UDERSTANDING THE SELF LEARNING MODULE

MODULE 5
March 7, 2022—March 12, 2022

COURSE NUMBER : PERDEV 100

COURSE TITLE : UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
INSTRUCTOR : MS. MA. RAYM KAYLEIGH TRABAJO

Course Learning Outcome Student Learning Outcomes

Unpacking the Self:
The second part of this course explores some of the various 1. Exploring the different aspects of self and identity;
aspects that make up the self, such as the biological and 2. Demonstrate critical, reflective thought in integrating
material up to and including the more recent Digital Self. the various aspects of self and identity;
3. Identify the different forces and institutions that
impact the development of various aspects of self and
identity;
4. Examine one’s self against the different aspects of
self-discussed in class.

LEARNING CONTENT

UNPACKING THE SELF: THE PHYSICAL SELF

Note: For the supplementary lecture presentation, head to this link:
https://prezi.com/p/0g6uoukfm_pv/?present=1

A. INTRODUCTION
Self is a concept or belief that an individual has of him or herself as emotional, spiritual, and
social being. It is your idea of who you are, like a self-reflection of one’s well-being.

Personality Domains:
1. Real Self - who I am
2. Ideal Self - who I want to be

Self-Understanding - one’s understanding of who they are and what makes them unique. It
motivates a person’s actions.

“I am not who I think I am.”

“I am not who you think I am.”
“I am who I think you think I am.”

B. LESSON CONTENT

Through the years, the concept of physical self has gained a considerable attention in the fields of
Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology, including religious and biological or health studies.
These disciplines agree on the premise that the physical self is an important component in the
study of the person’s self and identity. As what William James said, “the self is the sum total of
all that man can call his, which includes the body, family and reputation., also his clothes
and his house…” Such body, clothes and the like are also described by Russel W. Belk as part of
our extended self. But what do we mean by the physical self?

The Physical Self is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of the person that can be directly
observed and examined. The physical self refers to the body. And so, it involves our physical
growth and development as we go through the different stages of life. Puberty is one of the stages
where huge changes happen to our body due to the secretion of different hormones.

According to William James, the physical self or the body is an initial source of sensation and
necessary for the origin and maintenance of personality.
In Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis, his construction of self and personality makes the physical
body the core of human experience.

For Erik Erikson, the role of bodily organs is especially important in early developmental stages
of a person’s life. Later in life, the development of physical as well as intellectual skills help
determine whether the individual will achieve a sense of competence and ability to choose
demanding roles in a complex society.

In understanding a person’s view of what their physical self, it is rooted in three points of
analysis: how they view themselves, how they view others, how they think others view them.

The Biological Blueprint:

• The physical self is shaped by biological and environmental factors
• Heredity is defined as the transmission of traits from parents to offspring. The traits are made
up of specific information embedded within one’s gene.
• Genotype refers to the specific information embedded within one’s genes; not all genotypes
translate to an observed physical characteristic.
• Phenotype is the physical expression of a particular trait.
• Each individual carries 23 pairs of chromosomes, which are threadlike bodies in the nucleus
of the cell and the storage unit of genes. The 23rd pair, also known as sex
chromosomes, determines the sex of an individual.
• Within each chromosome is the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is a nucleic acid that
contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of every individual.
• Maturation is known as the completion of growth of a genetic character within an organism
or the unfolding of an individual’s inherent traits or potential.

Environmental Conditioning:
• As you grow up, you are exposed to environmental influences that shape your physical
self, including those from your social networks, societal expectations, and cultural
practices.
• Family, being your first social group, forms a crucial foundation of your development,
including that of your physical self.
• As you grow older, you get exposed to a larger social group with new practices and
standards. As a result, you may begin engaging in acts that would make you attractive and
acceptable to others.
• One aspect of physical beauty is a person’s body type. Contemporary media has portrayed
slim bodies as the ideal body type for women and muscular bodies for men. Thus,
adolescents indulge in activities that would enable them to achieve these ideal body types.

However, some adolescents may resort to unhealthy habits just to achieve the ideal body type. It
is important to remember that physical beauty is only skin-deep; that what matters is feeling good
about oneself and embracing a healthy perception of one’s physical worth.

The sociology of the body became an established discipline in the 1990s. Bryan Turner coined
the term “somatic society” which means the new found importance of the body in contemporary
society.

Common issues that arose with this:

• The obsession to have a beautiful face and body
• Eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia
• The demand for cosmetic surgery and skin whiteners
• Body dysmorphia
• Body shaming

Many people, especially women, spend tremendous amounts of time, effort and money to alter
their appearances to resemble an ideal image. People have been obsessed with the idea of the
ideal physique of a man and a woman. This, in turn, affects one’s self-esteem.
Self-Esteem:
Self-Esteem is used to describe a person’s overall sense of self-worth or personal value.

How Do We Develop Our Self-Esteem?

a. Understanding that healthy, attractive bodies come in many shapes and sizes
b. Physical appearance says very little about our character or value as a person
c. How we get to this point of acceptance often depends on our individual development and
self-acceptance

The Role of Culture in our Understanding of Body Image and Self-Esteem:

Culture is defined as the shared patterns of thoughts, beliefs, behavior, and habits in both
material and symbolic realms. Pop Culture, from a common understanding, is a culture widely
accepted and patronized by the public.

The Best Presentation of the Physical Self:

1. Beauty
2. Good Health

2 Types of Beauty:
1. Inner Beauty - refers to the inner qualities of the person
2. External Beauty - physical characteristic of the person

Before the 18th Century, Western philosophical views of beauty treated it as an objective quality.
1. St. Augustine - things were beautiful because it gave delight or whether it gave delight
because it is beautiful
2. Plato - he connected beauty as a response to love and desire
3. Aristotle - asserted that chief forms of beauty are order, symmetry, and definiteness

By the 18th Century, beauty was associated with pleasure as a personal preference.
1. David Hume - it merely exists in “Beauty is no quality in things themselves” the mind
which contemplates them and each perceives a different beauty.
2. Immanuel Kant - the judgement of taste is therefore not judgment or cognition and is
consequently not logical but aesthetical, by which we understand that whose determining
ground can be no other than subjective.
3. Francis Hutcheson - “the perception of beauty does not depend on the external sense of
sight; however, the internal sense of beauty operates as an internal or reflect of sense.”

Recognizing and Personifying Physical Self:

1. Allow your physical self to move and express himself. Dance, walk, and stretch.
2. Notice all the physical things around you. Use all five senses: sight, sound, taste, touch,
and smell.
3. Love your body.
4. Feed your physical body what it likes.
5. When you are sitting quietly, visualize your body standing in front of you.
6. Open your grounding line and leg channels about 10% more and run extra energy through
them.

Achieving Physical Well-Being:

• Healthy eating. Following a healthy diet result in healthy skin, ideal weight, and better
stamina.
• Embracing a healthy lifestyle. Physical activities such as walking, running, going to the
gym, and engaging in sports also contribute to a healthier body.
• Maintaining proper hygiene. Taking care of your body by consistently following a
hygiene regimen can also help you feel good about yourself.
• Being confident. Be secure in yourself, embrace a positive outlook toward various
situations and problems, and love and accept who you are.
D. ASSESSMENT
Look at yourself in front of the mirror and answer the following questions:

1. Which part of your body are you most proud of? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. Which part of your body are you not happy about? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

3. What is your ideal body? Describe the body you want to have.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

4. Do you really need another body to be happy? Why? Why not?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________