ART APPRECIATION (GE 103)

Lesson 1: What is Art: Introduction and Assumptions?

 Art is something that is perennially around us.
 Plato have the sharpest foresight when he discussed in the symposium that beauty, the object of any
love, truly progresses.
 As one moves through life, one locates better, more beautiful object of desire (Scott, 2000).
 The word “art” comes from the ancient Latin, ars which means a “craft or specialized form of skill, like
carpentry or smithying or surgery” (Collingwood, 1938).
 Ars in Medieval Latin came to means something different. It meant “any special form of book-learning,
such as grammar or logic, magic astrology” (Collingwood, 1938).
 During the seventeenth century when the problem and idea of aesthetics, the study of beauty, began to
unfold distinctly from the notion of technical workmanship, which was the original conception of the
word “art”.
 It was finally in the eighteenth century when the world was evolved to distinguish between the fine arts
and the useful arts.
 The fine arts would come to mean “not delicate or highly skilled arts, but ‘beautiful arts’ (Collingwood,
1938).
 “The humanities constitute one of the oldest and most important means of expression developed by
man” (Dudley et al., 1960).
 The galloping wild Boar found in the cave of Altamira, Spain.
 In 1879, a Spaniard and his daughter were exploring a cave when they saw pictures of a wild boar, hind,
and bison. According to experts, these paintings were purported to belong to upper Paleolithic Age.
 Literature has provided key works of arts. Among the most popular ones being taught in school are the
two Greek epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey.
 The Sanskrit pieces Mahabharata and Ramayana are also staples in this field.
 An “art is not good because it is old, but old because it is good” (Dudley et al., 1960).
 ‘I like to look at them’, said Miss Stein (Dudley et al., 1960)
 A stage play or motion picture is particularly one of those art forms that evoke strong emotions from its
audience.
 Humanities and the art have always been part of man’s growth and civilization.

Lesson 2: Visual Arts

 The visual arts are those that we perceive with our eyes. They may be classifies into two groups; graphic
(flat, or two-dimensional surface) and plastic art (three-dimensional).
 The Graphic Arts - this term covers any form of visual artistic representation, especially painting,
drawing, photography, and the like or in which portrayals of forms and symbols are recorded on a two-
dimensional surface.
 Printers also use the term graphic arts to describe all processes and products of the printing industry.
 Painting - is a process of applying pigment to a surface secure effects involving forms and colors.
Painting mediums include oils, watercolors, tempera and others. Canvas, wood, paper, and plaster are
some of the surfaces on which painting are executed.
 Drawing - is the art of representing something by lines made on a surface or processes of portraying an
object, scene or forms of decorative or symbolic meaning through lines, shading, and textures in one or
more colors. Mediums used include pencil, pen, and ink, crayon, brush, and charcoal.
 Graphic Processes - are processes for making multi-reproduction of graphic works. All processes
involved the preparation of a master image of the drawing or design on some durable material such as
wood, metal, or stone, from which printing is done. Processes may be classified by the nature of the
surface from which the printing is done, raised (relief), depressed (intaglio); or flat (surface, or plane).
 Relief printing - is the process whereby unwanted portions of design are cut away on the master image.
 Printed image is formed by the remaining surface. Examples are linoleum cuts, woodcuts, and wood
engravings.
 Japanese prints are made from woodcuts.
 Intaglio printing - is a method of printing from a plate on which incised lines, which carry the ink, leave
a raised impression.
 Dry point - the artist draws directly on a metal plate with a sharp needle and scratches lines, or grooves,
into the metal.
 Etching - the art or processes of producing drawings or designs on metal plates covered with wax.
 Engraving - this is done on metal plate with a cutting tool called barin, which leaves a V-shaped trough.
 Surface printing - includes all processes in which printing is done from a flat (plane) surface.
 Lithography - the art or processes of printing from a flat stone or metal plate by a method based on the
repulsion between grease and water.
 Silkscreen - silk is stretched over a rectangular frame and unwanted portions in the design are blocked
out.
 Commercial Art - includes designing of books, advertisements, signs, posters, and other displays to
promote sale or acceptance of product, service or idea.
 Mechanical Processes - are development by commercial printers for rapid, large-quantity reproduction
of words and pictures in one or more colors.
 Photography - a chemical-mechanical process by which images are produced on sensitized surfaces by
action of light.
 The Plastic Arts - this groups include all fields of the visual arts in which materials are organized into
three-dimensional forms.
 Architecture - is the art of designing and constructing buildings and other types of structures varied
materials used include stone, concrete, brick, wood, steal, glass, and plaster.
 Architecture - is often referred to as the “mother of the arts” because it houses, serves as background for,
or occurs in relation to other fields of art such as painting, sculpture, interior design, landscape
architecture, and city planning.
 Landscape Architecture - planning outdoor areas for human use and enjoyment, especially gardens,
parks, playgrounds, golf courses. Chief materials are plants, trees, shrubs, flowers, vines, and the ground
cover.
 City Planning - refers to planning and arranging the physical aspects of a large or small communities.
 Interior Designing - the term is used to designate design and arrangement of architectural interiors for
convenience and beauty. Includes background (walls, floors, ceilings) furnishing, and accessories.
Design of wallpapers, furniture, textiles for curtains and upholstery are important fields of interior
design.
 Sculpture - refers to the design and construction of three-dimensional forms representing natural objects
or imaginary shapes. Common materials are stone, wood, clay and metal, but ivory, jade, wire, string,
and other materials are also used.
 Sculptures of figures are called statues.
 Crafts - refers to the designing and making of objects by hands for use or for pleasure. It includes such
fields as ceramics, jewelry, leatherwork, and weaving. If these fields are mass-produced, they are
classified as industrial design.
 Industrial Design - refers to design of objects for machine productions.
 Dress and Costume Design - this covers the design of wearing apparel of all type-dresses, coats, suits,
shoes, ties, and the like.
 Theater Design - is the design of settings for dramatic productions.
 Literature - the art of combining spoken or written words and their meanings into forms which have
artistic and emotional appeal is called literature.
 Drama - is a form of literature. It is listed or defined in the next page.
 Essay - this is non-fiction, expository (descriptive or explanatory) writing ranging from informal,
personal topics to closely reasoned critical treatments of important subjects.
 Prose Fiction - includes narratives (stories) created by the author, as distinguished from true accounts.
The word fiction comes from a Latin word which means “to form”, “to invent” or “to feign”. A novel or
a short story describes characters and events which the author has invented.
 Poetry - literature of a highly expressive nature using special forms and choice of words and emotional
images.
 Narrative (storytelling) poetry includes epics, romances, and ballads.
 Lyric forms include the sonnet, ode, elegy, and song.
 Miscellaneous - history, biography, letters journals, diaries, and other works not formally classed as
literature often have definite literary appeal status due to high quality of the writing.
 Music - is the art of arranging sounds in rhythmic succession and generally in combination Melody
results from this sequence, and harmony from the combinations Music is both a creative and a
performing art.
 Musical compositions fall into three groups; Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, and Music Combined
with Other Arts and Other forms.
 Vocal Music - is composed primarily to be sung. The voice or voices are generally accompanied by one
or more instruments.
 Instrumental Music - music of this kind is written for instruments of four general type-keyboard (piano,
organ, etc.), stringed (violin, cello, guitar, etc.); wind (flute, clarinet, etc.), brass winds (trumpet,
saxophone, etc.); percussion (drums, xylophone).
 Music Combined with Other Arts
a. Opera - is a drama set to music. It is mostly or entirely sung with orchestral accompaniment. It is
spectacularly staged with accomplished singers, elaborated scenery and costumes.
 Operetta and Musical Comedy - this is also a drama set to music but is light, popular, romantic, and
often humorous or comic. Operettas use spoken dialogue instead of recitative.
 Oratorio and Cantata - are sacred musical drama in concert form. No action, sets, and costumes are used.
Oratories are usually based on Biblical themes.
 Other forms of arts are the ballet music and background music for motion pictures.
 Drama and Theater - a drama, or play, is a story re-created by actors on a stage in front of an audience.
The following are the most common types of drama: Tragedy, Melodrama, Comedy, and Miscellaneous.
 Tragedy - this one of literature’s greatest dramatic art forms. It is drama of serious nature in which the
central character comes to some sad or disastrous end. All tragedies portray suffering.
 Melodrama - in this type of drama, the emphasis is on action rather than on character.
 Comedy generally includes all plays with happy endings.
a. The Romantic Comedy - is a light, amusing tale of lovers in some dilemma which is finally solved
happily.
b. Farce - is a light, humorous play. The emphasis in a farce is on jokes, humorous physical action,
ludicrous situations, and improbable characters.
c. Comedy of Manners sometimes called “drawing room comedy” is sophisticated, sometimes satirical.
 Miscellaneous
a. Tragicomedy - A drama blending tragic and comic elements but which ends happily.
b. Miracle and Mystery Plays - are dramatized stories from Bible and of the lives of saints.
c. Morality Plays - are those in which characters represent specific vices and virtues.
d. Closet drama - is a term used to designate plays written for reading rather than for staging.
e. Piano Drama - is based on piano works which revolve around the musical pieces composed under the
inspiration of a literary work.
 Dance - involves the movement of the body and the feet in rhythm. Some important types include:
1. Ethnologic - this includes folk dancing associated with the national and cultural groups.
2. Social or Ballroom dances - these are popular types of dancing generally performed by pairs.
3. The ballet - this is the formalized type of dance which originated in the royal courts of the Middle
Ages. Ballet dances may be either solo or concerned dances.
4. Modern - are sometimes called contemporary or interpretative dances.
5. Musical Comedy - refers to those dances performed by soloist, groups, and choruses in theaters, night
clubs, motion pictures, and television.

