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1

CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

A. PHILOSOPHY
MODULE OVERVIEW

This module seeks to understand the construct of the self from various disciplinal
perspectives: philosophy, sociology, anthropology and psychology – as well as the more traditional
division between the East and the West – each seeking to provide answers to the difficult but
essential questions of “What is the self?” And raising, among others, the question “Is there even
such a construct of the self?”

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from the
various disciplinal perspectives;
2. Examine the different influences, factors and forces that shape the self;
3. Compare and contrast how the self has been represented across the different
disciplines and perspectives;
4. Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the development of one’s self
and identity by developing a theory of the self.

LEARNING CONTENTS

I. Socrates, Plato, Augustine

In the recent time, the philosophy and teachings of Socrates is being discussed and even
debated by even the most distant philosophers. His way of understanding a subject through posting
a question and answer which eventually leads to further questions is known today as Socratic
Method.

The phrase “Know thyself”, as associated with

Socrates, is a motto inscribed on the frontispiece of the
Temple of Delphi. Thus, by it’s epistemology, it is an
ancient greeting of the highly civilized Greek which would
mean gaining information of one’s self that are
measurable. But for the philosophers, the assertion of
knowing thyself, that is imperative and a requirement by
nature, indicates that man should stand and live according
to his nature. In the words of Socrates, we all have the
knowledge of our self and we just have to have wisdom or
learn to recollect.

To attain the knowledge of knowing one’s self, one may have dialogue between the soul and
itself, or between a teacher and a student. Socrates questions for the reason he knows nothing, and
that he knows that he knows nothing, and has nothing to learn (“I Know that I Do Not Know”). And
by such, discovery knowledge about the self may foster.

For Socrates, the true task of the philosophers is to know oneself for “An unexamined life is
not worth living.”

Socrates also believes on the dualism of reality, that the nature of man is comprising with

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the a Body which is imperfect and changeable and Soul that is perfect and unchanging.

Plato supported the idea of his teacher,

Socrates, but although being influenced by his teacher,
Plato did have a difficulty viewing the “soul” as an
immortal entity that is unchanging. Thus, Plato added
that there indeed a tripartite soul: the Appetitive,
Spirited, and the Mind (Nuos). The appetitive soul
includes one’s desire, pleasure, physical satisfaction,
comfort, while spirited soul includes the basic human
emotions like love, anger, ambitions, etc. The mind on
the other hand is considered to be the most superior of
the three components and the super power that controls the affairs of the self. And a person
becomes just and virtuous when these three components are in harmony with each other.

Like Plato, St. Augustine of Hippo also adapted both Socrates and Plato’s vision of the
dualism of reality in the medieval period, the Physical Realm represented by our body that is
imperfect, and the Ideal Realm. As a converted christian, St. Augustine adapted the metaphysics of
christian belief to explain his philosophy. If form Plato, the immortal soul achieves eternal realm
through intellectual enlightenment, for St. Augustine, the immortal soul strive to achieve God
through faith and reason and our physical world is a proving ground for our eternal destinies.

To add, St. Augustine posited that the development of the self-starts when one self-
presentation and self-realization, that is being aware of the kind of person one is.

II. Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant

As the father of modern philosophy, it is no doubt that Rene Descartes recognizes the
significant questions about the human existence of the early philosophers. Hence, as a scientist,
Descartes based his discussion and knowledge of human existence through rational inquiry and
real world experimentation.

In the best known work of Descartes, Meditation of First Philosophy, he discussed that it is
only in doubting the knowledge one obtained and collecting a true and well supported beliefs
through emperical evidences can one achieved a well reason conclusion. A conclusion that is
genuinely by one’s self and not by other people. In his statement “for once in your life, doubt, as far
as possible, all things”.

With Descartes quest for true knowledge, he became famous to his principle “I Think
Therefore, I Am”.

John Locke, on the other hand opposes the idea that reason is the only way of looking at
the self. For him the self is comparable to an empty space and such empty space will be
provided with sense data, through the encountered experiences of an individual. The process of
reflection and analysis undergone by these sense data will lead to what is known as sense
perception.

Challenging Locke, David Hume positioned that knowledge can only be possible if it is
sensed and experienced. Our ideas regarding the self is based on impressions that are temporary,
thus, for him, there is no persisting self.

The veracity of Hume regarding the idea of the self as originating to one’s sensation and
perception is being recognized by Immanuel Kant, hence, his philosophy regarding the

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Transcendental Unity of Apperception discussed that the self is also outside the body and goes
beyond the limit of what we are experiencing. Indeed, ideas which are bundles of impressions
according to Hume, is not being disregarded by Kant. But even if ideas are temporary, there is still
what we call “space and time” that will remain and will be part of one’s self.

III. Freud, Ryle, Churchland, and Merleau-Ponty

Sigmund Freud regarded the self as the “I” that ordinarily constitute both the mental and
physical actions. Also, the “I” is a product of multiple interactions, systems, and schemes as it
undergoes the process of continual change. It in such premise that one does have difficulty
providing a concrete answer to the question “Who Am I?” as our moral judgment, inner sensation,
perception, and bodily movement changes. To further understand the complexity of the “I”, two
models were proposed: the Topographical Model that devides the “I” into Conscious or that which
we are aware of, and the Structural Model or that which represented by the three different
dimensions of the self: id, ego, and super ego. While the id is considered to be the instinctive
dimension of the self and the core of an individual’s being the super ego on the other hand acts as
an individual’s conscience that controls the id, synthesizing the morals, values, and system in
society.

Freud’s Three Layers of the Self

In the Concept of the Mind of Gibert Ryle,

he postulated that one can never find the thinking I
since it is just “a ghost in the machine” and the
mind is never separate from the body. For us to
understand the self overt behavior should be
manifested. Thus, the statement “I act therefore I
am” and “you are what you do” are based on the
manifested one’s physical activities and behavior
which means that the kind of mind an individual
possessed depends on how it is expressed through words and action.

Related to what Ryle positioned on his Concept of the Mind, couples Paul and Patricia
Churchland proposed that to understand the self, one must consider studying the neurological
aspect of the self, “Eliminative Materialism”, where activities happening with an individual is
explained through understanding the existing condition of the brain and how it work. To do this, one
may opt to undergo MRI or CT Scan.

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Churchland stresses that all a person has is the brain, and so if the brain is gone, there is no self.
The physical brain and not the imaginary mind, gives people the sense of self. The mind does not
really exist because it can not be experienced by the senses.

The Phenomenology of Perception of Maurice Merleau-Ponty has raised the idea

that the body and mind are intertwined and can not be separated from each other as all experiences
are embodied. An individual’s body will serve as the individual’s opening towards that person’s
existence to the world. The philosophy of Merleau-Ponty is based on Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt
Kofka’s Gestalt Psychology, and Neurobiology as well.

Merleau-Ponty notes that everything that people are aware of is contained within the
consciousness. Consciousness is a dynamic form responsible for actively structuring conscious
ideas and physical behavior. He is convinced that consciousness, the world and the human body
are intricately intertwined in perceiving the world.

