LESSON 5.

A
The Physical Self

I. Lesson objectives:

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to be able to:

A. discuss the role of media and culture on the adolescent’s understanding of beauty and self
esteem and its influence on their body image satisfaction;
B. discuss different views on beauty and reflect on the true essence of beauty; and

II. Starting AccUrAtely (Introduction)

Physical appearance is among the major concerns of people today especially in our world which
is heavily influenced by media (Villafuerte, et al., 2018). According to Ervin Goffman (1971) as cited by
Villafuerte, et al. (2018, p. 67), “people are concerned with the way others perceive them, and such
concern serves as a motivation to manage their behavior in order to present favorable and appropriate
images to others. Such self-presentation includes not only the individual’s social behaviors but also
his/her physical body.” So, most people nowadays are conscious with their physical appearance that
they are busier with making themselves prettier, sexier, and more handsome with the aim of making
themselves more acceptable. Although some may be contented of how they look and how they are,
others go for transformation of one’s physical characteristics by exerting much effort and money just to
improve their bodies.
In this lesson, we will explore and learn the concept of physical self and this will require us to also
learn and understand what sexual self is.

III. StimUlating LeArning (Motivation)

For you, what is beauty? How do you define beauty?

IV. IncUlcAting Concepts (Inputs/Lesson Proper)

Generally, people judge a person based on his or her physical appearance. The manner of
dressing, behaving and even the body gestures are some of the things that caught one’s attention and
eventually formulate impression of the person. Let us dig deeper and learn on the importance of
understanding our physical aspect and what we can do to help form a balanced view of ourselves and
our identity.
A. The Physical Self

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 The physical self is considered as an important component in the study of the person’s self and
identity. It is defined as the concrete or tangible aspect or dimension of the person which is primarily
observed and examined through the body (Villafuerte, et al., 2018).
According to William James, a renowned psychologist and a pioneer of American Sociology, “the
self is the sum total of all that man call his, which includes his body, family and reputation, also his
clothes and his house”. Such body, family, clothes, and the like are also described by Russell W. Belk as
part of our Extended Self (will be discussed in the topic, Digital Self). Furthermore, William James stated
that “the body is the initial source of sensation and necessary for the origin and maintenance of
personality” (Villafuerte, et al., 2018, p. 67).

1. THE IMPACT OF THE BODY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SELF

PROPONENT IDEAS
William James The body is the initial source of sensation and
necessary for the origin and maintenance of
personality.
Erik Erickson Experience is anchored in the ground-plan of
the body.
Sigmund Freud The physical body is the core of human
experience.
Maurice Merleau-Ponty The body is at the center of human existence,
as a way of experiencing the world.

According to Villafuerte, et al. (2018, p. 67), the ideas of the proponents presented in the matrix
above explain to us the fact that;

 the body is the way through which we make sense of the world and our environment. We
experience life through our bodies and senses (sight, smell, touch, etc.) allowing us to
interpret the world around us.
 the body is not merely an object in the world but we are also our bodies in that the body is
the vehicle of our expression in the world.
 the body is the sight for the articulation of all our identifications of gender, class, sexuality,
race, ethnicity and religion.
Furthermore, the human body is endowed with varied forms of social significance which
Sociology has addressed by asking questions like:
 To what extent do individuals have control over their own bodies?
 How significant is the body to the development and performance of the self in everyday
life?
 What images of the body influence people’s expectations of themselves and others?”

2. WHAT IS BEAUTY?
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 Based on your observation, what are the common standards of society today for beauty?
More often, being beautiful is equated with being well-dressed, elegant, good-looking and
attractive! These are some of the words that we commonly associate with beauty. These have become
“the determining factors” that shape the societal concept of beauty (Kenny & Nichols, 2014). Hence,
adults and children who look good are more treated kindly by others in the society.
So, what is the ideal body and who determines it? First, let us take a look at the existing societal
standards that define what beauty is.
WOMEN MEN
Wavy, blond hair Muscular wash-board abs
Light skin Powerful legs
Big eyes Chiseled features
Tall and slender frame
Pointed nose
Large breasts
Well-formed biceps
Tiny waists
Round yet toned posterior (butt)