Chapter 2
METHODS OF PRESENTING THE ART SUBJECTS

 Authorities on art are one in their view that the different methods used by the artist in presenting the art
subjects are: (1) realism, (2) abstraction, (3) symbolism, (4) fauvism, (5) Dadaism, (6) futurism, (7)
surrealism.
 Realism - this is the attempt to portray the subject as it is. Realists try to be as objective as possible.
Realism is a common way of presenting the art subject. An example of this is Amorsolo’s painting.
 Abstraction - this is used when the artist becomes so interested in one phase of a scene or a situation that
he does not show the subject at all as an objective reality, but only his idea, or his feeling about it.
 Abstract means “to move away or separate”. Abstract art moves away from showing things as they
really are. The painter or artist paints the picture not as it really looks like. The picture is not just like
life. It is not “realistic”.
 Abstract subjects can also be presented in many ways like:
a. Distortion - this is clearly manifested when the subject is in misshapen condition, or the regular shape
is twisted out. Henry Moore’s sculptural works and the ancient Egyptian paintings and sculptural works
are good examples of this kind.
b. Elongation - it refers to that which is being lengthened, a protraction or an extension. El Greco’s
elongated body of Jesus Christ in his “Resurrection” is an example of this.
c. Mangling - this may not be commonly used way of presenting an abstract subject, but there are few
artists who show subject or objects which are cut, lacerated, mutilated or hacked with repeated blows.
d. Cubism - it stresses abstract form through the use of a cone, cylinder, or sphere at the expense of other
pictorial elements. Paul Cezanne’s works played an important part in the development of cubism. It was
further developed by George Braque of France and Pablo Picasso of Spain.
e. Abstract Expressionism - is a style of abstract painting that originated in New York City after World
War II and gained an international vogue. Jackson Pollock was one of the abstract expressionist painters
of the New York School.
 Symbolism - a symbol, in general, is a visible sign of something invisible such as an idea or a quality. It
can be simply an emblem or sign like: % to represent percent, a lion to represent courage, a lamb to
represent meekness.
 Spoliarium is the giant-sized painting of Juan Luna. This artwork was an original painting of Juan Luna,
painted in Rome, from July 1883 to March 1884. This painting is now a National Cultural Treasure. The
original painting which won the most coveted First Gold Medal in the Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts in
1844, was donated by the Spanish Government to the Filipino people on the centenary of Juan Luna’s
birthday in 1956. “Spoliarium”, as a Roman term, referred to the spoils of war, spoils of tyrants, and the
king.
 The Spoliarium is an old painting on 4.25 m x 7.75 m canvas. Here, the method of presentation used by
the artist is symbolism.
 The “Lion of Lucerne,” famous masterpiece of the early 19th century, is dedicated to the memory of the
heroic fight and the final defeat of the Swiss Guards in 1792 in Paris. The lion, always considered a
symbol of courage and strength, served the artist to demonstrate a tragic event, a fight to the death. The
heart pierced by a lance, the lion still holds its protecting paw over the shield with the lily coat of arms,
emblem of the Bourbon kings.
 Fauvism - this was the first important art movement of the 1900s, the fauves flourished as a group only
from about 1903 to 1907, but their style greatly influenced Andre Derain, Raoul Dufy, and George
Rouault, all from France.
 Dadaism - a protest movement in the arts was formed in 1916 by a group of artists and poets in Zurich,
Switzerland. The name “dada,” a French word meaning “hobby horse,” was deliberately chosen because
it was nonsensical. The best known Dadaist was the French artist Marcel Duchamp.
 Futurism - it developed in Italy about the same time cubism appeared in France. Their paintings
glorified the mechanical energy of modem life.
 Surrealism - this movement in art and literature was founded in Paris in 1924 by the French poet Andre
Breton. It uses art as a weapon against the evils and restrictions that surrealists see in a society.
Surrealism is an invented word meaning super realism.
 Expressionism - this method was introduced in Germany during the first decade of the 20th century. It
influences were felt by the European artists from 1910 up to present.

