MATERIAL SELF PRESENTATION AND

IDENTITY
 ACCORDING TO JOHN HESKETT a British
writer and lecturer on the economic, political,
cultural and human value of industrial design,
for him design is a combination of ‘NEED and
DESIRES” in the form of practical object that
can also reflect the user’s identity and
aspirations through its form and decorations
 ROLAND BARTHES

 A French critical theorist, was one of the first

to observe the relationships that people have
with objects as signs or things which could
be decoded to convey message about them
(possibly what happened or wish to happen)
 In 1950, he popularized the field of
Semiology ( the study of objects as signs ).
He said a sign is anything that conveys
meaning.
 Semiotic is study of signs that Barthes introduced, this explains
that sign has two elements :

 Signifier – which refers to its physical form or image of something

 Signified - the mental concept it refers to the idea or concept of the thing
THEORY ABOUT THE MEANING OF
MATERIAL POSESSIONS

 INSTRUMENTAL FUNCTIONS - relate to functional properties

of the product. For example a person bought a pick-up style of car
for family and business functions or purposes
 Social Symbolic Functions – signifies personal qualities , social
standing, group affiliations, and gender role, For instance buying
and I-Phone instead of other mobile phones that can be cheaper
with the same specs and characteristics also.
 Categorical functions - refer to extent to which material
possessions may be used to communicate group membership and
status ( buying or renting a condo unit in Makati)
 Self – expressive Functions – reflects person’s unique qualities,
values or attitudes, Like people who may represent themselves
( anime fanatics who spent too much money on anime collectibles
like miniature collectibles, or those who collects robots like
Michael V). There are others express their favorite color by having
things that has their favorite color
BUT BEYOND EVERYTHING IT ALSO TELLS
US

 THE LEVEL OF HAPPINESS IT CAN GIVE US.

 POSITIVEPSYCHOLOGY SHOWS THAT WE ARE NOT
STATISTICALLY HAPPIER BECAUSE THE LEVEL OF
HAPPINESS WE HAVE WILL ALWAYS DECREASE.
 MATERIALISM DOES NOT MAKE US HAPPY
 NOW LET US TRY TO ANALYZE THIS BY ANSWERING THIS
QUESTION:
 FOR EXAMPLE YOU ARE WORKING AND YOU WON A
LOTTERY WOULD YOU QUIT YOUR WORK? EXPLAIN.
 SO MATERIALISM MEASURES THE LEVEL OF HAPPINESS
ONE PERSON HAVE BY KNOWING ITS OWN SATISFACTION
 THAT WILL LEAD US TO THE SO CALLED CONSUMERISM
AS A LIFESTYLE
 AS BY THE PERSPECTIVE OF
HAPPINESS BY THE PSYCHOLOGIST,
CONSUMERS ARE VICTIMS OF THE
GREEDY COMPANY.
 SO THINK ABOUT IT. ARE YOU BUYING THAT THING
BECAUSE YOU REALLY NEED THAT? OR JUST BECAUSE
YOU WANT TO PLEASE OTHERS, OR YOU WANT TO
IMPRESS OTHERS, TAKE NOT THAT IN EVERY ACTION
THAT WE TAKE WE HAVE THIS SO CALLED FREE WILL,
AND WE HAVE TO USE IT RESPONSIVELY . THINK OF
WHAT YOU WANT THAT IS REALLY WORTH BUYING. TRY
TO REFLECT…..IS IT REALLY WHAT YOU WANT OR WHAT
YOU NEED?
ACCORDING TO ABRAHAM MASLOWS
HEIRRARCHY OF NEEDS WE HAVE THIS

 PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS – LIKE NEED OF WATER, NEED OF AIR NEED OF

FOOD
 SAFETY NEEDS - YOU WANTED TO PURCHASE YOUR OWN HOUSE,
INSURANCE, STABLE WORK
 LOVE AND BELONGINGNESS NEEDS – ESTABLISH GOOD RELATIONSHIP
WITH OTHERS, BEING FRIENDLY WITH YOUR CLASSMATES AND BEING
GOOD TO THEM
 ESTEEM NEEDS – THE WAY WE SEE OURSELVES AND THE WAY WE WANT
OTHERS TO TRUST AND FEEL FOR US
 SELF ACTUALIZATION– LONGING OF WHAT YOU
REALLY WANT TO BE OR WHAT IS MEANT TO BE,
THIS ARE PEOPLE WHO APPREICIATE OTHERS,
DOESN’T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OTHERS DOEST
DEMEAN OTHER OR DOESN’T TAKE FOR
GRANTED OTHER
EXERCISE MORE INTELLECTUAL
INDEPENDENCE - BE AWARE HOW
CONSUMERISM CONTROLS YOUR
LIFE AND IGNORE ADVERTISING.
CONSUME LESS AND LIVE MORE
-------- STOP AND THINK ABOUT
THE INFLUENCES OF
CONSUMERISM TO YOUR LIFE