UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

CHAPTER II
UNPACKING THE SELF

UNIT 1: Physical Self: The Beautiful Me

From childhood, we are controlled by our genetic makeup, i.e, sex chromosomes. It
also influences the way we treat ourselves and others. On the contrary, there are
individuals who DO NOT ACCEPTS their INNATE SEXUAL characteristics
and they actually tend to change their sexual organs through medications
and surgery. In addition, external environment helps shapes us. In this lesson, we are
going to explore the development of our sexual characteristics and behavior.

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Determine the condition of your physical self
2. Classify the physiological needs of the self in each stage of life
3. Identify the forces and institutions that impact the development of the various
aspects of identity and the self
4. Explain the importance of good health

LESSON PROPER
Marieb, E.N. (2001) explains that the gonads begin to form until about the eight
week of embryonic development. The embryonic structures of males and females
during the early stages of human development are alike and are said to be in
indifferent stage. When the reproductive structures are formed development of the
accessory structures and external genitalia begins.

Beginning of Life
*Life begins at fertilization
✓ It refers to the meeting of the female sex cell and the male sex cell. These sex
cells are developed in the reproductive organs called;

“Gonads”
>The male sex cell called spermatozoa is produced in the male gonads called
testes
>On the other hand, the female sex cells called ova are produced in the female
gonads known ovaries
>The fertilized egg cell known as a zygote *contains all the hereditary potentials
from the parents. This zygote goes to the uterus and continues to grow during the
gestation period of about 280 days or 36 weeks or 9 calendar months.

Both male and female chromosomes contain several thousands of genes, called
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which is the code of heredity. Maturation is the
unfolding of the inherent traits.

Human Development
The formation of male or female structures depends on the presence of testosterone (a
substance called hormone that occurs naturally in men and male animals). The
embryonic testes release testosterone once formed and the formation of the duct
system and external genitalia follows. The same with female embryos that form
ovaries, it will cause the development of the female ducts and external genitalia
since testosterone hormone is not produce.
1) Pseudo Hermaphrodites are formed who is individuals having accessory
reproductive structures that do not “match” their gonads while;

2) True Hermaphrodites are individuals who possess both ovarian and testicular
tissues but this condition is rare in nature. Nowadays, many pseudo-hermaphrodites
undergo sex change operations to have their outer selves fit with their inner selves
(gonads).

Human Anatomy
Puberty is the period of life when the reproductive organs grow to their adult size and
become functional under the influence of rising levels of gonadal hormones
[testosterone in males and estrogen in females] and generally between the age of
10-15 years old.

At the age of 13, male puberty is characterized by the increase in the size of the
reproductive organs followed by the appearance of hair in the pubic area, axillary,
and face. The reproductive organs continue to grow for two years until sexual
maturation marked by the presence of mature semen in the testes.

For the female, the budding of their breasts usually occurs at the age of 11 as a
sign of their puberty stage. Menarche is the first menstrual period of females
which happens two years after the start of puberty. Hormones play an important
role in the regulation of ovulation and fertility of females.

Factors in the Development of the Physical Self

The development of the individual is caused by two (2) interacting forces:

1) Heredity “nature”
is the transmission of traits from parents to offspring it provides the raw materials of
which the individual is made up.

2) Environment “nurture”
is the sum total of the forces or experiences that a person undergoes from conception to
old age. It includes family, friends, school, nutrition, and other agencies one is in contact
with.
Diseases associated with the reproductive systems
1) Infections are the most common problems associated with the reproductive system
in adults.

2) Vaginal Infections are more common in young and elderly women and those whose
resistance to diseases is low, like, Escherichia coli which spread through the digestive
tract, the sexually transmitted microorganisms such as syphilis, gonorrhea and herpes
virus and yeast fungus.

3) Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Sterility are also the effect of vaginal infections.
For males, the most common inflammatory conditions are prostatitis, urethritis, and
epididymitis, STD, Orchiditis.

Major threat to reproductive organs are Neoplasms, tumor of the breast and
cervix cancers in adult females and prostates cancer in adult males.
Most women hit the highest point of their reproductive abilities in their late 20‟s,
i.e. irregular ovulation and shorter menstrual periods – menopausal period.