The Pieta or “The Pity” (1498-1499) is a work of

Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti.
The Pieta was a popular subject among northern
European artists. It is the only piece Michelangelo
ever signed. This famous work of art depicts the
body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the
Crucifixion. It is an important work as it balances the
Renaissance ideals of classical beauty with
LESSON 3 Art Appreciation: Creativity, Imagination, and Expression
 Art is a product of man’s creativity, imagination, and expression.
 Jean-Paul Sartre - a famous French philosopher of the twentieth century, described the role of art as a
creative work that depicts the world in a completely different light and perspective, and the source is due
to human freedom (Greene, 1995).
 Refining one’s ability to appreciate art allows him to deeply understand the purpose of an artwork and
recognize the beauty it possesses (Collins & Riley, 1931).
 Creativity requires thinking outside the box.
 The campaign ad “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” used by the Department of Tourism (DOT) boomed
popularity in 2011, but later on it was found out that it was allegedly plagiarized from Switzerland’s
tourism slogan “It’s More Fun in Switzerland,” back in 1951.
 In DOT’s defense, former DOT secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. claimed that it was “purely coincidental.”
  Art as a Product of Imagination, Imagination as a Product of Art
 German physicist Albert Einstein who had made significant and humanity demonstrated that knowledge
is actually derived from imagination. He emphasized this idea through his words: “Imagination is more
important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination
embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
 “An artwork does not need to be a real thing, but can be something that is imaginary (Collingwood,
1938).
 The making of this tune in his head make it an imaginary tune, an imaginative creation, an imaginary art
(Collingwood, 1938).
 Artists use their imagination that gives birth to reality through creation.
 In the same way that imagination produces art, art also inspires imagination.
 Art as Expression
 You may only be conscious about feeling this sort of excitement, fear, or agitation, but you know that
just one word is not enough to describe the nature of what you truly feel. You try to release yourself
from this tormenting and disabling state by doing something, which is called expressing oneself
(Collingwood, 1938).
 Robin George Collingwood, an English philosopher who is best known for his work in aesthetics,
explicated in his Principles of Art (1938) that what an artist does to an emotion is not to induce it, but
express it.
 Visual Arts - is the kind of art form that the population is most likely more exposed to, but its variations
are so diverse. Some mediums of visual arts include paintings, drawings, letterings, printing, sculptures,
digital imaging, and more.
 Film - refers to art of putting together successions of still images in order to create an illusion of
movement. Can be created by using one or a combination of some or all of these techniques: motion-
picture camera (also known as movie camera), animation techniques, Computer-Generated Imagery
(CGI), and more.
 Performance Art - is a live art and the artists medium is mainly the human body which he or she uses to
perform, but also employs other kind of art such as visual art, props, or sound. It consists of four
important elements: time, where the performance took place, the performer’s or performer’s body, and a
relationship between the audience and the performer(s).
 Poetry Performance - is an art form where the artists expresses his emotions not by using paint, charcoal,
or camera, but expresses them through words.
 Architecture - art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things while architecture is the making of
beautiful buildings. Thus, not all buildings can be considered architecture. Buildings should embody
these three important elements; plan, construction and design - if they wish to merit the title architecture
(Collins & Riley, 1931).
 Dance - is a series of movements that follows the rhythm of the music accompaniment. We primarily
describe dance as a form of expression. Dancing is a creative form that allows people to freely express
themselves.
 Literary Art -

Understanding the Self (GE 101)

