THE MATERIAL/ - Breathing, food, water, sex, sleep,
ECONOMIC SELF
Why do we buy?
 Hypothalamus: I need That! (needs)
 Amygdala: I want that! (wants)
Prefrontal Cortex
- Judgment and decision making
Limbic System:
o Hypothalamus
- Regulates body temperature, circadian
rhythms, and hunger, helps govern the
endocrine
system.
o Pituitary Gland
- Secretes many different hormones, some
of which affect other glands.
o Amygdala
- Two lima-bean-sized cluster of neurons,
involved in men.
- Consolidation and emotion.
o Hippocampus
- Central to learning and memory
Thomas Veblen (1899)
- “conspicuous consumption, along with
conspicuous leisure, is performed to
demonstrate wealth or mark social status.”
Abraham Maslow: Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs
- (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970)
- Was a psychologist who studied positive
human qualities and lives of exemplary
people.
1954 – he created the Hierarchy of Needs
and expressed his theories in his book.
“Motivation and Personality)
Physiological
homeostasis, excretion
Safety
- Security of body, of employment, of
resources, of morality, of the family, of
health, or property
Love/Belonging
- Friendship, family, sexual intimacy
Esteem
- Self-esteem, confidence, achievements,
respect of other, respect by others
Self-actualization
- Morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem
solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of
facts.
Self-Actualization
- A person’s motivation to reach his or her
full potential. As shown in Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs, a person’s basic
needs must be met before self-
actualization can be achieved.
Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov)
- We may be conditioned to buy by
advertisements, sales, and other promos
Operant Conditioning ( BF Skinners)
- We may be conditioned to buy things we
found effective or rewarding
Motivation
- Our motivation to buy may be:
Extrinsic
- For external gains such as fame,
popularity)
Intrinsic
- For internal gains such as fulfilment or
satisfaction
Belk (1988)
- What do our possessions mean?
o A key to understanding what possessions
mean is recognizing that, knowingly or
unknowingly, intentionally or
unintentionally, we regard our possessions
as part of ourselves
The Self and our Possessions
- Treating our possessions as extensions of
ourselves is not a new phenomenon
- Defining ourselves by our possessions
can contribute to feelings of well-being as
well as feelings of emptiness and
vulnerability
- Overreliance on possessions for self-
definition may be manifested in how we
shop, how we care for the things we
acquire, and the degree to which we cling
to our possessions rather than discard
them
Materialism
- Has been defined as “the importance a
consumer attaches to wordily possessions
- At the highest level of materialism, such
possessions assume a central place in a
person’s life and are believed to provide
the greatest sources of satisfaction
- To the highly materialistic person,
purchases of consumer goods offer the
potential for magical transformation of
self
Possessions as Part of Self
- The particular possessions we see as
most a part of ourselves show a close
relationship to the objects we see as most
magical, and include perfume, jewelry,
clothing, foods, homes, vehicles, pets,
religious icons, drugs, gifts, heirlooms,
antiques, photographs, souvenirs, and
collections
- Such objects act as reminders and
conformers of our identity, and that this
identity may often reside more in these
objects than it does in the individual
- Where men tend to value possessions for
