UNPACKING THE SELF Chapter II.

Unit 3
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Chapter II. Unit 3

THE MATERIAL AND ECONOMIC SELF
Objectives
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1. To define the material and economic self
2. To identify and discuss the components of the material self
3. To explain the main variables in material and economic self
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We buy things we don’t need using money we don’t have to impress people we
don’t like (The Fight Club). Truly, you have heard the statement, “you are what you eat or
you are who your friends are.” Having a material self simply notches up these statements
into saying, “you are what you have”; “you are what the brands you buy”; and you are
what the things you cannot live without.

I. Defining the Material and Economic Self

The material and economic self refers to the tangible objects, people or places
that carry the designation of my or mine. It is categorized into two types:

1. Bodily self - This consists of intimate/personal categories that are clearly

associated with our identities and to which we could easily confer ownership.
 Capitalism and consumerism (Marx and Goldthorpe)
 Conspicuous consumption and the joyless economy (Scitovsky)

2. The Extracorporeal Self – This is the extended self which expresses our
psychological ownership of particular things, objects, places, and even people. It
includes all of the people, places, and things that we regard as “ours.”

 Material possessions as emotional investments (Scheibe, 1985 and

Ulric Neisser, 2002)
 Materialism as an expansion of one’s sense of self (Sartre , 1943)
 The mere ownership effect (Beggan, 1992):
 When material possessions are imbued with value, we accumulate and
use them to elevate self-worth (Kahneman, Knetch and Thaler, 1990):
 Impression Management (Erving Goffman, 1994)
 Materialism and symbolism (Roland Barthes, _______)

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II. Components of Material Self

1. Self-Concept
The ways in which we look at ourselves affect how we materially express
that self.
For example, it is expected that a make-up enthusiast would invest on tons of
cosmetics and less on food while the cooking enthusiast would spend more time in
baking and cooking stores than in department stores.

2. Body Image
How we look at and value our bodies and how we look like are also
important determiners of the brands and things that we buy and items that
will make us happy.
For example, the body conscious would go to certain lengths like build a home
gym, eat exclusively organic foods, and buy dietary supplements.

3. Self- Esteem
The level of value we give ourselves also has an effect in the material
things we buy. Needless to say, more confident, outgoing people would sport
certain items more beautifully while introverted, socially aloof people who have
been conditioned that they have ceiling points in all aspects of life would not have
the same confidence.

4. Role Performance
The roles we play and the demands of these roles also determine our
sense of materiality.
For example, the academician would invest in books, highlighters, skills
training, forum, symposia and seminars; people in film would flock premiere nights
and block screenings of the most talked-about films; and athletes would spend
more time in gyms and health and well-being facilities than most people.

These components include important social categories such as gender,

ethnicity, socio-economic status (occupation), and specific roles in one’s social
relationships.

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III. The Main Variables in Material and Economic Self

1. Material possessions - Our sense of self or identity influences how we choose
to purchase our wants and how we make economic decisions that will address
our economic needs.
2. Dimensions - The following dimensions of material and economic self simply
present our guiding principles when we are investing in particular items which
in the long-haul, inevitably identifies us and the type of people we are.
2.1. Needs versus Wants
When we buy, our budget is divided between two categories, those items
which fall under our needs and those under our wants. The essential difference
between the two is that, needs compel us to apportion our money and list
them as priorities because they satisfy our basic needs or survival needs.
On the other hand, our wants are the things we save up for or impulsively
buy because they often represent our psychological investments or simply,
the things that make us feel intrinsically accomplished and motivated or
simply happy. This logic is akin to William James’ understanding of utility
(need) versus significance (wants).
2.2. Experiential versus Material Purchases
These categories were put forward by the sociologist John Goldthorpe. He
said that consumerism can be divided between experiential versus material
purchases. Material purchases would be things being bought impulsively
without any significant rationality or purely out of necessity. On the other
hand, experiential purchases may be a case of conspicuous consumption
and may be a point of discourse in social mobility since access to things and
experiences are no longer limited to those with higher purchasing power and
the elites.
Take for example the Disney World experience. Round trip tickets and
the cost of the entire stay in Hong Kong and other Disney World locations may
not be shelled out immediately by people in the middle and the lower class. But
a year of saving for it might. The saving process or the concept of working hard
for it add to the experience and as such, build up psychological fulfillment for
the person.
2.3 High Materialists versus Low Materialists
High materialism and low materialism are concepts also introduced by
Goldthorpe to understand consumerism and consumer behaviors and trends.
He said that high materialists keep capitalism going because their frequent
purchases keep the flow of demand and supply. On the other hand, low

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materialists are people living ascetic lives or are still in isolated

communities with low level of urbanization and contact with industries.