MODULE 3
 Sociology refers to the scientific study of social groups and human relationships.
 Sociological Perspective of the Self - a view of oneself is formed through interactions with other people,
groups, or social institutions.
 Reflexive Self - the ability to reflect and consider who one is in relation to others. The reflexive self
develops in the interaction with others through a process that includes a person's self-efficacy, self-
image, self-concept, and self-esteem.
 Operating to control incompatible views, self-deception and self-discrepancy play an important role in
maintaining a consistent and valid self-conception.
 The self is a relatively stable set of perceptions of who we are in relation to ourselves, others, and to
social systems.
 Charles Horton Cooley - an American sociologist and the son of Thomas M. Cooley. He was a founding
member and the eight president of the American Sociological Association. Introduced the looking-glass
self to highlight that the people whom a person interacts with become a mirror in which he or she views
himself or herself.
 Looking-glass self - is a social psychological concept, created by Charles Horton Cooley in 1902, stating
that a interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others.
 Self is a product of modern society.
 It means a combination of interrelated and interconnected factors.
 Socialization refers to the learning process from cradle to grave.
 The following are the sociological theories which explains who the self is:
1. Interactionist Model - self is involved in elementary patterns of social interaction among persons.
2. Exchange Theory - self is exposed in interaction patterns k terms of transactions in which social goods
are like favors, times and ideas are exchanged.
3. Structural-Functional Model - self is part of the physical and social structure in the society which is
made up of different parts and common values, existing in stability and equilibrium.
4. Symbolic-Interaction Theory - self is socialized in the society in which socially constructed symbols
such as language and gestures are the means for communication.
5. Conflict Model - self lives in the society which is made up of antagonistic groups with different amounts
of economic power that relate to each other in patterns of dominance and subordination.
 Self as a fiction - drives, a complex of urges in conflict.
a) Self as a product of modern society (delocalized self).
b) Self as a necessary fiction (Nietzsche).
 Self-concept is distinguishable from self-awareness, which refers to the extent to which self-knowledge
is defined, consistent, and currently applicable to one's attitude and dispositions.
 Self-concept also differ from self-esteem. It is made up of one's self-schemas.
 Anthropology is the study of human beings, in particular the study of their physical character,
evolutionary history... and cultural history.
 Anthropology emerged as an independent science in the 18th century, it developed two divisions:
physical anthropology, which focuses on human Evolution and cultural anthropology, which includes
Archaeology.
 Cultural Anthropology is a major division of anthropology that deals with the study of culture in all it's
aspects.
 Modern cultural anthropology as a field of research has its roots in the Age of Discovery.
 Franz Boas a German-born American known as the founder of the culture history school of
anthropology.
 Philosophical Anthropology - is the discipline that seeks to unify the several empirical investigations of
human.
 The psychology of self is the study of either the cognitive, conative or affective representation or one's
identity.
 Current views of the self in psychology position the self as playing an integral part in human
motivation, cognition, affect, and social identity.
 The self has many facets that help make up integral parts of it such as self-awareness, self-esteem, self-
knowledge and self-perception.
 A useful accounting of contributing factors to what we call "selfhood" is the self gradually emerges and
arises at the intersection.
 Self-conception is the image that we have of ourselves.
 According to the book Essential Social Psychology by Richard Crisp and Rhiannon Turner:
 The individual self consist of attributes and personal traits.
 The relational self is defined by our relationships with significant others.
 The collective self reflects our membership social groups.
 According to a theory known as social identity theory, self-concept is concept is composed of two key
parts: personal and social identity.
 Personal identity includes the traits and other characteristics that make each person unique.
 Social identity refers to how we identify with a collective, such as community, religion, or political
movement.
 Psychologist Dr. Bruce A. Bracken suggested in 1992 that there are six specific domains related to self-
concept:
1. Social
 2. Competence
3. Affect
4. Physical
5. Academic
6. Family
 Humanist psychologist, Carl Rogers believed that there were three different parts of self-concept:
1. Self-image - or how you see yourself.
2. Self-esteem - or how much you value yourself.
3. Ideal self - how you wish you could be.
 According to Carl Rogers, the degree to which a person’s self-concept matches up to reality is known as
congruence and incongruence.
 Congruence occurs when self-concept is fairly well aligned with reality.
 Incongruence happens when reality does not match up to our self-concept.
 Glenn R. Schiraldi, Ph.D, author of The Self -Esteem Workbook, describes healthy self-esteem as a
realist, appreciative opinion of oneself.
 8 Steps to Improve or Increase your Self-Esteem or Self Worth
1. Be mindful.
2. Change the Story.
3. Avoid falling into the compare-and-despair rabbit hole.
4. Channel your inner rock star.
5. Exercise.
6. Do unto others.
7. Forgiveness.
8. Remember that you are not your circumstances.

MODULE 4
 In Eastern philosophy, the self is often treated as an illusion.
 Generally, “philosophy” is universally defined as “the study of the wisdom or knowledge about the
general problems, facts, and situations connected with human existence, values, reasons, and general
reality.” It seeks reasons, answers, and general explanations to life and its factors.
 Basically, Western philosophy is referred to as the school of thought from Greek philosophy that
influenced the greater part of Western civilization. In contrary, the Eastern philosophy is based mainly
in Asia, more specifically the Chinese philosophy.
 Western philosophy takes its roots from Rome and Christianity, specifically Judeo-Christianity. Eastern
philosophy, on the other hand, is from Confucianism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Taoism. Thus is it safe
to say that Eastern philosophy is classical Chinese, while Western philosophy is more Latin in its roots.
 Eastern philosophy also thrives on virtues. This would be explained with the selfless approach to life.
Satisfaction with what one has is the key. Meanwhile, Western philosophy focuses on ethics.
 Western philosophy is mainly used in the Western parts of the world, such as in the European countries,
while the Eastern philosophy is prevalent in Asian countries.
 Western philosophy deals with Individualism while Eastern Philosophy is related to Collectivism.
 Both philosophies center on virtues.
 Eastern philosophy takes more of a spiritual approach while Western philosophy is more hands-on.
 Cultural definition – From a cultural and sociological approach the Western world is defined as
including all cultures that are directly derived from and influenced by European cultures. This is
probably the broadest definition.
 Political definition – Countries of the Western world are generally considered to share certain
fundamental political ideologies, including those of liberal democracy, the rule of law, human rights,
equality.
 Economic definition – The term "Western world" is sometimes interchangeably used with the term First
World or developed countries, in context with the cultural definition. Taking European culture, very
high human development and liberal democratic principles, we get these countries: Here are these
countries listed in alphabetical order:

