GE2204

UNPACKING THE PHYSICAL, SEXUAL, AND MATERIAL SELF

A. THE PHYSICAL SELF

The physical self refers to the body in which we interface with our environment and fellow being. It is a tangible
aspect of the person that can be directly observed and examined.

The Self as Impacted by the Body

Body image refers to how a person perceives their own body; particularly how attractive they believe they are.
It's more than what we see in the mirror. It is the mental image, which is usually quite resistant to change, that
depicts not only details that are potentially available to the objective description by others (height, weight, hair
color, etc.), but also items that that person has learned about themselves, either through personal experiences
or by internalizing the judgment.

In the 1990s, body sociology established itself as a discipline. Bryan Turner coined the term "somatic society,"
which refers to the body's newfound importance in modern society. Turner defines the body as the site of
problematization and expression of personal and political issues. Turner contended that images of bodies had
become prevalent in society as a result of the use of human figures in the media, particularly advertising (Turner,
1984).

Concepts of Beauty
Beauty is the quality or set of qualities in a person or thing that delights the senses or exalts the mind or spirit:
loveliness. It is the property of something that gives someone pleasure for reasons other than mental
stimulation, personal gain, or the fulfillment of innate drives. A thing, an artistic representation, an action, or an
idea can all elicit pleasure. It is the property of something that gives pleasure to someone directly through the
intellect and without regard for any other considerations.

Self–Esteem
As our physical selves dictate how we conduct ourselves in the presence of others, they also dictate how we
will manage our self-esteem. Nonetheless, self-esteem is essential for forming positive and healthy relationships
with others.

Relationships of Body Image, Mental Health, and Self-Esteem

People from various cultures have altered their appearances to conform to cultural beauty standards, and
religious and/or social obligations. They modify and adorn their bodies as part of the intricate process of creating
and re-creating their personal and social identities to be accepted by society and to accept themselves. This
includes body painting, tattoos, jewelry, and other embellishments. Youth today are so concerned with their
physical appearance that they lack the confidence to face the day without makeup.
• Positive body image – accepting oneself the way you are, even if you do not fit what the media deems
“ideal.”
• Negative body image – feeling bad about the way one looks. Decreases self-esteem, becomes a target
of ridicule, can lead to maladaptive responses

Body Image Dissatisfaction refers to a person's negative perceptions and emotions regarding their body. It
can be affected by factors such as body shape and appearance, attitudes toward weight gain, and cultural
norms concerning the ideal body. There are connections between body image issues and psychological issues
(low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression). It can result in eating disorders and other maladaptive conduct.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a distinct mental disorder in which a person is preoccupied with an
imagined physical defect or a minor defect that others frequently fail to notice. People with this disorder see
themselves as "ugly," and they frequently avoid social situations or seek plastic surgery to improve their
appearance.

Eating Disorder
Illness that is characterized by irregular eating habits and severe distress or concern about body weight or
shape.

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• Anorexia Nervosa - Obsessive fear of gaining weight, refusal to maintain healthy body weight, and an
unrealistic body image perception They severely restrict their food intake and consider themselves
overweight even when they are underweight.
• Bulimia Nervosa - Characterized by binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as forced
vomiting, excessive exercise, or excessive use of laxatives or diuretics They may be concerned about
gaining weight and be dissatisfied with their body size and shape.
• Binge Eating Disorder - Loss of eating control regularly. Binge eating episodes are not followed by
compensatory behaviors such as purging, fasting, or excessive exercise. Many people with BED are
obese and at a higher risk of developing other conditions, such as cardiovascular disease.

B. SEXUAL SELF
As we learn to appreciate the beauty of our physical selves, we should also learn to appreciate the beauty of
our sexual selves. The sexual self refers to one's entire being as a sexual being, including both positive and
negative concepts and feelings. Sexual selfhood is defined as how a person perceives himself or herself as a
sexual being. Human sexuality is a culturally diverse topic. Understanding the human reproductive system,
erogenous zone, and human sexual behavior is required to fully appreciate the sexual self.

