THE

PHYSICAL
SELF

Martha Maralli
 01 Examine societal influences on
self-image and behavior

LEARNING 02 Explain the relationship between

OBJECTIVES body image and self-esteem

Appreciate one's personal beauty

03
What is the Physical Self?
Sanjay Singh
The Physical self is the tangible
aspect of a person that can be
directly observed and examined.

William James
Body is the initial source of
sensation and necessary for
the origin and maintenance of
personality
 Alfred Adler
Bodily deficiencies give rise to a
chronic need for compensation, in the
form of ersatz organs, which can only
be provided by culture and technology.

Erik Erikson
The role of bodily organs is
especially important in the early
developmental stages of a
person's life.
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
We experience life through our bodies and senses
allowing us to interpret and express our
interpretations of the world around us.
 THE EMERGENCE OF BODY CULTURE

Body Culture Studies

Describe and compare bodily practice in the larger
context of culture and society.

Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens agree in saying that the body is
the only fix-point of “self-identity”
 Body Culture's effect to Society
• Body culture reinforced social class distinctions
• Women became invested with anxieties about
sexuality and gender roles
• Creation of a performance-oriented, productive, and
disciplined labor force
• Delineation of social or ethnic communities.
• Creation of a sense of self-fulfillment and personal
agency.
 The Ideal Body
The Ideal Male Body The Ideal Female Body

"Coca-cola"
"Adonis" Built Body
contoured body
What is Body Image?
Body image is a combination of your thoughts and feelings about
your body.
This includes:
• How we perceive our bodies visually
• How we feel about our physical
appearance
• How we think and talk to ourselves
about our bodies
• Our sense of how other people view
our bodies
Body image is determined by 4 factors:
Perceptual Body Image
How we SEE ourselves. This is not always a
correct representation of how you look.

Affective Body Image

The way you FEEL about your body. This
relates to how much satisfaction or
dissatisfaction you feel about your shape,
weight, and body parts.
Cognitive Body Image
The way you THINK about your body. This
can lead to preoccupation with body
shape and weight.

Behavioral Body Image

BEHAVIORS in which you engage as a result of
your body image. When a person is
dissatisfied with the way he/she looks, they
may isolate themselves because they feel
bad about their appearance.
Positive Body Image is associated
with:
• Higher self-esteem
• Self-acceptance
• Having a healthy outlook and
behaviors
Aesthetic Capital
Aesthetic capital can be understood as a combination of different resources
or assets related to physical appearance including facial beauty, body
shape, size and physique, as well as styles of grooming and clothing
(Anderson et al., 2010).
Beauty and Culture
Body Adornment
refers to the practice of physically enhancing the body by styling
and decorating. By definition, body adornment is temporary.
Body Modification
Refers to the physical alteration of the body
through the use of surgery, tattooing piercing,
scarification, branding, genital mutilation,
implants, and other practices.

Body modifications can be permanent

or temporary, although most are
permanent and alter the body
forever" (Margo de Mello, 2014).
 Pop Culture
Pop culture or popular
culture from a common
understanding is a
culture widely accepted
and patronized by the
public

Self-definition refers to the way a person sees himself.

 Physical self as defined by
philosophers and psychologists
Today you've Body culture
learned Body Image

about: Aesthetic Capital

Beauty and Culture

Body Adornment and modification