 Eastern world refers to nations in the Asia and Middle East. Middle East countries are: Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran& Iraq.
Asian countries are:

 This means France is an eastern country but England is not as the Greenwich meridian passes through it.
 Culturally the countries of Asia and the Middle East are known as Eastern countries as they have an
oriental or eastern culture which is different from western culture. It is also an exemption as Turkey is a
European country but is still called an eastern country because of its oriental culture.
 Buddhism is a faith that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“the Buddha”) more than 2,500 years ago
in India. With about 470 million followers, scholars consider Buddhism one of the major world
religions. Its practice has historically been most prominent i n East and Southeast Asia, but its influence
is growing in the West. Many Buddhist ideas and philosophies overlap with those of other faiths.
 Buddhism Beliefs Some key Buddhism beliefs include:
 Followers of Buddhism don’t acknowledge a supreme god or deity. They instead focus on achieving
enlightenment—a state of inner peace and wisdom. When followers reach this spiritual echelon, they’re
said to have experienced nirvana.
 The religion’s founder, Buddha, is considered an extraordinary man, but not a god. The word Buddha
means “enlightened.”
 The path to enlightenment is attained by utilizing morality, meditation and wisdom. Buddhists often
meditate because they believe it helps awaken truth.
 There are many philosophies and interpretations within Buddhism, making it a tolerant and evolving
religion.
 Some scholars don’t recognize Buddhism as an organized religion, but rather, a “way of life” or a
“spiritual tradition.”
 Buddhism encourages its people to avoid self-indulgence but also self-denial.
 Buddha’s most important teachings, known as The Four Noble Truths, are essential to understanding the
religion.
  Buddhists embrace the concepts of karma (the law of cause and effect) and reincarnation (the continuous
cycle of rebirth).
 Followers of Buddhism can worship in temples or in their own homes.
 Buddhist monks, or bhikkhus, follow a strict code of conduct, which includes celibacy.
 There is no single Buddhist symbol, but a number of images have evolved that represent Buddhist
beliefs, including the lotus flower, the eight-spoked dharma wheel, the Bodhi tree and the swastika (an
ancient symbol whose name means "well-being" or "good fortune" in Sanskrit).
 Individualism stresses individual goals and the rights of the individual person.
 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.
 Collectivism focuses on group goals, what is best for the collective group, and personal relationships.
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.
 Western Philosophy focuses on “individualistic” nature Eastern thoughts centralized on collective
existence and always for the benefit of the larger community.
 Siddhartha Gautama Buddha developed a doctrine called as Anatta, often defined as “no-self” or the
principle that nothing is permanent and that no one is an independent entity as we are all a part of a
collective whole. Buddha explained that there is no unchanging self. The reality of the Dukkha or
suffering and Anicca or impermanence is the truth about this existence.
 The Anatta doctrine states that there is anything called a “self” as belief in this leads to Dukkha which of
course is mere suffering and pain. Buddhism as a doctrine argues that there is “no-soul or no-self”.
However it is believed that every human has a mind and body as well as a stream of consciousness.
 Buddhist’s principle points onto the ego as the expression of the five (5) components called the
“skandas” which make up a person. These are:
1. Form which comprises the body and the sense organs;
2. Sensations which are the processes created by the senses in contact with the external
environment.
3. Perception which is recognition of objects according to one’s senses;
4. Mental formations or our predispositions, tendencies, traits, habits, and
5. Consciousness which is awareness about a stimulus from the internal or external environment.
 The “self” in the Upanishads finds its place in “The Story of Creation”, pertaining to the creation of the
universe and of man. The part begins where “self” was all alone in the person of Purusha. The true
nature of man is described as “Brahman”, which means “the self”.
 Taoism as the doctrine based on the philosophy of Lao Tzu says that “Knowing others is wisdom.
Knowing the self is enlightenment”.
 The Taoists ‘Bible called the Tao Te Ching gives and explains processes on how to live a good life
through the “Dao” or the “Way” of the World.
 Lao Tzu teaches “stillness to the mind” and to let go of all worries, confusions and just experience the
world.
 Lao Tzu said we need to “empty yourself of everything, let your mind become still”.
 Confucianism identifies personality as a product of one’s upbringing and environment. This shows that
the individual is a social being which makes us “social animals”. It includes the following components
which are the perfection of virtues that is found innately in the heart of every human.
1. Heart of compassion
2. Heart of righteousness
3. Heart of propriety; and
4. Heart of wisdom

