Psych Compilation

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Cagamutan Norte, Leganes, Iloilo - 5003

Tel. # (033) 396-2291 ; Fax : (033) 5248081
Email Address : svcst_leganes@yahoo.com
COO – FORM 12
SUBJECT TITLE: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

INSTRUCTOR: JENNEFER B. SUBASCO, LPT
SUBJECT CODE: PSYCH1
PRELIM MODULE
Knowing oneself is critical to being an effective team member as well as being

successful in life, work, and relationships. Your personal identity influences
everything you do, and it changes and evolves over time.
The purpose of this module is to help you deepen your understanding and
appreciation for who you are as a person. You will explore how you see yourself
through the lenses of personal identity, your skills and talents, roles, values, personal
core, and how you meet your psychological needs. You will also examine how you
respond to the pressures of changes and transitions in your life.
You will have an opportunity to examine how your personal identity has been
shaped by a variety of people and experiences. You will also have opportunities to
think about and discuss your values, interests, hopes for the future, as well as, your
strengths and challenges. You will learn about how your psychological needs are the
primary source that motivates and drives your behavior. You will also learn critical
knowledge about change and how important it is in today’s workplace to be adaptive
and to embrace change as a personal and professional growth experience.
You will be invited and encouraged to take risks, to step outside your comfort zone,
and to challenge your thinking and the thinking of others. You will be engaged in
reflection, partner activities, storytelling, discussion groups, self-assessment, and
giving and receiving feedback.
Topic 1: Ancient to Post-Modern Philosophy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this topic, the students are expected to:

1. Explain why it is essential to understand the self.
2. Describe and discuss the different notions of the self from the points-of-view
of the various philosophers across time and place.
3. Compare and contrast how the self has been represented in different
philosophical schools.
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NOTES:
Before we even had to be in formal institution of learning, among the many
things that we were first taught as kids is to articulate and write our names. Growing
up, we were told to refer back to this name when talking about ourselves. Our parents
painstakingly thought our names. Likewise, when our parents call our names, we
were taught to respond to them because our names represent who we are.
A name is not the person itself no matter how intimately bound it is with the
bearer. It is only a signifier. The self is something that a person perennially molds,
shapes and develops. The self is not a static thing that one is simply born with like a
mole on one’s face or is just assigned by one’s parents just like a name. Have you
truly discovered yours?
1.1. Socrates
He was the first philosopher who ever engaged in a systematic questioning

about the self. To Socrates, and this has become his life-long mission, the true task
of the philosopher is to know oneself.
Plato claimed in his dialogs that Socrates affirmed that the unexamined life is
not worth living. Most men, in his reckoning, were really not fully aware of who they
are and the virtues that they were supposed to attain in order to preserve their souls
for the afterlife. Socrates thought that this is the worst that can happen to anyone:
to live but die inside.
For Socrates, every man is composed of body and soul. This means that every
person is dualistic, that is, he is composed of two important aspects of his
personhood. For Socrates, this means all individuals have an imperfect, impermanent
aspect, the body, while maintaining that there is also a soul that is perfect and
permanent.
1.2. Plato
Plato, Socrates’s students, basically took off from his master and supported
the idea that man is a dual nature of body and soul. In addition to what Socrates
earlier espoused, Plato added that there are three components of the soul.
▪ Rational Soul – govern the affairs of the human person.
▪ Spirited Soul – in charge of emotions
▪ Appetitive Soul – in charge of base desires
In his magnum apres, The Republic, Plato emphasizes that “justice in the
human person can only be attained if the three parts of the soul are working
harmoniously with one another”.
1.3. Augustine
Augustine’s view of the human person reflects the entire spirit of the medieval
world when it comes to man. Augustine agreed that man is of a bifurcated nature.
An aspect of man dwells in the world and is imperfect and continuously yearns to be
with the Divine and the other is capable of reaching immortality.
The body is bound to die on earth and the soul is to anticipate living eternally
in a realm of spiritual bliss in communion with God. The goal of every human person
is to attain this communion and bliss with the Divine by living his life on earth in
virtue.
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1.4. Rene Descartes
Rene Descartes, Father of Modern Philosophy, conceived that the human

person as having a body and a mind. He claims that there is so much that we should
doubt. In fact, he says that since much of what we think and believe is not infallible,
they may turn out to be false. In the end, Descartes thought that the only thing that
one cannot doubt is the existence of the self. This resulted to his famous “Cogito
Ergo Sum” or “I think therefore I am”. The self then for Descartes is also a
combination of two distinct entities:
o Cogito or the thing that thinks
o Extenza or extension of the mind
Finally, he asks “But what then, am I? A thinking thing. It has been said. But
what is a thinking thing? It is a thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills,
refuses; that imagines also, and perceives.”
1.5. John Locke
Locke holds that personal identity is a matter of psychological continuity.

Arguing against both the Augustinian view of man as originally sinful and the
Cartesian position, which holds that man innately knows basic logical propositions,
Locke posits an “empty” mind, a tabula rasa, which is shaped by experience, and
sensations and reflections being the two sources of all our ideas.
Locke creates a third term between the soul and the body, and Locke’s thought
may certainly be meditated by those who, following a scientist ideology, would
identify too quickly the brain with consciousness. For the brain, as the body and as
any substance, may change, while consciousness remains the same. Therefore,
personal identity is not in the brain, but in consciousness.
Locke holds that consciousness can be transferred from one soul to another
and that personal identity goes with consciousness.
1.6. David Hume
David Hume, a Scottish philosopher, has a very unique way of looking at man.
As an empiricist who believes that one can know what comes from the senses and
experience. Hume argues that the self is nothing like what his predecessors thought
of it. The self is not an entity over and beyond the physical body.
To David Hume, the self is nothing else but a bundle of impressions. What are
impressions? For David Hume, if one tries to examine his experiences, he finds that
they can all be categorized into two:
o Impressions- basic object of our experience or sensation
o Ideas – copies of impressions
What is the self then? Self is simply “a bundle or collection of different
perceptions, which succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a
perpetual flux and movement.”
1.7. Immanuel Kant
Thinking of the “Self” as mere combination of impressions was problematic for

Kant. Kant recognizes the veracity of Hume’s account that everything starts with
perception and sensation of impressions. However, Kant thinks that the things that
men perceive around them are not just randomly infused into the human person
without an organizing principle that regulates the relationship of all these
impressions. To Kant, there is necessarily a mind that organizes the impressions that
men get from the external world.
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Without the self, one cannot organize the different impressions that one gets
in relation to his own existence. Kant therefore suggests that it is an actively engaged
intelligence in man that synthesizes all knowledge and experience. Thus, the Self is
not just what gives one his personality; it is also the seat of knowledge acquisition
for all human persons.
1.8. Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud’s view of the self leads to an analogous dualistic view of the
self, though the contours and content of his ideas are very different from Kant’s.
Naturally, his most dominant influence has been in the fields of psychology and
psychoanalysis. Freud’s view of the self was multilayer, divided among the conscious,
preconscious, and unconscious.
According to Freud, these two levels of human functioning—the conscious and
the unconscious—differ radically both in their content and in the rules and logic that
govern them.
▪ unconscious contains basic instinctual drives
▪ preconscious contains material that is not threatening and is easily brought
to mind
▪ the conscious self is governed by the “reality principle”
1.9. Gilbert Ryle
Gilbert Ryle solves the mind-body dichotomy that has been running for a long
time in the history of thought by denying blatantly the concept of an internal, non-
physical self. For Ryle, what truly matter are the behaviors that a person manifests
in his day-to-day life.
Ryle suggests that the Self is not an entity one can locate simply the
convenient name that people use to refer to all the behaviors that people make.
1.10. Paul Churchland
For much of history, many western philosophers have held to the theory
of dualism. When it comes to discussing human life, dualism is the idea that the
mind and the body are separate.
In other words, we all have a physical brain, but we also have a separate
mind. Adding to this distinction, dualists have historically asserted the mind is the
seat of our consciousness. On the contrary, the brain is really just an organ similar
to the heart or lungs.
Churchland adheres to materialism, the belief that nothing but matter
exists. In other words, if it can't somehow be recognized by the senses then it's akin
to a fairy tale.
Applying this argument to the mind, Churchland asserts that since the mind
can't be experienced by our senses, then the mind doesn't really exist. Based on this
assertion, Churchland holds to eliminative materialism. Stated simply, eliminative
materialism argues that the ordinary folk psychology of the mind is wrong. It is the
physical brain and not the imaginary mind that gives us our sense of self.
1.11. Merleau-Ponty and Derrida
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Merleau-Ponty is a phenomenologist who asserts that has been going on for
a long time is a futile endeavor and an invalid problem. Merleau-Ponty says that the
mind and body are so intertwined that they cannot be separated from one another.
The living body, his thoughts, emotions, and experiences are all one. One cannot find
any experience that is not an embodied experience; all experience is embodied. One’s
body is his opening toward his existence to the world.
Jacques Derrida was the founder of “deconstruction,” a way of criticizing not
only both literary and philosophical texts but also political institutions. The self cannot
move outside itself to embrace otherness fully: its understanding of the other is
always mediated by its own experiences. For the same reason, it cannot achieve self-
presence, remaining permanently marked by an alterity which exceeds it. Alterity
comes from the differance or temporal finitude which leaves self and other forever
open to change for better or worse. Differance forecloses complete identification,
rendering any identity unstable and unpredictable.
1.12. Foucault
Foucault rejected the view of a person having an inner and fixed 'essence'
that is the person's identity. He identified the self as being defined by a continuing
discourse in a shifting communication of oneself to others.
He also rejected common notions of people having some form of implicit
power, replacing this with the idea of power as a technique or action in which people
engage. Power is thus exercised but not possessed.
He described technologies of the self as ways individuals act upon themselves
to produce particular modes of identity and sexuality. These 'technologies' include
methods of self-contemplation, self-disclosure and self-discipline. They may be
found in autobiographies, diaries, blogs, etc.
Foucault also describes technologies of the self as the way in which individuals
work their way into discourse.
The classical view of identity is a something that is inherent and fixed in some
way or part. Foucault's idea of practices increases the ways that the individual can
be constituted in and through culture.
Foucault's notion of fluid power is important as it denies the older notion of
power being possessed by the few and elite, with a large and powerless majority.
Exercises:
Page 5 of 19
Direction: Present through an illustration your concept map of Who U R. Then write
a short bio essay based on your concept map.
WHO
AM I:
Direction: In your own words, state what “self” is for each of the following
philosophers. After doing so, explain how your concept of “self” is compatible with
how they conceived of the “self”.
1. Socrates
8. Freud
2. Plato
9. Ryle
3. Augustine
10.Churchland
4. Descartes
11.Merleau-Ponty and Derrida

5. Locke
12.Foucault
6. Hume
7. Kant
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Tel. # (033) 396-2291 ; Fax : (033) 5248081
References:
Alata, Eden Joy P., et. Al. 2018. Understanding the Self. First Edition. Rex Printing
Company, Inc.
Ang, Jaime G., 2018. Understanding the Self – A Text Manual for the 21st Century
Filipino Student. Mindshapers Co.,Inc.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-self-as-the-brain-according-to-paul-
churchland
http://changingminds.org/explanations/identity/foucault
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09639489.2014.940864
Topic 2: Sociology and Anthropology

1. Explain the relationship between and among the self, society and culture.
2. Describe and discuss the different ways by which society and culture shape the
self.
3. Compare and contrast how the self can be influenced by the different
institutions in the society.
NOTES:
Across time and history, the self has been debated, discussed, and fruitfully or
otherwise conceptualized by different thinkers in philosophy. Eventually, with the
advent of social sciences, it became possible for a new ways and paradigms to
reexamine the true nature of the self. People put a halt on speculative debates on
the relationship between the body and soul, eventually renamed body and the mind.
Thinkers just eventually got tires of focusing on the long-standing debate since sixth
century BC between the relationship of these two components of the human person.
Thinkers just settled on the idea that there are two components of the human person
and whatever relationship these two have is less important than the fact that there
is a self. The debate shifted into another locus of discussion.
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2.1. The Self as a product of modern society among other
constructions
We ourselves play different roles, act in different ways depending on our

circumstances. Are we being hypocritical in doing so? Are we even conscious of our
shifting selves?
The self is capable of morphing and fitting itself into any circumstances it finds
itself in. Remaining the same person and turning chameleon by adapting to one’s
context seems paradoxical.
According to Marcel Mauss, every self has two faces:
• Moi – refers to a person’s sense of who he is, his body, and his basic identity
• Personne – composed of social concepts of what it means to be who he is
Moi is a person’s basic identity. Personne has much to do with what it means
to live in a particular institution, a particular family, a particular religion, a particular
nationality, and how to behave given expectations and influences from others.
This dynamics and capacity for different personne can be illustrated better
cross-culturally. An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) adjusting to life in another
country is a very good case study.
2.2. Mead and the Social World
So how do people actively produce their social worlds? How do children growing
up become social beings? How can a boy turn out to just be like an ape? How do
twins coming out from the same mother turn out to be terribly different when given
up for adoption? More than his givenness (personality, tendencies and propensities,
among others), one is believed to be in active participation in the shaping of the self.
Most often, we think the human persons are just passive actors in the whole process
of the shaping of selves. That men and women are born with particularities that they
can no longer change.
Mead and Vygotsky

