Understanding the Self

The Material /
Economic Self
And
The Spiritual Self
1 The
Material / Economic
Self
William James

• An American philosopher, historian, and

psychologist

• An original thinker in and between the

disciplines of physiology, psychology and
philosophy.

• The Principles of Psychology

In the Principles Material Self
of Psychology Constituents
Social Self
Spiritual Self
Pure Ego

Components of
Self

Feelings & Actions of Self -

Emotions Seeking

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“We are living in the
world of sale and
shopping spree. “

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 What is Material / Economic Self?

• According to William James, it is primarily about our bodies,

clothes, immediate family, and home.

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 Material Self
Two Categories:

1. The Bodily Self

• The parts of our body

2. The Extracorporeal Self

• Any material possession which extends our body
 Aspects of Material Self
BODY
• The innermost part of our material self

• Any ailment or disorder directly affects us

• We do have certain preferential attachment or

intimate closeness to certain body parts because of
its value to us.

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 Aspects of Material Self

CLOTHES
• It is a form of self-expression.

• We wear clothes that reflect us.

• Our clothes affect our attitude and behavior.

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 Aspects of Material Self
FAMILY
• Our parent and siblings hold an important of our
self.

• . What they do or become affects us.

• We place huge investment to our immediate

family because we see them as the nearest
replica of our self.
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 Aspects of Material Self

HOME
• It is our earliest nest of selfhood.

• Our experiences inside the home were

recorded and marked on particular parts and
things in or home.

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 “We regard our
possessions as part of
ourselves. We are what
we have and what we
possess”
– Belk, 1988
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 Why do we shop?
Understanding shopping is important in
determining race, culture, gender, class,
family, and community (Belk, 2016)
 Why Do We SHOP?

There is an There is an
There is a NEED OCCASSION OPPORTUNITY
 Being BORED Being DEPRESSED,
SAD or ANGRY

Discounts, Sales &

Part of Social Gesture Promos
WANTS NEEDS
People buy them for These are important for
reasons that do not warrant survival.
necessity.

UTILITY SIGNIFICANCE
Concerned with how things Concerned with the
serve a practical purpose. meaning assigned to the
object.

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Roland Barthes (1915-1980)
• Studied the concept of semiology or the study of
signs

• French critical theorist

• First one to observe the relationships that people

have with objects and in particular looked at
objects as signs.

• He popularized the field of Semiology

• "What people increasingly produce are not

material objects but signs.” 17
Semiotic
• The study of signs

• examining how words, photographs, images,

and objects can work as a language to
communicate a range of ideas, association
and feelings.

Two elements:
1. Signifier – physical form
2. Signified – mental concepts it refers to

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 Theory of Meaning of Material Possession
Instrumental functions - relate to the functional properties of a product.
1

Social symbolic functions - signify personal qualities, social standing, group

2 affiliation and gender roles.

Categorical Functions - refer to the extent to which material possessions may

3 be used to communicate group membership and status.

Self-expressive functions - reflect a person’s unique qualities, values or

4 attitudes.
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 Economics
defined as “the study of things that a person is lacking, of how people make use of the
things that they have, and of making the right decisions”

Economic Self - Sufficiency

￮ the ability of individuals and families to consistently meet their needs with minimal
or no financial assistance or subsidies from private or public organizations.

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Determinants of Economic Self-Efficiency
Health/
English Disability
Job Stability Literacy Status
1 3 5

2 4 6

Educational Family Community

Attainment Structure Connections
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 Economic Conciousness
the result of socialization and professionalization of the subject that acquires a particular
significance in human affairs

Economic Identity
￮ a psychological phenomenon that results from social categorization

Factors that affect the economic identity:

1. Professional development
2. Self-determination
3. Motivational and value sphere of his personality
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 Role of Consumer
Culture on the Sense of
Self and Identity

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Consumer The pattern of consumption that describes a
Identity consumer

Consumer Developed because people may no longer consume

Culture goods and services because of its functional
satisfaction

Is the preoccupation with and the inclination

Consumerism towards the buying of consumer goods

Behavioural
Finance A new field that combines behavioural and
cognitive psychological theory

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2

Spiritual Self
 Spirituality vs. Religiosity

Spirituality
• The most intimate, inner subjective part
of the self

• Individual’s process of seeking and

expressing meaning in life

• Connection with the self, others and

environment
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Why spirituality is important?