self-focused and instrumental reasons,
women tend to emphasize expressive and
other-oriented reasons for feelings
attachment to possessions
- Possessions are reminders of our past,
present, and future emphasis on material
possessions tends to this decrease with
age, but remains high throughout life
- Possessions are not only regarded as a
part of self, they may also be instrumental
to the “development” of our sense of self
- We make things as part of self by
creating or altering them
- “Psychic energy” - directed our labor,
time, and attention
- Purchasing objects - offers another
means for investing self (in this case more
symbolically) in possessions
- Objects in our possessions can literally
extend self
- Possessions can also symbolically
extend self
Mastery of possessions and human
development
- Emphasis on material possessions tends
to decrease with age, but remains high
throughout life
- Our accumulation of possessions
provides a sense of past and tells us who
we are, where we have come from, and
perhaps where we are going
- Seek identity through acquiring and
accommodating selected consumption
objects
Study of 8-30 years old
- Favorite possessions those that either
reflect skills in use or that the possessor
can manipulate or control
Preretirement Adulthood
- Defining self through what one has
40-50 years old
- Social power and status as reasons to
own personal possessions
Grandparent
- Photographs athletic trophies mementos
Ways to extend self beyond death
1. Through one's children
2. Through belief in a life after death
3. Through one’s work
4. Through identification with nature
(which will continue)
5. Through experiential transcendence
6. to have one’s possessions (especially
those in collections one has created) live
on through heirs and museums I shop,
therefore I am!
THE SPIRITUAL SELF
Why do we need to understand our
spiritual self?
- Philosophy started the moment humans
started to wonder (with just about
anything)
- Humans have pondered on questions like
“Why do we die? Why do bad things
happen to good people? Do we really have
free will? Is the future determined? Does
God exist?”
- As a college student, it is vital that you
develop a healthy sense of wonder.
Part of this curiosity should be about:
o Range of human beliefs
o Understanding belief systems that may not
be the same as yours
Religion vs Spiritual
Similarity Difference
Paths to God - Approaches
Religion
o Definition - A personal set of
institutionalized system of religious
attitudes, beliefs, and practices
o Person- Someone who believed in a God
or group of gods and consciously adheres
to the beliefs of his/her religion
o Approach -Fear. Emphasis on scene, guilt,
and the concept of punishing God
o Beliefs - God is high up in the heavens,
separate being from humans
o Paths -Only way to salvation is in their
religion and not with others
o
Spiritual
o Definition - Relating to or affecting the
human spirit or soul as opposed to
material or physical
o Person - Someone who places little
importance or beliefs and traditions and is
more concerned with the growing and
experiencing divine
o Approach - Path of love. Path with no
condemnation and judgment, but where
there is mercy and acceptance
o Beliefs - God is omnipresent, omniscient,
and omnipotent
o Paths - All faiths are valid embraces all
the world's religions, but at the same time
not constrained by any other religious
dogmas or forms
Sociologists - Noted 4 dimensions that
seem to be present in varying forms and
intensities in all types of religions
(Dawson and Thiessen, 2014) These are:
 Beliefs
 Rituals
 Spiritual experience
 Unique social forms of community

