Material Self

- William James, understanding the self can be examined

through its different components:
(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 the pure ego.
- The material self, according to James primarily is about
our bodies, clothes, immediate family, and home.
- The more investment of self-given to the particular
thing, the more we identify ourselves to it. We also
tended to collect and possess properties. The
collections in different degree of investment of self,
becomes part of the self.
• We Are What We Have
- Russel Belk stated that “…we regard our possessions
as part of ourselves. We are what we have and what
we posses.”
- As we grow older, putting importance to material
possession decreases.
- 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.
- The possessions that we dearly have tell something
about who we are, our self-concept, our past, and
even our future.
1. Debit Card Challenge List (a wealthy person
gave you a debit card and told you to use it
as much as you want to make yourself
happy.
Put a mark on the left side of each item with the
following categories:
B – if the item is related with your body
C – if the item is related with clothes
F – if the item is related or intended to your family
H – if the item is related with home
One WHOLE Page (full)
Use the back page of your paper
2. Answer the following questions:
• Which among the categories you have the
most in your list?
• What do you think these things tell you
about yourself?
3. Make a reflection paper about material self.
You may use your answers from the above
questions in making your paper.
The Political Self and Being
Filipino
- The Philippines as we know it today has only emerged in
the 1890s after over three centuries of colonization of the
Spaniards;
- Liberation from the last colonizers, the Japanese, only
occurred in 1946.
- Foreign culture, beliefs, language, and religion have made
a huge dent on our own by setting a foundation to the
contemporary Filipino identity and culture.
• Who Is a Filipino?
- According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino
citizens are:
“…those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the
Philippines, those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino
mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the
age of majority, and those who are naturalized in
accordance with law.”
- Citizenship is not the only marker of being a Filipino; People
who were born and grew up in the same culture develop
and share common personality traits and values
 Filipino Values and Traits
The Filipino Hospitality
Filipinos welcome their guests and tourists as if they are their
own brothers and sisters. They always make their guests feel at
home, offering them something to eat, or even a place to stay.
• Respect for Elders
- Filipinos greet their elders by kissing their hand while saying
“Mano po!” and constantly using “po” and “opo” in
conversations.
- A wide array of references to elder people such as ate for older
sister; kuya for older brother; tito and tita for uncle and aunt;
lolo and lola for grandfather and grandmother; and manong
and aling for older people outside the family.
• Close Family Ties
- Filipinos maintain a tight relationship with their families. They
are fond of family reunions during birthdays, holidays, or fiestas
year-round.
- Some Filipino families even opt to live in a big house where
everyone can stay together. Nursing homes are almost always
not an option for family members.
• Cheerful Personality
Filipinos smile when they are happy, or sometimes even when
they are sad or angry. Smiling has been a coping strategy for
many Filipinos especially during trying times and calamities.
• Self-sacrifice
- Filipinos go out of their way to extend help to their friends,
families, and loved ones.
- Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sacrifice a lot. That is why
they are regarded as modern-day Filipino heroes.
• Bayanihan
It is the spirit of communal unity and cooperation of Filipinos.
It is also about giving without expecting something in return.
• “Bahala Na” Attitude
- It is the Filipino version of the famous line “Hakuna Matata,”
meaning no worries.
- The phrase is said to have originated from “Bathala na,” where
Bathala means God, and the phrase meaning leaving
everything into God’s hands.
 Colonial Mentality
It is regarded as the lack of patriotism and the attitude where
Filipinos favor foreign products more than their own; but also
the desire to look more foreign than local and keep up with
foreign beauty trends.
• “Mañana” Habit
Filipino term for procrastination; derived from a Filipino phrase
called “Mamaya na” meaning dawdling things, which could
have been done at an earlier time.
• “Ningas Kugon”
- “Ningas” is a Filipino term for flame and “kugon” is a Filipino
term for Cogon grass that easily burns out after it is put into
flames. It is the attitude of eagerly starting things but quickly
losing eagerness soon after experiencing difficulty.
• Pride
Most Filipinos hold on to their pride as if they are more
precious than keeping a good relationship with family and
loved ones.
• Crab Mentality
It is a toxic trait among Filipinos where one resents the
achievement of another, instead of feeling happy for that
person; just like crabs in a container, they pull each other
down.
• Filipino Time
Filipinos have this common attitude of arriving late at