• Human persons develop with the use of language acquisition and interaction
with others.
• Cognitive and emotional development of a child is always mimicry of how it is
done in the social world.
• Treat the human mind as something that is made, constituted through
language as experienced in the external world and as encountered in dialogs
with others.
• For Mead, child assumes the “other” through language and role-play.
• Vygotsky, for his part, a child internalizes real-life dialogs that he has had with
others, with his family, his primary caregiver or his playmate.
2.3. The Self and Person in Contemporary
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The self, in contemporary literature and even common sense, is commonly
defined by the following characteristics:
• separate – the self is distinct from other selves
• self-contained and independent – in itself it can exist
• consistent – it has a personality that is enduring and therefore can be expected
to persist for quite some time
• unitary – it is the center of all experiences and thoughts that run through a
certain person
• private – each person sorts out information, feelings and emotions, and
thought processes within the self
The concern then of this lesson is in understanding the vibrant relationship

between the self and the external reality. This perspective is known as the social
constructionist perspective.
Social constructivists argue that the self should not be seen as a static entity
that stays constant through and through. Rather, the self has to be seen as something
that is in unceasing flux, in a constant struggle with external reality and is malleable
in its dealings with society. The self is always in participation with social life and its
identity subjected to influences here and there. Having these perspectives considered
should draw one into concluding that the self is truly multifaceted.
2.4. The Self-embedded in Culture
Anthropology is the science of human beings. It is more on understanding the

human being in relation on cultural and biological processes to construct the self.
Addition, it considered the human experiences as interplay of nature referring to
genetic inheritance which sets the individual’s potentials and “nurture” with regards
to socio-cultural environment. Moreover, biological and cultural factors have
significant influence in shaping the self. There are two concepts of self that is viewed
by different societies. Those are Egocentric and sociocentric. The egocentric is
concerned with the individual rather than society. While, the sociocentric is concerned
with one’s own social group or dependent on social situation.
Another important aspect of the self that is important to mention here is
gender. Gender is one of those loci of the self that is subject to alteration, change,
and development. We have seen in the past years how people fought hard for the
right to express, validate, and assert their gender expression. However, from the
point-of-view of the social sciences and the self, it is important to give one the leeway
to find, express, and live his identity. This forms part of selfhood that one cannot just
dismiss. One maneuvers into the society and identities himself as who he is by also
taking note of gender identities.
Often times, society forces a particular identity unto us depending on our sex
and/or gender. In the Philippines, husbands for the most part are expected to provide
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for the family. The eldest man in a family is expected to head the family and hold it
in.
Exercises:
Direction: Answer the following questions cogently but honestly.
1. What are the influences of family in your development as an individual?

2. Think of the time when you felt you were your “true self”. What made you
think you were truly who you are during this time of your life?
3. Following the question above, can you provide a time when you felt you were
not living your “true self”? Why did you have to live a life like that? What did
you do about it?
4. What social pressures help shape yourself? Would you have wanted it
otherwise?
5. What aspects of your self do you think may be changed or would like to
change?
References:
Company, Inc.
Topic 3: Psychology
Page 10 of 19

1. Identify the different ideas in psychology about the “self”.
2. Analyze the effects of various factors identified in psychology in the formation
of the “self”.
3. Discuss and explain Carl Roger’s idea of Self-Schema.
4. Discuss fully the notion of self-concept and self-awareness.
NOTES:
As discussed in the previous lessons, every field of study, at least in the social
sciences, have their own research, definition and conceptualization of the self and
identity. Some are similar and some are specific only in their field. Each field also has
thousands of research on self and identity as well as related or synonymous terms.
However, it must be pointed out that modern researches acknowledge the
contributions of each field and this is not some sort of nurture vs. nature,
society/culture vs. individual/brain, and other social sciences vs. psychology debate.
Psychology may focus on individual and the cognitive functions, but it does not
discount the context and other possible factors that affect the individual. This lesson
provides an overview of the themes of psychology regarding the said concept.
3.1. The Self as a Cognitive Construction
❖ William James and the Me-Self;I-Self

In confidence or in an attempt to avoid further analytical discussions, a lot of
people say, “I am who I am”. Yet, this statement still begs the question “if you are
who you are, then who are you that makes you who you are?”
There are various definitions of the “self” and other similar or interchangeable
concepts in psychology. Simply put, “self” is “the sense of personal identity and of
who we are as individuals”.
William James was one of the earliest psychologists to study the self and he
conceptualized the self as having two aspects – the “I” and the “Me”.
• “I” – is the thinking, acting and feeling self
• “Me” – is the physical characteristics as well as psychological capabilities that
makes who you are
❖ Global vs. Differentiated Models

Global refers to the general value that a person places on himself or herself.
Global self-worth has been outlined as the awareness of good possessed by the self
and refers to the overall appraisal of one’s worth or value as a person. People’s sense
of personal worth often employs terms like “self-esteem”, “self-worth”, and “self-
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concept” interchangeably, and researchers have linked positive global self-worth to
various positive life outcomes.
Differentiation is the process of freeing yourself from your family's processes
to define yourself. This means being able to have different opinions and values than
your family members but being able to stay emotionally connected to them. It means
being able to calmly reflect on a conflicted interaction afterward, realizing your own
role in it, and then choosing a different response for the future. Self-differentiation
involves being able to possess and identify your own thoughts and feelings and
distinguish them from others. It’s a process of not losing connection to self while
holding a deep connection to others, including those you love whose views may differ
from yours.
❖ Real and Ideal Self

Other concepts similar to self are identity and self-concept.
Identity is composed of one’s personal characteristics, social roles and
responsibilities, as well as affiliations that define who one is. Self-concept is
basically what comes to your mind when you are asked about who you are.
Carl Rogers captured this idea in his concept of self-schema or our organized
system or collection of knowledge about who we are. As you grow and adapt to the
changes around you, they also change. But they are not passive receivers, they
actively shape and affect how you see, think and feel about things.
Three reasons why self and identity are social products:
a. We do not create ourselves out of nothing.
b. Whether we like to admit it or not, we actually need others to affirm and
reinforce who we think we are.
c. What we think is important to us may also have been influence by what is
important in our social or historical context.
There are times when we are aware of our self-concepts, also called self-
awareness.
Two types of self that we can be aware of: 1.) the private self or your internal
standards and private thoughts and feelings, and 2.) the public self or your public
image commonly geared towards having a good presentation of yourself to others.
Self-awareness also presents us with at least three other self-schemas: the
actual, ideal, and ought self. The “actual” self is who you are at the moment, the
“ideal” self is who you like to be, and the “ought” self is who we think we should be.
Our group identity and self-awareness also has a great impact on our self-
esteem, one of the common concepts associated with the “self”. It is defined as our
own positive or negative perception or evaluation of ourselves.
❖ Multiple vs. Unified Selves
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The multiple selves originate from the inner experiences created by the infant
as a result of its interactions with its mother and, later, others. Eventually, social
structures are created to organize these multiple selves. However, later in life, new
multiple selves can be introduced, and there is a need for assimilation and
accommodation on both sides for these new selves to be incorporated. Adolescence
is a time for the multiple selves to define their identity, character, boundaries,
aspirations, goals, and means of action.
Multiple selves varies across different interpersonal and intrapersonal roles and
relationships, the attitude and characteristics we show depends on who are people
we are interacting with. Having multiple personality or self makes it hard for a person
to achieve and show a unified self.
Unified self is the personality that stays within us, the self we usually only show
to people we trust and whenever we are alone. It is important for a person to have
a consistent and coherent self that they show to others, specially to people that are
really close to them.
❖ True vs. False Selves

While the true self is represented by our real feelings and desires, while the
false self is a side of us that has changed its behavior, repressed feelings and pushed
needs aside in order to survive. We introduced the idea of the onion – the true self
at the center protected by outer layers of false self.
The true self – real feelings, needs, desires and thoughts – is pushed further
and further inside the onion. Of course, we still have all of these feelings, needs,
desires and thoughts; it’s just that the adapted false self dominates: it has to.
The Healthy False Self

The healthy false self is described as one which allows someone to be
functional in society. It enables politeness and social courtesy, even when we may
not feel like it.
The Unhealthy False Self

The unhealthy false self comes from the same origins as the healthy false self.
However, for our long-term well-being, the effects of the unhealthy false self are
quite different to those of its counterpart.
3.2. The Self as Proactive and Agentic
It has been known how people become more proactive or tend to make things
happen instead of waiting for those things to happen to them. This maybe the main
reason why human creates a lot of experiences and surrounded by a lot of beliefs
and different perceptions towards certain things. Agency, which generally means how
you assess yourselves based on your capabilities and strengths, plays a massive role
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on how you deal with yourself and with all the aspects in life. Based on its main
features, first is intentionally which deals with the acts done with certain purpose.
We tend to do things because of our own intention but we always anticipate of
what the outcome would be. We always thought of what will come next after we do
such thing. Another is the forethought which is closely related to the first one but
with this, human anticipates what the consequences of their acts would be. Through
this, our actions were guided towards what people must really do and even for the
future events that could possibly happen. In our life, the normal routine of a normal
people goes like this. Acts upon the situation, but not until he/she knew what would
the consequence if ever. While self-reactiveness distinguishes the right decisions
from the incorrect one. Through this, people would merely know the right way to
react and to act upon the current situation they were into. It was just like choosing
what’s best for you and what’s the right thing to do because we know that in
everyone’s life, when we decide quickly and without thinking deeply about it, it can
turn out to be disruptive and affect more things.
Moreover, self-reflectiveness turns out to become the realization stage wherein
we analyze the thoughts and actions we made. Human aren’t just made to become
agents and handle them because our functions are one thing we examine thoroughly.
Our self-efficacy basically dictates how our minds would turn out negatively or
positively due to the thinking or beliefs which push us to believe that we are capable
of doing things which will enhance or hinder ourselves. By this, it also makes people
know that they can regulate their selves without asking for anyone’s help. It can
already be done independently which helps improve control the abilities and behavior
we already have.
Exercises:
Direction: Answer the following questions cogently but honestly.

1. What are the most important aspects of your self-concept, and how do they
influence your self-esteem and social behavior?
2. Describe a situation where you experienced a feeling of self-discrepancy
between your actual and ideal selves. How well does self-affirmation theory
help to explain how you responded to these feelings of discrepancy?
3. Try to identify some situations where you have been influenced by your
private and public self-consciousness. What did this lead you to do? What have
you learned about yourself from these experiences?
4. Describe some situations where you overestimated the extent to which people
were paying attention to you in public. Why do you think that you did this and
what were the consequences?
References:
Page 14 of 19
Company, Inc.
https://www.karenrkoenig.com/blog/what-is-self-differentiation-and-why-is-it-so-
important
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00313831.2019.1600578
https://michellerngrace.wordpress.com/2018/10/31/albert-bandura-the-self-as-
proactive-and-agentic/
Topic 4: The Self in Western and Oriental/Eastern Thought

1. Differentiate the concept of self according to individualism and collectivism,
Western thought against Eastern perspectives.
2. Explain the concept of self as found in Asian thoughts.
3. Create a representation of the self through spiritual development.
NOTES:
Different cultures and varying environment tend to create different perceptions
of the “self” and one of the most common distinctions between cultures and people
is the Eastern-vs-Western dichotomy wherein Eastern represents Asia and Western
represents Europe and Northern America. It must be understood that this distinction
and the countries included was politically colored at the time that aforementioned
concepts were accepted and used in the social sciences. Furthermore, it must be
reiterated that while countries who are geographically closer to each other may share
commonalities, there are also a lot of factors that create differences.
4.1. Individualistic vs. Collective Self
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Individualism stresses individual goals and the rights of the individual person.
Collectivism focuses on group goals, what is best for the collective group, and
personal relationships.
An individualist is motivated by personal rewards and benefits. Individualist
persons set personal goals and objectives based on self. Individualistic workers are
very comfortable working with autonomy and not part of a team.
The collectivist is motivated by group goals. Long-term relationships are very
important. Collectivistic persons easily sacrifice individual benefit or praise to
recognize and honor the team’s success. In fact, being singled out and honored as
an individual from the rest of the team may be embarrassing to the collectivistic
person.
4.2. The Social Construction of the Self in Western Thought
Western perspective does not discount the role of environment and society in
the formation of the self but the focus is always looking toward the self. You compare
yourself in order to be better; you create associations and bask in the glory of that
group for your self-esteem; you put primacy in developing yourself.
By valuing the individual, westerners may seem to have loose associations or
even loyalty to their groups. Competition is the name of the game and they are more
likely straightforward and forceful in their communication as well as decision-making.
Westerners also emphasize more on the value of equality even if they see that
the individual can rise above everything else. Because everyone is on their own
competition, one can say that they also promote ideals that create “fair” competition
and protect the individuals. For example, Westerners would most likely call their
bosses, parents, or other seniors by their first name. the boss can also be approached
head-on when conflicts or problems about him arises.
With the social media, migration and intermarriages, variety between the
Western and Asian perceptions may either be blurred or highlighted. Whereas conflict
Page 16 of 19
is inevitable in diversity, peace is also through the understanding of where each of
us is coming from.
4.3. The Self as embedded in relationships and through Spiritual

development in Confucian thought
There are actually a lot of sources in which you can analyses the perspective
of each culture and country about the concept of “self”. You can see it in their
literature like how one culture depicts a hero or a villain in their stories. You can see
it in their social organization like how they see their boss or their subordinate.
Artworks, dances, even clothing may show you clues about the “self”.
Confucianism can be seen as a code of ethical conduct, of how one should
properly act according to their relationship with other people, thus it is also focused
on having a harmonious social life. The identity and self-concept therefore of the
individual is interwoven with the identity and status of his/her community or culture,
sharing its pride as well as its failures.
Although it is by westerners often understood that there is no self in Confucian
thought, (because in Confucianism one does talk of the concept of "no-self") this
concept may be misunderstood when taken into western paradigms of thinking.
But what is really meant by the idea of "no self", is this: "If one had no selfish
motives, but only the supreme virtues, there would be no self. … If he serves
selflessly, he does not know what service is [does not recognize it as service]. If he
knows what service is, he has a self… [to think] only of parents but not of yourself…
is what I call no self."
In Confucianism the quest for the human self, the search for what it is to be
human in terms of substance or no-substance, in terms of spirit or body, does not
exist. The form which that question takes in Confucius’ writings, is one of personality.
Personality as such is not seen as inherently existing, but as something that is being
formed through upbringing and environment. In that, the human being is seen as a
social being. (Some have even used the term: Social animal). Accordingly, every
person is born with four beginnings, which do not encapsulate a concept of self as
yet, but which together, if put in the western framework of thinking, may be called
‘pre-self’, or ‘potential-self’:
• heart of compassion – leads to Jen