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LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1: STAND POINTS ON PHILOSOPHERS PHILOSOPHY

Name: ___________________________ Course/Year/Section: ___________ Date: _______

Direction: Answer the following tables with your stand on the different philosophies discussed for this module:

FREUD HUME KANT RYLE CHURCHLAND

Key ideas
about the self

Ideas that
you agree
with

Ideas that
you disagree
with

Based on Faith Medenilla Cueva, et.al, The Great Mind and Their Philisophies Questionnaire

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LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

VENN DIAGRAM

Name: ___________________________ Course/Year/Section: ___________ Date: _______

Direction: Using a venn diagram, show the similarities and differences of the following philosophers.

Socrates Plato

Augustine

Freud Locke

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Descartes

Based on Faith Medenilla Cueva, et.al, Venn Diagram Questionnaire

SUMMARY

The self as defined by the different philosophers as connected primarily into one’s
consciousness or at least with the faculty of rational choice. For the ancient and medieval
philosopher, reality is in fact dualistic, although in the medieval period, philosophers had introduced
understanding the self through empirical evidences, it is through the contemporary philosophers that
the investigation of the self became truly scientific.

REFERENCES

Alata, E., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, Rex Book Store, Inc. (RBSI), Quezon City
Austine, M. (2011), Know Thyself? The Problems and Possiblities of Self-Knowledge,
www.psychologytoday.com
Cuevo, F., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, St. Andrew Publishing House, Bulacan
Tim (2012), Socrates: Know Yourself, www.the-philosophy.com
Villafuerte, S., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, Nieme Publishing House Co. Ltd.
Quezon City

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STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. ___ 2

CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE
B. SOCIOLOGY
MODULE OVERVIEW

In the advent and growth of social sciences, new approaches in examining the nature of the self
becomes possible. In the sociological views of understanding the self, social situations becomes a great deal
in defining the individual’s self concept and self esteem as well.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the module, you should be able to:

1. Compare and contrast the different views of the self;

2. Examine the two components of the self;
3. Describe the concept of the looking-glass self and how it affects self concept;
4. Explain the concept of social comparison and why it is important to human behavior.

LEARNING CONTENTS

I. The Self as Product of Modern Society Among Others

With the modern society people is facing at present, life becomes urbanized. And with such situation,
people tend to be more impersonal and leads to destruction of the traditional way of life. From the limitations
impose by the society before, people nowadays are already free to seek their own identity. Thus, their selves
gets “delocalize”. Such instances that Clifford Geertz (1973) believes that struggle for individuality can already
be possible. And having a delocalized self as a product poses certain problems such as:

a. The authenticity of self is threatened as a result of the new found freedom

b. According to Marx, human beings are being haunted and gets alienated to their own self as an effect to
the images they created.
c. The objectification of the body removes human qualities in man.
d. Dehumanization of self.

II. Mead’s Theory of the Self

George Herbert Mead is known for his theory of the social self which stands on the point that the
self is not initially there at birth. Instead, it arises out of one’s social communication, our activities such as
observing and interacting with others, responding to others’ opinions, and internalizing external opinions and
internal feelings about oneself.

According to Mead’s theory, the self has two sides of phases: the “I” and “me”. The represents the self
as subject, and the individual’s impulse, while the “me” is considered to be the socialized component of the
individual that represents the learned behaviors, expectations and attitude of others organized into a social
self. It is referred as the “generalized other” as one acts according to the generalized attitude of the social
group the person occupies. When one is able to be aware as to how other view him / her, then full sense of

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“me” is attained.

Moreover, three activities are identified the results to the development of the self, the language, play,
and game.

At the age of 0 to 2 years old, children tends to imitate the language used by people that are around
them. Thus, the symbols, gestures, words, and sound for children at this stage are mere words and sound
and does not have any meaning. Hence, since children at these ages are on preparatory stage, it is important
that language conveyed on them are screened as eventually these language could already be understood as
a child grows older.
During ages 2 to 6 years old, play develops the one’s self consciousness through role playing. It
develops the self by allowing people to take on different roles, pretend, and express expectations of others.
The play done at these ages are far easier as children do not adhere to any roles. During role-play, a child is
able to internalize the view of others and develop an understanding of how other people feel about
themselves and others in different situations.

The game activity that is engaged by children ages 7 years old onwards allows the child to
understand and adhere to the roles of the games which as a result may lead to the development of self. To
add, self will be developed when a child understands that rules of the game are existing and that these rules
should be followed to possibly win the game. The game stage results to what Mead identifies as one side of
the self, the “me” or the generalized other.

III. The Looking-Glass Self

Social interaction plays an important role to individual’s understanding of self, thus, behavior and a
person’s self esteem may be dictated by how they will predict how others perceived them. American
sociologist Charles Horton Cooley coined the concept “looking-glass self” as pertaining to an individual’s
development of self concept based on their observation of how other people sees them. The social interaction
people have are used as “mirror” to measure their own worth, values, and behavior.

Hence, not all feedback made by others carries the same weight, How one perceived the self will
depend on the context of the interaction and the nature of the people involved. One may be seen as according
to labels put by other people towards us. These labels sometimes are derived from different factors one may
be associated with. In example, the milk commercial pertaining to the boys doubting a girls capacity to play
soccer with them, “eh babae ka eh, baka umiyak ka lang?’, or Ilocanos are tight-fisted, and you are an
Ilocano, so people will see you as tight-fisted individual. Labeling bias occurs when we are labeled, and
others’ views and expectations of us are affected by that labeling (Fox & Stinnet, 1996). But when the degree
of appraisals are great, it may happen that an individual will adopt such appraisal into their selves. Self
labeling may occur when one take into their self concept those labels and evaluation made by others for
them. At times labels appears to be exaggerated that it goes beyond the usual, and internalized prejudice
happens when people instill such label unto themselves which may lead to poor self concept.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

ASSESSMENT

Name: ___________________________ Course/Year/Section: ___________ Date: _______

Direction: Choose the letter that corresponds to your answer. Write the letter of your choice on the space
provided before each number

_____ 1. It refers to the “self” as subject, and individual’s impulse.

A. “I” B. “Me” C. “Others” D. “You”

_____ 2. He was the American sociologist who coined the concept of the “looking-glass self”.

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A. Mead B. William James C. Colley D. Gergen

_____ 3. It occurs when we are labeled, and others’ views and expectations of us are affected by that
labeling.

A. Labeling Bias B. Self Labeling C. Internalized Prejudice D. A and B

_____ 4. It occurs when people instill label made by others unto themselves which may lead to poor
self concept.

A. Labeling Bias B. Self Labeling C. Internalized Prejudice D. Reflection

_____ 5. It occur when one take into their self concept those labels and evaluation made by others for them.

A. Labeling Bias B. Self Labeling C. Internalized Prejudice D. Self Bias

_____ 6.Amira thinks that her teacher and classmates see her as intelligent. She takes on this view and
reacts to them. Which self is this according to Mead?

A. “I” B. “Me” C. “generalize others” D. myself

_____ 7. Jaden has very low self-esteem, she always see herself incapable of doing things on her own and
always relies on others. Which self is this according to Mead?