commitments, dinner, or parties especially if they are meeting
someone close to them.
 Filipino Markers
1. Proverbs or Salawikain
a. proverbs expressing a general attitude toward life and
the laws that govern life
b. ethical proverbs recommending certain virtues and
condemning certain vices
c. proverbs expressing a system of values
d. proverbs expressing general truths and observations
about life and human nature
e. humorous proverbs
f. miscellaneous proverbs
2. Superstitions
- Filipinos’ set of superstitions passed down from generation
to generation
- Some of these may be influenced by beliefs from other
cultures, but Filipinos have retold these superstitions
according to their own experiences.
3. Myths and Legends
- Due to the Philippines’s rich culture and history, numerous
myths and legends have sprung.
- These stories are aimed to explain the origin of things, at
the same time, teach a valuable lesson.
4. Heroes and Icons
- Heroes serve as a reminder of true patriotism and
nationalism as they have sacrificed their lives for the sake
of their country’s freedom and progress.
- Famous Filipino icons such as Lea Salonga, Manny
Pacquiao, and our very own national hero, Jose Rizal, have
made the Filipino name more pronounced worldwide
through their own expertise.
 How to Be a Good Filipino
1. Be an active Filipino citizen.
2. Study the Philippine history.
3. Support local products.
4. Speak the Filipino language.
5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in
engaging with dissent.
Religion
1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being, such as spirit
and gods
2. A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a
feeling of reverence and awe
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 worldview 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
• Ritual
- Performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or
sacred law
- A specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by all known
societies; as a way of defining or describing humans
- Ritual has the characteristics of:
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
Some World Religious Beliefs and Practices
• Buddhism
Beliefs:
Life is not a bed of roses. Instead, there are suffering, pain, and
frustration. This reactive cycle can be broken through the practice
of mediation, acquiring more wisdom and deeper understanding,
and acceptance of things as they are.
Customs and Practices:
Samatha is practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development
of loving kindness; Vipassana practices aim at developing insight
into reality. Acquiring wisdom is by studying Buddha’s teaching, the
Dharma.
Buddhist celebrations are Parinirvana Day in February; Buddha Day
(Wesak) in May; Dharma Day in July; Padmasambhava Day in
October; and Sangha Day in November.
• Christianity
Beliefs:
Christians believe one God in three manifestation: God the
Father (Creator), God the Son (Savior), and God the Holy Spirit
(Sustainer). Eternal life after death will be achieved through
faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Bible is a selection of books,
which is divided into two ‒ the Old Testament (39) and New
Testament (27).
Customs and Practices:
The Sacrament of Baptism symbolizes the birth in Christian
World. The Sacrament of Communion is an act of remembrance
of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial love.
Christmas and Resurrection (Easter) are the two major
celebrations in Christianity.
• Hinduism
Beliefs:
Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and
rebirth, governed by Karma, a concept where the reincarnated
life will depend on how the past life was spent. Vedas are
sacred scriptures of Hindus. Mahabharata and Ramayana are
two other important texts of the Hindus.
Customs and Practices:
Diwali is the Festival of Lights. Navrati is the festival of nine
nights, which celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Hindus
have set dates to honor particular manifestations of God.
• Islam
Beliefs:
Islam means “willing submission to God.” Muslims believe in
Allah, who is their “One God”, in the unity and universality of
God, that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God.
The Holy Book of Islam is called the Quran.
Customs and Practices:
Muslims believe in the five 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 five times a day.
3. Zakat – the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It
comprises the 2.5% of a Muslim’s assets.
4. Hajj – the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford
are asked to do the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
5. Sawm – the fasting. Muslims do fasting, from food, drink, and
sexual act, during the celebration of Ramadan. Ramadan is
the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The fast is from
dawn to sunset.
Eidul-Fitr is the celebration at the end of Ramadan, while Eidul-
Adha is celebrated within the completion of the Pilgrimage, the
Hajj.
• Judaism
Beliefs:
The Jews believe in the God of Abraham, in the coming of
Messiah, the Savior. The sacred scripture of the Jews is called
the Torah or the Law.
Customs and Practices:
There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:
1. Rosh Hashanah – the New Year
2. Yom Kippur – the 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.
Social Self
 Social
 Relating well or interacting with others