The matrix above manifests the weightier pressures placed on women when it comes to making
the physical aspect beautiful and attractive (Yi, 2015). Furthermore, the leaning of the above
expectations presenting the image of a beautiful woman and a handsome man is more influenced by the
western thought (Poorani, 2012). There is that conformity to the “socially constructed notion” of the
Western standards of beauty (Yi, 2015, p. 48).
Commonly, media use the same theme because it is found to be more appealing to many
especially the masses. Hence, through media, being beautiful means being sexy! So commonly, you will
see in numerous advertisements the images of scantily-clad men and women. In turn, it is not surprising
to see our ladies both young and old showing off their bodies and at the expense of health and modesty,
sacrifice wearing outfit approved by fashion designers and trendsetters as what will make a woman
beautiful and fashionable.

3. BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM

Body image and self-esteem are impacted by culture. Specifically, the predominance of pop
culture or popular culture also influences how teens define themselves. In this concept, body image
refers to the person’s perception of the level of attractiveness of his or her body. It can be somebody’s
own impression of how his or her body looks. It may also be our sense of how other people view our
bodies. Body image can be seen as both internal (personal) and external (social). One’s perception of
his or her body elicits either pleasant or unpleasant feelings. Body image lies at the heart of an
adolescent like you. It is the mental representation of your own body, which is a very important aspect of
identity.
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 Along with the concept of body image is the concept of beauty. Beauty is of two types:

INNER BEAUTY EXTERNAL BEAUTY

- Refers to the inner qualities of the person.
- Focuses on the development of the person’s
character.
- Refers to the physical characteristics of the
person.
- Focuses on the physical features of the body.

To overcome adverse effects on the issues of self-esteem, here are our best insights on how to
strike a balance between accurate self-knowledge for who you are. You need to develop a positive body
image which involves:
a. understanding that healthy, attractive bodies come in many shapes and sizes;
b. physical appearance says very little about our character or value as a person; and
c. how we get to this point of acceptance often depends on our individual development and self-
acceptance.
We will have a positive body image when we have a realistic perception of our bodies,
when we enjoy, accept and celebrate who or what and how we are, and let go of negative societal
or media perpetuated conditioning.

LESSON 5.B
The Sexual Self

I. Lesson objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to be able to:

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 1. explain and characterize the diversity of human sexual behavior; and
2. discuss chemistry of lust, love, and attachment

II. Starting AccUrAtely (Introduction)

Genetics tells us that our chromosomes dictate who and what we are—our sex chromosomes
dictate our sex, both primary and secondary characteristics. Psychology, on the other hand,
acknowledges the important influence that our environment has on how we see ourselves and express
our sexuality. On a more neutral tone, it is believed that both our genetic endowments and the
experiences that we have help shape our sexuality. Since birth, we were assigned to a sex that also
defined our roles and the society’s expectations of us. But, as we grow into a more experienced and
matured individuals, we will come to realize that task of deciding for and shaping our sense of sexuality
is in our hands. This lesson will help you to understand yourself better through a discussion concerning
your gender, sexual characteristics and behaviors.

III. StimUlating LeArning (Motivation)

How do you see yourself? How do you feel about yourself? How do you feel about others? Do you
understand what you feel and why you feel such? How would you answer these questions that pertain to
how you perceive yourself in terms of your sexuality, gender, and sexual orientations?

IV. IncUlcAting Concepts (Inputs/Lesson Proper)

DIVERSITY OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

Gone were the days that we only associate people as being male or female. With the advent of
contemporary perspectives on sexuality and gender, a more specified spectrum representing various
classifications and expressions of sex and gender provided a venue for people to choose and a brand
new sense of freedom. Masculinity and femininity, nowadays, became a fluid [indefinite] concept shared

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by gender identities in both and neither sides of the sexual binary. Can you specify your sense of
sexuality? To help you do that, here’s a list of terms you should understand:

 Sexuality refers to a human’s capacity for sexual feelings and includes sexual orientation, sexual
identity, social gender roles and sexual activity. Sexuality is an integral part of all persons, a basic
need, and an aspect of being human. Sexuality includes eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and
reproduction.
 Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given
society considers appropriate for men and women. To put it another way: ’Male’ and ‘female’ are sex
categories, while ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ are gender categories (PAHO, 2009).
 Gender identity: A person’s private sense of being male, female or another gender. This may or
may not match the biological sex a person was assigned at birth.