The practice of Religion Spirituality

Why are people attracted to religion? Why is spirituality important?

Steven Reiss (1990) - Spirituality practices are associated with

better health and well-being
- Religion attracts so many followers
because it satisfies all 16 basic desires that - Sense of meaningless and lack of
human share purpose in life can be significant factors in
causing anxiety, depression, and phobias
(The 16 Striving Gods, 2016) These are:
- Spiritual fellowship can be a source of
 Acceptance social support that may provide sense of
 Curiosity belonging,security, and community
 Eating
 Family Contemplating Practice
 Honor - A method to develop concentration,
 Idealism deepen understanding and insight, and
 Independence cultivate awareness and compassion.
 Order
 Physical activity Examples of Contemplating Practice
 Power
1. Meditation
 Romance
 Saving - Mental exercise for the purpose of
 Social contact reaching a heightened level of spiritual of
 Status awareness. It can induce feelings of calm
 Tranquility and clear-headedness as well as improve
 Vengeance concentration and attention

Steven Reiss - Claimed that we all share 2. Prayer

the same 16 goals, but what makes us
different is how we value each one.
- Added that all religious beliefs are
designed to meet these 16 desires
The Four Dimension of Religion
- A spiritual communication with God (or
an object of worship) as in supplication,
Thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.
Prayer may elicit a relaxation response,
along with feelings of hope, gratitude, and
compassion – all which has a positive
effect an overall wellbeing
3. Yoga
- A Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline.
In Hindu theistic philosophy, it teaches
the suppression of all mind and body
activity so that the self may realize its
distinctions from material world and attain
liberation
4. Journaling
- Is another (but often overlooked)
contemplating practice that can help you
become more aware of your inner life and
feel more connected to your experience in
the world around you
Gary Thomas [Sacred Pathways] “nine
sacred paths to connect with God”
1. Loving God Out of Doors. (Naturalists)
o You feel closer to God when surrounded
by the beauty of nature; the sunrise in a
beautiful mountain, the sun set by the sea,
flowers in the garden, the birds, the trees,
and butterflies. You see him in the things
he made and worship him in the cathedral
of his creation. Some Spiritual practice:
Prayer Walk, Practicing the Presence,
Unplugging
2. Loving God with the Senses. (Sensates)
o You love to worship God in ways that
you engage your senses of sight, smell,
sound. Beautiful sanctuaries, scented
candles, gentle touch of a nun, incense,
Christian art, and religious and
instrumental music are appealing to you.
Some spiritual practice: Celebration,
Praying in Color, Holy Communion
3. Loving God Through Ritual and
Symbol. (Traditionalists)
o You may be drawn to the book of
common prayer, liturgy, and observance
of the church calendar, the sacraments, the
ancient songs, and creeds of the church.
Some spiritual practice: Liturgical Prayer,
Habit of Prayer-fixed hour, Fasting
4. Loving God in Solitude and Simplicity.
(Ascetics)
o You love to be left alone to pray and
tend to live a simplified and quiet life free
of distractions that would hinder your
worship of God. Some spiritual Practice:
Silence, Solitude, Simplicity
5. Loving God Through Confrontation.
(Activists)
o You are spiritually nourished by fighting
for the right. You gravitate towards social
or evangelical causes, drawing near to
God through such thing as prayer walks,
food
pantries, crisis pregnancy centers,
marches, etc. Some spiritual practice:
Justice, Walking Prayer, Intercessory
Prayer
6. Loving God by Loving Others.
(Caregivers)
o You serve Christ by serving others. And
preparing meals, counseling, volunteering
at shelter, tending the sick, or opening
your home, you feel closest to God. Some
spiritual Practice: Service, Hospitality,
Mentoring
7. Loving God Through Mystery and
Celebration. (Enthusiasts)
o Thomas calls you a “cheerleader of
God”. You love to just follow the spirit's
leading,
celebrate God's mysterious ways, and
exude gladness and wonder. Some
spiritual practice: Celebration,
Conservational Prayer, Worship
8. Loving God Through Adoration.
(Contemplatives)
o Seeks to perform the first work of
adoring God. Some spiritual practice:
Breath Prayer, Centering Prayer, Solitude
9. Loving God with the Mind.
(Intellectual)
o Feel that to be growing in Christ they
need to have their mind stimulated with
scriptures and other reading materials and
intellectual pursuits. Some spiritual
practice: Bible study, Memorization,
Witness
Finding and Creating Meaning
Viktor Emil Frankl
- Introduced Logotherapy
- This theory is founded on the belief that
human nature is motivated by the search
for the purpose of life.
- His beliefs were influenced by his
personal experience of suffering and loss
in Nazi concentration camps
Logotherapy
- The pursuits od one’s meaning life.
Basic Principles of Logotherapy
1. Life has meaning under all
circumstances, even the most miserable
one.
2. Our main motivation for living is our
will to find meaning in life
3. We have freedom to find meaning in
what we do, and what we experience, or at
least in the stand we take when faced with
a situation of unchangeable suffering
Viktor Emil Frankl
- We can discover this meaning in life in
three different ways:
1. By creating a work or doing a deed
2. By experiencing something or
encountering someone
3. By the attitude we take toward
“unavoidable suffering” and that
“everything can be taken from a man but
one thing: the last of the human freedoms