Social Psychology
 The study of relationships or interactions
 A branch of psychology that studies individuals as
they interact with others (Lahey,2007)
 The study of the effect of social factors on
individual behavior, attitudes, perceptions and
motives.
 The study of influenced by interactions and
transactions between persons. (Gerrig and
Zimbardo, 2002)
Goal of Social Psychology (Plotnick and
Kouyoumdjian (2014)
To understand and explain how
thoughts , feelings, perceptions, and
behaviors are influenced by the
presence of, or interactions with,
others.
Interaction – refers to the mutual and reciprocal exchange of
communication or action between two or more persons or
groups
 It is always a component of a relationship

Relationship – refers to a particular way in which two or more

individuals or groups, or even countries talk to, behave
towards, or deal with each other.
 Established connection, kinship, or attachment between
persons or groups attributable to several factors (interest,
philosophy of life, goals, or ways of thinking) that bind them
together.
 Include not only the kind of interaction between the
members of the group but also the intellectual,
psychological, or even the emotional investments made by
the parties to develop and maintain relationship.
 Person Perception
Refers to forming impressions and making
judgments about another person’s likability
after seeing or meeting him/her
The assessment involves :
What kind of person one is
Intentions
Traits
Behaviors
Appearance
 To validate perception one must do:
Further observations
Gathering of feedback and reports
Interaction
Note: to avoid misperceptions, it is prudent
(advisable) to behave, talk, or dress
appropriately and in accordance with societal,
cultural, or institutional rules, policies, or
guidelines.
 Conformity
Conformity
Refers to yielding to group pressure to act as
everyone does, even when no direct request
has been made (Lahey, 2009).
Two Motivations of Conformity
1. To gain reward (approval)
2. Avoid punishment (disapproval)
 Some Factors Make Conformity Exist
1. The size of the group
2. Unanimous group
3. Culture
4. Gender
The answers of the following questions where
decision to yield to group pressure is based
1. Will conforming do you good? What
advantages or rewards will you get from it.
2. Will conforming put at stake or endanger
your integrity and that of your family?
3. Will it cost much of your part if you conform?
4. Will you be penalized or punished if you do
not conform?
5. Will things change if you yield/do not yield to
social pressure?
 Social Roles and Social Norms
Social Roles – specify the part or position of a
person in society.
Specifies behavior expected to be exhibited by
an individual in practicing his/her role.

Sociogram – indicates the social structure of a

group and the relationship of people within the
group.
> It shows who are popular, isolates, islands,
and mutual friends
Relationships – are among the most important
aspects of our lives. They can be positive or
conflicted, but the lack of relationships could be the
worst of all, as it creates loneliness.

Familiarity – refers to being comfortable with

another person and is a necessary condition for a
close relationship to develop.

Attraction – may lead to deeper relationships

 Paves the way for enjoying the company and being
comfortable with the person, and for feelings of
ease and confidence.
Love – is a special attachment one has for
himself/herself or for somebody else.
It is an intense feeling of deep or constant
affection and emotion in which a person
always sees to the good, happiness, and
welfare of the other.
It can manifest as love for God, spouse,
children, family, or country, among others.
Note: a person who is in love is willing to
sacrifice or give up something of the object of
his/her love
Three Most Common Kinds of Love
1. Romantic love – also called passionate love
(passion + intimacy)
2. Affectionate love – also referred as
companionate (intimacy + commitment)
3. Consummate love – (intimacy + passion +
commitment)
 Attitudes
Attitudes – are beliefs that predispose people to act
and feel in certain ways towards people, objects, or
ideas.
 They can be negative or negative

 Positive attitude is reflected in a happy, pleasant,

or optimistic disposition
 Negative is associated with pessimism or general
feeling of dislike
Three distinct features of an attitude
1. Belief
2. Feelings
3. Disposition
 How Attitudes Acquired
1. First-hand experience
2. Accounts by others – through modeling and
reinforcement

Note: Attitudes are not permanent.

 Can be changed or modified after they have been
formed
Persuasive communication plays a big part in the process.
 Credible speaker
 Attractive speaker
 Stereotypes
Stereotypes – are generalizations in which the same traits or
characteristics are assumed to be possessed by all members
of a group.
 Affects people’s day-to-day interactions and decisions.