LGBTI: An abbreviation referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. “LGB”
are sexual orientations, while “T” is a gender identity and “I” is a biological variant. They are clustered
together in one abbreviation due to similarities in experiences of marginalisation, exclusion,
discrimination and victimisation in a heteronormative and heterosexist society, in an effort to ensure
equality before the law and equal protection by the law (PsySSA Position Statement, 2013).

Lesbian: A woman who has sexual, romantic and intimate feelings for or a love relationship with
another woman (or women).

Gay: A man who has sexual, romantic and intimate feelings for or a love relationship with
another man (or men).

Transgender: A term for people who have a gender identity, and often a gender expression, that
is different to the sex they were assigned at birth by default of their primary sexual characteristics.

Intersex: A term referring to a variety of conditions (genetic, physiological or anatomical) in which

a person’s sexual and/or reproductive features and organs do not conform to dominant and typical
definitions of ‘female’ or ‘male’.

Queer: An inclusive term that refers not only to lesbian and gay persons, but also to any person
who feels marginalized because of her or his sexual practices, or who resists the heteronormative
sex/gender/sexual identity system.

 Biological sex is defined by primary and secondary sexual characteristics identified at birth. ‘Sex’
refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women. It is generally
understood as a biological construct, referring to the genetic, hormonal, anatomical, and

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 physiological characteristics of males or females. Sex is typically assigned at birth based on the
appearance of the external genitalia.
 Sexual orientation is primarily about attraction and is demarcated mostly by the sex of those to
whom one is attracted. The focus of sexual orientation is the biological sex of a person’s actual or
potential relationship partners– and this can be people of the same sex as the individual, of the other
sex, or of either sex (Diamond, 2014; Feinstein et al., 2014; Seto, 2012). This attraction can be felt as
a romantic, emotional, affectionate or sexual attraction, as well as some combination of these.
Asexual: A person who has low or no sexual desire, little or no sexual behaviour, and a
concomitant lack of subjective distress. Identifying as asexual does not preclude the ability of the
person to have a romantic or love relationship with someone of the same and/ or different
genders.
Bisexual: A person who is capable of having sexual, romantic and intimate feelings for or a love
relationship with someone of the same gender and/or with someone of other genders.
Heterosexual: Having sexual, romantic and intimate feelings for or a love relationship with a
person or persons of a gender other than your own.
Homosexual: Having sexual, romantic and intimate feelings for or a love relationship with a
person or persons of your own gender.
Pansexual: Having sexual, romantic, and intimate feelings for all gender identities in the
spectrum.

Sexual orientation has a number of different dimensions (Vrangalova and Savin-Williams 2014). It
has implications for identity formation and how people come to see themselves in social contexts
(Victoret al., 2014). Dimensions of sexual orientation include:

1. Attraction (or desire), where sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of experiencing sexual or
romantic feelings for men, women, transgender persons, or some combination of these groups.
2. Behaviour, where sexual orientation refers to an enduring pattern of sexual or romantic activity
with men, women, transgender persons, or some combination of these groups.
3. Personal identity where sexual orientation is claimed as a personal identity, or a conception of
the self, based on one’s deep pattern of sexual and romantic attractions and behaviours toward
men, women, or both sexes.
4. Social (or collective) identity, where sexual orientation can be felt and expressed as a sense of
membership in a social group based on a shared sexual orientation and a linkage of one’s self-
esteem to that group.

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  Sexual behaviour refers to participation in sexual acts that might or might not be related to sexual
orientation or be normative for a particular gender. People, for instance, in same-sex physical
locations, like mine compounds (a single-sex hostel for migrant mine workers), might participate in a
same-sex sexual act, but may not consider this having any impact on their heterosexual orientation.
Sexual behaviour is distinguished from sexual orientation because the former refers to acts, while the
latter refers to feelings and self-concept. People may or may not express their sexual orientation in
their behaviour.

Having read the different terms and concepts concerning your sexuality, have you recognized what
fits to your understanding of your own gender identity and behaviors? Take note that it is not just about
one’s identity, it must be recognized that sexual orientation and behaviour matters in one’s choice and
expression of sexuality. Take for example the case of Enzo and Mike. Analyze how they differ from each
other.