The production of estrogen may continue after menopause but the ovaries finally
stop functioning as endocrine organs. The reproductive organ and breast begin
to atrophy or shrink if estrogen is no longer released from the body. In this case,
the vaginal becomes dry that causes intercourse to become painful if frequent
and the vaginal infections become increasingly common.

Signs Of Estrogen Deficiency: irritability and mood changes [depression in some];

intense vasodilation of the skin’s blood vessels, gradual thinning of skin and loss of
bone mass, slowing rising high blood levels, etc..

Note: there is no counterpart for menopause in males. Although aging men show a
steady decline in testosterone section, their reproductive capability seems unending.
Healthy men are still able to father offspring well into their 80‟ and beyond.

Erogenous zones
It refers to part of the body that are primarily receptive and increase sexual
arousal when touched in a sexual manner. Examples: mouth, breast, genitals, anus.
However, erogenous zones may vary from one person to another. Some people may
desire and enjoy being touched in certain areas more than the other areas, like, the
neck, thighs, abdomen, and feet.

Human Sexual Behavior

It is defined as any activity – solitary, between two persons, or in a group – that
induces / brings sexual arousal [Gebhard, P.H. 2017].
This behavior is classified according to gender and number of participants.

2 Types Of Behavior:

1) Solitary Behavior “involving one individual”

Self – gratification [begins at or before puberty] means self–stimulation that leads to
sexual arousal and generally, sexual climax. This takes place in personal and private
as an end in itself, but can also be done in a socio-sexual relationship. This is
common for males but becomes less frequent or is abandoned when socio-
sexual activity is available.

Therefore, self-gratification is most frequent among the unmarried. However, this

self-gratification usually decreases as soon as an individual develops a socio-
sexual relationship. Nowadays, humans are frequently being exposed to sexual stimuli
especially from advertising and social media. Some adolescents become so much more
aggressive when they respond to such stimuli. The rate of teenage pregnancy has
recently increased. The challenge is to develop self-control so as to balance
suppression and free expression. Why? To prevent premarital sex and acquiring STD.

2) Socio-sexual behavior “more than one individual”

It is the greatest amount of socio-sexual behavior that occurs between only one
male and one female. This usually begins in childhood and may be motivated by
curiosity, such as showing or examining genitalia.

Physical contact involving necking and petting is considered as an ingredient of

the learning process and eventually of courtship and selection of a marriage
partner. Petting differs from hugging, kissing and generalized caresses of the clothed
body to produce stimulation of the genitals. This is done due to affection as source of
pleasure, preliminary to coitus [this is an insertion of male reproductive organ into
female organ]. This is regarded as an important aspect in selecting partner but also a
way of learning how to interact with another person sexually.

A behavior may be interpreted by society or an individual as erotic depending on

the context in which the behavior occurs. For example, kissing is a gesture of
intimacy between couples while other sees this as respect and reverence.

Physiology of Human Sexual Response

Sexual response follows a pattern of sequential stages or phases when sexual
activity is continued.
1. Excitement phase = It is caused by an increase in pulse and blood pressure; a
sudden rise in blood supply to the surface of the body resulting in increased skin
temperature, flushing, and swelling of all distensible body parts particularly
noticeable in the male and female reproductive system, rapid breathing,
secretion of genital fluids, vaginal expansion, and a general increase in muscle
tension.

2. Plateau phase = it is generally of brief duration. If stimulation is continued,

orgasm usually occurs.

3. Sexual climax = a feeling of abrupt, intense pleasure, rapid increase in pulse

rate and blood pressure, and spasms of the pelvic muscles causing contractions
of the female reproductive organ and ejaculation by the male that lasts only for
few seconds normally not over ten.

4. Resolution phase = it refers to the return to a normal or subnormal

physiological state. Whereas males return to normal even if stimulation
continues, but continued stimulations can produce additional orgasms in females.
Females are physically capable of repeated orgasms without the intervening “rest
period” required by males.
Lesson II: To Buy or Not to Buy? That Is the Question!

-William James wrote in his book, The Principles of Psychology in 1890 that
understanding the self can be examined through its different components. He described
these components as :
(1) its constituents
(2) the feelings and emotions they arouse – self-feelings
(3) the actions to which they prompt – self-seeking and self-preservation
-The constituents of self are composed of the material self, the social self, the spiritual
self and pure ego (Trentmann 2016; Green 1997).