The negative stereotypes are accompanied by prejudice and

discrimination.

 Prejudice – is an unfair, biased, or intolerant attitude or

opinion towards the members of a group.
 Discrimination- is the specific unfair behavior or
treatment towards the members of a group.
Racism – is a discrimination against people
based on their skin color, or ethnic heritage

Sexism – discrimination against people because

of their gender.
 Moral Self
Dilemma – is a problematic situation in which a
difficult choice must be made.

Moral- is related to the sense or a standard that

determines what is right and what is wrong.
 It distinguishes correct from incorrect, or
appropriate from inappropriate.
Morality – refers to the system of beliefs and values
that ensures that individuals will keep their
obligations to others in the society and behave in
ways that do not interfere with the rights and
interests of others (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2002)
Decision-making - the act or process of making choices or
decisions with a group of people, especially in business or
politics.
 Decision –making is understandably difficult, the degree
of which depending on a situation.
 Make it a point to always choose the right actions even if
the situation is not “problematic”.
 It takes constant practice to make appropriate decisions.
 Better to start at the early age so that when you reach
adulthood, you have internalized and developed a good
sense of what is right or wrong.
 It helps practice moral actions as a mature and
responsible adult.
Note: an individual who has a good sense of what is right
and wrong will be an honest and upright member of the
community.
 Moral Reasoning
Moral reasoning – refers to the judgments
people make about what courses of action are
correct or incorrect in particular situations
(Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2002).