• heart of righteousness – leads to Yi
• heart of propriety – leads to Li
• heart of wisdom – leads to Chih
In this, Jen, Yi, Li and Chih, are the perfection of the virtues that exist in the
human heart from the beginning as potentials. A self as such would develop out of
these, and develop through practice of the corresponding virtues. Personality, in the
Confucian perception, is an achieved state of moral excellence rather than a given
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human condition. However, such achieved personality, or self, is not to be understood
as primarily an individual entity, as would be the tendency in western thinking. As
with the Maori, the Confucian concept of self also is deeply embedded within the
family and society, and it is only in that context that the self comes to be what it is.
In Confucianism, we find that most of its writings are dealing with this process,
namely, to develop the potential into actuality, and if one may speculate on reasons
for such an understanding, one has to bear in mind the background amidst which
these ideas originated.
Exercises:
Direction: Create a representation, diagram or concept map of the SELF according to

Filipino culture. Provide a brief explanation of your output. You can also cite books
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and researches about Filipino culture, self and identity to further elaborate on the
topic.
References:
Company, Inc.
http://www.tparents.org/UNews/unws9908/Klemme_confucian
END OF PRELIM MODULE
Page 19 of 19
Tel. # (033) 396-2291 ; Fax : (033) 5248081
COO – FORM 12

MIDTERM MODULE
Topic 1: The Physical Self and Gendered Self

1. Discuss the impact of culture on personality, body image and self-esteem.
2. Discourse the idea and importance of beauty.
3. Explain the role of physique to one’s personality.
4. Discuss the developmental aspect of the reproductive system.
5. Explain human sexual behavior.
NOTES:
1.1. The self as impacted by the body
A crucial aspect of the self is one’s physical features including the face, bodily
structure, height and weight. However, people should also consider their physical
competencies, valuation of physical worth, and perception of beauty.
Physical Self refers to the body, this marvelous container and complex, finely
tuned, machine with which we interface with our environment and fellow beings.
The Physical Self is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of the person that
can be directly observed and examined. However, the self is not limited to what can
be seen by the naked eye. Body structure, weight, height, skin color, hair color and
other physical characteristics do not just develop at random. These are triggered by
genetic transformations and biological development through heredity.
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 Heredity – defined as the transmission of traits from parents to offspring.
 Genotype – refers to 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. It can be directly
observed.
 Maturation is known as the completion of growth of a genetic character
within an organism.
1.2. The impact of culture on body image and self-esteem: the

importance of beauty
Self-esteem – it is defined as our own positive or negative perception or

evaluation of ourselves. Self-esteem is the disposition to experience oneself as
competent to cope with the basic challenges of life and as worthy of happiness.
One of the ways in which our social relationship affects our self-esteem is
through social comparison.
 The downward social comparison, we create a positive self-concept by
comparing ourselves with those who are worse off than us.
 The upward social comparison is comparing ourselves with those who are
better off than us.
Social comparison also entails what is called self-evaluation maintenance

theory, which states that we can feel threatened when someone out-performs us,
especially when that person is close to us.
In this case, we usually react in three ways:
 First, we distance ourselves from that person or redefine our relationship
with them.
 Second, we may also reconsider the importance of the aspect or skill in which
you were outperformed.
 Lastly, we may also strengthen our resolve to improve that certain aspect of
ourselves.
The six pillars of self-esteem
1. The practice of living consciously.

To live consciously means to seek to be aware of everything that bears on
ours actions, purposes, values and goals
2. The practice of self-acceptance.

It refers to an orientation of self-value and self-commitment that derives
from the fact that I am alive and conscious self-acceptance entails our
willingness to experience.
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3. The practice of self-responsibility.
 Being responsible for the achievement of my desires.
 Being responsible for my choices and actions.
 Being responsible for the level of consciousness I bring to my work and
relationships.
 Being responsible for my behavior with other people.
 Being responsible for how I prioritize.
 Being responsible for the quality of my communications.
 Being responsible for accepting or choosing the values by which I live.
 Being responsible for raising my self-esteem.
4. The practice of self-assertiveness.

Self-assertiveness means honoring our wants, needs and values and
seeking appropriate forms of our expression in reality. Self-assertion does not
mean belligerence or inappropriate aggressiveness; it does not mean pushing to
the front of the line or knocking other people over.
5. The practice of living purposely.

To live purposely is to use our powers for the attainment of goals we have
selected: the goal of studying, of raising a family, of earning a living, of starting
a new business.
6. The practice of personal integrity.

This means that we have convictions about what behavior is appropriate,
and we keep our behavior in line with that standard.
What is beauty?
1. It is an innate quality, a way of being, a manner of acting; it is also a way of
looking. (Santos)
2. Beauty is confidence with a heart. (Wurtzbach)
3. Beauty is innate; it is the intelligence of your mind and the compassion of your
heart. (Ang)
4. Plato equated beauty with the sublime identity with good.
5. Aristotle considered beauty as the symmetry, proportion and an organic order of
parts into a unified whole.
6. Spinoza considered a thing beautiful if it is desirable; if it is desirable it must be
good; and if it is good, it must be beautiful.
7. The realists say that “beauty is where you find it”, while the idealist say that
“beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.
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1.3. Development of secondary sex characteristics and the
human reproductive system
The gonads begin to form until about the eighth week of embryonic
development. During the early stages of human development, the embryonic
reproductive structures of males and females are alike and are said to be in the
indifferent stage. When the primary reproductive structures are formed,
development of the accessory structures and external genitalia begins. The
formation of male or female structures depends on the presence of testosterone.
Any intervention with the normal pattern of sex hormone production in the
embryo results in strange abnormalities. For instance, a genetic male develops the
female accessory structures and external genitalia if the embryonic testes fail to
produce testosterone. As a result, pseudohermaphrodites are formed who are
individuals having reproductive structures that do not “match” their gonads while
true hermaphrodites are individuals who possess both ovarian and testicular tissues
but this condition is rare in nature.
A critical event for the development of reproductive organs takes place about
one month before birth wherein the male testes formed in the abdominal cavity at
approximately the same location as the female ovaries, descend to enter the
scrotum. If this normal event fails, it may lead to cryptorchidism.
Puberty is a period of life, generally between the ages of 10 and 15 years
old, when the reproductive organs grow to their adult size and become functional
under the influence of rising levels of gonadal hormones.
1.4. Understanding the Human Sexual Response
The human sexual response to sexually arousing stimuli is a motivational

incentive-based cycle comprising subjective experience and physiologic changes.
Clinical and empirical data support a circular model of overlapping phases of
variable order. Brain imaging data of sexual arousal identify areas of cerebral
activation and inhibition reflecting a complex network of cognitive, motivational,
emotional, and autonomic components. Psychologic and biologic factors influence
the brain's appraisal and processing of sexual stimuli to allow or disallow
subsequent arousal. The sexual and non-sexual outcomes influence motivation to
future sexual intimacy. Variability is marked both between individuals and within a
person's sexual life, influenced by multiple factors, including stage of life cycle,
mental health, and relationship happiness. Neurologic disease can interrupt the
cycle at many points: by limiting motivation, reducing ability to attend to and feel
sexual stimuli, and accomplishing the movements needed to stimulate and
experience intercourse. Impairments to genital congestion, penile erection, and
orgasm may also occur. Disease-associated changes to the interpersonal
relationship and self-image plus frequently comorbid depression will tend to lessen
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motivation and temper the brain's appraisal of sexual stimuli, so precluding arousal.
Therapy begins by explaining the sexual response cycle, clarifying the points of
interruption in the patient's own cycle so as to guide treatment.
1.5. The basic biology of sexual behavior
The human sexual response to sexually arousing stimuli is a motivational

incentive-based cycle comprising subjective experience and physiologic changes.
Clinical and empirical data support a circular model of overlapping phases of
variable order. Brain imaging data of sexual arousal identify areas of cerebral
activation and inhibition reflecting a complex network of cognitive, motivational,
emotional, and autonomic components. Psychologic and biologic factors influence
the brain’s appraisal and processing of sexual stimuli to allow or disallow
subsequent arousal. The sexual and non-sexual outcomes influence motivation to
future sexual intimacy. Variability is marked both between individuals and within a
person’s sexual life, influenced by multiple factors. Neurologic disease can interrupt
the cycle at many points.
1.6. Understanding the chemistry of lust, love and attachment
Romantic love can be broken down into three categories: lust, attraction, and
attachment. Each category is characterized by its own set of hormones stemming
from the brain.
Lust is driven by the desire for sexual gratification. The evolutionary basis
for this stems from our need to reproduce, a need shared among all living things.
Through reproduction, organisms pass on their genes, and thus contribute to the
perpetuation of their species.
The hypothalamus of the brain plays a big role in this, stimulating the
production of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen from the testes and
ovaries. While these chemicals are often stereotyped as being “male” and “female,”
respectively, both play a role in men and women. As it turns out, testosterone
increases libido in just about everyone. The effects are less pronounced with
estrogen, but some women report being more sexually motivated around the time
they ovulate, when estrogen levels are highest.
Meanwhile, attraction seems to be a distinct, though closely related,
phenomenon. While we can certainly lust for someone we are attracted to, and vice
versa, one can happen without the other. Attraction involves the brain pathways
that control “reward” behavior, which partly explains why the first few weeks or
months of a relationship can be so exhilarating and even all-consuming.
Dopamine, produced by the hypothalamus, is a particularly well-publicized
player in the brain’s reward pathway – it’s released when we do things that feel
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good to us. High levels of dopamine and a related hormone, norepinephrine, are
released during attraction.
Finally, attraction seems to lead to a reduction in serotonin, a hormone
that’s known to be involved in appetite and mood.
Last but not least, attachment is the predominant factor in long-term
relationships. While lust and attraction are pretty much exclusive to romantic
entanglements, attachment mediates friendships, parent-infant bonding, social
cordiality, and many other intimacies as well. The two primary hormones here
appear to be oxytocin and vasopressin.
Oxytocin is often nicknamed “cuddle hormone” for this reason. Like
dopamine, oxytocin is produced by the hypothalamus and released in large
quantities during sex, breastfeeding, and childbirth. This may seem like a very
strange assortment of activities – not all of which are necessarily enjoyable – but
the common factor here is that all of these events are precursors to bonding.
Exercises:
On Physical Self
Direction: Draw and explain your concept map on the term BEAUTIFUL.
Concept Map:
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Topic 2: Gender Self: The Psychological Aspect

1. Describe the erogenous zones.
2. Characterize the diversity of sexual behavior.
3. Describe sexually transmitted diseases.
4. Differentiate natural and artificial methods of contraception.
NOTES:
2.1. What turns people on: the phases of sexual response
Erogenous zones refer to a part of the body that are primarily receptive and
increase sexual arousal when touched in a sexual manner.
Sexual response follows a pattern of sequential stages or stages when sexual
activity is continued.
1. Excitement phase – it is caused by increase in pulse and blood pressure; a

sudden increase in blood supply to the surface of the body resulting in
increased skin temperature, flushing and swelling of all distensible body
parts.
2. Plateau phase – it is generally of brief duration. If stimulation is continued,
orgasm usually occurs.
3. Sexual climax – it is marked by a feeling of abrupt, intense pleasure, a rapid
increase in pulse rate and blood pressure and spasms of the pelvic muscles
causing contractions of the female reproductive organ and ejaculation by the
male.
4. Resolution phase – it is the last stage that refers to the return to a normal or
subnormal physiologic stage. Male and females are similar in their response
sequence.
Nervous System Factors

