THE

MATERIAL /
ECONOMIC
SELF

RACQUEL S. MANLAPAS
GEC1 INSTRUCTOR
LEARNING At the end of the lesson, the student
shall have:

OUTCOMES 1. explained in his or her own words the

different aspects of the material and
economic self.

2. illustrated relationship between the

material self and economic self in the
formation of one’s sense of value using any
type of organizer; and

3. reflected on the value of material

possession and having economic sense on
one’s self-development.
 INTRODUCTION
Psychologist WILLIAM JAMES stated
that humans have a material self that
pertains to everything that one can
claim as theirs. Thus, this refers to
anything that belongs to a person
and who or what a person belongs to
such as their body, family, clothes
and money. The body, however, is
considered to be the core of the
material self. Another is clothes
through which a person expresses
his / her expression of himself /
herself and showing of status, which
has a significant contribution to the
formation of one's self-image.
 I SHOP THEREFORE I AM
"I SHOP THEREFORE I AM" is a slogan
originally produced in 1987 by the
famous artist Barbara Kruger who
primarily dealt with consumerism and
feminism. Through this artwork, she
made a statement about man's material
consumption.

This slogan was not explicitly

explained, however, as it challenges an
audience with varied perceptions, it is
clear that the slogan makes an
individual identify themselves with the
act of shopping.
 THE ASPECT OF MATERIAL
OR ECONOMIC SELF

Material self is a dimension of the self that

relates to physical materials. We are
made aware of them by what we see in
commercials and television, what we hear
over the radio and what we read in the
print and social media, like newspapers
and magazines, social platforms like
TWITTER, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE and
private messages.
MATERIAL SELF
2 SUB-CLASSES OF THE SELF
BODY
TANGIBLE 1. THE BODY SELF
OBJECTS, referring to our body and all its parts.
PLACES &
2. THE EXTRA-CORPOREAL SELF
THINGS beyond the body, which is our EXTENDED
"MY" AND SELF. It includes all the people, places, things
"MINE" that we regard as OURS.
4 COMPONENTS OF THE MATERIAL SELF

BODY CLOTHES FAMILY HOME

 THE BODY
Our body is the most essential part of
material self.

We value our body the most.

Self and body are intimately attached.

 CLOTHING
The second most essential part of the material self.

According to Herman Lotze, anytime we bring an object in to 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 a part of the self.

Clothing enhances our physical appearance. We want to look our

best with whatever we use.

Clothing is one of the best ways to distinguish our social class, as

well as our culture, our profession or occupation and our sex
preference.

Equally important as our clothing is our choice of style and material

of the clothes we wear. A style that suits our person and the material
of the fabric that suggests good taste, may cause us certain
sensations that can affect our attitudes and behavior. We exude a
pleasing personalilty, confident and beautiful, because we are
wearing the latest style in fashion. All these contribute to the feeling
of assurance and self-confidence.
 FAMILY
The third essential part of material self. The source of our life,
the single, most important influence on a child's life.

At the first moment of life, the child depends on the parents to

protect and provide for his / her needs. The parents are
present to serve as role model on how to act and experience
the world around him / her. The child's moral sense of value
and personality are shaped in the family.

Family signifies love and hope; it gives the members a sense

of purpose and goal.

We value our dignity and integrity and respect our name

because it symbolizes us. We respect family principles, roles
and values.

We live out family tradition, the ways of the family in

the past, lived out to the present.
 HOME
The fourth essential part of material self. Our
home is our source of life; it is where our heart
is. It is our sanctuary where we can relax, rest
and enjoy life with friends and family. It is in
our home where we could be our real selves.
It is our safest refuge. It is a symbol for our
security.

Our home can say a lot about us. It is a

witness to our becoming who and what we
are.