A. “I” B . “Me” C. “generalize others” D. myself

_____ 8. In which Mead’s stages of the self do children merely imitate the people around them?

A. Play B. Game C. Language D. A and B

_____ 9. George Herbert Mead’s “I” refers to:

A. The “what do I want”? C. Individual cultural origin

B. How others interpret our action D. The symbol that others give us

_____ 10.George Herbert Mead’s “Me” refers to:

A. The “what do I want”? C.How my internalized view has been created

B. How others interpret our action D. How my personal beliefs affects others

Base on Salvacion Villafuerte’s Assessment Questionnaire p.26 and Faith Medenilla Cuevo’s Understanding the self Test Your
Knowledge Questionnaire p.25

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

ESSAY

Describe some aspects of your self-concept that have been created through social
comparison. Write down your thought and feelings in no less than 300 words.

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Base on Salvacion Villafuerte’s Understanding the Self Essay Activity. p.27

SUMMARY

The classical sociological perspective the self is viewed as a relatively fix set of views of who a person is in
relation to one’s self, other people, and to social systems. Our self is constructed through interaction with other people.
Thus, we are not mere a passive participants in the process of social interaction, rather we have the power to influence
how the process of socialization and its consequences will develop.

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REFERENCES

Alata, E., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, Rex Book Store, Inc. (RBSI), Quezon City
Cuevo, F., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, St. Andrew Publishing House, Bulacan
Johnson, B. (2003), Charles Horton Cooley: Looking Glass Self and the Effect of Primary Group,
www.study.com
Villafuerte, S., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, Nieme Publishing House Co. Ltd.
Quezon City
Wozniak, M. (2018), “I” and “Me”: The Self in the Context of Consciousness, www.frontiersin.org

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STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. _3_

CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

C. ANTHROPOLOGY
MODULE OVERVIEW

Anthropology is the scientific study of humans, human behavior and societies in the past and
present. It focuses on understanding the human condition in its cultural aspect. In general sense,
anthropology is concerned with understanding how human evolved and how they differ from one
another. Anthropology is a very dynamic field and anthropological literature offers several different
definitions about the “self”. This module will tackle about how anthropology relates with the concept
of self.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Explain how culture affects and shapes one’s identity

2. Understand how culture and self are complementary concepts
3. Appreciate the self embedded in culture
4. Develop insights on how to achieve a sense of self, situated in multicultural and dynamic
situations

LEARNING CONTENTS

In most dictionaries, the term “Filipino” is defined as belonging or relating to the Philippines, or to its
people and culture. In the context of citizenship, “ Filipino” simply means membership in a state
nation. In the constitution, a citizen is someone who legally resides in the country. Anthropologically,
however, it is different. To belong to a people is not necessarily implying a legal association to a
country but it entails a responsibility to live and protect the country’s cherished values. To belong
and relate to culture means to adopt, accept, and treasure its entire way of life. Therefore, in order
to be called Filipino, you have to belong to the Filipino people and adopt their culture. In this
perspective, the self must be embedded in the culture.

THE SELF AND THE PERSON IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

What is Anthropology?

Anthropology is the study of all aspects of the human condition. This includes human history, the
present human condition and even future possibilities. Anthropology is also considered as
“the science of humanity,” which studies human beings in aspects ranging from the biology and
evolutionary history of Homo sapiens to the features of society and culture that decisively

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distinguish humans from other animal species.

Anthropology' is less a subject matter than a bond between subject matters. It is part history, part
literature; in part natural science, part social science; it strives to study men both from within and
without; it represents both a manner of looking at man and a vision of man—the most scientific of
the humanities, the most humanist of sciences (Hirst, 2019)

Employing an anthropological perspective, that is perceiving holistically, what could be the answer
to the question, “Who am I?” Anthropology considers human experience as an interplay of “nature’
referring to the genetic inheritance which sets the individual’s potentials, and “nurture” referring to
the sociocultural environment ( Haviland, Prins, Walrath &McBride, 2013). Therefore it could be
understood that both biological and cultural factors have significant influence on the development of
self-awareness among individuals within society. In addition, the field of anthropology has
contributed indirectly to the understanding of nature of self through ethnographic investigations such
as sampling method, sentence completion, interviews etc. which discuss that cultural variations may
affect one’s mental state, language and behaviors. The most important contribution of anthropology
is providing insights into the nature of self based on continuous understanding of the basic elements
of culture.

The Cultural Construction of Self and Identity

Culture is derived from the Latin word “cultura” or “cultus” meaning care or cultivation. Culture is
analogous to caring for an infant. Because an infant has a prolonged dependency, he or she has to
be taken care of by the people around him or her. The infant has to learn from them so he or she
can better adjust while growing up in his or her immediate cultural environment .

Throughout one’s life he or she functions according to the cultural context where he or she is
situated. As one grows old, he or she learns many things about the environment and realizes what
makes him or her different from other people. As an individual interacts with people and makes
sense of how he or she functions in the context of his or her social and cultural background, he or
she learns that he or she has both personal identity (the way he or she sees himself/herself as an
individual) and collective identity (the way he/she sees himself/herself as member of a certain
group).

Identity refers to “who the person is,” or the qualities and traits of an individual that make him/her
different from others. There are many ways to distinguish people. An example Is identifying them in
a geographical context or based on where they come from. People from the West are different from
the people of the East because they are located in opposite sides of the world. Identity also refers to
how a person sees and expresses oneself.

Cultural Identity is self-identification, a sense of belonging to a group that reaffirms itself. It is the
extent to which one is a representative of a given culture behaviorally, communicatively,
psychologically and sociologically. It consists of values, meanings, customs and beliefs used to
relate to the world. It reflects the common historical experiences and shared cultural codes which
give us as one entity a stable, unchanging, continuing frame of reference and meaning.
Cultural identity is dynamic and constantly evolving. It covers the entire life span of a human being
and changes every moment based on social context. It is the constantly shifting understanding of
one’s identity in relation to others. A person might identity himself/herself as Filipino because he/she
embodies Filipino cultural ways and traditions o which he/she has been exposed to while growing
up.

In social anthropology, the concept of identity was used mostly in the context of “ethnic identity”
pointing out the sameness of the self with others, that is to a consciousness of sharing certain
characteristics (e.g. language, cuture etc.) within a group. Identity if understood in a disposition of

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basic personality features acquired mostly during childhood and, once integrated, more or less
fixed. (Sokefeld, 1990). This identity therefore makes a human being a person and an acting
individual.

There are two ways in which the concept of self is viewed in the different societies.
1. Egocentric View. The self is seen as an autonomous and distant individual Each person is
defined as replica of all humanity but capable of acting independently from others.
2. Sociocentric view. The self is contingent on a situation or social setting. This is a view of
the self that is context-dependent which emphasizes that there is no intrinsic self that can
possess enduring qualities.

Forming of Cultural Identity

Cultural identity is negotiated, co-created and reinforced in communication with others when we
socially interact. They are manifestations of social reality – reflect on our unique personal life history
and experience.  Forming a cultural identity involves making choices about the cultures one
identifies with and deciding to join the cultural community to which one belongs.  Beliefs and
practices of one or more communities can also be adapted.