Enzo Mike
Sex Gender Sexual Sexual Sex Gender Sexual Sexual behavior
Identity Orientation behavior Identity Orientation
(Description)
Does not Likes both shares Born Calls Married to a Consummates
Born
want to be men and sexual with a himself woman; likes marriage with wife;
with a
identified as women activities penis a man women had a history of
penis
either with same-sex sexual
girl/woman men activities during his
or boy/man teenage years
(Classification)
QUEER BISEXUAL MALE MAN HETEROSEXUAL
MALE

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V. Using/Applying Knowledge (Application/Integration)

A. Activity 1 (Physical Self)

For you, what is beauty? How do you define beauty?
Instruction: Choose a picture that best describes your own definition of what beauty is. Then, paste
that picture on a short-sized bond paper. Explain why you have chosen that to describe your own
definition of beauty. Write your explanation underneath the picture (30 points).

B. Activity 2 (Sexual Self)

Instruction: Make a table like the one below in a short-sized bond paper. Then fill it in with the description of
your own sexuality (THIS WILL BE CONFIDENTIAL). You can look up to the matrix found on page 8 for an
example in doing the activity.
Sex Gender Identity Sexual Sexual behavior
Orientation

Description

Classification

C. Activity 3 (Political and Digital Self)

Instruction: Based on what you have learned, describe your Political Self and Digital Self. What is/are
the role/s of the family, school, church, peer groups and media in the development of your “self”? In
your observation, how does creating your online identity impact the development of your “self”? Write
down your thoughts in no less than 150 words. Write your answer in a short-sized bond paper
(handwritten or encoded).

REFERENCES:

Alata, E., Caslib, B., Serafica, J. & Pawilen, R,A. (2018). Understanding the self (1st edition).
Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.

Dourado CS, Fustinoni SM, Schirmer J, Brandão-Souza C. Body, culture and meaning. J Hum
Growth Dev. 2018; 28(2):206-212. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7322/jhgd.1472400006

Eichberg, Henning. (2009). Body Culture. Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research. 46.
10.2478/v10141-009--0.

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 Hancock, Philip & Hughes, Bill & Jagger, Elizabeth & Paterson, Kevin & Russell, Rachel & Tulle,
Emmanuelle & Tyler, Melissa. (2000). The body, culture and society: An introduction.

A.Poorani. (2012). Who determines the ideal body? A summary of research. New Media and Mass
Communication, Vol 2.
Villafuerte, S., Quillope, A., Tunac, R., & Borja, E. (2018). Understanding the self. Quezon City:
Nieme Publishing House Co.

Sartwell, Crispin, "Beauty", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2017 Edition), Edward

N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2017/entries/beauty/>.

Delle Donne, V. (2010). How Can We Explain Beauty? A Psychological Answer to a

Philosophical Question.Proceedings of the European Society for Aesthetics, 2
.
Kenny, E., & Nichols, E. G. (2014). Beauty around the world (A Cultural Encyclopedia on by Margo
De Mello).
Kostov, B. (2013). On beauty and the beautiful in Aesthetic Education. International Journal of
Cognitive Research in science, engineering and education, 1(1).
Poorani, A. (2012). Who determines the ideal body? A Summary of Research Findings on Body
Image. New Media and Mass Communication, 2, 1-12.
Ricciardelli, L.A., McCabe, M.P. Self-Esteem and Negative Affect as Moderators of Sociocultural
Influences on Body Dissatisfaction, Strategies to Decrease Weight, and Strategies to Increase
Muscles Among Adolescent Boys and Girls. Sex Roles 44, 189–207 (2001).
https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010955120359

McCabe, M. P., & Ricciardelli, L. A. (2003). Sociocultural influences on body image and body changes
among adolescent boys and girls. The Journal of social psychology, 143(1), 5–26.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00224540309598428

Greenfield, Savannah, "When Beauty is the Beast: The Effects of Beauty Propaganda on Female
Consumers" (2018). Theses/ Capstones/Creative Projects. 20.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/university_honors_program/20

APPENDIX
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUTS IN LESSONS 5.A. 5.B

NUMBER TITLE INSTRUCTION/S POINTS

Activity 1, What is Beauty? Picture and explanation, 30 points
Lesson 5.A short-sized bond paper

Activity 2, Sexual Self Table, short–sized bond 30 points

Lesson 5.B paper

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