Module 5-Lesson 1
 The following information might be common knowledge to a segment of readers. But, for those who
aren’t medically oriented or familiar with disease prevention strategies, here’s a list of things to know
about your body. 1. Family history. What kinds of physical and mental health issues run in your family?
We can’t pick our genes, but we can influence how those genes are expressed.
 2. Blood pressure. Know what your numbers are, especially if you have a family history of heart
disease. Below 120/80 is the current recommendation.
 3. Thyroid function. Hypo or hyperthyroidism mimics many mental health conditions. The blood tests
to ask for include TSH and Free T4. It’s worth a Google search before you see your medical doctor to
help you understand the basics of the thyroid gland.
 4. Vitamin D. This is also a popular topic worth investigating. Low levels can cause depression, fatigue
and bone density loss. The blood test to request is called 25(OH) D.
 5. Age appropriate health screening tests. Certain screening tests are recommended at different ages.
These health screening guidelines change if you have a family history of a particular health problem.
 Physical self-concept is the individual's perception of themselves in areas of physical ability and
appearance. Physical ability includes concepts such as physical strength and endurance, while
appearance refers to attractiveness.
 One's self-perception is defined by one's self-concept, self-knowledge, self-esteem, and social self
 12 PHYSICAL TRAITS THAT REVEAL YOUR PERSONALITY (According to Science)
1) People who are taller and have rectangular faces are more like to be leaders
2) People with strong personalities tend to have strong jaws
3) More agreeable people have larger eyes
4) Extroverted people tend to have larger lip
5) People with larger noses have more ambition
6) There are shared behaviors in people with the same eye color
7) Men with larger facial width-to-height ratios are more aggressive
8) Extroverted people smile more
9) Narcissists tend to wear brighter clothing and have more accessories
10) People who post selfies might be more open to new experiences
11) Good looking people really do have it easier
12) What does their voice like?
 According to the Bio psychosocial Model of Health (BPS) physical weakness is caused by a complex
interaction of biological, psychological (thoughts, emotions and behavior) and sociocultural factors
(socioeconomic, socio-. environmental, and cultural).
 Heredity (nature) is the transmission of traits or characteristics from parents to offspring.
 Environment (nurture) is the sum total of the forces or experiences that a person undergoes from
conception to old age.
 Life begins at fertilization. Fertilization refers to the meeting of the female sex cell and the male sex cell.
These sex cells are developed in the reproductive organs called gonads. The male sex cells called
spermatozoa (singular: spermatozoon) are produced in the male gonads called testes. On the other hand,
the female sex cells called ova are produced in the female gonads known as ovaries. The fertilized egg
cell known as zygote contains all the hereditary potentials from the parents. This zygote goes to the
uterus and continues to grow during the gestation period of about 280 days or 36 weeks or 9 calendar
months.
 Each parent contributes one sex chromosome to the offspring. A male parent may pass either an X or a
Y chromosome while a female always gives the X chromosome. When an X chromosome comes from
the father and meets the X chromosome from the mother, the resulting combination is XX which
indicates a female offspring. However, when the father produces a Y chromosome which pairs with the
X chromosome from the mother, the resulting combination is XY, signifying a male offspring.
 Genes are small particles in a string-like formation.
 Within the gene is a substance called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which is the code of heredity.
 Taking Care of My Physical Self
Since the self is inseparable from the body, you should take very good care of your physical self.
Whether you plan to lose, gain, or maintain weight, the most important thing to do is to keep yourself fit.
To achieve this goal, a rigid plan has to be made.
1. Balanced Diet. To keep fit and healthy, one needs to have a balanced diet. Eating a balanced diet
means consuming the right kind of food at the right time and in the right proportion. Essential Food
Nutrients
2. Water An individual should drink at least eight glasses of water every day. It allows the body to
function efficiently. It also washes away wastes to keep the skin clear and healthy. With a high-protein
diet, the body utilizes the water properly and avoids water retention. Liquids such as coffee, tea, or milk
should not be counted as water. Although they contain lots of water, there is also a build-up of caffeine,
acid, or fat.
3. Sleep. Sleep gives the bones, muscles, and the mind time to recover. An individual needs eight or
more hours of sleep a day. An elevated feet while sleeping is an ideal position because the blood flows
 back towards the heart and away from the feet. Moreover, sleeping on one stomach can help prevent
varicose veins from developing as well as other circulatory problems.
 Taking care of the skin entails the following:
1. Taking a regular bath or shower
2. Applying deodorant
3. Avoiding oily food
4. Preventing acne by facial cleaning
5. Sleeping at least 7-8 hours per day
6. Drinking 8 glasses of water each day
7. Avoiding too much exposure to sunlight
8. Avoiding sunlight at 10-2'o'clock pm 13.
9. Avoiding cigarettes
10. Moderate use of cosmetics
11. Using facial cream/lotion to hydrate the skin
12. Using waterproof sunscreen with 15 SPF or higher
13. Taking vitamin C (anti-oxidant)
14. Taking Vitamin E
15. Avoiding harsh substances
 There are four important concepts related to physical self that we need to fully understand. These are
self-identity, self-image, self-concept and self-esteem.
 Self-image refers to the idea one has of his/her abilities, appearance and personality.
 Self-concept differs from self-awareness which refers to the extent to which self-knowledge is defined,
consistent and currently applicable to one's attitudes and dispositions.
 Self-esteem, on the contrary, refers to how much you appreciate, value and like yourself. Your self-
concept affects your self-esteem.

