O N O M I C

I A L & E C
E M A T E R esti on ? ”
T H ? That is th e Qu

“To B uy or N ot to Bu
S
y
E L F
t h e Se l f
ta nd i n g
Un d er s
 I. INTRODUCTION .............................. 3
“TABLE OF CONTENTS”
II. MATERIAL SELF .............................. 5

III. CONSUMERISM ........................... 10

IV. THREE TYPES OF BUYING BEHAVIOR ..

12

V. MATERIAL SELF INVESTMENT DIAGRAM

16

VI. APPLICATION & ASSESSMENT ......... 20

VII. COLLAGE MAKING ........................ 21

VIII. RESEARCH PAPER ....................... 24

IX. ECONOMIC SELF .......................... 25

 INTRODUCTION
We are living in a world of sale and shopping spree. We are
given a wide array of products to purchase from a simple set of
spoon and fork to owning a restaurant. Almost everywhere,
including the digital space, we can find promotions of products
purchase. Product advertisements are suggestive of making us
feel better or look good. Part of us wants to have that product.
What makes us want to have those products are connected
with who we are. What we want to have and already possess is
related to our self.
Belk (1988) stated that “we regard our possessions
as parts of our selves. We are what we have and
what we possess”. There is a direct link between self-
identity with what we have and possess. Our wanting to
have and possess has a connection with another aspect
of the self, the material self.

*Let us try to examine ourselves further in the

lens of material self.
 I AL S E L F
MAT E R i ces Sel f
nd Serv
Goods a
Buy (Wants)
 MATERIAL SELF
A Harvard psychologist in the late nineteenth century, 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:
> Its constituents (mga nasasakupan)
> The feelings and emotions they
arouse - self-feeling;
> 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 the pure ego. (Trentmann 2016; Green 1997
 MATERIAL SELF
It consists of things that belong to us or that we
belong to. Things like our family, clothes, our
body, and money are some of what make up our
material selves.
 MATERIAL SELF

“I SHOP,
THEREFORE I AM”

“WHY DO I SHOP?”
 MATERIAL SELF
“I Shop, Therefore I am“
Barbara Kruger - Is an American conceptual
artist and collagist.
> A person is defined by what they own (through
shopping)
> Shopping is an expressive and constitutive existential
act (Kruger)
 CONSUMERISM
Consumerism is the idea that increasing the
consumption of goods and services purchased
in the market is always a desirable goal, and
that a person's well-being and happiness
depend fundamentally on obtaining consumer
goods and material possessions.
 CONSUMERISM
*What are the three types of Consumerism:
1.) The promotion of the consumer’s interests
2.) In economics, “consumerism” may refer to
economic policies which emphasize
consumption.
3.) A social and economic order and ideology
encourages the acquisition of goods and
services in ever-increasing amounts.
 THREE TYPES OF BUYING
BEHAVIOR

♠ Biological View ♥
♣ Psychological View

♦ Sociological View
♥
 THREE TYPES OF BUYING
BEHAVIOR
♠Biological - Age, Gender,
Genetics, Physiologic Reactions,
Tissue and Health. It can
essentially a way of looking at
human problems and actions.

♠ Biological View - A consumer

look and study to understand
what product must be he/she
purchase.
 THREE TYPES OF BUYING
BEHAVIOR
♦Psychological - ​A
psychological perspective is a
school of thought or a
philosophy which would guide
someone's interpretation of
an individual's behavior​.

♦Psychological View - A
consumer's behavior thinks or
make decisions to
understands the benefits
about the product and
services.
 THREE TYPES OF BUYING
BEHAVIOR
♣ Sociological - approach to
understanding human
behavior by placing it within
its broader social context

♣ Sociological View - It can

serve as a signal to others
and help establish one's
identity.
 The material self, according to James primarily
is about our bodies, clothes, immediate family,

“MATERIAL SELF” and home. We are deeply affected by these

things because we have put much investment
of our self to them.

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.