Material Self
>The material self, according to James is primarily about:

1) Body. The innermost part of our material self is our body. Intentionally, we are
investing in our body. We are directly attached to this commodity that we cannot
live without. We strive hard to make sure that this body functions well and good. Any
ailment or disorder directly affects us. We do have certain preferential attachment or
intimate closeness to certain body parts because of its value to us.

2) Clothes. Influenced by the “Philosophy of Dress” by Herman Lotze, James

believed that clothing is an essential part of the material self. Lotze in his book,
Microcosmus, stipulates “any time we bring an object into the surface of our body,
we invest that object into the consciousness of our personal existence taking in it
its contours to be our own and making it part of the self” (Watson, 2014). The
fabric and style of the clothes we wear bring sensations to the body to which
directly affect our attitudes and behavior. Thus, clothes are placed in the
secondary hierarchy of material self. Clothing is a form of self-expression. We
choose and wear clothes that reflect our self (Watson, 2014).

3) Family. Third in the hierarchy is our immediate family. Our parents and siblings
hold another great important part of our self. What they do or become affects us.
When an immediate family member dies, part of our self dies, too. When their lives are
in success, we feel their victories as if we are the one holding the trophy. In their
failures, we are put to shame or guilt. When they are in disadvantage situation, there is
an urgent urge to help like a voluntary instinct of saving one’s self from danger.
We place huge investment in our immediate family when we see them as the
nearest replica of our self.

4) Home. The fourth component of material self is our home. Home is where our
heart is. It is the earliest nest of our selfhood. Our experiences inside the home
were recorded and marked on particular parts and things in our home. Having
investment of self to things, made us attached to those things. The more
investment of self-given to the particular thing, the more we identify ourselves to
it. We also tend to collect and possess properties. The collections in different degree
of investment of self, becomes part of the self. As James (1890) describe self: “A
man’s self is the sum total of all what he CAN call his. Possessions then become
a part or an extension of the self.
We Are What We Have
Russel Belk (1988) posits that “… we regard our possessions as part of ourselves. We
are what we have and what we possess.” The identification of the self to things starts in
our infancy stage when we make a distinction between self and environment and others
who may desire our possessions.

-As we grow older, putting importance to material possessions decreases. However

material possession gains higher value in our lifetime if we use material possession to
find happiness and associate these things with significant events, accomplishments,
and people in our lives. There are even times, when material possession of a person
that is closely identified to the person, gains acknowledgment with high regard even if
the person already passed away.

Lesson III: Supernaturals: Believe It or Not!

The Spiritual Self is one of the four constituents of the “self” according to William
James in his book, The Principles of Psychology in 1890. The spiritual self is
the most intimate, inner subjective part of the self. It is the most intimate version
of the self because the satisfaction experienced when thinking of one’s ability to
argue and discriminate, of one’s moral sensibility and conscience, and of our
unconquerable will (James, 1890) is purer than all other sentiments of
satisfaction (Green, 1997).

RELIGION
Rebecca Stein (Stein.2011) works on their definition of religion “as a set of cultural
beliefs and practices that usually includes some or all of basic characteristics.”
These characteristics are:

1) A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being.

2) A focus on the sacred supernatural.
3) The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on supernatural beings
as well as physical beings and objects.
4) The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred
object to communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence or control events.
5) The articulation of world view and moral codes through narratives and other means.
6) Provide the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social
control
within a community; provide explanation for own and a sense of control for individuals.

An individual lives in a society where there are many practices of religion. The
choice of religious belief lies within the spiritual self. Although the choice maybe
influenced by the society and its culture.

RITUAL
Ritual is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition
or sacred law (Britannica, 2017). Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behavior
exhibited by all known societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a way of defining
or describing humans.

Three (3) fundamental characteristics of Rituals according to Penner (Britannica,

2017).
1. a feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in relation to the sacred.
2. dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the language of myth
3. is symbolic in relation to its reference

The self can be described as a ritual being who exhibits a striking parallel
between their ritual and verbal behavior. Just as language is a system of symbols
that is based upon arbitrary rules, ritual may be viewed as a system of symbolic acts
that is based upon arbitrary rules. Participation to rituals is an expression of
religious beliefs.