The entire nervous system plays a significant role during sexual response.
The autonomic system is involved in controlling the involuntary responses. In the
presence of a stimulus capable enough of initiating a sexual response, the efferent
cerebrospinal nerves transmit the sensory messages to the brain. The brain will
interpret the sensory message and dictate what will be the immediate and
appropriate response of the body. After interpretation and integration of sensory
input, the efferent cerebrospinal nerves receive commands from the brain and send
them to the muscles; and the spinal cord serves as a great transmission cable. The
muscles contract in response to the signal coming from the motor nerve fibers while
Page 7 of 34
glands secrete their respective products. Hence, sexual response is dependent on
the activity of the nervous system.
The hypothalamus and the limbic system are the parts of the brain believed
to be responsible for regulating the sexual response, but there is no specialized
“sex center” that has been located in the human brain.
Apart from brain-controlled sexual responses, there is some reflex sexual
response. This reflex is mediated by the lower spinal cord and leads to erection and
ejaculation for male, vaginal discharges and lubrication for female when the genital
and perineal areas are stimulated. But still, the brain can overrule and suppress
such reflex activity – as it does when an individual decides that a sexual response is
socially inappropriate.
2.2. The diversity of sexual behavior: solitary, homosexual and

bisexual, transsexual
Human sexual behavior is defined as any activity – solitary, between two

persons or in a group – that induces sexual arousal.
Types of Behavior
1. Solitary
Self-gratification means self-stimulation that leads to sexual arousal.
Nowadays, humans are frequently being exposed to sexual stimuli especially from
advertising and social media. Some adolescents become aggressive when they
respond to such stimuli.
2. Sociosexual Behavior
Heterosexual behavior is the greatest amount of sociosexual behavior that
occurs between only one male and one female.
Coitus – the insertion of the male reproductive structure into the female
reproductive organ.
Marital status
a) Premarital coitus – is more likely tolerated but not encouraged if the
individuals intend marriage.
b) Marital coitus – in most societies is considered as an obligation.
c) Extramarital coitus
d) Postmarital coitus
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual

behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation,
Page 8 of 34
homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual
attractions" to people of the same sex. It "also refers to a person's sense of identity
based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of
others who share those attractions.
Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual
behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also
be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex
or gender identity, which is also known as pansexuality.
Transsexual defined transsexualism as a desire to live and be accepted as a
member of the opposite sex, usually accompanied by a sense of discomfort with, or
inappropriateness of, one's anatomic sex, and a wish to have surgery and hormonal
treatment to make one's body as congruent as possible with one's preferred sex.
2.3. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and Methods of

Contraception (natural and artificial)
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections transmitted from an

infected person to an uninfected person through sexual contact. STDs can be cause
by bacteria, viruses or parasites.
1. Chlamydia
2. Gonorrhea
3. Syphilis
4. Chancroid – caused by infection with the bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi.
5. Human Papillomavirus – is the most common sexually transmitted infection in
the United States.
6. Herpes Simplex Virus – among the most prevalent of sexually transmitted
infections.
7. Trichomonas Vaginalis – a common sexually transmitted protozoal infection
associated with adverse health outcomes such as preterm birth and
symptomatic vaginitis.
Methods of Contraception
Natural Method
The natural family planning methods do not involve any chemical or foreign
body introduction into the human body.
1. Abstinence
This natural method involves refraining from sexual intercourse and is the
most effective natural birth control method with ideally 0% fail rate.
2. Calendar method
This method is also called the rhythm method. It entails withholding from
coitus during the days that the woman is fertile.
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3. Basal body temperature
The basal body temperature (BBT) indicates the woman’s temperature at
rest. The woman must record her temperature every morning before any
activity. A slight decrease in the basal body temperature followed by a
gradual increase in the basal body temperature can be a sign that a woman
has ovulated.
4. Cervical Mucus Method
The change in the cervical mucus during ovulation is the basis for this
method. During ovulation, the cervical mucus is copious, thin, and watery. It
also exhibits the property of spinnbarkeit, wherein it can be stretched up
until at least 1 inch and is slippery. The woman is said to be fertile as long as
the cervical mucus is copious and watery. Therefore, she must avoid coitus
during those days to prevent.
5. Symptothermal Method
The symptothermal method is basically a combination of the BBT method and
the cervical mucus method.
6. Ovulation Detection
The ovulation detection method uses an over-the-
counter kit that requires the urine sample of the
woman. The kit can predict ovulation through the
surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) that happens 12
to 24 hours before ovulation.
7. Coitus Interruptus
Coitus interruptus is one of the oldest methods that prevent conception. A
couple still goes on with coitus, but the man withdraws the moment he
ejaculates to emit the spermatozoa outside of the female reproductive organ.
Artificial Methods
1. Oral Contraceptives
Also known as the pill, oral contraceptives contain synthetic estrogen and
progesterone.
2. Transdermal Patch
The transdermal patch contains both estrogen and
progesterone. The woman should apply one patch
every week for three weeks on the following areas:
upper outer arm, upper torso, abdomen, or buttocks.
At the fourth week, no patch is applied because the
menstrual flow would then occur. The area where the
patch is applied should be clean, dry and free of irritation.
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3. Vaginal Ring
The vaginal ring releases a combination of estrogen
and progesterone and it surrounds the cervix. This
silicon ring is inserted into the female reproductive
organ and remains there for three weeks and then
removed on the fourth week, as menstrual flow would
occur.
4. Subdermal Implants
Subdermal implants are two rod-like implants inserted
under the skin of the female during her menses or on
the seventh day of her menstruation to make sure that
she will not get pregnant. The implants are made with
etonogestrel, desogestrel and progestin and can be helpful for three to five
years.
5. Hormonal Injections
A hormonal injection contains medroxyprogesterone, progesterone and is
usually given once every 12 weeks intramuscularly. The injection causes
changes in the endometrium and cervical mucus and can help prevent
ovulation.
6. Intrauterine Device
An Intrauterine device (IUD) is a small, T-shaped object
containing progesterone that is inserted into the uterus
via the female reproductive organ. It prevents
fertilization by creating a local sterile inflammatory
condition to prevent implantation of the zygote. The
IUD is fitted only by the physician and inserted after
the woman’s menstrual flow. The device can be effective for five to seven
years.
7. Chemical Barriers
Chemical barriers such as spermicides, vaginal gels and creams, and
glycerine films are used to cause the death of sperms before they can enter
the cervix and to lower the pH level of the female reproductive organ so it
will not become conducive for the sperm. On the other hand, these chemical
barriers cannot prevent sexually transmitted infections.
8. Diaphragm
It is a circular, rubber disk that fits the cervix and
should be placed before coitus. Diaphragm works by
inhibiting the entrance of the sperm into the female
reproductive organ and it works better when used
together with a spermicide. The diaphragm should be
fitted only by the physician, and should remain in
place for six hours after coitus.
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9. Cervical Cap
The cervical cap is made of soft rubber and
fitted on the rim of the cervix. It is shaped like
a thimble with a thin rim, and could stay in
place for not more than 48 hours.
10. Male Condoms
The male condom is a latex or synthetic rubber sheath that is placed on the
erect male reproductive organ before penetration into the female
reproductive organ to trap the sperm during ejaculation.
11. Female Condoms
Female condoms are made up of latex rubber
sheaths that are pre-lubricated with spermicide.
They are usually bound by two rings. The outer
ring is first inserted against the opening of the
female reproductive organ and the inner ring
covers the cervix. It is used to prevent fertilization of the egg by the sperm
cells.
12. Surgical Methods
Vasectomy – a small incision is made on each side of the scrotum. The vas
deferens is then tied, cauterized, cut or plugged to block the passage of the
sperm.
Tubal ligation – is performed after menstruation and before ovulation. The
procedure is done through a small incision under the woman’s umbilicus that
targets the fallopian tube for cutting, cauterizing or blocking to inhibit the
passage of both the sperm and the ova.
Exercises:
List down at least 5 things or ways that will raise the awareness of the
students and to help eliminate sexually transmitted diseases especially among
youth.
Page 12 of 34
Topic 3: The Material/Economical Self and Spiritual Self

1. Explain the association of self and possessions.
2. Identify the role of consumer culture to self and identity.
3. Appraise one ’s self based on the description of material self.
4. Discuss the concept of Dungan.
NOTES:
We are living in a world of sale and shopping spree. We are given a wide
array of products to purchase from a simple set of spoon and fork to owning a
restaurant. Almost everywhere, including the digital space, we can find promotions
of product purchase. Product advertisements are suggestive of making us feel
better or look good. Part of us wants to have that product. What makes us want to
have those products are connected with who we are. What we want to have and
already possess is related to our self.
3.1. Shaping the way, we see ourselves: The role of consumer

culture on our sense of self and identity
A Harvard psychologist in the late nineteenth century, William James, wrote

in his book, The Principles of Psychology that understanding the self can be
examined through its different components. He described these components as: (1)
its constituents; (2) the feelings and emotions they arouse – self-feelings; (3) the
actions to which they prompt – self-seeking and self-preservation.
The constituents of self are composed of the material self, the social self, the
spiritual self and the pure ego. Material self is 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 CLOTHES
IMMEDIATE FAMILY
HOME
Page 13 of 34
We Are What We Have
“…we regard our possessions as part of ourselves. We are what we have and
what we possess.” The identification of the self to things started in our infancy
stage when we make a distinction among self and environment and others who
may desire our possessions.
The possessions that we dearly have tell something about who we are, our
self-concept, our past and even our future.
3.2. The concept of “Dungan” – spirit or soul
The term Animism is one of the oldest beliefs which is taken from the Latin
word anima meaning breath or soul. Animism is the belief that everything in
nature-living things like trees, plants and even non-living rocks or streams have
their own spirit or divinity. Animistic beliefs are still present, accepted and never
entirely disappeared.
The Soul or Spirit in Different Regions of the Philippines:
1. Kaluluwa by the Tagalog
2. Gimokud by the Bagobos
3. Makatu by the Bukidnon
4.Dungan by the Ilonggos when the is alive, "Kalag" or "detached", "free"
when he is dead
5. Ikararawa by the Ibanags
6. Kadkadduwa by the Ilokanos when the soul is in the physical body and it is
seen as a constant companion;karuruwa when it departs
The Soul according to the indigenous Filipino is known as kaluluwa,

ikaruruwa or kakaruwa.It is taken from the root word duwa which means two. The
soul has two parts-one is the physical part where it is connected to the body and its
life, and the other spiritual, where it exists on its own.
For the Ibanags, the Soul is the principle of life in man. Body is the matter;
Soul is the form. As long as the body and soul are one unit, man is alive. Death is
the separation of the soul from the body. The body cannot stay alive without the
body. Freed from the body, it ceases to experience thirst and hunger, cold and
heat. As spirit, the soul is the opposite of the body which is matter. For the
Ilonggos, they call the Soul "Dungan" which cannot be seen by the human eye.
Sometimes, the Dungan may show itself in the form of insects (a housefly or a
moth) or small animals like lizard.
According to Bisayans, the Dungan may leave the body voluntarily while the
person is asleep. Among the ancient Filipinos, when the person is asleep he/she
should not be awakened quickly in order to give ample time for the Dungan to
return to the body. When the Dungan is travelling outside of the body, it should be
free from accidents because there is possibility that it might be trapped in a jar or
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be poured out with the liquid from a vessel. When the soul has safely returned
home to the body of its owner, he/she could then be awakened. It is believed that
whatever happens to the Dungan happens to the physical body as well. It is also
believed that another reason for the voluntary withdrawal of the soul is maltreated.
The Bisayans believed that the Soul or Dungan is not located in any specific part of
the body. Rather, it is believed to grow proportionately with the person's body. It is
normally weak at birth, that is why babies are said to be susceptible to ‘usug’, that
is the unintentional transfer of disturbing vapors of a strong body to a weak by
holding, talking or just looking at the weaker one.
It is for this reason that the dungan needs protection and nurture. Soul-
nature, the folks believe, means the performance of age-old spirit rituals many of
which are still followed in the local provinces today.
The Bisayan has a secondary meaning of willpower. A strong dungan is the
intellectual and psychological capacity to dominate or persuade others to one’s way
of thinking. A person with a lot of willpower is said to ‘have a strong dungan’.
Constant companionship (sometimes under the same roof) of two people may lead
to a spiritual competition between the two dungans and the defeat (causing illness)
to the one with the weaker dungan.
At death, the dungan leaves the body through the nose, eyes, ears and other
body orifices and eventually goes with the air or the wind towards the upper
regions. There it waits until it can find another body to enter.
Lastly, there will be analysis on the comparison between the beliefs of
Religion Vs. Folklore.
3.3. Ritual and Ceremonies
Ritual is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred

law. Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by all known
societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing
humans.
Ritual has the characteristics of:

