Unpacking the Self

Material Self; Self, Spirituality and Religion; Political

Self; Digital Self
Part 3: MATERIAL SELF
 It refers to tangible objects, people, or places that carry the
designation my or mine.

Material Self

Body Self Extended Self

Functions of Possessions

Possessions can go beyond their functional value.

 Influence
 Power
 Sympathy
 Social status
 Emotions
Materialism
 The consumer/individual attaches to worldly possessions.

 Can possessions really buy happiness and stability?

Possessions as Symbolic Expressions of
Identity (Symbolic Communication Model)

 • Possession help people define themselves.

 • Possessions can enhance one’s image and develop a
positive sense of self.
 • It can be a reassurance that one is the person one’s
wishes to be.
 • Goods and possessions are used to fill in or to
compensate for the person lacks.
Pets as Extension/Symbols of the Self

 • Pets have become parts of the extended self. Pets

belong to the top 5 possessions.
 • Positive relationship between self-esteem and
owning pets (Covert et al, 1985)
 • The dog as “co-therapist” (Levinson, 1962)
Part 4: SELF, SPIRITUALITY, AND
RELIGION

  Religion–an organized system of ideas about the

spiritual or supernatural realm, that is accompanied by rituals.
Through rituals, people attempt to influence things that
they think are beyond their control.
  Spirituality–also concerns an aspect of the divine and
supernatural but is often times limited to the individual, with
no need for any formal organization. This is the search for
meaning and direction in life and the ways
  The two are related –Although not separate from one
another, spirituality is much more profound than religion.
Religion - Rituals

 Religions have rituals/ ritu.

 Whatever is done repeatedly.

2 Types of Ritual

 According to the Calendar (Calendric)

 Based on crisis
Examples of Catholic Rituals

 Fasting (Pag-aayuno)
 Healing (Panggagamot)
 Offering (Pag-aalay)
 Panalanging walang patid
 Attending mass (Pagmimisa)
 Praying a novena (Pagnonobena)
 Praying the rosary (Pagrorosaryo)
 Senakulo
Philippine Mythology

  Hula
  Tawas
  Kulam
  Dwende
  Diwata
  Ligaw na kaluluwa
  Faith healer
How is old religion preserved and
continued?

  While leaders remain in power

  While the spiritual leader remainsthe intercessor
between the people and the divine
  While there are living experiences of the divine who
is believed to be invisible but could make miracles
The Meaning of Spirituality

 1. It is phenomenological experience.
 2. This has to do with the human being.
5. POLITICAL SELF
What is Political Self?

 Explores how our social and economic contexts that

affect our mental health and well-being, and how modern
neuroscientific and psychodynamic research can both
contribute to and enrich our understanding of these
wider discussions
WHO IS A FILIPINO?
FILIPINO VALUES AND TRAITS

 The Filipino Hospitality

Welcome their guests and tourist as if they are their own
brothers and sisters; they always make their guests feel at
home, offering them something to eat or even a place to
stay.
 Respect for Elders
Filipinos greet their elders by kissing their hand while
saying “Mano po!” and constantly using “po” and “opo” in
conversations.
FILIPINO VALUES AND TRAITS
 Close Family Ties
Filipinos maintain a tight relationship with their families
regardless if the children are old enough and already have
families of their own.

 Cheerful Personality
Filipinos have a habit of smiling and laughing a lot. Smiling
has been a coping strategy for many Filipinos especially
during trying times and calamities.
FILIPINO VALUES AND TRAITS

 Self –sacrifice
Self-sacrificing attitude of Filipinos can be seen as an
extension of the Filipino hospitality.

 Bayanihan
Bayanihan is the spirit of communal unity and cooperation
of Filipinos. It is also about giving without expecting
something in return.
FILIPINO VALUES AND TRAITS

 Bahala na Attitude
Is the Filipino version of the famous line “hakuna matata”
meaning no worries. The phrase is said to have originated from
“bathala na” where Bathala means God.