Some World Religious Beliefs and Practices

1. BUDDHISM
a. Beliefs
>believes that there are suffering, pain, and frustrations in life. When people suffer,
they want to experience the goodness of life and disappointments. It becomes a habit
known as the reactive cycle of wanting and hating, like and dislike, and craving and
aversion. This reactive cycle can be broken through the practice of mediation, acquiring
more wisdom deeper understanding, and acceptance of things as they are.

b. Customs and Practices – two (2) types of meditation practices:

1) Samatha
is practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of loving kindness (Metta
Bhavana).

2) Vipasanna
>aim at developing insight into reality.
>Acquiring wisdom is by studying Buddha’s teaching, the Dharma. Through the
reflection of Dharma, Buddhists can achieve a deeper understanding of life. Buddhists
believe in non-violence principle.
>Some of the major Buddhist celebrations are:
*Parinirvana Day in February
*Buddha Day (Wesak) in May
*Dharma Day in July
*Padmasambhava Day in October
*Sangha Day in November.

2. CHRISTIANITY
a. Beliefs
>believe in Trinitarian God (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit).
>Eternal life after death will be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ.

b. Customs and Practices

>The sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of Communion are practiced by
Christian churches.
>two (2) major celebrations in Christianity
1) Christmas >usually on December 25, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ
2) Resurrection (Easter) Sunday >(depending on the lunar calendar, sometime in
March or April) celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death.

3. HINDUISM
a. Beliefs
>Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional beliefs and religious groups; thus,
there is no single founder or leader. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of
birth, death and rebirth, governed by Karma. Karma is a concept where the
reincarnated life will depend on how the past life was spent. Hindus believe that the
soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always
dependent on how the previous life was lived.
>Vedas are sacred scriptures of Hindus.
>Mahabharata and Ramayana are two (2) other important texts of the Hindus.

b. Customs and Practices

>Most celebrated festivals of the Hindus:
1) Diwali is the Festival of Lights
2) Navrati is the Festival of Nine Nights, which celebrates the triumph of good over
evil. *Hindus have set dates to honor particular manifestations of God.

4. ISLAM
a. Beliefs
>Muslims believe in Allah, who is their “One God.” They believe in the unity and
university of God. Muslims also have a strong sense of community or “ummah”
and an awareness of their solidarity with all Muslims worldwide.
>Islam means “willing submission to God.”
>Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God.
Mohammed was born in Mecca in 570 CE and received revelations from God
through the Angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years. The Holy Book of Islam is
called the Quran, which was taught to be recited in Arabic because of any
translation is seen as inadequate.

b. Customs and Practices

>Muslims believe in the five (5) pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of Muslim
life:
1. Shahadah - statement of faith: “There is no God but the one true God and
Mohammed is his messenger.”
2. Salat - the prayer that is practiced 5 times a day.
3. Zakat - the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It comprises 2.5% of a
Muslim’s assets.
4. Hajj - the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are asked to
do he pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
5. Sawm - the fasting. Muslims do fasting from food, drink, and sexual acts during the
celebration of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth (9th) month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
The fast is from dawn to sunset.

>Two (2) of the major festivals in Islam are

1) Eidul-Fitr is the celebration at the end of Ramadan
2) Eidul-Adha is celebrated within the completion of the Pilgrimage, the Hajj.

5. JUDAISM
a. Beliefs
>The Jews believed in the God of Abraham, the same God that liberated the
Hebrew slaves from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land through the leadership
of Moses and later, Joshua.
>The Jews believe in the coming of Messiah, the Savior. The sacred scripture of
the Jews is called the Torah or the Law. The Torah is the guide of the Jewish
living. The study and interpretation of the Torah is part of the Jewish culture.

b. Customs and Practices

- There are five (5) major festivals observed by the Jews:
1. Rosh Hashanah “New Year”
2. Yom Kippur “Day of Atonement”
3. Pesach “Passover”
4. Shavuot “Pentecost”
5. Sukkot “Tabernacles” >the Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset
and is an important time when families gather for the Shabbat meal.