• Meaningless in life is a significant

factor in causing anxiety,
depression and other mental health
concerns

• Spiritual practices are associated

with optimal health and well-being

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 Aspects of Spirituality
Spirituality talks about meaning and purpose that go beyond the physical
1 realities of life.

Spirituality focused on a person’s connections to different aspects of his or her

2 existence.

Spirituality talks about the sacred and transcendental.

3

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 Manifestations of Spiritual self
Person’s Will – Refers to one’s wishes, these are the things that we want to see
1 and achieve in our lives

Intelligence and abilities – these are the perceived strengths of a person, the
things that they have confidence in doing and believe to have a certain level of
2
mastery

Morals – it is the definition of what is right and wrong, distinguishing the

3 things that are acceptable for a person, the society

Values – is the person’s ability to distinguish what is important and what is

4 not.
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 Spirituality vs. Religiosity

Religiosity
• About believing in a God or
group of Gods and consciously
adheres to beliefs of his/her
religion

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The Practice of Religion
• It is defines as belief and worship
of a superhuman controlling
power, especially a God or gods

• A particular system of faith and

worship.

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 Functions of Religion
Emotional Function Helping
Cognitive Function individuals to cope up with
Enabling humans to explain anxieties that often
the unexplainable accompany illness, accidents,
phenomena. death and other misfortunes.

Social Function
Social control, conflict
resolution and building group
solidarity
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 The Concept of “Dungan”
Soul
• Came from the root word “duwa” means two.
• The dungan is not seen by the human eye, it takes on a
different form.
• Dungan is also connoted as “willpower”.

Two Dimensions of Soul:

• Human Body
• Spiritual
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 The Four Dimension of Religion
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 Rituals and Ceremonies

• Visayan fishing villages practice the offering ritual called harang.

• A local shaman invokes sea-spirits.

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 Religious Classifications
Polytheism - multiple gods

Hinduism Ancient Greek Ancient Romans

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Religious Classifications
Monotheism - single god

Judaism Christianity

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Religious Classifications
Atheism – No deities

Buddhism Taoism
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 Religious Classifications
Animism – Indigenous nature worship

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“ Finding Meaning in
Life

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Victor Frankl

• “meaning is something to discover

rather than to invent”

• Logotherapy

• Existential Vacuum – experiencing

a loss of meaning; state of existential
crisis
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 Ways of Discovering Meaning of Life
traditional existential idea of involves
providing oneself with
experiencing
meaning by becoming
involved in one’s projects, or Experiential something or
better, in the project of one’s Values someone we value.
own life.

Creative Values
practicing virtues such
as compassion,
bravery, a good sense
of humor and the like.
Attitudinal
Values
 Being kind to others
“ is a way of being
good to yourself.

Harold S. Kushner
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 Thank You!
“ Group 4
Danao, Patricia Anne
De Rama, Sean
Dizon, Art Randall
Hilario, Mark Nepthali
Familiaran, Marjorie

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 References:
• (2017, October 20). Retrieved from Stanford Encyclopedia of Psychology: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/james/

• Catamio , D. C., Ronan S. Estoque, R. S., Gotinga, T. O., & Laresma, L. F. (n.d.). The Spititual Self. In WORKTEXT IN UNDERSTANDING
THE SELF.

• Chan, S. (2018, december 12). Retrieved from SlideShare: https://www.slideshare.net/shinpaiwa/understanding-the-self-lecture-6-7-handout

• Cortez, A. Y. (2019). Retrieved from StuDocu:

https://www.studocu.com/en-us/document/pamantasan-ng-lungsod-ng-maynila/anatomy-and-physiology/other/written-report-lesson-3-the-
material-or-economic-self/6339827/view

• Valerio, S. C. (n.d.). Retrieved from WordPress.com: https://utsged101portfolio.wordpress.com/section-3-the-material-economic-self/

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKDWoy8ISnE

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