 Colonial Mentality
Is regarded as the lack of patriotism and the attitude where
Filipinos favor foreign products more than their own. This does
not only concern goods, but also the desire to look more
foreign than local and keep up with foreign beauty trends.
FILIPINO VALUES AND TRAITS

 Mañana Habit
It was derived from a longer Filipino phrase called “
Mamaya na” means dawdling things, which could have
been done at an earlier time

 Ningas Kugon
Refers to the attitude of eagerly starting things but
quickly losing eargerness soon after experiencing
difficulty, just like how fast the fire of a Cogon grass burns
out moments after being ignited.
FILIPINO VALUES AND TRAITS

 Pride
Most Filipinos hold on their pride as if they are more precious
than keeping a good relationship with family and loved ones.
When two parties are not in good terms, they find it so hard
to apologize and wait until the other party ask for an apology.
 Crab Mentality
It is the more toxic trait of the Filipinos, they ruin each other
reputations and pull each other down.
 Filipino Time
Filipinos have this common attitude of arriving late at
commitments.
6. DIGITAL SELF
Cyberpsychology
 (also known as Internet psychology, web psychology, or digital
psychology) is a developing field that encompasses
all psychological phenomena associated with or affected by
emerging technology.
 Cyber comes from the word cyberspace, the study of the
operation of control and communication; psychology is the
study of the mind and behavior.

 Branch of psychology that examines:

1. how we interact with others using technology

2. how our behaviour is influenced by technology
3. how technology can be developed to best suit our
4. how psychological states can be affected by technologies
I,Me,Myself and my User ID Online Identity
 Personal Identity - the interpersonal level of self which
differentiates the individual as unique from others,

 Social Identity – the level of self whereby the individual

is identified by his or her group memberships.

 Online Identity – It is the sum of your characteristics

and interactions represented.
ONLINE BEHAVIOR THEORIES
 EQUALISATION HYPOTHESIS (Kiesler et al.,
1984)
 With the removal of the social cues, a reduction of
associated stereotypes may occur, and therefore may lead
to increased social power in the online world
 SOCIAL IDENTITY MODEL OF
DEINDIVIDUATION EFFECTS (SIDE) THEORY
(Zimbardo, 1979)
 Importance of the situational explicit variables in a social
situation
 Strengthens the influence of social norms and their effect
when social identity is strong
IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
Impression Management strategies include:
1. Ingratiation –your integrity behaving in ways to make
oneself likable to others.
2. Self-promotion – accenting your strong points in order to
earn respect.
3. Exemplification – demonstrating exemplary behaviour in
order to boost your integrity or character.
4. Intimidation – using physical or emotional threats to get
what you want from others
5. Supplication – acting weak or dependent in order to get
favours from others
6. Negative acknowledgment – admitting your flaws
 How Real is your Digital Self?

 How close is your online self-presentation and

impression management to the real you?
Impact of online interactions on the self

 Positive Impacts

1. Social media sites inform and empower individuals to

change themselves and their communities.
2. Increase self-esteem when receiving many likes and
shares.
3. Boosts one’s moral and feelings of self-worth.
Impact of online interactions on the self
 Negative Impacts

1. Extensive online engagement is correlated with:

- Personality and brain disorders like poor social skills.
- ADHD, a narcissistic tendencies, a need for instant
gratification, and addictive behaviors, depression, anxiety,
and loneliness
2. Low Self-Esteem due to the risk of being exposed to
cyberbullying and cyberpornography

3. More occupied in giving attention to social media than in

keeping their customs and practices.
Extending Self in a Digital World
- Russel W. Belk
 Dematerialization

 Reembodiment

 Sharing

 Co-construction of Self

 Distributed Memory
Setting Boundaries to your Online Self
 Stick to safer sites

 Guard your passwords

 Be choosy about your online friends

 Remembering that anything you put online or post on

a site is there forever, even if you try to delete it

 Don’t be mean or embarrass other people online

 Limit what you share

Activity:
Group Work
 Make a quick survey on the most frequently used social
media; most frequently played computer game; number of
hours spent on phones, gadgets or computers per day.
 Analyze and show a graph.
 50 students/individuals (25 males:25 females)
 You can make a survey using Google Forms.