Module 5-Lesson 2
 Sexual self-concept refers to the totality of oneself as a sexual being, including positive and negative
concepts and feelings. According to theorists, sexual self-concept is described well along three
dimensions (Snell & Papini, 1989): sexual self-esteem, sexual depression, and sexual preoccupation.
 Sexual self-awareness is about moving from an outside-in experience of our sexuality to an inside-out
experience. It is about understanding our inheritance so that we can determine our legacy.
 Being able to understand what is getting stirred up inside of you vis a vis sex is called sexual self-
awareness.
 Gender identity typically develops in stages: Around age two: Children become conscious of the
physical differences between boys and girls. Before their third birthday: Most children can easily label
themselves as either a boy or a girl. By age four: Most children have a stable sense of their gender
identity.
 'Sex' is basically a biological characteristic based on the chromosomes of a female which is XX' and the
male chromosomes which is scientifically termed as XY'. 'Gender,' on the other hand, which is a
sociological Concept largely pertains to the femininity or the masculinity of the individual as it connotes
certain social roles and cultural expectations determined by social norms.
 Sexual self-esteem as “the feelings you have about your body and your confidence level in how you
relate intimately to someone else. It’s what you bring of yourself, both emotionally and physically, to
sex and relationships — what you do with that and how you share that with someone else. Sexual self-
esteem affects every sexual choice you make.” Sexuality can be influenced by many things, as
illustrated in the image.
 The Gender Identity Terms You Need to Know
by Cydney Adams
The concepts below provide us insights as to the existence of non-conventional gender identity.
 Agender - A term for people whose gender identity and expression does not align with man, woman, or
any other gender. A similar term used by some is gender-neutral.
 Androgynous - Identifying and/or presenting distinguishably masculine nor feminine.
 Bigender - Someone whose gender identity encompasses both man and woman. Some may feel that one
side or the other is stronger, but both sides are present.
  Cisgender - A term used to describe someone whose gender identity aligns with the sex assigned to them
at birth.
 Gender fluid - A person who does not identify with a single fixed gender. And expresses a fluid or
unfixed gender Identity. One's expression of identity is likely to shift and change depending on context.
 Gender queer- A term for people who reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a
fluidity of gender Identity and sexual orientation. They see themselves as being both male and female,
neither male nor female or as falling completely outside these categories.
 Transgender - An umbrella term for people whose gander identity and/or expression is different from
cultural and social expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth.
 Transsexual person- A generational term for people whose gender identity is different from their
assigned sex at birth, and seek to transition from male to female or female to male.
 Two-spirit - A term that refers to historical and current First Nations' people whose individual spirits
was a blend of male and female.
Module 5-Lesson 3
 Wants. Synonymous with luxuries. People buy them for reasons that do not warrant necessity.
 Needs. These are important for survival. Food, clothing, and shelter are basic needs so people purchase
them out of necessity.
 In the process of acquiring material goods, people generally consider 2 things:
1. Utility. Concerned with how things serve a practical purpose.
2. Significance. Concerned with the meaning assigned to the object. It is also concerned with how
objects become powerful symbols or icons of habit and ritual which can be quite separate from
their primary function.
 Roland Barthes studied the concept of semiology or the study of signs. According to him, it is through
objects that people assert their identities.
 Materialism purports that all that is found in the universe is matter which is the substance of nature.
 Three factors determine that self-gifts are revelations of an individual's materialism:
1. Materialism is often associated with self-centeredness. Often the individual would prefer to be
indifferent of others as well as separate from the majority. The need to be alone and alienated is
imminent Furthermore, the urge to be narcissistic is evident while being callous of others. Self-
centeredness means prioritizing the self while showing evident lack of empathy on the plight of others;
2. Materialists define success according to how much wealth and property was amassed. They usually
utilize possessions in self- definition. They have the evident tendency to define success in terms of the
quality and amount of one's acquired wealth.
3. Materialists believe that happiness results from the relationship between buying and consumption.
Self-gift can be a source of intense happiness among materialists. It provides them with very positive
emotions. Gifts result in internes, positive feelings. Self-gift prevents negative emotions such as
depression, emptiness and sadness as it provides therapy to the materialist.
 According to Gregoire (2017) materialism makes people unhappy for the following reasons:
1. Consumer culture may be harming individual well-being.
2. Materialistic values are linked to Type-A behavior.
3. Money really can't buy you happiness.
4. Materialism could ruin your relationships.
5. Consumer cultures may breed narcissistic personalities.
6. Consumerism is fueled by insecurity.

Module 5-Lesson 4
 Your Spiritual Self is you in your most beautiful and powerful form. It is the authentic self, the
unconditioned part, the you without patterns.
 “To find Buddha all you have to do is see your nature. Your nature is the Buddha.” – Bodhidarma, 5th
Century Buddhist Monk
 “God dwelleth in all hearts.” – Bhagavad Gita
 “The One God is hidden in all living things.” – The Upanishads (Hinduism)
 “All animals have power because the Great Spirit dwells in all of them.” – Lame Deer, Sio Chief 3
 “The Kingdom of God is within you.” – Jesus
  “When you examine the lives of the most influential people who have ever walked among us, you
discover one thread that winds through them all. They have been aligned first with their spiritual nature
and only then with their physical selves.” – Albert Einstein
1. Some values which include the following in effect project the identity and the image that we
have formed in the course of performing our daily tasks. It reveals the course to which our
identity as an individual is being directed. 1. Loyalty - faithfulness to words we speak; devoted in
relationships; conscientious to our duty
2. Sincerity - truthfulness to promises; openness and transparency about one's thoughts
3. Kindness - benevolence and gentleness in how one treats other people
4. Compassion - humane and sympathetic about what others are undertaking
5. Courage - bravery in the midst of difficulties
6. Perseverance - Steadfast and persistent to attain life goals
7. Cheerfulness - positivity and light heartedness even during adversities
8. Respect - courtesy, reverence for those in authority and of seniority
9. Volunteerism - initiative to extend help to those in dire need
10. Integrity - moral uprightness for greater credibility
11. Optimism - having a sense of gratitude to appreciate what one possess.
 Personal values provide an internal reference for what is good, beneficial, important, useful, beautiful,
desirable, constructive, etc.
 A value judgment is a judgment of a specific values system as either right or wrong based on one's a
particular set of standards or value system.
 Value judgment refers to an individual's opinion.
 Jean-Paul Sartre classified existentialism under humanism because it expresses the power of human
beings to make freely-willed choices, independent from the influence of religion or society.
 Existential-humanistic psychology has played an important role at individuals as a whole person living
in a socially interconnected and holistic world.
 The construct of self, also called self-concept, plays a very important role for all humanists.
 According to Sartre, "man first of all exists encounters himself, surges up in the world and defines
himself afterwards".
 10 Spiritual Self-Care Tips To Be Happy
1. Practice Yoga
2. Meditate Meditation
3. Try Mindful Walking
4. Clear Your
5. Connect with Community
6. Journal
7. Read Inspiring Material
8. Be in Nature
9. Unplug from Technology
10. Practice Forgiveness

Module 5-Lesson 5
 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's more or
less the same as the one they inhabit in the real world.
 The digital self is much more than just an avatar that we can shape and present to others.
 Remarkably, the recent decade has introduced developments that created great impact in our lives and
some of them are the following:
1. Internet
2. Social Networking Sites (Facebook, Tweeter, My Space etc)
3. Text Message or Short Message Service (SMS)
4. Smart Phones
5. Applications (Apps)
6. You Tube
7. Blogs/Vlogs 3
8. Search Engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing
9. World Wide Web
 10. Email
11. Chat rooms
12. On-line shopping
13. Dating Sites
14. GPS (Global Positioning System)
15. Wifi or Wireless Network
16. Game Consoles (Play Stations, Wii etc)
 The Impact of Digital Advancements to Identify
 1. Disconnectedness
 2. Developing and Nurturing Virtual Relationship
 3. Online Recklessness
 4. Distorted Identity Formation
 5. A Significant Portion of Our lives is Being Broadcasted
 6. 'Digital Self-Harm"
 7. Contribute to a Declining Mental Health
 8. Self-Obsession

