Understanding

The Self
PRESENTED BY GROUP 1
Content:
1. The Physical Self: The Self As Impacted
By The Body
2. The Impact Of Culture On Body Image
And Self-Esteem: The Importance of
Beauty
 THE PHYSICAL SELF: THE
SELF AS IMPACTED BY THE
BODY
 The concept of Physical Self
• Heredity is defined as the transmission of traits from parents to offspring.
• The traits are made up of specific information embedded within one's gene.
• Genotype refers to the specific information embedded within one's genes; not all genotypes
translate to an observed physical characteristic.
• Phenotype is the physical expression of a particular trait.
• Each individual carries 23 pairs of chromosomes, which are threadlike bodies in the nucleus
of the cell and the storage unit of genes. The 23rd pair, also known as sex chromosomes,
determines the sex of an individual.
• Within each chromosome is the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is a nucleic acid that
contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of every individual.
• Maturation is known as the completion of growth of a genetic character within an organism
or the unfolding of an individual's inherent traits or potential.
 The concept of Physical Self
• The Physical Self refers to the concrete dimensions of the body, it is the tangible aspect of
the person which can be directly observed and examined. Physical Characteristics are the
defining traits or features of a person's body.
• A period of rapid physical changes is in Puberty.
• The changes experienced during puberty are different from girls and boys. Girls reach
puberty earlier than boys and experience menarche which is her first menstrual flow. Boys,
two or three years later, experience spermarche or semenarche which is his first ejaculation
or nocturnal emission (wet dreams).
• Puberty is a brain neuroendocrine process occurring primarily in early adolescence that
triggers the rapid physical changes. The Pituitary gland is the master endocrine gland that
controls growth and regulates functions of all the other endocrine glands including gonads.
 The self as impacted by the body
Perspectives in Understanding Physical Self:
1. Psychodynamic Perspective
• The development of a body self mainly has three stages: early psychic
experience of the body in which sensations like tactile like in infants enable
babies to discriminate bodies from their surroundings, which contribute to the
sense of self.
• Next is defining body surface boundaries which is the stage of being awareness
of body image in contrast to surface boundaries.
• Last stage is the distinguishing of the body's internal states which is the stage of
having cohesion of the body. In these images and experiences of the body and
the body, surfaces can be organized into holistic understanding of the body.
 The self as impacted by the body
Perspectives in Understanding Physical Self:
2. Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective
• The cognitive behavioral model of body image recognizes multiple determinants of
body image with a distinction between those determinants that are historical versus
those determinants that are proximal or concurrent that predispose or influence how
people come to think. feel, and act in relation to their body

3. Feminist Perspective
• Relies on the social construction in which there is a possibility of individuals to
experience their bodies in distorted ways (especially, women), women's dissatisfaction
with their bodies as a systematic social phenomenon rather than a result of individual
pathology (McKinley, 2002).
Factors that affect perception of the
Physical Self:
1. Personal Factors
a. Introspection and Self-reflection
• According to Hewstone, et al., (2015) Introspection is the process is the process by
which one observes and examines one's internal state (mental and emotional) after
behaving in a certain way.

b. Self-Perception Theory
• As stated by Hewstone and Bem (2015) Self-perception theory explains that since
one's internal state is difficult to interpret, people can infer their inner states by
observing their own behavior - as if they are an outside observer. Physical
perception includes all aspects of a person's perception of his physical self.
Factors that affect perception of the
Physical Self:
1. Personal Factors
c. Self-concept
• As stated by Hewstone and Bem (2015) Self-perception theory explains that since one's
internal state is difficult to interpret, people can infer their inner states by observing their
own behavior - as if they are an outside observer. Physical perception includes all aspects of
a person's perception of his physical self.

d. Personal Identity
• According to Hewstone, et al., (2015), self-concept is a cognitive representation of self-
knowledge which includes the sum total of all beliefs that people have about themselves. It is
a collection of all individual experience involving one's characteristics, social roles, values,
goals and fears. Physical concept is the individual's perception or description of his physical
self, including his physical appearance.
Factors that affect perception of the
Physical Self:
2. Social Factors
a. Attachment Process and Social Appraisal
According to Bowlby (1969), people learn about their value and lovability when they
experience how their mothers or caregivers care for them and respond to their needs.

b. Maintaining, regulating and expanding the self in interpersonal

relationships
Factors that affect perception of the
Physical Self:
2. Social Factors
c. The Looking-glass Self Theory
• Charles Horton Cooley stated that a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal
interactions and the perception of others.
• The view of oneself comes from a compilation of personal qualities and impressions
of how others perceive the individual.
• Therefore, in a looking-glass self, the self-image is shaped and reflected from the
social world. Other people's reactions would serve as a mirror in which people see
themselves particularly the way in which they are perceived and judged by others.
Factors that affect perception of the
Physical Self:
2. Social Factors
d. Social Comparison
• The work of Leon Festinger in 1954 introduced another way of understanding
oneself by comparing one's traits, abilities, or opinions to that of others. Social
Comparison is a process of comparing oneself with others in order to evaluate one's
own abilities and opinions.