Reasoning is a cognitive skills but influence

moral development
 Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning
Level Stages
Pre-conventional Morality 1. Pleasure/pain orientation
2. Cost-benefit orientation;
reciprocity
Conventional morality 3. Good-child orientation
4. Law and order orientation
Principled or post- 5. Social contract orientation
conventional morality
6. Ethical principle orientation To achieve justice and avoid
7. Cosmic orientation
Reason for Moral Behavior
To avoid pain , punishment,
or getting caught
To get rewards
To gain acceptance and avoid
disapproval
To follow rules and avoid
censure(condemnation/harsh
criticism) by authorities
To promote the welfare of the
society
self-condemnation
To be true to universal
principles and feel oneself
part of a cosmic direction
that transcends social norms
Moral reasoning should balance between
individual rights and the laws of society
Strive to achieve balance so as not to
compromise your integrity. In situations in
which you need to decide on what you think is
a noble cause, but which might put you at a
advantage, you have to accept the
consequences of your choice.
When you are at the crossroads of making
decision, always go back to your goals and
your philosophy of life as your guide
 Parenting Style and Practices
• Parenting styles- parent use different
strategies in raising their children.
• According to Diana Baumrind (an expert on
parenting),came up with three parenting style
namely authoritarian, authoritative, and
permissive.
 Authoritarian
• Parents attempts to shape, control and evaluate the
behavior and attitudes of their children in accordance
with an absolute set of conduct standards that usually
comes from religious or respected authorities.
• They use harsh discipline and punishment.
• Obedience becomes a virtue
• These parents do not communicate well with their
children, and do not explain the rationale behind the
rules and the consequences of their action
• They do not listen to the viewpoints of their children
and may use force to ensure compliance.
 Authoritative
• Parent direct their children’s activities in a
rational and intelligent way.
• They are supportive, loving, and committed
• Support a give-and-take relationships
• Discuss their rules and policies with their
children
• Encourage children to present their viewpoints
• They offer explanation for rules and
consequences
 Permissive
• Parents are less controlling and behave with an
accepting and non punishing attitude towards
their children’s desires, actions, and impulses.
• They use reasons rather than direct power
• They are warm and supportive, but tend not to
enforce rules.
• Discipline is lacking, children tend to make their
own rules even if they can benefit from parent’s
rules
Uninvolved or neglectful parenting
introduced
by Maccoby and Martin, 1983
Are parents who take on a
“hands-off” stand in the affairs of
their children
 Effects of parenting styles
Authoritarian Authoritative Permissive Uninvolved
Parents are Parents directs Parents rarely Parents are
demanding children’s activities imposes rules and detached and
are non-punishing indifferent to the
needs of children
Children are less Children are Children do not put Children grow up
behavioral problem independent, structure and order feeing unloved and
which are easily reliable, rational, in things that they cannot follow
prevented and confident do. instructions
Children become Children generally Anything goes Resort to substance
withdrawn, fearful, feel good about abuse as a form of
and dependent themselves distraction or a way
to get attention
Children suffer from
low self-esteem
Who Am I in the
Cyber World?
(Digital Self)
More than half of the population worldwide now uses the
Internet.
- Internet has already become an integral part of
everyday life for most of the world’s population. The
Philippines is among one of the countries with the most
active Internet users.
- Online identity is actually the sum of all our
characteristics and our interactions.
- Partial identity is a subset of characteristics that make
up our identity.
- Persona is the partial identity we create that represents
ourselves in a specific situation.
• Selective Self-presentation and Impression
Management
- Self-presentation is the “process of controlling how one is
perceived by other people.”
- To construct positive images, individuals selectively provide
information about them and carefully cater this information
in response to other’s feedback.
- Sharing ourselves is no longer new and has been practiced as
soon as human beings were formed.
- Digital devices help us share information broadly, more than
ever before.
- We have entered an extraordinary era of self-portraiture. In
older family albums, the photographer was not often
represented in the album, whereas with arm’s-length photos,
they are necessarily included (e.g., selfies and groupies).
- Conversion of private diaries into public revelations of inner
secrets; the lack of privacy in many aspects of social media
make the users more vulnerable.
- Sharing the good things, the bad, embarrassing, and “sinful”
things we experience; we also react and comment on
negative experiences of others; empathize with people;
argue with others online.
- Blogs and social media are the primary digital fora on which
such confessions occur, but they can also be found in photo-
and video-sharing sites where blunders and bad moments
are also preserved and shared.
- We should have a filtering system to whatever information
we share online, as well as to what information we believe in,
which are being shared or posted by others online.
• Gender and Sexuality Online
The terms “sex,” “gender,” and “sexuality” are often thought of
as synonymous. They are actually quite distinct:
- Sex is the biological state that corresponds to what we might
call a “man” or a “woman.” It is often explained as biological,
fixed, and immutable. It is actually socially constructed.
- Gender is the social understanding of how sex should be
experienced and how sex manifests in behavior, personality,
preferences, capabilities, and so forth; as a socioculturally
specific set of norms that are mapped onto a category of “sex.”
- Sexuality is an individual expression and understanding of
desire. While like gender, this is often viewed as binary
(homosexual or heterosexual), in reality, sexuality is often
experienced as fluid.
• Performing Gender Online
- Judith Butler conceptualized gender as a
performance.
- Gender was performative, in that it is produced
through millions of individual actions, rather than
something that comes naturally to men and women.
- The ability of users to self-consciously adapt and
play with different gender identities would reveal
the choices involved in the production of gender,
breaking down binaries, and encouraging fluidity in
sexuality and gender expression.
- Social media has been celebrated for facilitating
greater cultural participation and creativity;
- The emergence of a “free culture” where individuals
are empowered to engage in cultural production
using raw materials, ranging from homemade videos
to mainstream television characters to create new
culture, memes, and humor.
- While the number of male and female bloggers is
roughly equivalent, they tend to blog about different
things;
- Although the technologies are the same, the norms
and mores of the people using them differ.
• Setting Boundaries to Your Online Self: Smart
Sharing
Before posting or sharing anything online, consider the following:
- Is this post/story necessary?
- Is there a real benefit to this post? Is it funny, warm-hearted,
teachable—or am I just making noise online without purpose?
- Have we (as a family or parent/child) resolved this issue? An issue
that is still being worked out at home, or one that is either
vulnerable or highly emotional, should not be made public.
- Is it appropriate? Does it stay within the boundaries of our family
values?
- Will this seem as funny in 5, 10, or 15 years? Or is this post better
suited for sharing with a small group of family members? Or
maybe not at all?
• Rules to Follow
Here are additional guidelines for proper sharing of
information and ethical use of the Internet according to
New (2014):
- Stick to safer sites.
- Guard your passwords.
- Limit what you share.
- Remember that anything you put online or post on a site is
there forever, even if you try to delete it.
- Do not be mean to or embarrass other people online.
- Always tell if you see strange or bad behavior online.
- Be choosy about your online friends.
- Be patient.