Module 5-Lesson 6
 Political self is that aspect of the self that helps the individuals understand and function effectively in
society.
 National identity consists of three dimensions including:
1) Self-categorization,
2) Affect and
3) Normative contents that are described as follows (Citrin, at al., 2001).
 The Self-categorization is described as identification with a group and a sense of psychological
belongingness for sharing certain characteristic(s).
 The third dimension in the conception of national identity focuses on the normative content.
 An important legacy of Virgilio Enriqucz, father of Philippine Psychology, was starting a wave in which
social scientists re- examine Filipino values based on both indigenous/insider and exogenous outsider
perspectives. In Enriquez' (2007; as cited in Clemente et al., 2008) Kapwa model's value structure, he
identified 12 Filipino values from 4 categories: surface values, pivot value, core value, and foundation of
human values.

Module 6
 Metacognition is thinking about thinking. It can also refer to learning to learn. Metacognition is about
being aware of your own thinking and learning process. It is like watching and observing oneself as one
thinks, acquires knowledge and learns.
 Metacognition came from the words meta, which means of its self or beyond itself and cognitive which
means to understand and to know. Metacognition then involves:
(1) Knowledge of cognition.
(2) Regulation of cognition corresponds to knowledge about the way learners plan, implement strategies,
monitor, correct comprehension errors and evaluate their learning.
 Metacognition involves both an attitude or disposition and a set of skills and strategies.
 In responding to both knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition, we look into three variables
of metacognition, person, task and strategy.
 Task variables refer to what you need to accomplish.
 Strategy variables include effective ways of tackling learning tasks
 Self-Care is what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, and to prevent and deal with
illness. It is a broad concept encompassing hygiene (general and personal), nutrition (type and quality of
food eaten), lifestyle (sporting activities, leisure etc), environmental factors (living conditions, social
habits, etc.) socio-economic factors (income level, cultural beliefs, etc.) and self-medication.
1. Health literacy – includes: the capacity of individuals to obtain, process and understand basic health
information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions
2. Mental Well-being – includes: knowing your body mass index (BMI), cholesterol level, blood
pressure; engaging in health screening.
 3. Physical activity – practicing moderate intensity physical activity such as walking, cycling, or
participating in sports at a desirable frequency.
4. Healthy eating – includes: having a nutritious, balanced diet with appropriate levels of calorie intake.
5. Risk avoidance or mitigation – includes: quitting tobacco, limiting alcohol use, getting vaccinated,
practicing safe sex, using sunscreens.
6. Good hygiene – includes: washing hands regularly, brushing teeth, washing food.
7. Rational and responsible use of products, services, diagnostics and medicines – includes: being aware
of dangers, using responsibly when necessary.
 Self-regulation is not innate, we are not born with it. We can develop it. Self-regulation develops in
basically three steps:
1. First, adherence.
2. Second, identification.
3. Third, internalization.
 The benefits of self-care are threefold:
1. Better choice
2. Better care
3. Better value
 Goals should be what you want vour life to be all about.
 Self-efficacy is the belief in one's ability or capacity. It moves one to dream bigger and work hard to
achieve them. (Feldman 2015).
 Fixed mindset - makes a person avoid challenges, give up easily, see one’s efforts as useless, ignore the
feedback of others and feel threatened by other’s success.
 Growth Mindset - enables a person to embrace challenges, see effort as a way to mastery. Persist in the
face of challenges, learn from mistakes and find lessons and inspiration from the success of others.
 Dr. Edwin Locke and Dr. Gary Latham wrote a theory on goal-setting and task performance. We usually
read that goals must be SMART, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.
 Psychologist Robert Plutchik created the Plutchik Model shown above. It shows there are 8 basic
emotions: joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness, anticipation, anger, and 13 disgust.
 The 6 Types of Basic Emotions and Their Effect on Human Behavior
1. Happiness
2. Sadness
3. Fear
4. Disgust
5. Anger
6. Surprise
 Stress exerts such a considerable influence on the physiological responses and consequent changes in the
body.
 Stress is the body’s reaction to a challenge and a physical reaction to a person's emotions.
 TYPES OF STRESS According to the American Psychological Association, stress can be acute,
episodic acute, or chronic.
1. ACUTE - Result of recent or anticipated stressors and due to day- to day stressors. can be strong or
intense, but it can be brief and may disappear quickly.
2. EPISODIC ACUTE - Stress that continuously pops up, sometimes in a pattern and is accompanied by
worry and anger. It is also strong or intense but can affect a person more because it occurs in a pattern
and may recur.
3. CHRONIC ACUTE - Never-ending stress that relentlessly wears away at you. It is bad for our health
and well-being. Chronic stress may not be so strong but it appears to stay on for long periods of time.
Chronic stress has been linked to many ailments and diseases such as heart discase, cancer and mental
illness.
 4 Ways to Reduce Stress Managing your stress can help you be better. Try these 4 tips.
1. Breathe
2. Learn to say no
3. Alter yourself
4. Relax
 Symptoms of stress People experience stress in lots of different ways and below is a list of just some of
the symptoms you may experience when dealing with stress:
1. Weight loss
2. Sleep disturbances
3. Increased irritability
4. Anxiety or feelings of panic
5. Easily frustrated
6. Negative self-statements
7. Increased alcohol or drug-use
8. Under-eating or overeating
9. Working longer hours
 Top tips for managing stress:
1. Limit unnecessary stress
2. Change the situation or change your reaction to it
3. Alter the situation
4. Change Your Attitude
5. Accept the things you cannot change