– to choose wants attitude in any given set
of circumstances”
THE POLITICAL SELF
Who is the Filipino?
Dimensions of Being a Filipino ( Yacat,
2005)
Pinagmulan -----------Kinalakhan -------
Kamalayan
PINAGMULAN (Socio-political
dimension)
- Being born in the Philippines
- Having parents who are Filipinos
- Residing in the Philippines
- A Filipino citizen
Based on the 1987 constitution…
(a) Those who are citizens of the Philippines
at the time of the adaptation of this
constitution
(b) Those whose fathers or mothers are
citizens of the Philippines
(c) Those born before January 17, 1973, of
Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine
citizenship upon reaching the age of
majority
(d) Those who are naturalized in accordance
with law
KINALAKHAN (Cultural roots)
- Revolves around participation and being
immersed in a cultural milieu of
knowledge as Filipino
o Culture
 § Refers to all socially learned behaviors,
beliefs, feeling, and values that the
members of society experience
§ Shapes the way we think, do things, how
we feel, behave, and relate
Filipino Values
Hiya
- Timidity, shyness, embarrassment
- Sensitivity to others, consideration of the
feelings of others
o Why?
 May be tied to the need to be accepted by
others
 In relation to social expectations and the
need to conform
Utang na loob (Debt of Gratitude)
- Signifies the principles of reciprocity
- Filipinos’ way of expressing gratitude
- The nature and proportion of the return
and contingent on the person's status and
the kind of exchange that befits
Pakikisama
- Maintaining SIR (smooth interpersonal
relations)
- Going along with, or giving in –
conformity
- may be extended to pakikipagkapwa
Pakikiramdam
- Heightened awareness and sensitivity
- Similar with empathy, sensitivity, and
awareness
- Measuring (Pagtantya) of the other, being
observant and watchful, cautious “feeling”
of the other
Some Basic Filipino Values (According to
Jaime Bulatao)
- Close Family Ties
- Respect For Elders
- Economic and Social Upliftment
- Patience and Endurance
KINALAKHAN (Cultural Roots)
- Revolves around participation and being
immersed in a cultural milieu
acknowledged as Filipino
Two types of political involvement:
- Political participation as proactive
engagement in the public arena (e.g.,
running for public office, joining political
rallies and St demonstrations)
- Political participation as public problem
solving (e.g., community organizing)
KAMALAYAN (Consciousness)
- The psychological dimension
- awareness of the self as Filipino
- acceptance of membership in the category
“Filipino”
- pride in this membership
Being Filipino
- While Filipino represents the social
category “Pagka-Filipino” (being Filipino
or Filipinoness) denotes an evaluative
aspect of being a member of that social
group
- Refers to the quality of being Filipino;
Filipino-ness is the identities of
performative aspect that brings impetus to
personhood (Tolentino, 2001)
Gradations/Levels of Being a Filipino
- Pilipino sa Pangalan
- Pilipino sa Puso
“In order for an identity to be validated, it
has to be performed. Through
performance, the identity is rehearsed and
strengthened”
Challenges In Forging a Filipino Identity
 -At the individual level...
o There are contradictions in the everyday
behavior of some Filipinos.
o Some Filipinos do not exercise their rights
unless their interests are threatened
-At the Institutional Level…
o Filipinos do not usually acquire a sense of
national identity from the family
o While families teach children basic human
values and instill discipline, they look to
school to teach nationhood and its
associated values
o Part of the reason why Filipinos have
difficulty in developing a sense of
community is the nature of kinship
affiliation in the Philippines
o Government infrequently appears as a role
model of positive values
Enhancement of Nationalism
What is Nationalism?
- “Devotion to or advocacy of national
unity and independence”
- “Most important prerequisite to the
formation of national consciousness”
- “It thus serves to bind individuals or
groups to common values, attitudes,
power, process, and ways of action”
How do we show nationalism?
How to be a good Filipino?
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 your country. Below are few ways in
how one can practice nationalism and
patriotism:
1. Be an active Filipino citizen.
o A good Filipino citizen should be aware of
the current events and participate in
government programs that aims for the
country's progression and development
example (exercising your right to vote)
2. Study the Philippine history.
o By learning and fully understanding the
events of the Philippine history, one will
learn so much as to why it is so important
to love one's country, with your life,
extend help to fellow Filipinos in need,
and recognize abuse of political power
3. Support local products.
o Buying local products, do not only
support local manufacturers and
businessmen but you also help strengthen
the local economy.
o Supporting our local products also
displays our creativity, innovativeness,
and resourcefulness
4. Speak the Filipino language.
o Jose Rizal highlights the importance of the
speaking the national language as way of
displaying the love for one's country
o Speaking Filipino also serves as a unique
identifier of being a Filipino
5. Do not spread fake news and be
democratic in engaging with dissent.
o It is a part of being of good Filipino to sort
out everything that one reads before
buying it and spreading it like wildfire
o It is also the responsibility of every
Filipino to recognize disagreement in
political views, be tolerant, and argue
intelligently without having to resort into
name-calling peopl
 THE DIGITAL SELF
Why do we use social media?