1. a feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in relation to the
sacred
2. dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the language myth
3. is symbolic in relation to its reference
Types of Rituals
 Prescriptive – a ritual that a deity or religious authority requires to be
performed
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 Situational – a ritual that arises as needed, frequently in times of crisis
Calendrical – a ritual that is performed on a regular basis as part of a
religious calendar
 Occasional – a ritual that is performed when a particular need arises
Benefits of rituals in the spiritual self:

 Rituals afford us a sense of belonging.
 Rituals provide us with a sense of renewal
 They provide an ongoing way to structure our lives.
 They give us a way to connect to family, past and present.
 Rituals help us access our authentic selves through their ability to carry us
into deeper levels of consciousness.
 Rituals provide the essential tools for creating our own lives.
 Rituals give meaning to our journeys and a sense of purpose to our lives.
Ceremonies are a set of acts, often traditional or religious, performed at a formal

occasion esp. to recognize an important event
Importance of ceremonies:
 They may reflect our beliefs, hopes, traditions, culture and spirituality, but
they also express who we are
 They are held to celebrate a new life or in honor of a life well lived
 They are held to reflect on events – events of historical and social
significance
 They help to heal – for those events that cause devastation or loss.
Exercises:
Directions: Create a collage of your treasured possessions including your current

clothing style. You may use symbols or pictures of your treasured possessions. Put
a short noted why you treasure each item.
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Topic 4: Continuation of Spiritual Self

1. Identify various religious practices and beliefs.
2. Understand the self in relation with religious beliefs.
3. Explain ways of finding the meaning of life.
NOTES:
4.1. Religion, Magic and Witchcraft
Religion is a set of cultural beliefs and practices that usually includes some
or all of basic characteristics.
These characteristics are:

1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being.
2. A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of reverence
and awe.
3. The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on supernatural
beings as well as physical beings and objects.
4. The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred
object to communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence or control
events.
5. The articulation of worldview and moral codes through narratives and other
means.
6. Provide the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social
control within a community; provide explanation for unknown and a sense of
control for individuals.
Magic – power of apparently influencing the course of events by using

mysterious or supernatural forces. It is the ability to use supernatural forces to
make impossible things happen.
Magician – one who performs magic. Derived from the Old French magiciien
which is rooted in the Greek word magikos or magos meaning “magical”.
Sorcerer – translated from the Greek word pharmakos, and carries with it the
idea of medicine, magic potions, drugs, and poison.
Wizard – one who is acquainted with the secrets of the nonmaterial or
unseen world.
Necromancer – one who is ‘seeking unto the dead’.
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Witchcraft Practice in the Philippines
Back in the old times, due to lack of hospitals and other equipments used in
performing a surgery or treating someone, elders would consult faith healers. One
of the most famous faith healers is the albularyos. Albularyos were believed to have
agimat or anting-anting, charms like pendants with words inscribe (mostly Latin). It
is believed that it is where they get their power to heal people. Others would also
say that Albularyos is the instrument or the channel of Jesus, the holy spirits or
some other powerful guides. But however, faith healing is beyond religion and was
also influenced by other religions, such as the Buddhism, Muslim, Protestantism,
etc.
Witchcraft in the Philippines: Filipino Witches Midwives and Healers The Most
Prominent Types of Filipino “Witches” I put “witches” in parentheses, because each
individual’s belief on what is considered or not considered a witch will vary. For our
intents and purposes, Filipino “witches” means anyone who practices magic.
Katalonan: Tagalog Priest/Priestess. The Katalonan (Catalonan, Catalona;
Catulunanin Kapampangan): is a priest or priestess in the indigenous religions of
the Tagalog. Mostly found in Central to Southern Luzon. They are the equivalent of
the Visayan Babaylan. Spanish friars and missionaries also called them anitero
(male) and anitera (female).
Some World Religious Beliefs and Practices

There are different religions with different beliefs and practices. Some of the
major world religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.
Buddhism
Beliefs
Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of roses instead, there suffering, pain
and frustrations. When people suffer, they want to experience the goodness of life
and avoid disappointments. It becomes a habit known as the reactive cycle of
wanting and hating, like and dislike, and craving and aversion. This reactive cycle
can be broken through the practice of mediation, acquiring more wisdom and
deeper understanding, and acceptance of things as they are.
Customs and Practices

There are two types of meditation practices: samatha and vipassana.
Samatha is practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of loving-
kindnes. Vipassana practices aim at developing insight into reality.
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Some of the major Buddhist celebrations are Parinirvana Day, Buddha Day
(Wesak), Dharma Day, Padmasambhava Day and Sangha Day.
Christianity
Belief
Christians believe in Trinitarian God. Eternal life after death will be achieved
through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is, God of son, who came into flesh, to
spread the Good News of Salvation. He died on the Cross for the sin of the
humanity but resurrected from the death, so that anyone who believes in Him will
be saved and have eternal life. The Holy Bible is a selection of books, which is
divided into two, the Old Testament and New Testament.

Sacrament of baptism and Sacrament of Communion are practiced by
Christian churches. The sacrament of baptism symbolizes the birth in Christian
World, while the Sacrament of Communion is an act of remembrance of Jesus
Christ teaching in unconditional love that is expressed in living the poor, oppressed,
and outcast of the society.
Christmas and resurrection (Easter) are the two major celebrations in
Christianity. Christmas, usually on December 25, commemorates the birth of Jesus
Christ while the Resurrection Sunday depends on the lunar calendar, sometime in
March or April) celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death.
Hinduism
Beliefs
Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional beliefs and religious groups;
thus, there is no single founder or leader. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of
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birth, death and rebirth, governed by Karma. Karma is a concept where the
reincarnated life will depend on how the past life was spent. Hindus believe that the
soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always
dependent on how the previous life was lived. Vedas are sacred scriptures of
Hindus. Mahabharata and Ramayana are two other important texts of the Hindus.

Diwali and Navrati are the most celebrated festivals of the Hindu. Diwali is
the Festival of Lights while Navrati is the festival of nine nights, which celebrate the
triumph of good over evil.
Islam
Beliefs
Muslims believe in Allah, who is their “One God”. They believe in the unity
and universality of God. Muslims also have a strong sense of community or
“ummah” and an awareness of their solidarity with all Muslims worldwide. Islam
means “submission to God”.
Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God.
The Holy Book of Islam is called the Quran, which was taught to be recited in Arabic
because any translation is seen as inadequate.

Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of
Muslim life:
1. Shahadah – statement of faith: “There is no God but the one true God and
Mohammed is his messenger.”
2. Salat – the prayer that is practiced five times a day.
3. Zakat – the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It comprises 2.5% of a
Muslim’s assets.
4. Hajj – the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are asked to do
the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
5. Sawm – the fasting. Muslims do fasting, from food, drink and sexual act, during
the celebration of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar
calendar. The fast is from dawn to sunset.
Two of the major festivals in Islam are Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha. Eidul-Fitr is
the celebration at the end of Ramadan, while Eidul-Adha is celebrated within the
completion of the Pilgrimage, Hajj.
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Judaism
Beliefs
The Jews believe in the God of Abraham, the same God that liberated the
Hebrew slaves from Egypt to Canaan, through the leadership of Moses and later,
Joshua.
The Jews believe in the coming of Messiah, the Savior. The sacred scripture
of the Jews is called the Torah or the Law. The Torah is the guide of the Jewish
living. The study and interpretation of Torah is part of the Jewish culture.

There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:
1. Rosh Hashanah – the New Year
2. Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement
3. Pesach – Passover
4. Shavuot – Pentecost
5. Sukkot – Tabernacles
Religious beliefs, rituals, practices and customs are all part of the expression
of the spiritual self. What to believe and how to manifest the belief is entirely
dependent on the individual, to the self.
4.2. Finding and creating meaning: Three ways of discovering

meaning in life
Finding and Creating Meaning of Life
Logotherapy
Logotherapy is a psychotherapy introduced by Dr. Viktor Frankl, who is
considered the Father of Logotherapy. The main belief of logotherapy is that “man’s
primary motivational force is search for meaning.”
In logotheraphy, meaning can be discovered by creating a work or doing a
deed, experiencing something or encountering someone and the attitude toward
unavoidable suffering.
Basic Concepts of Franklian Psychology

 Life has meaning under all circumstances.
 Main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
 Freedom to find meaning.
Furthermore, Franklian Psychology aims to: (1) become aware of spiritual

resources, (2) make conscious spiritual resources, and (3) use “defiant power of the
human spirit” and stands up against adversity.
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Logotherapy Assumptions
All psychotherapies make philosophical assumptions about the human
persons that cannot be proved with certainty.
1. Body, Mind, and Spirit
The human being is an entity that consists of a body (soma), mind (psyche),
and spirit (noos). Frankl argued that we have a body and mind, but the spirit is
what we are, or our essence. Note that Frankl's theory was not based on religion or
theology, but often had parallels to these.
2. Life Has Meaning in All Circumstances
Frankl believed that life has meaning in all circumstances, even the most
miserable ones. This means that even when situations seem objectively terrible,
there is a higher level of order that involves meaning.
3. Humans Have a Will to Meaning
Logotherapy proposes that humans have a will to meaning, which means that
meaning is our primary motivation for living and acting, and allows us to endure
pain and suffering. This is viewed as differing from the will to achieve power and
pleasure.
4. Freedom to Find Meaning
Frankl argues that in all circumstances, individuals have the freedom to

access that will to find meaning. This is based on his experiences of pain and
suffering and choosing his attitude in a situation that he could not change.
5. Meaning of the Moment
The fifth assumption argues that for decisions to be meaningful, individuals

must respond to the demands of daily life in ways that match the values of society
or their own conscience.
6. Individuals Are Unique
Frankl believed that every individual is unique and irreplaceable.
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Logotherapy in Everyday Life
How might you apply the principles of logotherapy to improve your everyday life?
 Create something. Just as Frankl suggested, creating something (e.g., art)

gives you a sense of purpose, which can add meaning to your life.
 Develop relationships. The supportive nature of spending time with others
will help you to develop more of a sense of meaning in your life.
 Find purpose in pain. If you are going through something bad, try to find a
purpose in it. Even if this is a bit of mental trickery, it will help to see you
through. For example, if a family member is going through medical
treatments for a disease, view your purpose as being there to support that
person.
 Understand that life is not fair. There is nobody keeping score, and you
will not necessarily be dealt a fair deck. However, life can always have
meaning, even in the worst of situations.
 Freedom to find meaning. Remember that you are always free to make
meaning out of your life situation. Nobody can take that away from you.
 Focus on others. Try to focus outside of yourself to get through feeling
stuck about a situation.
 Accept the worst. When you go out seeking the worse, it reduces the
power that it has over you.
Exercises:
Directions: Make a reflection on any of the following topics,
A. Filipino rituals and ceremonies covering all religions of the Philippines
B. Filipino indigenous religious practices featuring five tribes from Luzon,
Visayas and Mindanao
C. Modern day expression of spiritual being
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Topic 5: The Political Self and Socio-cultural Self

1. Develop a Filipino identity.
2. Identify different Filipino values and traits.
3. Discuss the concept of democratic culture.
4. Reflect on your selfhood in relation to your national identity.
5. Know the IPs of Mindanao.
NOTES:
5.1. Developing a Filipino Identity: Values, Traits, Rights,

Community and Institutional factors
Who Is a Filipino?
Filipino citizens are “…those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the
Philippines, and those who are naturalized in accordance with law.”
Filipino values and Traits
1. The Filipino Hospitality

A Filipino trait that is known everywhere is the Filipino’s brand of hospitality.
Part of the Filipino culture is to always treat our guests warmly, whether they are
foreigners or not, therefore if there is one thing that foreigners would usually
comment about right after they visit the Philippines, it would probably not be the
food or the places they visited, but the hospitality of the people.
2. Respect for Elders

Filipino greets their elders by kissing their hand while saying “mano po” and
constantly using “po” and “opo” in conversations.
3. Close Family Ties

Close family ties is an old, distinctive nature in a typical Filipino household. It
has always been recognized as one of the core values of Filipino families wherein
their relationship is anchored on love, care, and protection of one another.
In the Philippines, a strong mutual relationship bonded by understanding and
respect towards each family member exists. Filipinos care for their family and kin at
a level of closeness that is rarely observed or practiced in other cultures or races.
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4. Cheerful Personality
Filipinos have a habit of smiling and laughing a lot. They smile when they ae
happy, or sometimes even when they are sad or angry. Smiling has been a coping
strategy for many Filipinos.
5. Self-sacrifice
The self-sacrifice attitude of Filipinos can be seen as an extension of the
Filipino hospitality. Filipinos go out of their way to extend help to their friends,
families and loved ones.
6. Bayanihan
Bayanihan is the spirit of communal unity and cooperation of Filipinos. It is
also giving without expecting something in return. Filipinos are always ready to
share and help their friends and loved ones who are ready in need.
7. “Bahala Na” Attitude