Our home is an extension of our self. It is

where we develop our sense of what is right
and wrong and form our personality and self-
identity.
 CONSUMER CULTURE ON OUR
SENSE OF SELF AND
THE MATERIAL SELF
Consumers are people who purchase and / or use economic goods.
It involves searching for options, acquiring, and disposing.
 CONSUMER CULTURE
Culture refers to the behavior and traditions found in human societies. Thus,
consumer culture involves humans establishing certain norms and practices as
consumers of goods and services. Consumer culture has evolved through the
years. Philips (2003) states that there are various studies made on consumers,
some of which are as follows:
1. Some people envy those with higher social status for having a higher
capacity to buy goods that they desire.

2. Rich people or people with higher status constantly change their

consumption habits to continue having a distinguished image in society.

3. Consumer's choice of products reflects how they see their current selves
or what they aspire to be.
 CONSUMER CULTURE
4. Consumers choose products they value the most, provided they
are presented with varied options.

5. A person's choice of products may represent their feelings,

aspirations and personality.

6. The choice of products and services may reflect originality and

send a message regarding one's status.

7. Certain individuals consider shopping and consuming services as

leisure activities because of their wealth and freedom to choose.
 CONSUMER CULTURE
Fast-paced innovations in media and the
internet have made advertisements easily
accessible to consumers.

They are able to reach a wider audience and

prospective customers.

Online shopping has also earned popularity

because of the convenience of making
purchase with the click of a button.

Many banks provide credit service through

credit cards, making it easier to shop even
without cash.
 CONSUMER CULTURE
Culture is important to consumption and identity.

Its impact and influence subtly penetrate human

consciousness from past to present.

The idea of consumerism as attractive and

enticing makes people desire to have more,
thereby making people think that they want more
than what they already have.

Consumers decide on purchases based on their

identity or what they want others to see them,
otherwise, the process creates despair and grief
because a portion of their identity is lost as well.
THE EFFECT OF MATERIALISM ON ONESELF
Twenge, et al. (2012) stated in their research that
the later generations focus more on wealth,
fame and image.

Studies conducted in the United States also

found that materialism has a negative
correlation to happiness, meaning people who
tend to be materialistic are less happy.

Moreover, those who take pleasure in buying

things have the tendency to get lower levels of
satisfaction.

The more materialistic a person is, the higher

the possibility that they may develop
psychological issues such as depression,
narcissism and paranoia.
THE EFFECT OF MATERIALISM ON ONESELF

MATERIALISM may lead to a lower

sense of well-being because of the
tendency to resort to consuming
products and services in order to
experience external gratification.

There is a need to assess oneself in

terms of the extent of influence of
consumer culture to one's identity
and well-being. One must identify
where to truly anchor themselves in
order to build confidence and self-
esteem.
 ON MATERIAL POSSESSION
We are what we buy and what we have.

We should differentiate what WE NEED from

what WE WANT. Needs are those that are
basic to our survival, like food, clothing and
shelter. We buy them regularly because they
are necessary for our daily subsistence.
Wants are those that do not warrant
necessity.

Objects are not just things; they are also a

reflection of the lives of communities and
individuals.

Buying and purchasing behavior of a person

can also be influenced by what the
community or the organization values.
 OUR ATTACHMENT TO OUR POSSESSION
Piaget found out that it is a part of human nature to
develop a sense of ownership and attachment to things
one values.

This is called ENDOWMENT FACT.

Example:
We value the award or any reward, in recognition of
something we have done.

We are attached to the family heirloom because of its

sense of history and connectedness with someone dear
to us in the past.

We keep memorabilia that we received from significant

people whom we value, admire and idolize in our life.
 SUMMARY

The material self refers to any

possession an individual has or can
claim to have. Consumerism culture
affects a person through innovations in
technology and the constant need to
consume more products and services.
Understanding the material self of an
individual can result in a better
understanding of oneself in terms of
their status and value in a society and
their emotions and behavior towards
consumerism.
 GUIDE QUESTION

In what ways do these

aspects of the material /
economic self affect you in
making choices and arriving
at the right decisions as
regards to acquiring material
possessions?
 CORE VALUES

ACCOUNTABILITY
& INTEGRITY