- It has been noted that the amount of social media used by the youth all over the world has increased in a
yearly basis (WOOD, BUKOWSKI, & LIS, 2016)

- Aside from being an instrument by which we can connect with friends and relatives, we may also use
social networking sites as our “Online Diaries”, keeping our friends updated with our activities,
whereabouts, plans, accomplishments, and even our problems.

- Social networking sites are now considered as significant tools that foster psychological development
especially between adolescence and adulthood (for example: identity exploration wherein we use social
media (and other online platforms) to represent ourselves in the digital world)

How do we use social media? (Selective Presentation and Impression Management)

- The photos we share, comments we make, posts that we like, and the different status that we post or
tweet, are ways by which we present an image of ourselves to others.

- One feature of social media is the means of identity representation is that we can choose what to show to
and what to hide from people.

- Erving Goffman, a Canadian-American sociologist, use the term:

Impression Management

- to refer to the process by which people control their impressions other people have towards them.

- The term was first applied to how we create impressions in face-to-face interactions but has also been
used in online interactions as well. Human as we are, we strive to create a positive impression to people
both in the real world and in the online community. Goffman further suggest that people are like actors in
a play we act in a way that pleases our audience and which brings good impressions.

- One way by which we can manage other people's impressions about us is through self-presentation, or
the process of communicating an image of ourselves to other people (Yang & Brown, 2016). Whatever
we do online can be seen by millions of people in less than a minute thus we tend to be very careful in
what we post on social media. We tirelessly take countless photos until we capture the one which is IG-
worthy, we take pictures of the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the places we go to, and the people we
are with, among others. Simply put, whenever we do things to persuade other people to see us in a
particular way, we are already engaging in self-presentation.

- But why do we engage in self-presentation?

o Self-presentation reinforces the different social roles or identities we take on the real world. Example,
students who identify so much with their school, organizations, or other affiliations, are more likely to
include these identifications in their profiles.Those who are strong supporter or critics of different
political personalities may use social media to show their approval or dismay towards them. People who
have strong advocacies may also use social media to put forward their beliefs.
 We may engage in self-presentation to gain social rewards. For instance, we may document our travels,
take pictures with celebrities or other famous personalities, or subtly brag about our newly bought gadgets
just to create an impression that we are better off than others. We may also carefully choose what we post
online so as to earn the approval of others or avoid negative remarks from others.
 Creating an impression towards others, will, in a way, also help us establish our identity. For instance, we
may go to fancy restaurants or coffee shops so we could share it in social media. The likes and comments
of our friends may then make us popular and thus, validate the image we want to project. Creating an
impression that we are living luxurious life may also convince us that we are indeed living that kind of
life.
 There may be times that we consciously engage in self-presentation strategies and at times, the act itself
may become so reflexive. However, it is important to note that engaging in self-presentation does not
mean that we deceive other people and lie regarding our identity.

Impact of online interactions on the self

 Undeniably, social media and other online platforms have spurred a significant change in people's lives.
However, although the Internet may have made life easier, studies suggest that our online interactions
may have both positive and negative effects especially on our sense of self.

 Social media can impact our self-esteem. the feedback that we get from our social media friends can
either boost or undermine how we see and feel about ourselves. In a study conducted, it has been found
that Facebook can enhance our “social self-esteem”, or how we see ourselves based on the positive
feedback we receive from our Facebook friends (Valkenburg & Peter, 2006). Such feedback may be in
the form of likes, shares, comments, or even through number of views or page visits. On the other hand,
social media sites may also lower our self-esteem. Being updated with the lives of our online friends may
make us aware of our shortcomings, limitations, or how different we are from them, which may make us
feel bad about ourselves.

 Social media and other online platforms can provide “catharsis”. Disclosing about ourselves in social
media and other online sites can be a way by which we can release our thoughts, frustrations, and even
our problems. For instance, if we are disappointed with the kind of service we receive in an office or
institution, we may post it in Facebook. If there are thoughts, opinions, or experiences we want to share,
then we can blog about it. And for some others, social media is used to ventilate their sadness or their
anger. We should be cautious about this, because although we find such disclosure as a way to free
ourselves from all these negativities, the people reading our posts may pick up these negativities and find
our post “toxic”.
 Social media can also be a host to different emotional experiences. Social media use can help enhance
communication and social contact. This is facilitated by online self-disclosure which is seen to increase
our social connectedness and well-being (Valkenburg & Peter, 2009). Social media use can also provide
awareness and understanding of different identities and cultures which in turn, enhances appreciation to
diversity. However, there are also risk involved. For one, cyber bullying is seen as an inevitable risk from
disclosure in online sites. Given that cyber bullies can bask in anonymity online and the fact that the
negative remarks or posts can be continually shared by a lot of users, the damage can be overwhelming
and difficult to control. The term “Facebook depression” has been suggested to refer to the feeling of
being depressed due to Facebook use (Jelenchick, Eickhoff, & Moreno, 2013). Other risk posed by social
media use may include the spread of wrong information, misunderstandings, jealousy, and even difficulty
in moving on after a breakup (Marshall, 2012).

Boundaries of the Self Online

 The Internet provides us with a lot of information worth sharing and commenting. However, we have to
caution ourselves against oversharing. This refers to our tendency to share even the most private details
about our lives and perhaps, that of other people. This may put us in danger since whatever information
we disclose can be seen by a lot of people all over the world and may be used in a way that can jeopardize
us. Take for example cases of identity theft when people use other people's photos or names to pretend to
be someone else. Thus, the free expression we may have online comes with certain risk and of course,
accountability. Although we may have public social media accounts, at the end of the day, we still have
our private lives to keep and make secure. We are reminded to always think before clicking that button
since just one click can change not just our life, but that of others too