Definition of Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

Sex
• Sex is biological (male, female, and intersex)
• A person’s identity is based on their physical characteristics, genes, and hormones
o Men: Penis
o Women: Vagina
o Intersex: chromosomes and hormones of female but external genitals are like that of a male or
vice versa
• Also refers to sexual acts, such as having sex
• Primary and secondary sex characteristics
Gender
• Gender is the structure of social relations that centers on the reproductive arena, and the set of practices
that bring reproductive distinctions into social processes
• A term that refers to A term that refers to social or cultural distinctions associated with a given sex; it is
generally considered to be a socially constructed concept.
o Cisgender: Refers to a person whose gender reflects the sex assigned at birth.
o Gender Queer: Refers to a person who does not identify themselves as belonging to
conventional binary categories (male/female).
o Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression differs from
what is typically associated with the sex assigned at birth.
o Gender Neutral: A person whose qualities and characteristics differ from those which are
traditionally associated with a man or a woman.
o Androgynous: A person whose qualities and characteristics are a combination of those
traditionally associated with a man and a woman
Sexuality
• Your sexuality is about whom you are attracted to sexually and romantically
• Human sexuality refers to people’s sexual interest in and attraction to others, as well as their capacity
to have erotic experiences and responses.
o Straight/Heterosexual: Attracted mostly to people of the opposite sex or gender.
o Gay/Homosexual: Attracted mostly to people of the same sex or gender (refers to guys and
often to girls, too).
o Lesbian: Attracted mostly to people of the same sex or gender (refers to women).
o Bisexual: Attracted to both men and women.
o Asexual: May not be interested in sex, but they still feel emotionally close to other people
o Pansexual: romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction to people regardless of their gender

Human Reproductive System

Sexual behavior is complex and complicated; thus, it is not at all different from other species (Feldman, 2010).

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Men's sexual behavior can occur at any time as a result of being aroused by particular stimuli. At puberty, the
testes begin to secrete androgen (male sex hormones), which causes secondary sex characteristics such as
the growth of body hair and a change in voice tone.

In puberty, when the ovaries begin to produce estrogen and progesterone, female sexual behavior begins
(female sex hormones). This stage of female puberty occurs cyclically and results in changes.

The reproductive system is an organ that reproduces and gives birth to offspring. To produce a new life form,
the union of the male and female reproductive systems is required. Assuming all organs are present, the human
reproductive system begins with the release of egg cells from the female reproductive organ, followed by the
fertilization of sperm cells, conception, childbirth, and the return of the female physical body to its original state.

Erogenous Zones
• Erogenous Zones are described as parts of the body that are chiefly sensitive and cause increased
sexual arousal when touched sexually.
• Mouth, breasts (nipple and areola as well as the lateral breast tissue), reproductive organs, and the
anus
• It has been mentioned that the level of erotic sensitivity of a particular body part is largely dependent
on the number of nerve endings that are in that region. (University of California, 2017)
• The genital regions of the male and female body undergo a process known as vasocongestion, which
increases the amount of blood that flows to these regions, making them highly sensitive when aroused.
• These sensations are hard-wired part of the human nervous system that responds to stimulation, even
when the contact is unwanted or forced
Sexual Desires
• Originate from the brain. It is likewise responsible for the regulation of sexual behavior.
• Some individuals become sexually aroused by creating or fantasizing about ng erotic images.
• Culture also influences the expression of sexual desire. Norms continue to shape sexual activity along
with socially acceptable behavior.

Understanding Basic Sexual Behavior Human

Human sexual behavior is defined as any activity–solidarity, between two persons, or in a group–that induces
sexual arousal.

Human Sexual Response

A biochemical and physiological response/reaction to sexual stimulation occurs in men and women after
puberty.

Masters and Johnson (1966) categorized the human erotic response into four stages which they called the
Human Sexual Response Cycle (HSRC).
• Excitement: This is the body’s initial physical response to sexual arousal. It is caused by an increase
in pulse and blood pressure; a sudden rise in blood supply to the surface of the body resulting in
increased skin temperature, flushing, and swelling of all distensible body parts particularly noticeable in
the male and female reproductive system, rapid breathing, secretion of genital fluids, vaginal expansion,
and a general increase in muscle tension.
• Plateau: This is the period of sexual excitement before orgasm. It is characterized by the intensification
of the changes that begin during the excitement phase. It is generally of brief duration. If the stimulation
is continued, an orgasm usually occurs.
• Orgasm: This is characterized by a wave of intense pleasure (climax), often associated with vaginal
contractions in females and ejaculation in males. It is a feeling of abrupt, intense pleasure, and rapid
increase in pulse rate, blood pressure, and spasms of the pelvic muscles causing contractions of the
female reproductive organ and ejaculation by the male that last only for a few seconds normally not
over ten.
• Resolution: In this phase, the body returns to its non-excited state. It refers to the return to a normal
or subnormal physiological state. Whereas males return to normal even if stimulation continues, but

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continued stimulations can produce additional orgasms in females. Females are physically capable of
repeated orgasms without the intervening “rest period” required by males.

