & unattainable standards of
beauty?
- The harsh treatment from various media (e.g. magazines and advertisements)
received by women who do not meet the society’s standards of beauty
- This kind of treatment has psychological implications as it affects women at its core.
The latter leads to the development of low self-esteem, negative body image, eating
disorders, stress and anxiety.
Britton (2012) mentioned that by putting photo-shopped and computer-enhanced models in
advertisements, society has built up impossible standards of beauty, w/c has led to feelings of
inadequacy among women.
Despite the costs (financial & psychological) some still risk undergoing procedures to
compensate for the negative feelings they have about their body image.

 De Mello (2014) also noted the significant role that beauty plays in possible success-
career & relationship wise push women to conform to beauty standards
- Accordingly, the overwhelming emphasis on beauty as psychologists say results
to difficulty in obtaining gratification in their relationship for both men & women, as
well as women being forced to subscribe to costly beauty products & risky cosmetic
surgeries.
Why is it that women and men alike feel bad when their physical appearance is put in bad
light?
Good looks seem to be one of the sources of esteem. But this is not a good source of
esteem since beauty fades as one gets older, still a lot of women & men conform to the society’s
standards of beauty to maintain their youthful look.
Ultimately, looking young despite old age, increases one’s self-esteem.

 Others go to extreme measures as body modification to meet the society’s standards of

beauty.
- Body Modification refers to the physical alteration of the body through the use
of surgery, tattooing, piercing, scarification, branding, genital mutilation, implants
& others (De Mello, 2014)
An Iranian teenager’s pictures are being splashes all over the internet, with reports claiming that
she has undergone around 50 plastic surgeries to look like her idol Angelina Jolie.

 In contrast to health-risky procedures men & women who are unsatisfied w/ their physical
appearance go through some practices that seem to promote body preservation.
These are usually observed in some religious practices which are fasting, abstinence &
self-mortification.
In Conclusion:
Beauty or beautiful is a concept automatically attached to the body. The society’s
standards of beauty sometimes contribute to the development of a person’s unhealthy body image
or incapacitating beliefs.
Therefore, beauty should not be used as a measure of a person’s worth. Nonetheless,
the physical aspect is one of the areas that a person may improve on so that he can achieve a
healthy self-image.
THE MATERIAL SELF
William James’ representation of the self
The dimensions of the empirical self include:
the material self (comprised of one’s body & it’s extensions such as clothing, immediate family,
& home)
the social self (or significant interpersonal relations)
the spiritual self ( one’s personality, character, & defining values)

Possessions as Symbolic Expression of Identity (Symbolic Communicational Model)

 An observation that possessions are considered a part of oneself. They are symbols &
extensions of the personal & social aspect of one’s identity/personhood.
Role of Possessions
Possessions may deliver exhibit the following:
o Control & expertise (actual or impression)
o Comfort & emotional stability
o A concrete record of achievements
o Past and future goals
o A souvenir/memento of relationships
o We are able to make ourselves known through our possessions
o Other people are able to know us through our possessions
From early years to old age, our possession are symbols of ourselves and our identity.

 Social Status
How does one’s house look like? (home as identity shelf)
What are the things that can be found in one’s living room?
What is upper class? Middle class? Lower class?
The value & significance of one’s status symbol are altered through time.

 Symbolic Self-Completion (Wickland & Gollwitzer. 1982, 1985)

Goods & possessions are used to fill into compensate for what the person looks (e.g., even though
you are not too smart/not too qualified, so long as you wear an expensive watch, high-class pair
of shoes & you have the latest model of cell phone)
When is enough enough for a materialistic person?
Three Dimensions or Orienting Values (Richins, 1991)
1. Acquisition centrality: materialists tend to place possessions & the process of acquiring
possessions at the center of their lives.

 Pets as Extensions/Symbols of the Self

Pets have become parts of the extended self. Pets belong to the top 5 possessions.

Positive relationship between self-esteem & owning pets (Covert et al. 1985)

The dog as “co-therapist” (Levinson, 1962)

2. Acquisition as the pursuit of happiness: materialists tend to view their possessions &
their acquisition as a means of providing themselves w/ some level of personal well-
being/satisfaction w/ their lives.
3. Possession-defined success
: materialists tend to base their own & others’ success on the number & quality of
possessions.
Possessions in Old Age As a person grows older...
 An aging person would wish that whatever defines who she is would stay w/ her – photos,
jewelries, appliances etc.
Sentimentality, memories of friends & experiences (ex. Photo albums) give a sense of
continuity
SEXUAL SELF
Sexual self
Sexuality refers to the ways in which human biengs experience & express themselves as sexual
beings. Our sense of being male or female our capacity to experience sexual pleasure our
identification of ourselves in view of our biological sexual characteristics.
Gender identity refers to one’s concept of being male or female.
Gender roles comprise of behavioral expectations for both male and female within a particular
society or culture.
Gender expressions which denotes how a person objectifies his or her gender identity through
manner of dressing appearance or demeanor.
SEX is of Latin origin which denotes “to cut or divide.” (Nevid, et. al, 1995) which is expressed in
the binary of male or female due to having external genitalia of penis & vagina.
One term that is sometimes used interchangeably w/ sex is GENDER w/c signifies the state or
experience of being male or female. Gender results from socialization within one’s culture.

