The

material self & Zakiya Satol

By; Ec Ruiz
 Material Self
-objects, places or even people
which have the label of “MINE”.
Such possessions are viewed as
an extension of an individual’s
identities.
William James
For instance, your clothes reflect certain
aspects of your personality and you
designate them as “my wardrobe”.
 The material self
2 the possession
and extended self
 “Have you ever in a situation
where you really can’t let go of
things?”
-If possessions are viewed as part of
self, it follows that an unintentional
loss of possessions should be
regarded as a loss or lessening of
self.
 possession and extended self

Possession Extended Self

material belongings or concept that suggests
objects that individuals people perceive their
own or consider their possessions as extensions
own. Ex. clothes, money of themselves.
 relationship between
possession and extended self
“Possessions are not just external objects but extensions
of one's identity.”
Special Cases of Extended Self
("I Shop, Therefore I Am")
Humans and animals once primarily
assembled collections of necessities for
future security, but today humans more
often assemble collections of non-
necessities for distinction and self-
definition (Belk, 1982).
 Collections may sometimes begin as
unintended acquisitions or initiated gifts. The
cultivation of a collection is now a purposeful
defining act in our society due to the
availability of discretionary time and money.
Collecting has become more accessible to the
general population rather than only to the
wealthy elites (Mason,1981).
 A compulsive tendency urges
them the increasing desire to
collect as much as they could
which gives them a greater
feeling of security, and therefore
becoming a basis of the sense of
self and identity - "I shop,
therefore I am; I have,
therefore I am.”
Barbara Kruger – I shop therefore I am, 1987, installation view,
Hirshhorn Museum, photo: CC BY 2.0 by krossbow