There were people who get their certain body

parts insured. Celebrities, like Mariah Carey
“Material Self Investment Diagram” who was reported to have placed a huge
amount for the insurance of her vocal cords
and legs (Sukman 2016)
Next to our body are the clothes we use. Third in the hierarchy is our immediate
Influenced by the “Philosophy of Dress” by family. Our parents and siblings hold
Herman Lotze, James believed that clothing another great important part of our self.
is an essential part of the material self. What they do or become affects us. When
Lotze in his book, Microcosmus, stipulates an immediate family members dies, part of
that “any time we bring an object into the our self dies, too. When their lives are in
surface of our body, we invest that object success, we feel their victories as if we are
into the consciousness of our personal the one holding the trophy. In their failures,
existence taking in its contours to be our we are put to shame or guilt. When they are
own and making it part of the self.” (Watson in disadvantage situation, there is an urgent
2014) The fabric and style of the clothes we urge to help like a voluntary instinct of
wear bring sensations to the body to which saving one’s self from danger. We place
directly affect our attitudes and behavior. huge investment in our immediate family
Thus, clothes are placed in the second when we see them as the nearest replica of
hierarchy of material self. Clothing is a form our self.
of self-expression. We choose and wear
clothes that reflect our self (Watson 2014).
The fourth component of Having investment of self to things,
material self is our home. Home made us attached to those things.
is where our heart is. It is the The more investment of self-given
to the particular thing, the more we
earliest nest of our selfhood.
identify ourselves to it. We also
Our experiences inside the
tended to collect and possess
home we recorded and marked properties. The collections in
on particular parts and things in different degree on investment of
our home. There was an old self, becomes part of the self. As
cliche about rooms: “if only James (1890) described self: “ a
walls can speak. ”The home man’s self is the sum total of all
thus is an extension of self, what he can call his. “ Possessions
then become a part or an extension
because in it, we can directly
of the self.
connect our 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 posses. “ The
identification of the self to things started in our infancy stage when we
make a distinction among self and environment and others who may
desire our possessions.

As we grow older, putting importance to material possession

decreases. However, material possession gains higher value in our
lifetime if we use material possession to find happiness, 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 acknowledgement with
high regard even if the person already passed away. Examples of
these are the chair i n the dining room on which the person is always
seated, the chair will be the constant reminder of the person seated
there; a well-loved and kept vehicle of the person, which some of the
bereaved family family members have a difficulty to sell or to let go of
because that vehicle is very much identified with the owner who
passed away; the favorite pet or book, among others that the owner
placed a high value, these favorite things are symbols of the owner.

The possession that we dearly have tell something about who we are,
our self-concept, our past, and even out future.
 APPLICATION & ASSESSMENT:

1 2 3
Go back to your Debit Make a reflection
Card Challenge List. Put a Answer the following paper about material
mark on the left side of questions: self. You may used
each item with the
following categories: your answers from the
> Which among the categories above questions in
B - If the item is related with you have the most in your list? making your paper.
your body.
C - If the item is related with
> What do you think these
clothes. things tell you about yourself?
F - If the item is related or
intended to your family.
H - If the item is related with
home.
 COLLAGE MAKING
*Create a collage of your treasured
possessions including you current clothing
style. You may use symbols of your
treasured possessions. Put a short note why
you treasure each item.
 COLLAGE MAKING
*Create a collage of your treasured
possessions including you current clothing
style. You may use symbols of your
treasured possessions. Put a short note why
you treasure each item.
 COLLAGE MAKING
*Create a collage of your treasured
possessions including you current clothing
style. You may use symbols of your
treasured possessions. Put a short note why
you treasure each item.
 RESEARCH PAPER

01 02
Make a research on Consumer behavior has
affected Filipinos' self
the role of Filipino identity. Consumer behavior
consumer culture to refers the study on how people
mentally, physically or
Filipino self and
emotionally react or respond
identity on different products and
services. Self-identity refers to
the overall perception of
oneself in relation to the
society someone belongs to.
 M I C S E L F
E C O NO d s a nd S er vi c es
es, G oo
Ex c hang
c e,
Produ Self
(Needs)
 ECONOMIC SELF
Economic self-sufficiency is the ability of individuals
and families to maintain sufficient income to
consistently meet their basic needs – including food,
housing, utilities, health care, transportation, taxes,
dependent care, and clothing – with no or minimal
financial assistance or subsidies from private or
public.
 To be self-interested
“ECONOMIC simply means that you
seek your own personal
SELF”
gain. You go to work
because you want to get
paid so you can buy the
things you want. You go to
school so you can get a
better job someday and
earn more money to buy
the things you want.
“Economic Self Image & Sample”
 ANY
QU E S
TIONS
?