One’s identity is not inborn, it is something people continuously develop in life. For instance, rites of
passage usually involve ritual activities to prepare individuals for new roles from one stage of life to
another such as birth, puberty, marriage having children, and death. Arnold van Gennep believes
that changes in one’s status and identity are marked by three-phased rite of passage: separation,
liminality and incorporation.
1. Separation phase. People detach from their former identity to another. Examples is in a
wedding where the bride walking down the aisle to be “given away” by the parents to the
groom implies the separation from one’s family to become part of a new one.
2. Liminality phase. A person transitions from one identity to another. Example, the
wedding ceremony itself is the process of transition of the bride and groom from
singlehood to married life.
3. Incorporation phase. The change in one’s status is officially incorporated. Example, the
wedding reception and parties that celebrate the wedding serve as the marker that
officially recognize the bride and groom’s change towards being husband and wife.

Properties of Cultural Identity

Jane Collier and Milt Thomas combined the ethnography of communication and social construction
in order to frame the properties of cultural identity. These properties refer to the manner in which
members of a group communicates their identity.

1. Avowal and Ascription. These two concepts deal with what constructs or produces the cultural
identity and the ways in which these identities are communicated. Avowal is how one articulates or
expresses his/her views about group identity. It is how one presents oneself to another. Ascription is
how others perceive an individual. It is how one refers to others. This may include stereotypes.
Eg.How Asians are viewed by Europeans.

Our identity is constructed as a result of how others view us and how we view ourselves. Therefore
both avowal and ascription are important. Eg.Insiders describe their culture different from how it is
perceived by others. Avowed qualities versus ascribe qualities leads to conflict but resolutions
depends on the status position of group members.

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2. Modes of Expression. The use of core symbols (expressions of a group’s cultural beliefs and
theories about the world around them), names, labels and norms (expected standard of behavior)
that a cultural community share and follow in order to show that they belong to a particular group,
demonstrates shared identity. Collier found out that there were some similarities in cultural norms
for members of each ethnic group and there are within group differences with regard to gender and
nature of relationship.

3. Individual, Relational and Communal Identity. There are three components to cultural identity.
Individual refers to how an individual interprets his cultural identity based on his experiences.
Relational refers to how individuals interact with one and another (what is the appropriate behavior)
and communal identity is the use of communication in the creation, affirmation and negotiation of
shared identity. The actions and interactions of the group, their communal practices reflect the
identity of the group. Researchers can identify or study cultural identity in a group by observing
everyday situations, communal activities, rituals, holiday celebrations.

4. Enduring and Changing Aspects of Identity. The cultural identity changes due to several
factors which are social, political, economic and contextual.

5. Affective, Cognitive and Behavioral Aspects of Identity. This refers to emotions fully attached
to cultural identity in particular situations.

6. Content and Relationship Levels . This refers to the interaction between two or more
individuals. The message exchange carries information/content. The participants of the
conversation interpret the choice and meanings of the words based on their experiences. The
interactions also show the relational level based on how a person delivers the message. This level
of a message implies a cultural interpretation of who is in control, their levels of closeness, what
they feel about each other, level of trust, etc.

7. Salience or Prominence. This is the degree to which an identity is demonstrated in a situation

and refers to how much a person’s cultural identity stands out and attracts attention. This is
influenced by the extent of similarity or difference between two individuals. The intensity differs
depending on context, situation topic and relationship. Prominence shows a strong
investment/involvement in an identity.

THE SELF EMBEDDED IN CULTURE

There are statements that people make, that constitute the self, such as attitude ( I like dancing),
beliefs (I think that we should recycle to help our nature), intentions ( I plan to review tonight), norms
( people should behave this way), and values ( I believe everyone should treat each other equally).
These statements can either be shared or universal and heavily influenced by culture, either group’s
subjective culture or culture specific. For instance, such aspects are shared by people who speak a
common language and who are able to interact because they live in adjacent locations during the
same historical period; we refer to this as cultural group’s subjective culture. On the other hand,
some aspects of the self may be universal such as “I am hungry”, which has the same worldwide
across time. Other elements are culture specific. For instance, the statement “ My soul will be
reincarnated” is culture specific; it means people depend on particular mythology-religion or
worldview.

The claim of the self as embedded in culture can only be embraced when the self recognizes its
relation to everything. The complexity of culture identities of people, things, and events shall be
recognized and respected by the self. The individual must remain reflective of the similarities and
unique differences of everything around it. This shows that the self should not maintain the

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individualistic, independent and autonomous entity but that the self should be able to maintain his or
her solid culturally reflexive identity in relation to everything and everyone else.

Clifford Geertz (1973) an American Anthropologist, offers the reformulation of the concept of culture
which favors a symbolic interpretative model of culture. He defines culture as a system of inherited
conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which people communicate, perpetuate and
develop their knowledge about and attitudes towards life. Further he proposes that humans give
meanings to their experiences so that order in the world can be established. The concept of culture
has its impact on the concept of man. In his attempt to illustrate this accurate image of man, Geertz
suggest two important ideas: (1.) Culture should not be perceived only as “complexes of concrete
behavior patterns – customs, usages, traditions, habit clusters- for the governing behaviour, and.
(2.) Man is precisely the animal most desperately dependent upon such extragenetic, outside-the-
skin control mechanisms, such cultural programs, for ordering his behavior.” Therefore, man is
defined by his genetic potentials shaped into actual accomplishments which is made possible by
culture. Geertz also emphasizes that human nature is interdependent with culture, “Without men, no
culture certainly; but equally, and more significantly, without culture, no men.”

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

Research Work

Make a research on at least five regional cultures within the Philippines and compare these cultures
with the culture that is being practiced in your community.

SUMMARY

Anything that our past self has done, our present self can do better. Some cultures die and some
live forever; and these have greatly influenced our self-identity. As social beings, we constantly
adjust to the changes the society
Is undergoing. Understanding culture, the evolution of man, is significant in trying to answer the
most difficult question “Who am I?”. Contemporary anthropological perspectives would strongly
claim that without culture there would be no men. Culture molds much of human behavior , and
individual variations are permitted and tolerated only within limits set by society. Even when a
person rejects his society, he does so in culturally accepted ways.

REFERENCES

Corpuz, R., Estoque, R., Tabotabo, C., Understanding the Self. C & E. Publishing, 2019.
Degho, S., Degho, G., De Claro, LJ., Lejano, J., Understanding the Self. Mutya Publishing House, 2018.

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Monilla, MA., Ramirez, N., Understanding the Self. C.& E Publishing, 2018.
Villafuerte, S. Quillope, A., Tunas, R., Borja, E. Understanding the Self. Nieme Publishing House Co. Ltd.
2018.
https://www.communicationtheory.org/cultural-identity-theory/

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. ___ 4

CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

D. PSYCHOLOGY
MODULE OVERVIEW

The psychology of self studies either the cognitive or affective representation of one’s
identity, or the subject of experience.this module provides an overview of the themes some theories
that is related to the development of individual’s self concept.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the different psychological theories in
the study of the self;
2. Expound the self as a cognitive construction;
3. Examine the self as proactive and agentic.