“Bahala na” 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, and the phrase meaning leaving everything into God’s hands.
8. Colonial Mentality
People who possess colonial mentality have a perception of ethnic or cultural
inferiority that is a specific consequence of colonization. For Filipinos, this involves
an automatic and uncritical rejection of anything Filipino and an automatic and
uncritical preference for anything American or white. It is attributed to the centuries
of colonization Filipinos had experienced under the Spanish, American and Japanese
rule.
9. “Mañana” Habit
This is the Filipino term for procrastination. It was derived from a longer
Filipino phrase called “mamaya na” meaning dawdling things, which could have
been done at an earlier time.
10. “Ningas Kugon”

Correlating ‘ningas kugon’ to the Filipinos could be rooted from the fact that
at times or in more ways than one, Filipinos tend to leave problems unsolved or
projects undone because they lose eagerness after experiencing difficulty.
11. Pride
Most Filipinos hold on to 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 asks for an
apology.
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12. Crab Mentality
Crab mentality is a widely used term in the Philippines given to Filipinos who
always try to pull down other Filipinos who are succeeding in life and getting ahead
of them. This trait is not unusual to us, as it’s actually one of the common bad
habits of many Filipinos. This attribute is also one of the major causes why our
country is not progressing. It doesn’t promote unity, humility and responsibility.
13. Filipino Time

Filipinos have this common attitude of arriving late at commitments, dinner
or parties especially if they are meeting someone close to them. They tend to not
observe punctuality altogether.
What then are the hallmarks of our being a Filipino? What makes us truly relish in
our being a Filipino? The following are constant reminders of our nationality.
Filipino Markers
1. Proverbs or Salawikain
Filipino proverbs, just like any other proverb, are sayings that convey lessons
and reflections on Filipino practices, beliefs, and traditions.
a. Proverbs expressing a general attitude toward life and the laws that govern
life;
b. Ethical proverbs recommending certain virtues and condemning certain
vices;
c. Proverbs expressing a system of values;
d. Proverbs expressing general truths and observations about life and human
nature;
e. Humorous proverbs;
f. Miscellaneous proverbs.
2. Superstitions
Filipinos also subscribe to their own set of superstitions passed down from
generation to generation. Some of these may be influenced by beliefs from other
cultures, but Filipinos have retold these superstitions according to their own
experiences and they sometimes end up even more interesting.
3. Myths and Legends

Due to the Philippine’s rich culture and history, numerous myths and legends
have sprung about things that are beyond one’s imagination. These stories are
aimed to explain the origin of things, at the same time, teach a valuable lesson.
Some of these stories stemmed in pre-Christianity period, but have evolved to the
stories we know today.
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4. Heroes and Icons
Heroes serve as a reminder of true patriotism and nationalism as they have
sacrificed their lives for the sake of their country’s freedom and progress. Every
year, we lend a whole day to celebrate our heroes to remember their greatness,
bravery and resilience that has led to the freedom we know today.
Filipino icons also serve as important markers as they have made the Filipino
name more pronounced worldwide through their own expertise.
How to be a Good Filipino

Now you know that your traits and values are important indicators of being a
Filipino. The problem now is how to truly become one and how you can be useful to
the development and progress of our country. The following are a few ways on how
to be a good Filipino:
1. Be an active Filipino citizen.

2. Study the Philippine history.
3. Support local products.
4. Speak the Filipino language.
5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with dissent.
5.2. Establishing a democratic culture
Democratic culture is defined as the desire and ability of individuals in a

population to participate actively, individually and together, to the government of
public affairs affecting them. The existence of a democratic culture within a
population is characterized by the active contribution, effective and in duration, of
members of civil society to development of: the common good, the terms of “living
together” and the construction of collective decisions.
A democratic culture rests on the existence with the persons of forms of
autonomy of thought and action. However, the contribution of civil society members
is not limited to individual plan. It requires the development of dynamic interactions
(structured or spontaneous) between members of civil society and of adapted forms
to “act together” and co-responsibility, for the construction and maintenance of the
common good.
A democratic culture rests on the existence with the persons of forms of
autonomy of thought and action. However, the contribution of civil society members
is not limited to individual plan. It requires the development of dynamic interactions
(structured or spontaneous) between members of civil society and of adapted forms
to “act together” and co-responsibility, for the construction and maintenance of the
common good.
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Various Social Problems/Challenges and Possible Solutions
1. Poverty
 Be equal and know how to share.
2. Corruption
 Be contented.
3. Patrimonialism
 Be a researcher and discover new and better leader for the future.
4. Personalism
 Know the “majority wins” rule and apply it in your life.
5. They must improve the quality of education in the country.
6. Population control
7. Log control
8. Leaders who use their position to satisfy their needs.
 The leaders should be honest enough to be able to serve us and our
country properly.
9. Inequality of the rich and poor in terms of their rights.
 The government should be equal in every democratic rights that our
constitution implements.
10.Hierarchized relations
 Social equality is a social state of affairs in which all people within a
specific society or isolated group have the same status in a certain
respect.
5.3. The IPs of Mindanao
The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the

southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The
term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"),
the autonym officially adopted by the delegates of the Lumad Mindanao Peoples
Federation (LMPF) founding assembly on 26 June 1986 at the Guadalupe Formation
Center, Balindog, Kidapawan, Cotabato, Philippines. Usage of the term was
accepted in Philippine jurisprudence when President Corazon Aquino signed into
law Republic Act 6734, where the word was used in Art. XIII sec. 8(2) to distinguish
Lumad ethnic communities from the Bangsamoro.
On March 2, 2021, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples issued a
resolution denouncing the use of the term lumad when referring to Indigenous
Cultural Communities (ICC) and Indigenous Peoples (IPs). The resolution stated
that elders, leaders, and members of different ICCs and IPs in Mindanao requested
that they not be called "lumad", and instead want to be referred to by their
ethnolinguistic group names.
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The Southern island of the Philippines is home to a substantial part of the country’s
Indigenous population, estimating to about 15% of the Philippine’s total population
of 100 million.
Ethnic Groups
 Bagobo
 Blaan
 Bukidnon
 Higaonon
 Kalagan
 Kamigin
 Mamanwa
 Mandaya
 Manobo
 Mansaka
 Matigsalug
 Sangil
 Subanon
 Tagabawa
 Tagakaulo
 Talaandig
 Tasaday
 Teduray
 T’boli
 Tigwahonon
 Umayamnon
Exercises:
1. Directions: Make an acrostic below which will describe you, in relation to you
being a Filipino.
F-
I-
L-
I-
P-
I-
N-
O-
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Topic 6: The Digital Self: Self and other in Cyberspace

1. Define online identity.
2. Compare real identity versus online identity.
3. Describe the influence of Internet on sexuality and gender.
4. Discuss the proper way of demonstrating values and attitudes online.
NOTES:
Most individual people seem to need, and therefore have, a distinct sense of
self. Categorized as who we are, or who we feel ourselves to be, it appears roughly
defined as the consistent sensation of internal individual existence that remains a
constant over time. Yet in that notion of constant self appears a contradiction, as
throughout our lives we seem to be in a state of constant change from child to
young adult to parent and so on. When seen like this the language begins to
struggle to convey the notion of self, flitting between the idea of something fixed
and rigid, against the evidence of the forward motion of an individual throughout
their life, and the changes that might confer upon them. From the internal
perspective the idea of restricting the self to a rigid, defined thing denies the notion
of positive change, of the idea of becoming more. As digital technology rises, an
increase in the difficulties inherent in examining the ‘self’, which believe lead us to a
future scenario within which the idea of a solid and defined fixed ‘self’ will become
increasingly challenged.
The digital self is the persona you use when you’re online. Some people
maintain one or more online identifies that are distinct from their “real world”
selves; others have a single online self that is more or less the same as the one
they inhabit in the real world.
6.1. I, Me, Myself and my user ID online identity
The number of people who are becoming more active online continues to
increase worldwide. More than half of the population worldwide now uses the
Internet. It has only been 25 years since Tim Berners-Lee made the World Wide
Web available to the public, but in that time, the Internet has already become an
integral part of everyday life for most of the world’s population. The Philippines is
among one of the countries with the most active Internet users.
 Almost two-thirds of the world’s population now has mobile phone.
 More than half of the world’s web traffic now comes from mobile phones.
 More than half of all mobile connections around the world are now
‘broadband”.
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 More than one in five of the world’s population shopped online in the past 30
days.
The number of digital users worldwide increases. More people are becoming
interested and devoted in using the Internet for various activity. In the Philippines,
adolescents are among the most avid users of the Internet.
Online identity is actually the sum of all our characteristics and our
interactions while partial identity is a subset of characteristics that make up our
identity. Meanwhile, persona is the partial identity we create that represents
ourselves in a specific situation.
6.2. Selective self-presentation and impression management
According to Goffman and Leary, self-presentation is the “process of

controlling how one is perceived by other people” and is the key to relationship
inception and development. To construct positive images, individuals selectively
provide information about them and carefully cater this information in response to
other’s feedback.
Anything posted online should be considered “public” no matter what our
‘privacy” settings are. Personal identity is the interpersonal level of self which
differentiates the individual as unique from others, while social identity is the level
of self whereby the individual is identified by his or her group memberships.
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Belk explained that sharing ourselves is no longer new and has been
practiced as soon as human beings were formed. Digital devices help us share
information broadly, more than ever before. Facebook and other social media
applications are now a key part of self-presentation for one sixth of humanity. As a
result, researchers and participants become concerned with actively managing
identity and reputation and to warn against the phenomenon of “oversharing”.
Because of the conversation of private diaries into public revelations of inner
secrets, the lack of privacy in many aspects of social media make the users more
vulnerable, leading to compulsively checking newsfeeds and continually adding
tweets and postings in order to appear active and interesting. This condition has
been called “fear of missing out”. One of the reasons for so much sharing and self-
disclosure online is the so-called “disinhibition effect”. The resulting disinhibition
causes people to believe that they are able to express their “true-self” better online
than they ever could in face-to-face contexts. However, it does not mean that there
is a fixed “true self’. When the Internet constantly asks us: “Who are you?” and
“What do you have to share?” it is up to us if we are going to provide answers to
such queries every time we use the Internet and to what extent are going to share
details of ourselves to others.
In addition to sharing the good things we experience, many of us also share
the bad, embarrassing, and “sinful” things we experience. We also react and
comment on negative experiences of others. Sometimes, we empathize with
people. We also argue with others online. Relationships may be made stronger or
broken through posts online. Blogs and social media are the primary digital for
sharing sites where blunders and bad moments are also preserved and shared. Why
confess to unseen and anonymous others online? In Foucault’s view, confessing our
secret truths feels freeing, even as it blinds us in a guilt-motivated self-governance
born of a long history of Christian and pre-Christian philosophies and power
structures.
Consequently, we should have a filtering system to whatever information we
share online, as well as to what information we believe in, which are being shared
or posted by others online. We should look at online information carefully whether
they are valid and true before believing and promoting them. In the same way, we
should also think well before we post or share anything online in order to prevent
conflict, arguments, and cyber bullying and to preserve our relationships with
others.
6.3. Impact of online interactions on the self-boundaries of the

self-online
Gender and Sexuality Online

While the term “sex’, “gender’ and “sexuality” are often thought of as
synonymous, they are actually quite distinct. The differences between the common
Page 32 of 34
understandings of these terms and how researchers think about them yield key
insights about the social functioning of gender. Sex is the biological state that
corresponds to what we might call a ‘man” or a “woman”. This might seem to be a
simple distinction, but the biology of sex is actually very complicated. While “sex’ is
often explained as biological, fixed and immutable, it is actually socially constructed
then, is the social understanding of how sex should be experienced and how sex
manifests in behavior, personality, preferences, capabilities and so forth. While sex
and gender are presumed to be biologically connected, we can understand gender
as sociocultural specific set of norms that are mapped onto a category of “sex”.
Gender is historical. It is produced by media and popular culture.
Sexuality is an individual expression and understanding of desire. While like
gender, this is often viewed as binary, in reality, sexuality is often experienced as
fluid.
Performing Gender online

According to the disembodiment hypothesis, internet users are free to
actively choose which gender or sexuality they are going to portray with the
possibility of creating alternate identities. The ability of users to self-consciously
adapt and play with different gender identities would reveal the choices involved in
the production of gender, breaking down binaries and encouraging fluidity in
sexuality and gender expression.
Setting Boundaries To Your Online Self: Smart Sharing

The following guidelines will help you share information online in a smart way
that will protect yourself and not harm others. Before posting or sharing anything
online, consider the following.
 Is this post/story necessary?
 Is there a real benefit to this post? Is it funny, warm-hearted, teachable – or
am I just making noise online without purpose?
 Have we (as a family or parent/child) resolved this issue? An issue that is still
being worked out at home, or one that is either vulnerable or highly
emotional, should not be made public.
 Is it appropriate? Does it stay within the boundaries of our family values?
 Will this seem as funny in 5, 10 or 15 years? Or is this post better suited for
sharing with a small group of family members? Or maybe not at all?
Rules to Follow
Here are additional guidelines for proper sharing of information and ethical use of
the Internet:
 Stick to safer sites.
 Guard your passwords.
 Limit what you share.
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 Remember that anything you put online or post on a site is there forever,
even if you try to delete it.
 Do not be mean or embarrass other people online.
 Always tell if you see strange or bad behavior online.
 Be choosy about your online friends.
 Be patient.
Exercises:
Directions: Make a slogan or as poster about becoming a responsible Internet

user. Use coloring materials to improve your output.
References
Alata, E,J.P., Caslib, B.N., Serafica, J.P.J., and Pawilen, R.A. 2018. Understanding
the Self. First Edition. REX Bookstore Inc: Manila, Philippines.
Ang, Jaime G. 2018. Understanding the self: A Text Manual for the 21 st Century
Filipino Student. MINDSHAPERS CO., INC: Manila Philippines.
END OF MIDTERM MODULE
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Tel. # (033) 396-2291 ; Fax : (033) 5248081
COO – FORM 12