Sexual orientation is defined as one’s erotic attraction & romantic interest w/ the opposite or
same gender. Examples of sexual orientation are homosexuality, bisexuality & heterosexuality.
Primary Sexual Characteristics
Female sex organ include the vagina, a barrel-like structure extending upward from the vaginal
opening, measuring 3-5 inches when at rest. This is where menstrual flow & babies pass & where
a penis penetrates during sexual intercourse. The cervix is a canal that connects vaginal tube &
the uterus. Both the cervical & vaginal passageways secrete substances to maintain chemical
balance in the organ.
Male sex organ include a penis, used for copulation while the scrotum, pocket-like structure of
loose skin consisting of two compartments that hold the testes, the male sex organ hanging inside
the scrotum, that produce sex hormones & sperm cells.

 Sex drive or lust is characterized by the urge to experience pleasure through sexual
intimacy w/ someone & is influenced by neurophysiological mechanism such as certain
areas in the brain & the production of hormones like estrogens and androgens.
 The pituitary gland directs the sex glands in both males & females to secrete sex
hormones like estrogen & progesterone in females, and androgens like testosterone
in males.

 Romantic Love. Often the beginning of most long-term relationships or the most common
reason why people decide to commit or marry in due time, this love is characterized by strong
feelings of attraction & passionate desire for the other person.
It may start as an infatuation whete one may find himself or herself preoccupied most of the
time w/ the though of the person of interest, the urge to be in the presence of the other – a
situation people often call “being in love” or “falling in love”
Our experience of lust is thought to be medicated by both the cerebral cortex or the thinking part
of the brain & the limbic system, portion of the brain that deals w/ three key functions: emotions,
memories & arousal.
The limbic system regulate sexual processes through the hypothalamus w/c subsequently
oversees the body’s hormonal system through the pituitary gland.

 Attachment is a phenomenon regulated by the emotion system in the brain through the
neuropeptides oxytocin & vasopressin w/c are released by hypothalamus.
 In humans, these are usually released after partners experienced fullness of sexual
union(vasopressin), during childbirth & nursing a baby(oxytocin), cuddling & other
emotionally intimate activities.
 These brain chemicals have been found to facilitate pair bonding group bonding and
mother – infant bonding in mammals.
These 3 emotion systems in the brain may be considered as the different components we are
interchangeably, or simultaneously, referring to every time we use the word love.

These emotion circuits in the brain are intertwined w/ one another yet, they could function
differently & independently. This explains why some people may have sexual relations w/ another,
while being deeply attracted to another person & Is in a committed relationship w/ yet, another
individual.

 Our experience of such kind of “love” seems to be governed by the attraction system in
our brain, characterized by an increased production of the neurotransmitters dopamine &
norepinephrine and low level of serotonin.
The Triangular theory of Love
Is a theory of love developed by Robert Sternberg In the content of interpersonal “the three (3)
components of love, according to the triangular theory, are intimacy component, passion c &
decision/commitment component.
Passion

 Passion can be associated with either physical arousal/ emotional stimulation.

 Passion is defined as:
1. A strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing
something
2. A strong feeling (such as anger) that causes people to act in a dangerous way
3. Strong sexual or romantic feeling for someone
LUST ATTRACTION ATTACHMENT
Testosterone; Estrogen Dopamine;Norepinephrine; Oxytocin; Vasopressin
Serotonin
Commitment

 Commitment involves a conscious decision to stick w/ one another. The decision to remain
commitment is mainly determined by the level of satisfaction that a partner derives from
the relationship.
  Commitment is defined as:
 A promise to do/ give something
 A promise to be loyal to someone/something
 The attitude of someone who works very hard to do/support something.
 The amount of love one experiences depends on the absolute strength of these 3
components & the type of love one experiences depends on their strengths relative to
each other.
Intimacy

 Intimacy is described as the feelings of closeness & attachment to one another. This tends
to strengthen the tight bond that is shared between those two individuals. Having a sense
of intimacy helps create the feeling of being as ease w/one another, in the same that the
two parties are mutual in their feelings.
 Intimacy is primarily defined as something of a personal or private nature; familiarity.
Filipino teenage sexuality issues
Despite the commonly professed belief in the importance of chastity, or the general adherence
to teachings of different faith & religious groups pertaining to sexuality, more & more teenagers
engage in sexual activities that do not lie w/in the boundaries of church defined acceptable sexual
behaviors-those that should just be happening w/in a martial relationship.

 Examples include “premarital sex (PMS), multiple sex, casual sex, pornography,
cohabitation” (De Jose, 2013).
 Studies shows that the number of Filipino teens engaging in sexual acts prior to marriage
shows an alarming & increasing trend (De Jose,2013,YAFS,2013).
Teenage pregnancy remains as a pressing public health issue in South Africa, more particularly
in the Philippines.
Based on 2012 data, pregnancy cases among 10-19 years ballooned by 70% in the last ten years
compromising the country’s development targets.
In addition 14% of teens in the 15-19 age group are found to be either first to time mothers or
already mothers of more than one child (YAFS,2013, Salvador, et, al,2016).

Created by: mai & ford