LEARNING CONTENTS (title of the subsection)

I. William James and the Me-Self, I-Self

William James (1890) distinguished two understanding of the self represented by the self as
“Me”, and the self as “I”. The former corresponds to the self as an object of experience (self as
object) or the self as known, the latter refers to the self as a subject of experience (self as subject)
or the self as knower that is considered to be pure ego and the consciousness itself.

In James view, “Me” reflects “all things” which have the power to produce excitement of a
certain particular source, an experiential quality of me-ness, mine-ness, and some similar form, and
is consist with three components, material, social, spiritual.

The material self as according to James, is the component of “Me” that we tend to be most
affected with, as we invest our selves within these things such as clothes, family, and home.

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Man’s social self is assembled based on our interactions with the society and the reactions
of others that are analyzed in order to contribute to our idea of a social self. Thus, actions
manifested by people will depend on the social situation they are interacting with. With the diverse
social situations that an individual may encounter and participate with, it is then assumed that one
may manifest number of selves depending on a situation.

The spiritual self is said by James to be the most intimate self. It is who we are at our core
and something that is permanent: personality, core values, conscience, etc. James considered the
spiritual self to be the most intimate version because the satisfaction experienced when one thinks
of his / her “ability to argue and discriminate, of one’s moral sensibility, and conscience, of one’s
indomitable will” (James 1890, 164) is more pure than other sentiments of satisfaction.

II. Real and Ideal Self Concept

Karen Horney believed that people experiences anxiety, and by such experience that they
develop strategies to be able to reduce and cope with the anxiety. Thus, people tend to create an
idealized self - an imaginary picture of self having an unlimited power or qualities which the actual
self - who we actually are, has failed to fulfill. Underlying both the idealized and actual self is the
real self, which is revealed only when a person starts to find ways to deal and resolve anxiety and
conflicts.
With Carl Rogers belief, humans have one basic motive, that is to be self actualized. To
achieved such motive, individual’s real self (actual behavior) and ideal self (i.e. who you would like
to become) must be in a state of congruence. When the environment is right, one may reach his /
her full potential. People, according to Rogers, are inherently good and creative, it is only when poor
self concept overriding the valuing process that they become destructive. Such that, when gaps
between the real and ideal self exist that unhealthy personality arises.

III. True versus False Selves

Donald W. Winnicott explained his theory about the True Self (the unshaped you) and the
False Self in the paper he wrote in 1960. As he expounded, false self may develop to protect the
inner, and more vulnerable true self. When a child is reared in an environment with supportive
caretakers and whose needs are satisfied then true self may develop. Hence, there are instances
that the environment does have no enough resources to gratify the needs of the child for certain
reasons. In this situation, a child may feel that his / her truest needs is unacceptable, becoming
unconsciously compliant and adjust his / her behavior. A false self may at times appear to be
Healthy False Self - that is becoming compliant but without the feeling that the true self is
betrayed, and at times Unhealthy False Self - the which promotes the feeling of being forced to
comply with the demands of a situation.

IV. Self as Proactive and Agentic

People as viewed by the Social Cognitive Theory, are capable of controlling their own lives.
They are proactive, and reflective, and influential to their own actions to produce desired
consequences. The agent self resides over everything that involves decision making, self-control,
taking charge in situations, and actively responding. As such, people has the power to choose
which option is to be selected, or what action is to be done. Our capacity to distinguish those that
we are capable of accomplishing, and those that are not describes the quality of self-efficacy a
person has. Some may manifest with high self efficacy, and some will be associated with low self
efficacy.

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LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

ESSAY

Which among the theories of the “Self” as cognitive Construction, explains best your
personality dynamics? Write down your thoughts and feelings in no less than 300 words.

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Base on Salvacion Villafuerte’s Understanding the Self Essay Activity. p.50

SUMMARY

The representation of one’s identity come in the cognitive and affective aspect of an
individual. Currently, psychology views the self as playing an integral part in the motivation of
people’s rational, affective, and social identity. The self then, has various feature that help make up
integral part of it, like awareness and knowledge of the self to which people are capable to modify to
obtain social acceptance.

REFERENCES

Alata, E., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, Rex Book Store, Inc. (RBSI), Quezon City
Aldana, C. (2018), Psychological Perspective of the Self, https://prezi.com
Cuevo, F., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, St. Andrew Publishing House, Bulacan
Villafuerte, S., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, Nieme Publishing House Co. Ltd.
Quezon City
Wozniak, M.(2020), “I” and “Me”: The Self in the Context of Consciousness, www.frontiersin.org,
retrieved August 16, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A02Ucd6monY

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STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. ___ 5

CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

E. THE SELF IN WESTERN AND ORIENTAL / EASTERN
THOUGHTS
MODULE OVERVIEW

As an Asian people, Filipinos tend to be having the mentality that western people are far more
superior than those of the eastern. This may be a result of the colonial mentality instilled to us
during the colonial era. But just as like we appreciate things that is associated to western country,
they too appreciates whats in the eastern. While we appreciate burgers and hotdogs, they too
appreciates adobo and sinigang.

From the above mentioned premises, one can tell that it is not only the eastern people who adore
others culture and traditions, the western loves eastern culture. Equally, both have rich cultures. We
always have been oriented the teachings of the western philosophers, but on the other hand
eastern has equally intelligent philosophers.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Distinguish the eastern from the western construct of the self;

2. Differentiate the individualistic self from the collective self;
2. Explain the spirituality and philosophy of Confucius.

LEARNING CONTENTS

I. Individualistic vs. Collective Self

In ancient times, Plato notion of reality is dual, soul leaves the body and the body may be
thrown on oblivion. Descartes on the other hand is on the same stand with Aristotle’s Hylemorphic
Theory believing that man comprises matter (body) and form (soul) which are equally important and
that the two must exist and dependent with each other. The difference comes with the discussion of

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Descartes that the body gathers information through our senses and one’s reason processes all the
information, making sense with the experiences of the body.

To solve the issue of the duality of the self, Descartes fused the body and soul as residing in
a person’s pineal gland. Although western thought stands to make the psyche collective, its nature
is still dual. Such duality becomes the reason why one strives for the perfection of self. Such that,
when we study and achieved a good future and eventually achieved this, then we can say that
perfection of the soul is achieved. But if one fails to attain what the soul strives to become, then the
self is wasted, as the ideals of the soul is to achieve the ultimate goodness (arete)

The eastern thoughts also wants to attain perfection of the self through meditation and
enlightenment, hence, the “dualism” matters is not an issue. For the eastern, people only possess a
“One Self” and has no separation of the body and soul. The self in the oriental thought is collective,
while on the other hand, the self for the western people is individualistic.

II. The Self According to Buddhism

Buddhism philosophy believes that the religion is a way of life and to live a moral life, to
be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and to develop wisdom and understanding is
its main teaching.