C. MATERIAL SELF
The material self, according to William James, refers to "mine"-labeled objects, locations, or even people.
Individuals view these items as extensions of their identities. For example, your wardrobe reflects certain
aspects of your personality, and you refer to it as "my wardrobe."

Specifically, James identified the different aspects of the material self:

1. Body is the innermost part of the material self. You are directly attached to this commodity that you
cannot live without. You strive hard to make sure that this body functions well. An example is Mariah
Carey, she was reported to have placed a huge amount for the insurance of his vocal cords and legs.
2. Clothes are next to the body which was influenced by the “philosophy of dress” by Herman Lotze.
William James believed that an essential part of the material self is clothing. Lotze stipulated in his book
that any time you bring an abject into the surface of your body, you invest that object into any
consciousness of your existence taking in its contours to be your own and making it part of the self.
3. Immediate Family is the third in the hierarchy. Your parents and siblings hold another great important
part of yourself. What they do or became affects you. When an immediate family member dies, part of
you dies, too. When their lives are in success, you feel their victories as if you are the one holding the
bacon. In their failures, you are put to chance or guilt. When they are disadvantaged situation, there is
an urgent urge to help like a voluntary instinct of saving oneself from danger.
4. Home is the fourth component of the material self. Home is where your heart is. It is the earliest nest of
your selfhood. Your experience inside the home was recorded and marked on particular parts and
things in your home. There was an old cliché about rooms: “if only walls can speak”. The home thus is
an extension of self, because, in it, you can directly connect yourself.

The Self in a Material World

• Material possessions signify some aspects of one’s sense of self and identity.
• Parents buy necessities for their family because it is symbolic of their need to provide security.
• The possession of material things also indicates one’s status in society.

We are what we have Russel Belk (1988) posits that “… we regard our possessions as part of our selves. 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 between 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.

The Nature of Materialism

Materialism purports that all that is found in the universe is matter which is the substance of nature. It suggests
therefore that material possession is all that matters most. Success, happiness, and the essence of individual
existence are gauged by the material prosperity that one has gained in a lifetime.

The Concept of Self-Gift

The Self is the primary object of one’s journey through life. It is interesting enough to know that one desires to
work for personal consumption and gratification. However, the act and behavior of collecting goods and
providing gifts to the self are considered materialism. This is a way to communicate with the self as influenced
by one’s culture and immediate environment. Three factors determine that self-gifts are revelations of an
individual’s materialism:
1. Materialism is frequently linked to self-centeredness. Frequently, the individual would prefer to be
apathetic toward others and separate from the majority. Imminent is the desire for solitude and isolation.
In addition, the desire to be narcissistic while being callous toward others is evident. Self-centeredness
entails prioritizing oneself while manifesting a lack of compassion for the plight of others.
2. Materialists define success as the accumulation of wealth and property. They usually define themselves
through their possessions. They have a clear proclivity to define success in terms of the quantity and
quality of one's acquired wealth.

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3. Materialists believe that happiness is determined by the relationship between purchasing and
consumption. Among materialists, self-gifting can be a source of intense happiness. It gives them a lot
of good feelings. Gifts elicit strong, positive emotions. As therapy for the materialist, self-gift prevents
negative emotions such as depression, emptiness, and sadness.

FUNCTIONS OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS

• Instrumental Functions relate to the functional properties of a product. For example, a person bought
a van for family and business use.
• Social Symbolic Functions signify personal qualities, social standing, group affiliation, and gender
role. For instance, buying an iPhone instead of Samsung, Oppo, Huawei, Vivo, or Cherry mobile
phones.
• Categorical Functions refer to the extent to which material possessions may be used to communicate
group membership and status. An example is buying or renting a condo unit in Makati City.
• Self-expressive Functions reflect a person’s unique qualities, values, or attitudes. Some people may
represent themselves by collecting objects with the Hello Kitty brand. Others may express their favorite
color through the color of their clothes, accessories, shoes, etc.

References:
Alata, E. J., Cabrera, R., Pawilen, R. (2021). Understanding the self. Rex Bookstore.
Alata, E. J., Casib, B., Serafica, J. P., Pawilen, R. (2018). Understanding the self (A course module). Rex
Bookstore.
Banaag, L. & Cruz, M. (2016). Socio-Anthro: An Integrated and Interdisciplinary Approach to the Study of
Society, Culture and Politics. Mandaluyong: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.
Bataraet. al., (2018). Understanding the Self: The Journey towards a Holistic Me. Verbum Books
Cruz, B. (2018). Understanding the self. Sto. Nino, Paranaque City. JTCA Publishing.
Paleanet. al. (2018). Introspection: Understanding the self. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.

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