Unpacking the Self

Different aspect of Self:
The Material self or Economic Self
Learning Outcomes:
1. Investigate multiple facets of self and identity.
2. Display critical, analytical thinking in integrating various elements of self and identity.
3. Recognize the various forces and institutions that have an impact on the development
of various parts of one's self and identity.
“ Once a culture becomes entirely advertising friendly, it siezes to be a culture at
all”- Mark Crispin Miller
The Persuader is a documentary that reveals how advertisers’ techniques of persuasion
have been developed to promote targeted consumption. There’s so much clutter
from advertising that over time people begin to get tired of it. So coming back to the
quote, I believe that “Once a culture becomes entirely advertiser-friendly, it ceases to be a
culture at all” means no amount of repair will save the aggressive threat that
marketing is doing to our society. NYU Professor, Mark Miller made this comment
because he’s aware of the damage advertising clutter is causing. Consumers are becoming
overwhelmed with the number of ads that they constantly have to see. Yes, marketers are
finding different ways to ensure their companies survive, however, most of the time
products are the same, just branded differently. Miller knows how much of a problem this
is because having so many advertisements just leaves no room for it to be a culture.
Meaning, if marketers continue to push so many intrusive ads to get prospective customers,
they just won't be left with customers at all. suggests that when a culture becomes
overly focused on advertising, it loses its essence as a distinct cultural identity.
While this statement reflects a particular perspective, it is worth noting that opinions on
this matter may vary.
It is important to recognize that advertising plays a significant role in shaping cultural
landscapes and influencing consumer behavior. However, when advertising becomes
pervasive and dominates all aspects of a culture, it can potentially compromise the
authenticity and uniqueness of that culture. The idea behind this statement is that
excessive advertising can homogenize cultural expression and stifle creativity, as the focus
shifts more towards commercial interests rather than the authentic values, traditions, and
customs that define a culture. It is worth considering that cultures are dynamic and ever-
evolving, influenced by various factors, including technology, globalization, and

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consumerism. While advertising can shape and reflect cultural values, an excessive
emphasis on commercialization may lead to the gradual erosion of cultural
distinctiveness.

However, it is essential to remember that different cultures respond to advertising

in various ways, and some cultures have a long history of integrating commercial
elements into their identity without compromising their cultural integrity. The
impact of advertising on a culture's authenticity and identity depends on the balance and
relationship between commercial influences and cultural preservation. In conclusion,
while the statement suggests that an excessive emphasis on advertising can diminish a
culture's essence, the relationship between advertising and culture is complex and subject
to interpretation. The extent to which advertising affects a culture's identity may vary,
and it is necessary to consider the specific cultural context and dynamics at play.
Material self
A Harvard psychology in the late nineteenth century, William James, wrote in the
book, the principles of psychology in 1890 that understanding the self can be examined
through its different components namely:
1] its constituents;
2] the feelings and emotions they aroused self-feelings;
3] the actions for which they prompt the seeking and self-preservation.
The constituents of self are composed of material self, the social self, the spiritual self, and
the pure ego.
what does the statement “ I have, therefore I am ” mean ?
 The material self refers to tangible objects people, or places that carry the designation
my or mine.
 Anything that we evoke emotional feelings to, like things, persons, and experiences
that we have in our lives are part of the self.
A man’s self is the total sum of all that he can call his, not only his body and his psychic
powers, but his clothes and his house, his wife and children, his ancestors and friends, his
reputation and works, his lands and horses, and yacht and bank-account. - William James
The material self, according to William James primarily is about: our bodies;
clothes; immediate family; home
We are affected by the things we have in our lives because we have invested a lot of
ourselves to them. These investments may come in different forms like time, effort,
money, and experiences

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1. Body is the innermost part of 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
and good. Example is Mariah Carey, she was reported to have placed a huge amount for
the insurance of his vocal cords and legs.
2. . Clothes is next to the body that was being influenced by the “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 object into the surface of
your body, you invest that object into any consciousness of your personal existence taking
in its contours to be your own and making it part of the self. (Helps to express who we
are)
- Lotze book: ‘Microsmus’any time we bring an object into the surface of our body,
we invest that object into the consciousness of our personal existence taking in its
contours to be our own and making it part of the self.’ (Watson 2014)
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 disadvantage situation, there is an urgent urge to help like
a voluntary instinct of saving one‟s self from danger. ( they are connected to you by blood
and you share their glory as well as shame.)
4. Home is the fourth component of material self. Home is where your heart is. It is the
earliest nest of your selfhood. Your experience inside the home were 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. “Home is where the heart is” The extension of the multiple
version of who we are. it is where many aspects of your life have been developed, it is
where you feel most comfortable, and it is greatly linked to your identity. This is then
followed by other possessions such as gadgets, cars, collections, etc.
Investment - The collections in different degree of investment of self, becomes part of the
self. As James (1890) described self: “a man’s self is the sum total of all what we CAN call
his.” Possessions then become a part or an extension of the self
what does the statement “We are what we have” mean?
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 stared
in our infancy stage when we make a distinction among 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.

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