The Four Noble Truth and Eight Fold Paths as thought by the religion reminds people that
life should not focused on pleasure, instead should be lived in contemplation. In addition, the nature
and purpose of man is described through the major teaching:

The Four Noble Truth

1. Life is suffering. Life does not solely offer the kind of living a person sees it to be. Attached
with the pleasures is the reality that sufferings are included in life and can not be avoided.
2. Suffering is caused by craving and aversion. Lack of contentment results to suffering.
Human needs are never ending, and getting what one wants does not guarantee happiness.
Thus, to attain happiness, wants should be modified.
3. Suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained. When one learns to live
each day at a time and is able to give up unnecessary cravings, then man can possibly attain
happiness and freedom.
4. Eight Fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering. Being moral, being fully
aware of thoughts and action, developing wisdom by understanding the 4 Noble Truth , and
developing compassion for other will lead to the end of suffering.

III. The Self According to Confucianism

Confucius philosophy of life stand with the idea that life is a living reality, a blessing, a
natural priceless right and opportunity to be with others to work together for common good to attain
happiness. Thus, the threat for social order is selfishness. In the Confucian philosophy, the principle
of ren characterized the self possessing compassion for others. The self for Confucius is the person
within the society who exhibit refinement and compassion (Junzi). Such principle connotes that this
new self or Junzi is formed through education under the virtuous teacher as the role model.

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LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

WORD HUNT

Name: ___________________________ Course/Year/Section: ___________ Date: _______

Direction: Identify the concept that is being described below. Encircle the words either vertically, horizontally,
or diagonally.

L I F E I S S U F F E R I N G

P L A T O R Y L E G D X B K I

C O N F U C I U S O U L U M B

C I T S I L A U D I V I D N I

E M A C S E T R A C S E D D O

P I Q O I J U N Z I I E H B L

D N R L P H A S E N N K I X O

W I M L I M P B E R D C S F G

H U M E N T O R Y S I O M R Y

E T S C E R A M O R A L I E S

U E Q T A U H E X M I N D U A

M F W I L S D M I F E O U D R

S B P V E T D O N W X L R P E

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T R U E Y O U R E A L T Y E T

F O U R N O B L E T R U T H E

1. Theory stating the man comprises matter and form.

2. Word pertaining to the soul’s ideals of achieving the ultimate goodness.
3. The philosopher who believed in the dualism of reality.
4. The philosopher who believed that life is a living reality, a blessing, a natural priceless right and opportunity
to be others.
5. Religion whose main teaching is to live a moral life, to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and to
develop wisdom and understanding.
6. The teaching of Buddhism reminding people that life should not focused on pleasure, instead should be
lived in contemplation
7. The teaching in the Four Noble Truth which reminds people that life does not only include pleasure but
sufferings as well.
8. The principle in Confucian philosophy that characterized the self as having the capacity to show
compassion for others.
9. The self in the eastern / oriental thought is considered to be ___________
The self in the western thought is considered to be ___________
ARNING CONTENTS (title of the subsection

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY

Name: ___________________________ Course/Year/Section: ___________ Date: _______

Direction: Write your own reflection by answering the questions provided after the story.

One day, a very wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country for the sole purpose of showing his
son how it was to be poor.They spent a few days and nights on the farm on the farm of what would be
considered a very poor family.

After their return from the trip, the father asked his son how he liked the trip. “It was great, Dad,” the son
replied. “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “oh Yeah,” said the son. “So what did you
learned from the trip?” asked the father. The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that have no end. We have
imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they
have the whole horizon.

 In relation to the philosophies of Buddha and Confucius about life, what does this story tell you?

 What have you learned about life after reading the story?

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 Which among the Four Noble Truth of Buddha would best describe the essence of the above story?
Explain why?

 What do you think would be the best title for the story? Explain you title?

Based on Faith Medenilla Cueva, et.al, Round-Up Your Learning Questionnaire

SUMMARY

Differentiating the individualistic approach of the western culture in terms of viewing the self, the
eastern philosophy is particularly focused on the process of the universe and the endless becoming.
Unlike the neglect on how the eastern philosophers stand on the concept of self or of any other
principles, connections between the east and west at present times have already bridged, by a large
extent, the gap among the cultures.

REFERENCES

Alata, E., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, Rex Book Store, Inc. (RBSI), Quezon City
Cuevo, F., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, St. Andrew Publishing House, Bulacan
Villafuerte, S., et. al. (2018), Understanding the Self, Nieme Publishing House Co. Ltd.
Quezon City

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STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. _6_

CHAPTER II: UNPACKING THE SELF

A. THE PHYSICAL SELF
MODULE OVERVIEW

This module tackles on the Physical aspect of the Self. It presents the impact of the bodily parts on
the development of the physical self and its effect on body image and self-esteem. There is no
concrete definition as to who is beautiful, hence, every part of the world has its own concept of what
beauty is like a tattooed face, full-figure, long neck, or even a lotus feet.
This recent times, much of what people consider as beautiful is all because of the influence of
media, the glassy fair even-toned skin splashed on giant billboards, the washboard abs of men seen
on the pages of magazines and the long and slender frame of women on television commercials
become a basis of a beautiful physical self-nowadays.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Identify and reflect on the different forces and institutions that impact the development of the
physical self.
2. Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in integrating the various aspects of self and
identity.
3. Understand the different cultural perspective about beauty.
4. Recognize the role of media on the understanding of beauty and self-esteem and its
influence on body image satisfaction.
5. Appreciate one’s physical beauty.

LEARNING CONTENTS

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As globalization arises, we watch and celebrate with both awe and disappointment the many people
who are famous because of their body change and modifications. Fat people want to become slim,
white people bake under the sun to get a darker skin tone, not to mention LGBTs who even want to
change their inner organs such as famous celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner and Jazz Jennings. The
younger generation admire the courage of these people who are so brave to show who they really
are, but some lambaste their decisions.

Why do you think people would want to spend a great sum of money, go to a great length and
endure physical pain just to change a part of their physical self? Obviously, these people would
want to look better, so they adhere to what they believe is the standard of what is beautiful or
handsome. Through the efforts that they take, they believe that this will boost their self-esteem and
increase acceptance by other people.

THE SELF AS IMPACTED BY THE BODY

Physical Self refers to the body, this marvelous container and complex, finely tuned, machine with
which we interface with our environment and fellow beings. The Physical Self is the concrete
dimension, the tangible aspect of the person that can be directly observed and examined.

The physical self is defined by the physical characteristics that are visible. These characteristics are
the defining traits and features of the body. Sex, height, weight, complexion, hair and facial features

are among the common, physical features identified when one is asked to describe another person.
One’s gender is first mentioned, whether one is a male or female, then he or she is described to be
either tall, short, or average in terms of height. A person can either be thin, fat or average and light,
dark, fair or anything in between in terms of complexion. One can have a brown, black or blonde
hair which can either be long, short , straight, curly, frizzy or he or she may even be bald. One’s
nose can either be flat or pointed; one’s eyes can be almond-shaped, hooded, deep-set, round,
downturned or chinky.

The physical aspect of the self does not include characteristics that are internal to the self-such as
kindness, generosity, loyalty, obedience and other similar qualities.

THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BODY IMAGE AND BEAUTY

When is a person considered beautiful? What is the socially accepted standard of beauty? Usually,
only the physical features such as the face and body figure are considered as the bases of beauty.

The cultural implications of beauty are prominent in every culture and have a strong influence on the
way men and women are perceived. Across the world, different cultural perceptions uphold an ideal
of beauty that is linked to sexual appeal and social status. The purpose of beauty is the feeling and
consequences from being beautiful. In ancient cultures, according to Julian Robinson, "the
enhancement and beautifying of the human form by various means appeared to be an inborn
human trait-an essential part of our genetic makeup and an expression of our psyche."

Both genders are aware of the societal need to embellish them, in order achieve something that is
closer to the ideal. People have endured some sort of process to beautify ourselves, and in each
culture the process varies. Robinson makes a valid point, that "human beauty is an expression of
this inventive and aesthetic nature, a reflection of our inner sprit, a biological imperative sculpted
into our soul by some seemingly godlike life force, about which we can do little except accept its
reality and validity."

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THE CONCEPT OF BEAUTY IN DIFFERENT CULTURES

"Beauty is not one's own, but a reflection of one's culture."

Across the globe, few people have difficulty recognizing someone who is considered beautiful.
Beauty is often sought after, revered, and sometimes interpreted as a personal virtue. Standards of
beauty are usually social markers determining cultural status, social acceptance and suitability as a
mate. However, beauty remains an elusive notion. Scientists continue to study the biological and
anthropological factors behind physical attractiveness, while advertisers continue to employ ideals
of beauty to sell products. Countless people continue their quests to become or remain beautiful to
receive the benefits society offers for beauty. A physical aesthetic has remained constant over time
throughout the diverse cultures of the world. In this sense, beauty has been regarded as a reflection
of health, vitality, sexual allure and social appeal. Although the specifics of what makes someone
beautiful can differ across countries, cultures and communities, the concept of beauty has existed
for as long as there have been people.

In the Philippines, we see our standard of beauty everywhere, in magazines, televisions and
billboard ads. Just as we have a unique cultural perception of beauty, so do other cultures and
peoples.

1. Face Tattoos

Tattooing the chin and lips of Māori women of New Zealand is

considered beautiful. Tattooing the chin and lips of Māori women of
New Zealand is considered beautiful. This tradition has been around for
centuries, and consists of patterns called Ta-Mako in black or dark blue
ink on the woman’s face. Ta-Mako tattoos are also a public declaration
of one’s membership in the Māori tribe. This tradition has been around
for centuries, and consists of patterns called Ta-Mako in black or dark
blue ink on the woman’s face. Ta-Mako tattoos are also a public
declaration of one’s membership in the Māori tribe.

2. Decorated Skin

Instead of accessorizing with extravagant jewelry, women in India turn to

nose rings, bindis and henna to make themselves more attractive for
festivals and celebrations, like weddings. Brides in particular will often wear
a dot of red powder on the face known as akumkum to look more beautiful.

3. Long Earlobes

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To the Masai tribe of Kenya, long, stretched earlobes are the ideal for both men and women. They
are known to shave their heads and use everything from elephant tusks to twigs to pierce and
stretch their lobes to become more attractive

4. Long Necks

Long, giraffe-like necks are the ultimate sign of beauty and female
elegance to the Kayan tribe. At 5 years old, Kayan women start priming
their necks with heavy brass rings. Each year, more coils are added,
pushing down their shoulders and creating the effect of a longer neck. The
rings in this centuries-old ritual can weigh up the 22 pounds.

5. Pale Skin
Women in many Asian countries avoid the sun at all costs simply
because pale skin is the ultimate sign of beauty and desirability.
Contrary to Western culture, where ladies are keen to get a tan
during the summer, tan is the least popular color – especially in
Korea. This is why a lot of women can be spotted wearing hats with
abnormally large visors that can protect their entire faces from the
sun.  Apart from covering their faces, Korean women cover their
bodies from head to toe, too – even in the hottest months, in order to
keep their skin from tanning. Skin-whitening creams are also a major
hit in this country, and women tend to spend a great deal of money
on such skincare products that can result in an even paler
complexion.

6. Full Figures

In Mauritania, females with full figures are considered

incredibly beautiful, and think women are considered
physically undesirable. Mauritanian parents will even send
their girls to “Fat camps,” where the girls would eat up to
16,000 calories a day to prepare for marriage. On top of that,
stretch marks are considered a bonus, and even more
beautiful.

7. Body Scars

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Scarification of the body is a practice, specifically among

populations with dark skin too dark to show tattoos. The Karo tribe
of Ethiopia scar men and women’s torsos and chests to assert
social status. Men’s scars mark the number of enemies killed in
battles, while women’s scars represent sensuality and appeal.
Although less practiced today, some indigenous groups with little
contact with the modern world continue these kinds of beauty
rituals. 

8. Lip Plates

Suri people of Ethiopia find beauty represented in women’s lip

plates. When a girl reaches puberty, her bottom teeth are removed
to make way for a piercing in the lower lip. Once the piercing is in
place, the lip is stretched around a clay plate. When it is time to
find a husband, this lip plate guides the dowry process. Plates are
seen as both a sign of beauty and a measure of a woman’s value
in cattle. Larger plates signal a more valuable and desired woman.

9. Foot Binding
Despite being ban in the 1940’s, foot binding was a
huge part of Chinese culture. The process of foot
binding included breaking all of the toes and bending
them backwards against of the sole of the foot, and
then binding them in place with a tight fabric wrapping.
The result was small and petite feet which is considered
highly attractive in China.

10. Monobrows

While Filipino women always want their brows to be on fleek by plucking

or shaving, the women of Tajikistan embrace their natural eyebrows, and
will even draw on them to make it appear that they have a monobrow. I
guess monobrows are in style in Tajikistan.

THE INFLUENCE OF MEDIA ON THE ADOLESCENT’S UNDERSTANDING OF BEAUTY

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Today's young people are bombarded by thousands of advertising messages a day. These come
not only via television and magazines but also websites, blogs, social media, music videos, films,
and even smartphones.
The way that people are portrayed in this advertising – both the words and the pictures – has a big
impact on the way adolescents view themselves and who they aspire to be.
The mass media play a critical role in people’s self‐image by informing and reflecting what people
consider to be beautiful or attractive. One of the ways in which they do so is through the common
use of very thin and attractive models in print and other media, often termed the ‘thin ideal’, which
communicate the way that people believe they should look in order to be attractive and desirable to
others. There are different aspects of appearance about which the media can convey beauty ideals,
including hair, skin, and facial features.
The media has increasingly become a platform that reinforces cultural beliefs and projects strong
views on how we should look, that we as individuals often unknowingly or knowingly validate and
perpetuate.