FINALS MODULE
Topic 1: Managing and Caring for the Self

1. Explain how learning occurs.
2. Enumerate various metacognition and studying techniques.
3. Identify the metacognitive techniques that you can find the most appropriate
for yourself.
NOTES:
1.1. Learning to be a better student
To become successful in life, we all need to learn to become a good student in

every aspect of life. Becoming a good student is not an easy task. Most would agree
that in order to be a good student it takes a great deal of hard work, time and self-
discipline. A student who possessed these strong characteristics will often time stand
out from the rest of their classmates. In order to become a strong student, one must
have motivation, positive self-esteem, positive self-talk, commitment and good study
habits. It has been said that to get the required performance out of an individual,
you must first find what motivates them. There are many ways for a student to
become motivated.
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1.2. What happens during learning? Brain and behavior changes
Your brain is primarily composed of about 85 billion neurons, which is more

than the number of stars you can see with the naked eye in the night sky. A neuron
is a cell which acts as a messenger, sending information in the form of nerve
impulses (like electrical signals) to other neurons.
The electrical signals that are communicated from one neuron to another are
therefore what allows you to do everything you do: write, think, see, jump, talk,
compute, and so on. Each neuron can be connected with up to 10,000 other
neurons, leading to a large number of connections in your brain, which looks like a
very dense spider web.
When you are learning, important changes take place in your brain, including
the creation of new connections between your neurons. This phenomenon is
called neuroplasticity. The more you practice, the stronger these connections
become. As your connections strengthen, the messages (nerve impulses) are
transmitted increasingly faster, making them more efficient.
1.3. Metacognition and study strategies
We are Homo sapiens or the “wise man”. We think in a more complex level
than our ancestors and most, if not all, of the other beings. But being called wise,
not only do we think, but we are also capable to think about thinking, like how we
think things and why we think in a certain way about things. It is like your brain
thinks about itself, then thinks about how it thinks about itself.
This idea falls under the concept of metacognition. Metacognition is
commonly defined as “thinking about thinking”. It is the awareness of the scope
and limitations of your current knowledge and skills.
Metacognition is also not limited to the thinking process of the individual. It
also includes keeping one’s emotions and motivations while learning in check. Some
people learn better when they like the subject, some when they are challenged by
the topic, and others if they have a reward system each time they finish a task.
As seen from above mentioned definitions, metacognition basically has two
aspects: (1) self-appraisal and (2) self-management of cognition. Self-appraisal is
your personal reflection on your knowledge and capabilities while self-management
is the mental process you employ using what you have in planning and adapting to
successfully learn or accomplish a certain task.
Under metacognitive knowledge, there are several variables that affect how
you know or assess yourself as a thinker. First are the personal variables, which is
your evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses in learning. Second is the task
variable, which is what you know or what you think about the nature of the task, as
well as what strategies the task requires. Lastly, strategy variable refers to what
strategies or skills you already have in dealing with certain tasks.
However, it must be noted that in order to make self-appraisal and self-
management work, you must have an accurate self-assessment – you must be
honest about what you know and capable of in order to find ways to utilize your
strengths and improve on your weaknesses.
The following are other skills that can help you in exercising metacognition:
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1. Knowing your limits. One cannot really make any significance advancement in
using metacognitive skills without having an honest and accurate evaluation
of what you know and what you do not know.
2. Modifying your approach. It begins with the recognition that your strategy is not
appropriate with the task and/or that you do not comprehend the learning
experience successfully.
3. Skimming. This is basically browsing over a material and keeping an eye on
keyboards, phrases or sentences. It is also about knowing where to search
for such key terms.
4. Rehearsing. This is not just about repeatedly talking, writing and/or doing what
you have learned, but also trying to make a personal interpretation or
summary of the learning experience.
5. Self-Test. As the name implies, this is trying to test your comprehension of your
learning experience or the skills you have acquired during learning. While
some materials already come with tests, you can still create tests for
yourself.
Using these strategies, you can at least identify four types of metacognitive
learners. First, the “tacit” learners are unaware of their metacognitive processes
although they know the extent of their knowledge. Second, the “aware” learners
know some of their metacognitive strategies but they do not plan on how to use
these techniques. Third, “strategic” learners, as the name implies, strategize and
plan their course of action toward a learning experience. Lastly, the “reflective”
learners reflect on their thinking while they are using the strategies and adapt
metacognitive skills depending on their situation.
The goal of metacognition is for student to be a self-regulated learner.
Learner should have the capability to study things on your own as well as
accurately evaluate your progress.
Other tips that you can use in studying are the following:
 Make an outline of the things you want to learn, the things you are reading
or doing, and/or the things you remember.
 Break down the task in smaller and more manageable details.
 Integrate variation in your schedule and learning experience. Change reading
material every hour and do not put similar topics together. Also include
physical activities in your planning.
 Try to incubate ideas. First, write your draft without doing much editing. Let
the ideas flow. Then leave your draft at least overnight or around 24 hours –
some even do not look at it for a week – and do something else. After a
given period, go back to your draft or prototype and you might find fresh
perspective about it.
 Revise, summarize and take down notes, then reread them to help you
minimize cramming in the last minute, especially when you have a weakness
in memorizing facts and data.
 Engage what you have learned. Do something about it. Some people also
learn best by copying the key paragraphs word for word. You may want to
look for other definitions and compare or contrast materials.
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1.4. Managing your own learning: Self-regulated learning
Self-regulated learning refers to how students become masters of their own

learning processes. Neither a mental ability nor a performance skill, self-
regulation is instead the self-directive process through which learners transform
their mental abilities into task-related skills in diverse areas of functioning, such as
academia, sports, music, and health.
Three research findings are highlighted. First, “self-regulation of learning
involves more than detailed knowledge of a skill; it involves the self -
awareness, self-motivation, and behavioral skill to implement that knowledge
appropriately.” Second, self-regulation is not a trait that some students have
and others do not. Rather, “it involves the selective use of specific processes
that must be personally adapted to each learning task.” Finally, there is a
relationship between self-regulation and “perceived efficacy and intrinsic
interest.”
Three times when self-regulation aids the learning process:
 First, before the learning task is tackled, the learner should analyze the
task, set goals, and develop a plan of approach.
 Second, learners need to self-regulate as they do the learning (or
perform the task).
 Finally, they need to self-reflect after completion of the learning task.
Exercises:
1. Scenario: You are about to study for your final examinations and it is as if
the universe conspired for a heavy finals week, all your subjects provided at
least three new reading materials and topics one week (7days) before the
examination period. Create a diagram or schedule using at least five of the
metacognitive strategies, skills and studying techniques mentioned in this
lesson on how you would prepare for the next seven days before your final
examinations.
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Topic 2: Setting Goals for Success

1. Use Bandura’s self-efficacy theory for self-assessment.
2. Differentiate growth and fixed mindset by Dweck.
3. Design personal goals adapting Locke’s goal setting theory.
NOTES:
2.1. The importance of Goals
Goals are important in the sense that they give you direction in life. Having
goals is like having a map. You know where you are heading, and this gives you
zest, motivation, more energy and a reason to get up in the morning. You became
more alive.
Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, helps guides your focus and helps
you sustain that momentum in life.
Goals also help align your focus and promote a sense of self-mastery. In the
end, you can’t manage what you don’t measure and you can’t improve upon
something that you don’t properly manage. Setting goals can help you do all of that
and more.
2.2. Bandura’s Self Efficacy, Dweck’s Mindset (growth vs. fixed)
Bandura’s Self Efficacy

Albert Bandura was a well-known social-cognitive psychologist who is famous
for postulating the theory of self-efficacy, but we'll get back to that theory later.
Let's take a brief look at his life and career.
Bandura was born in 1925 in Alberta, Canada, and as of this writing, he's still
alive and well, living in the United States. He is best-known for his work in social-
cognitive psychology, or the branch of psychology that deals with people learning
from observing others and interacting with them. One of Bandura's most famous
theories is his theory of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy literally means the belief of a
person that his or her actions are effective or make a difference.
Summary of Self-efficacy Theory
Self-efficacy is an individual's belief in their innate ability to achieve

goals. Albert Bandura defines it as a personal judgment of "how well one can
execute courses of action required dealing with prospective situations".
Expectations of self-efficacy determine whether an individual will be able to exhibit
coping behavior and how long effort will be sustained in the face of
obstacles. Individuals who have high self-efficacy will exert sufficient effort that, if
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well executed, leads to successful outcomes, whereas those with low self-efficacy
are likely to cease effort early and fail.
Psychologists have studied self-efficacy from several perspectives, noting
various paths in the development of self-efficacy; the dynamics of self-efficacy, and
lack thereof, in many different settings; interactions between self-efficacy and self-
concept; and habits of attribution that contribute to, or detract from, self-efficacy.
Kathy Kolbe adds, "Belief in innate abilities means valuing one's particular set of
cognitive strengths. It also involves determination and perseverance to overcome
obstacles that would interfere with utilizing those innate abilities to achieve goals."
Self-efficacy affects every area of human endeavor. By determining the
beliefs a person holds regarding their power to affect situations, it strongly
influences both the power a person actually has to face challenges competently and
the choices a person is most likely to make. These effects are particularly apparent,
and compelling, with regard to behaviors affecting health.
Acts of people with “high assurance in their capabilities:
 Approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered;
 Set challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them;
 Heighten or sustain efforts in the face of failures or setbacks;
 Attribute failure to sufficient effort or deficient knowledge and skills which are
acquirable; and
 Approach threatening situations with assurance that they can exercise
control over them.
In contrast, people “who doubt their capabilities”:

 Shy away from tasks they view as personal threats;
 Have low aspirations and weak commitment to goals they choose to pursue;
 Dwell on personal deficiencies, obstacles they will encounter, and all kinds of
adverse outcomes, rather than concentrating on how to perform successfully;
 Slacken their efforts and give up quickly in the face of difficulties;
 Are slow to recover their sense of efficacy following failure or setbacks;
 Fall easy victim to stress and depression.
Dr. Bandura described four main sources of influence by which a person’s

self-efficacy is developed and maintained. These are:
 Performance accomplishments or mastery experiences;
 Vicarious experience;
 Verbal or social persuasion; and
 Physiological states.
Dweck’s Mindset
Dr. Dweck’s contribution to social psychology relates to implicit theories of

intelligence with her book, Mindset:The New Psychology of Success. Dr. Dweck
described people with two types of mindset. People who believe that success that
success is based on their innate abilities have a “fixed” theory of intelligence, and
goes under fixed mindset. On the other hand, people who believe that success is
based on hardwork, learning, training and perseverance have growth theory of
intelligence, which goes under growth mindset. Fixed-mindset individuals dread
failure because it is a negative statement on their basic abilities, while growth-
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mindset individuals do not mind or fear failure as much because they realize their
performance can be improved and learning comes from failure.
In an interview with Dr. Dweck, she described the fixed and growth mindset
as:
“In a fixed mindset, students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence,
their talents are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that’s that, and
their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In the growth
mindset, students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed
through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don’t necessarily think
everyone’s the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get
smarter if they work for it.”
2.3. Locke’s Goal Setting Theory
Edwin A. Locke is internationally known for his research on goal setting.
Goal Setting Theory