There are two types of social comparison:

• Upward social comparison and
• Downward social comparison
Factors that affect perception of the
Physical Self:
2. Social Factors
e. Social Identity Theory (Collective Identity)
• This was formulated by Tajfel and Turner 1973 which provides a framework about
how people achieve understanding about themselves by being a member of their
group.
• This idea assumes that as a member of the group they will not be discriminated
against by an out-group.
• It will enhance their self-esteem because they feel secured with the shield of group
membership where they belong.
• Social groups include gender, ethnicity, religion, profession, political membership
and business organizations.
The Impact of Culture on Body
Image and Self-Esteem: The
Importance of Beauty
• Culture is defined as a social system that is characterized by the shared
meanings that are attributed to people and events by its members.
• It can be assumed that the body is contingent - meaning molded by factors
outside the body, and internalized into the physical being itself.
• A significant aspect of culture that strongly influences adolescents who are in
a face-to-face encounter with their physical selves is how their culture
conceptualizes beauty.
• Social constructionist approach this suggests that beauty, weight, sexuality, or
race do not simply result from the collection of genes one inherited from one's
parents. Instead, these bodily features only take on the meaning that they
have.
• Another example of how norms of masculinity and femininity shape
not just behavior, but public perceptions are those people who did
activities of the other gender. They were praised at the same time and
criticized just by doing what is not expected to their gender. With
this, the idea that the body is marked with culture and society is the
term social skin to refer to the ways in which social categories
become inscribed onto physical body. Through the social skin, the
body becomes the symbolic stage on which dramas of society are
enacted. This idea is from the anthropologist Terence Turner (1980).
• Another anthropologist, Mary Douglas (1973) said that the body is the most natural
symbol for and medium of classification, and thus rules associated with controlling
the body and its processes emerge as a powerful means of social control.
• In the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries, the civilization process includes the
beginning of Europeans to internalize many of the external forms of social control;
however, shame and embarrassment took place, controlling their behaviors from
within.
• This control of behavior from within was made as theory by Erving Goffman (1982)
which is called the Dramaturgical theory. The theory suggests that we are all actors
on a stage, and much of what we do is engage in impression management during
which we must monitor and adjust our own behavior in accordance with how people
want others to perceive them.
• A woman is what she wears- this statement is from the work of Janes
Gaines on fashion (1990) which implies that women are often defined
completely by their clothing. In this study, it suggests that people have
body images. Body image can be described as a representation of how
individuals think and feel about their own physical attributes. Body image
is both internal (personal) and external (society).
• This includes (1) how a person perceives his body, (2) how a person feels
about their physical appearance, (3) how a person thinks and talks to
themselves about their bodies, and (4) a sense of how other people view
their bodies. Though sometimes how a person looks has possibly never
held as much as societal importance or reflected so significantly on our
perceived self-worth.
• Body image is the mental representation one creates, but it may or may
not bear close relation to how others actually see you.
• The mass media has increasingly become a platform that reinforce
cultural beliefs and projects strong views on how we should look, that we
as individuals often unknowingly validate
• Preoccupation with and distortions of body image are widespread among
American women (and to a lesser extent, among males), but they are
driving forces in eating disorders, feeding severe anxiety than can be
assuaged only by dieting.
• Self-esteem is the overall evaluation that a person has of himself which
can be positive or negative, high or low. Self-esteem is how valuable to
himself and others he person perceives himself to be.
• The impact of culture on body image and self-esteem has been
very crucial for sometimes people depend on this as when they
define beautiful. It has been assumed that preferences for beauty
are gradually learned through cultural transmission and exposure
to contemporary media.
• Charles Darwin in 1871 became one of the first persons, if not the
first, to think and write extensively about human beauty from a
biological point of view, concluding that there is no universal
standard of beauty with respect to the human body and attempts
to determine underlying dimensions of beauty are futile.
• However, in 1985, contrary to Darwin's beliefs, Samuels and
Ewy showed that both 3-month-old and 6 month-old infants
looked longer at male and female faces previously rated as
attractive by adults, suggesting that infants have the cognitive
ability to discriminate attractiveness.
• These findings have been further supported, and it has even
been shown that young infants show preferences for
attractive faces, measured by looking time, that transcends
gender, race, and age.
The following are some aspects in
culture that may have led to some
misconceptions:
• Society's ideal for the perfect physical form for men and women.
• Images of perfection brought by all types of media i.e print,
television, film, and internet.
• Since a standard has been set by society and reinforced by the media,
any characteristic that does not conform to the standard is labeled as
ugly. Body diversity in size and structure due to genetic heritability
is not tolerated.
Example of Beauty Standard in Some
Culture

Stretched earlobes and a

Standard beauty in Lip stretching in parts of Body scarification in
shaved head is a beauty
Myanmar is having long- Africa and South America Africa and other parts of
standard in Kenya and
necked women other parts of Africa
are considered attractive to the world is a sign of
men beauty
THANK YOU!