The more we look at perfect images of others and then look to find those same idealized
characteristics in ourselves and don’t find them, the worse we feel about ourselves. It’s a cycle that
breeds discontent. With such strong societal scrutiny, it’s easy to see how the focus on how we look
can slide into the dark side – negative body image. Body image is a multidimensional construct that
refers to one’s perception of and attitudes about the size and shape of one’s body. It has both a
perceptual component that refers to how we see our body size, shape, weight, physical

characteristics, performance, and movement, and an evaluative component, which refers to how
we feel about these attributes and how those feelings influence our behaviors. Body dissatisfaction
is experienced when one perceives that their body falls short of the societal ideal in terms of size
and/or shape, regardless of a person’s objective size or shape. In other words, body dissatisfaction
is influenced not only by how we interpret societal ideals, but by how we perceive ourselves.
Therefore, body dissatisfaction and perceptions of beauty are inextricably linked. Body
dissatisfaction is the number one risk factor for a number of unhealthy behaviors, including eating
disorders and chronic dieting. 

The connection between images of women in the media and

low self-esteem in girls

Constant reinforcement of the “perfect” woman in the media directly impacts girls’ body
confidence.  Body Image Opens in new window🔗 research found that looking at magazines
for just 60 minutes lowers self-esteem in over 80% of girls
BODY IMAGE AND SELF ESTEEM

Self-esteem is all about how much you feel you are worth — and how much you feel other people
value you. It is how you value and respect yourself as a person. Self-esteem affects how you take
care of yourself, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Body image is how you view your physical self — including whether you feel you are attractive and
whether others like your looks. 

Body image and self-esteem directly influence one another. When you have healthy body image,
you feel comfortable about your body and know how to care for it.

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Body image is an increasingly important topic in this day and age. Today’s society displays
immense pressures to be thin, fit, and beautiful. Images of waif-like models are splashed across
television and theater screens and in magazines, sending a message that success, happiness, and
belonging only come with unattainable beauty. The constant measures of thinness and beauty lead
people to scrutinize their own appearance as well as those around them, usually resulting in viewing
their own bodies harsher than reality.

How people view themselves, or their body image, can vastly affect their self-esteem, or overall
feeling of worth. According to Jung and Lee (2006), the lower or more negative one’s body image,
the lower his or her self-esteem. In addition, the more optimistically one feels about his or her
appearance, the more optimistically he or she will feel about him or herself overall.

An interesting component of body image is that studies show peoples’ image of their body is not a
reflection of their actual weight, but instead how they perceive their body as a whole It is this
perception of appearance that leads to their body image, and subsequently, their self-esteem. In
addition, there is often incongruence between one’s perceptions of his or her body and his or her
ideal figure. The greater the incongruence, the more likely a person is to have lower self-esteem.

Inapi, Binully, Nagparetoke. A tale of plastic surgery :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhlSovnc-Wk

How do I know if I have a healthy body image and self-esteem?

 You see and think of yourself as a whole person, not a collection of specific body parts.
 You accept and celebrate the uniqueness of your natural body shape and size.
 You understand that a person’s physical appearance says very little about their character and value as a
person.
 You feel comfortable and confident in your body, and avoid worrying about food, weight, and counting calories.

It’s important to remember that each body is unique. Everyone’s family background and environment influence their size
and weight differently. There’s no such thing as a “one size fits all” body type that’s right for everyone.

When you feel good about yourself and who you are, you stand tall and naturally carry yourself with a sense
of confidence and self-acceptance that makes you beautiful and attractive regardless of your weight, size, or
shape.

Here are a few other things that you can try to increase your self-esteem:

 Make a list of the stuff you’re good at. It can be anything from drawing or singing to
playing a sport or telling a good joke. If you’re having trouble with your list, ask your mom or
dad to help you with it. Then add a few things to the list that you’d like to be good at. Your
mom or dad can help you plan a way to work on those skills or talents.

 Give yourself three compliments every day. Don’t just say, “I’m so great.” Be specific
about something good about yourself, like, “I was a good friend to Jill today” or “I did better on
that test than I thought I would.” While you’re at it, before you go to bed every night, list three
things in your day that really made you happy or that you feel thankful for.

 Remember that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size, or color it is.  If
you are worried about your weight or size, you can check with your doctor to make sure

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you’re healthy. Remind yourself of things about your body that are cool, like, “My legs are
strong and I can skate really well.”

 Remember that there are things about yourself you can’t change. You should accept
and love these things — such as skin color and shoe size — because they are part of you.

 When you hear negative comments in your head, tell yourself to stop. Remind
yourself of things you’re good at and if you can’t think of anything, ask someone else! You
can also learn a new skill (for example, calligraphy, dance, a musical instrument) so you can
feel good about that!

By focusing on the good things, you do and all your great qualities, you learn to love and accept
yourself — the main ingredients for strong self-esteem! Even if you’ve got room for improvement
(and who doesn’t?), knowing what you’re good at and that you’re valuable and special to the
people that care about you can really help you deal with growing up.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

Activity 1. Reflection

Beautiful by Christina Aguilera

Don't look at me No matter what we do
Every day is so wonderful No matter what we say
Then suddenly it's hard to breathe. We're the song inside the tune
Now and then I get insecure Full of beautiful mistakes
From all the pain, I'm so ashamed. And everywhere we go
The sun will always shine
I am beautiful no matter what they say. And tomorrow we might wake on the other side
Words can't bring me down.
I am beautiful in every single way. We are beautiful no matter what they say
Yes, words can't bring me down... Oh no. Yes, words won't bring us down, no, no
So don't you bring me down today. We are beautiful in every single way
To all your friends you're delirious, Yes, words can't bring us down, oh, no
So consumed in all your doom. So don't you bring me down today
Trying hard to fill the emptiness. Oh, yeah, don't you bring me down today, yeah, ooh
The pieces gone, left the puzzle undone. Don't you bring me down ooh... today
is that the way it is?

You are beautiful no matter what they say

Words can't bring you down....oh no
You are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring you down, oh, no
So don't you bring me down today...

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Reflect on the lyrics of the song and cite a line that has an impact to you and explain.

_______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

Self-Esteem Sentence Completion

My friends say I’m great at _______________________________________________

Something I am really proud of is __________________________________________

One thing unique about me is ______________________________________________

My friends think I’m awesome because _______________________________________

I like who I am because_____________________________________________________.

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SUMMARY

Undeniably, our physical self is such a marvelous creation. It is one of the core aspects of who we
are as individuals. Having an in-depth understanding of the physical self will help us answer the
most difficult question, “Who Am I”. It is in fact that our physical appearance, our face and our body
shape greatly influence how we perceive others and ourselves. Every culture has its standard
metrics of beauty and the negative effects on people who cannot cope up with the metrics are very
alarming. It is vital for us to show appreciation of our own physical bodies by constantly respecting
and accepting our body image.

REFERENCES

Arcega, A., Cullar, D., Evangelista, L., Falculan, L. Understanding the Self. Mutya Publishing House, 2018.
Corpuz,R., Estoque R. Tabotabo, C. Understanding the Self. C & E Publishing, 2019.
Cuevo, FM, De Guzman, D., Larioque, R., Tapadera, M., Understanding the Self. St. Andrew Publishing, 2018
https://erietigertimes.com/1907/world/different-cultures-definitions-of-beauty/
http://www.drsunaina.com/blog/how-culture-influences-beauty/
http://roughdraft.eu/concept-beauty-different-cultures/

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