Locke first described that the approach of goal setting theory is based on
what Aristotle called final causality; that is, action caused by a purpose. It accepts
the axiomatic status of consciousness and volition. It also assumes that
introspective reports provide useful and valid data for formulating psychological
concepts and measuring psychological phenomena.
Goal Attributes
Goals have both an internal and an external aspect. Internally, they are
ideas; extremely, they refer to the object or condition sought. The idea guides
action to attain the object. Two board attributes of goals are content and intensity.
Qualitatively, the content of a goal is whatever the person is seeking.
Quantitatively, two attributes of content, difficulty, and specificity.
14 Research Findings
 The more difficult the goal, the greater the achievement.
 The more specific or explicit the goal, the more precisely performance is
regulated.
 Goals that are both specific and difficult lead to the highest performance.
 Commitment to goals is most critical when goals are specific and difficult.
 High commitment to goals is attained:
a. the individual is convinced that the goal is important;
b. the individual is convinced that the goal is attainable
 In addition to having a direct effect on performance, self-efficacy influences:
a. the difficulty level of the goal chosen or accepted;
b. commitment to goals;
c. the response to negative feedback or failure; and
d. the choice of task strategies.
 Goal setting is most effective when there is feedback that shows progress in
relation to the goal.
 Goal setting mediates the effect of knowledge of past performance on
subsequent performance.
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 Goals affect performance by affecting the direction of action, the degree of
effort exerted, and the persistence of action over time.
 Goals stimulate planning in general. Often, the planning quality is higher
than that which occurs without goals. When people possess task or goal-
relevant plans as a result of experience or training, they activate them
automatically when confronted with a performance goal. Newly learned plans
or strategies are most likely to be utilized under the stimulus of a specific,
difficult goal.
 When people strive for goals on complex tasks, they are least effective in
discovering suitable task strategies if:
a. they have no prior experience or training on the task;
b. there is high pressure to perform well; and
c. there is high time pressure (to perform well immediately).
 Goals (including goal commitment), in combination with self-efficacy,
mediate or partially mediate the effects of several personality traits and
incentives on performance.
 Goal-setting and goal-related mechanisms can be trained and/or adopted in
the absence of training for the purpose of self-regulation.
 Goals serve as standards of self-satisfaction, with harder goals demanding
higher accomplishment in order to attain self-satisfaction than easy goals.
Goals can also be used to enhance task interest, reduce boredom and
promote goal clarity. When used to punish or intimidate people, however
goals increase stress and anxiety.
Exercises:
1. Self-efficacy Collage. Make a collage of your own perceived self-efficacy

using Dr. Albert Bandura’s four sources of influence for the development and
maintenance of self-efficacy.
2. Graphic Organizer. Make an artistic graphic organizer to differentiate fixed
mindset from growth mindset of Dr. Carol Dweck. Highlight the definition,
description, characteristics, examples of situations where each mindset are
developed and their advantages and disadvantages.
3. Goal Setting Plan. Make a goal setting plan (short term for one semester
only) based on what you learned from Locke’s goal setting theory.
4. Dream Board. Make your dream board, five years after college graduation.
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Topic 3: Taking charge of one’s Health

1. Explain the effects of stress to one’s health.
2. Examine cultural dimension of stress and coping.
3. Design a self-care plan.
NOTES:
3.1. Stressors and Responses
The American Institute of Stress (AIS) has distinguished different types of

stress and the human response to it.
Stress as the body’s nonspecific response to any demand, whether it is
caused by or results in pleasant or unpleasant stimuli. It is essential to differentiate
between the unpleasant or harmful variety of stress termed distress, which often
connotes disease, and eustress, which often connotes euphoria.
During both eustress and distress, the body undergoes virtually the same
nonspecific responses to the various positive or negative stimuli acting upon it.
However, eustress causes much less damage than distress. This demonstrates
conclusively that it is how an individual accepts stress that determines ultimately
whether the person can adapt successfully to change.
The general stress syndrome has three components:

1. The alarm stage – represents a mobilization of the body’s defensive forces. The
body is preparing for the “fight or flight” syndrome.
2. The stage of resistance – the body becomes adaptive to the challenge and event
begins to resist it. The length of this stage of resistance is dependent upon
the body’s innate and stored adaptation energy reserves and upon the
intensity of the stressor.
3. The exhaustion stage – the body dies because it has used up its resources of
adaptation energy. Thankfully, few people ever experience this last stage.
Stress diseases are maladies caused principally by errors in the body’s

general adaptation process. They will not occur when all the body’s regulatory
processes are properly checked and balanced. They will not develop when
adaptation is facilitated by improved perception and interpretation. The biggest
problems with derailing the general stress syndrome and causing disease is an
absolute excess, deficiency or disequilibrium in the amount of adaptive hormones.
The combination of reactions to stress is also known as the “fight-or-flight”
response because it evolved as a survival mechanism, enabling people and other
mammals to react quickly to life-threatening situations.
The stress response begins in the brain. When someone confronts an
oncoming car or other danger, the eyes or ears (or both) send the information to
the amygdala, an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing. The
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amygdala interprets the images and sounds. When it perceives danger, it instantly
sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus.
When someone experiences a stressful event, the amygdala, an area of the
brain that contributes to emotional processing, sends a distress signal to the
hypothalamus. This area of the brain functions like a command center,
communicating with the rest of the body through the nervous system so that the
person has the energy to fight or flee.
The hypothalamus is a bit like a command center. This area of the brain
communicates with the rest of the body through the autonomic nervous system,
which controls involuntary body functions like breathing, blood pressure, a
heartbeat, and the dilation or constriction of key blood vessels and small airways in
the lungs called bronchioles. The autonomic nervous system has two components,
sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The
sympathetic nervous system functions like a gas pedal in a car. The
parasympathetic nervous system acts like a brake. It promotes the ‘rest and digest”
response that calms the body down after the danger has passed.
After the amygdala sends a distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the
sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through the autonomic nerves to
adrenal glands. These glands respond by pumping the hormone epinephrine into
the bloodstream. As epinephrine circulates through the body, it brings on a
number of physiological changes. The heart beats faster than normal, pushing
blood to the muscles, heart and other vital organs. Pulse rate and blood pressure
go up. The person undergoing these changes also starts to breathe more rapidly.
Small airways in the lungs open wide. This way, the lungs can take in as much
oxygen as possible with each breath. Extra oxygen is sent to the brain, increasing
alertness. Sight, hearing and other sense become sharper.
Persistent epinephrine surges can damage blood vessels and arteries,
increasing blood pressure and raising risk of heart attacks or strokes. Elevated
cortisol levels create physiological changes that help to replenish the body’s energy
stores that are depleted during the stress response. But they inadvertently
contribute to the build-up of fat tissue and to weight gain.
Several techniques to counter chronic stress were presented in the same

article:
1. Relaxation response.
2. Physical activity. People can use exercise to stifle the buildup of stress in
several ways.
3. Social support. Confidants, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, relatives,
spouses and companions all provide a life-enhancing social net, and may
increase longevity.
3.2. Sources of coping and strength
The Cultural Dimension of Stress and Coping

Ben Kuo reviews studies on cultural dimensions of stress and coping. His
study, “Culture’s Consequences on Coping: Theories, Evidences and
Dimensionalities”.
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Kuo’s study identified and revealed compelling evidence for cultural
variations and specificities on coping based on theoretical and empirical findings
generated over the last two decades’ cultural coping research. Based on the broad
problem-versus-emotion-focused coping nomenclature, repeated studies have
pointed to the prevalence of ‘emotion-focused”, “indirect”, “passive”, or “covert”,
“internally target”, or “secondary control” coping among individuals of Asian
backgrounds.
However, the said syntheses need to be interpreted with caution in view of
several limitations. First, it should be noted that the way in which types of coping
were defined, categorized and measured varied quite significantly from study to
study. Second, the relationship between coping methods and coping outcomes is
not straightforward but is moderated by a constellation of contextual and personal
factors. Lastly, it should be recognized that an individual’s actual coping system
often comprises a complex and divers range of coping behaviors.
3.3. Stress and Filipinos: The social and cultural dimensions of

stress
Culture stress, sometimes known as culture shock, is very common when

relocating to a new culture and should be expected with all overseas travel. Culture
stress can take on many forms, the most common being depression, irritability and
homesickness. The degree to which you will suffer from culture stress will depend
on how long you are gone, how prepared you are for the effects of stress and how
open-minded you can remain throughout your study abroad experience. Culture
stress is not derived from any one specific event or problem, but is a symptom of
the psychological discomfort of encountering different lifestyles, methods of
organization, and value systems that may “threaten” the model you have lived with
all your life.
Sure, Filipinos are resilient, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that Filipinos
don’t feel stressed. Filipinos feel it all the time and we see it producing illnesses,
both physical and mental, both fleeting and serious, life-threatening ones.
Community action can help to make the stress more tolerable. Communities
should be urged to create their own safe spaces where people can seek some
refuge. Filipino-style, such spaces need not be totally quiet, but they do need to
give some sense of safety, of sanity in a mad world. Filipino-style, too, we need to
think of how these therapeutic spaces might work out as places where people can
engage in social activities, without becoming more agitated. Alternatives could be
offered: gardening, cross-stitching, bingo…anything that calms the mind. You don’t
need to be in the lotus position to meditate.
Ultimately, stress management is a matter of helping people to recognize
that the world, which seems so stressful, can also be a source of joy and pleasure,
fulfillment and renewal. The therapies being dangled around are really meant as
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appetizers, ways of inducing the depressed the person to garner enough strength
and courage to re-engage not just the world, but life itself.
3.4. Taking care of the Self: The need for self-care and compassion
Self-care Therapy
A positive way to counter stress is self-care therapy. Nancy Apperson of
Northern Illinois University has provided steps for self-care:
1. Stop, breathe, and tell yourself: “this is hard and I will get through this one step
at a time.
2. Acknowledge to yourself what you are feeling. All feelings are normal so accept
whatever you are feeling.
3. Find someone who listens and is accepting. You do not need advice. You need to
be heard.
4. Maintain your normal routine as much as possible.
5. Allow plenty of time for a task.
6. Take good care of yourself. Remember to:
a. Get enough rest and sleep.
b. Eat regularly and make healthy choices.
c. Know your limits and when you need to let go.
d. Identify or create a nurturing place in your home.
e. Practice relaxation or meditation.
f. Escape for a while through meditation, reading a book, watching a movie
or taking a short trip.
Self-compassion Therapy
Self-compassion is another way to counter stress.
“Self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves
when we suffer, fail or feel inadequate, rather than flagellating ourselves with self-
criticism. It recognizes that being imperfect and experiencing life difficulties is
inevitable, so we soothe and nurture ourselves when confronting our pain rather
than getting angry when life falls short of our ideals. We clearly acknowledge our
problems and shortcomings without judgment, so we can do what is necessary to
help ourselves.
Self-compassion Phrases
Neff provided self-compassion phrases when feeling stress or emotional,
pain, perhaps when you are caught in a traffic jam, arguing with a loved one or
feeling inadequate in some way. It is helpful to have a set of phrases memorized to
help you remember to be more compassionate to yourself in the moment. You can
take a deep breath, put your hand over your heart or gently hug yourself and
repeat the following phrases:
 This is a moment of suffering.
 Suffering is a part of life.
 May I be kind of myself.
 May I give myself the compassion I need.
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Less stress, Care More
We should be in control of the stress that confronts us every day. Otherwise,
when we are overwhelmed by stress, it can be detrimental to our health. We should
love and care for our self more each day.
Exercises:
1. Self-care Plan. Design your self-care plan for the whole school year.
2. Reflection Paper. Make a self-compassionate letter and make a reflection
paper about it.
3. Draw, Label and Explain your concept map on CARE/CARING.
References:
Company, Inc.
END OF FINALS MODULE
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COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Cagamutan Norte, Leganes, Iloilo - 5003

SUBJECT TITLE: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Knowing oneself is critical to being an effective team member as well as being

Topic 1: Ancient to Post-Modern Philosophy

At the end of this topic, the students are expected to:

He was the first philosopher who ever engaged in a systematic questioning

Rene Descartes, Father of Modern Philosophy, conceived that the human

1.5. John Locke

Locke holds that personal identity is a matter of psychological continuity.

1.6. David Hume

1.7. Immanuel Kant

Thinking of the “Self” as mere combination of impressions was problematic for

1.8. Sigmund Freud

1.9. Gilbert Ryle

1.10. Paul Churchland

1.11. Merleau-Ponty and Derrida

11.Merleau-Ponty and Derrida

Topic 2: Sociology and Anthropology

At the end of this topic, the students are expected to:

We ourselves play different roles, act in different ways depending on our

2.2. Mead and the Social World

Mead and Vygotsky

The concern then of this lesson is in understanding the vibrant relationship

2.4. The Self-embedded in Culture

Anthropology is the science of human beings. It is more on understanding the

Direction: Answer the following questions cogently but honestly.

1. What are the influences of family in your development as an individual?

At the end of this topic, the students are expected to:

3.1. The Self as a Cognitive Construction

❖ William James and the Me-Self;I-Self

❖ Global vs. Differentiated Models

❖ Real and Ideal Self

❖ Multiple vs. Unified Selves

❖ True vs. False Selves

The Healthy False Self

The Unhealthy False Self

3.2. The Self as Proactive and Agentic

Direction: Answer the following questions cogently but honestly.

Topic 4: The Self in Western and Oriental/Eastern Thought

At the end of this topic, the students are expected to:

4.1. Individualistic vs. Collective Self

4.2. The Social Construction of the Self in Western Thought

4.3. The Self as embedded in relationships and through Spiritual

• heart of compassion – leads to Jen

Direction: Create a representation, diagram or concept map of the SELF according to

END OF PRELIM MODULE

SUBJECT TITLE: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Topic 1: The Physical Self and Gendered Self

At the end of this topic, the students are expected to:

1.1. The self as impacted by the body

1.2. The impact of culture on body image and self-esteem: the

Self-esteem – it is defined as our own positive or negative perception or

Social comparison also entails what is called self-evaluation maintenance

The six pillars of self-esteem

1. The practice of living consciously.

2. The practice of self-acceptance.

4. The practice of self-assertiveness.

5. The practice of living purposely.

6. The practice of personal integrity.

1.4. Understanding the Human Sexual Response

The human sexual response to sexually arousing stimuli is a motivational

1.5. The basic biology of sexual behavior