Material Self

PPT BY: CJ LAO

Kamusta ka?
Our possessions are a major
contributor to and reflection of our
identities. 

The Material self proposes that what

we see affects what we need versus
what we want.
Components of Body

Clothes

Immediate
family

Home
Material possessions signify
some aspects of one’s sense
of self and identity.

Possessions tell a lot about

their owners. 
Identities can be reflected on
the possessions that
people have. 

Somehow material self is also

a reflection of
someone’s success or failure
or a symbol of one’s social
status. Thus, no matter how
much or how little a person
owns materially they will
always strive hard to gain
more.
 “A man’s self is the sum
total of all that he can call
his, not only his body and
his psychic powers, but
this clothes and his house,
his wife and children, his
ancestors and friends, his
reputation and works, his
lands, and yacht and bank
account"
William James
Brands and products are now being used by
many consumers to express their identities. 

Materialism is when you give more importance

to material possessions than intangible values. 

Consumerism is the consumption of material

goods and services in excess of one’s basic needs.
It is closely tied to materialism. People thought
that when they buy something, they will be
happier. The negative thing about consumerism is
that it encourages people to buy things that they
do not really need.
Factors affecting Consumerism

1 2 3 4
Psychological Personal Social Cultural
 WANTS NEEDS
Usually your basic living expenses, things
Are things you choose to buy but could
necessary for your health, or expenses that
live without
are required for you to do work

Luxury Necessity/ Essential

Wants vs Needs
 Roland Barthes 

Semiotics - a method of inquiry

into the implicit signs present in
the mental element of interaction
with nature, or within a
community.

Semiology - the study of meanings

that are present in our day-to-day
systems of communication and
signification. 
a person had to invest a lot of effort and resources – money,
time, energy – in finding and selecting a product

to justify such effort, people tend to view the product as

part of their selves

more expensive purchases, hard to find purchases, and

purchases for which they saved for a long time are more
likely to become part of the self
 References:
• Alata, EJ., Caslib, BN., Serafica, JP., and Pawilen, RA (2018). Understanding
the Self. Rex Book Store. 856 Nicanor Reyes Sr. St., Sampaloc, Manila
• https://www.open.edu/openlearn/money-business/business-strategy-
studies/social-marketing/content-section-3.2. Accessed on September 15, 2021
• https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-separate-wants-and-needs-453592.
Accessed on September 15, 2021
• https://caylacabagnot.home.blog/2018/12/06/the-material-self/. Accessed on
September 15, 2021
• https://criticallegalthinking.com/2020/06/12/roland-barthes-myth/. Accessed on
September 15, 2021
I. Direction:

Write your Signified to the

following Signifier.

Provide brief details (3-5 sentences)

about your significance.
SIGNIFIER SIGNIFIED
SIGNIFIER SIGNIFIED
 1. Medicine
2. Toy cars & barbie dolls
3. Air Jordan 1 Mid Shoes or Louboutin stilettos
4. Unreasonably priced Starbucks coffee in order to
share it in one's IG/ FB/ SocMed
II. Direction:  5. Fruits and vegetables
6. Milk, fish, eggs, & chicken
Write W if the
statement refers to 7. New and latest gadgets despite still having
functioning ones
WANTS and N if it
refers to NEEDS. 8. New clothes or outfits despite still having good
ones at home
9. Hermes or Louis vuitton bags & handbags
10. Face masks, face shields, & alcohol