The Self :

Mind, Gender,
and Body
Nabila Wahyu Saliha & Ultria Latifah
The Self.
Are we what we
buy?
 SELF CONCEPT
S
ummarizes the beliefs a person holds about his or her own attributes and how he or she evaluates the self on these qualities.

• content (e.g., facial attractiveness versus mental aptitude)

• positivity (i.e., self-esteem)

• intensity and stability over time

• accuracy
 Are We What We
BUY?
Self-image congruence models Symbolic self-completion theory
—> Suggest that we choose products —> Suggests that people who have an
when their attributes match some incomplete self-definition tend to complete
aspect of the self. And, when we this identity when they acquire and display
choose a product that we think is symbols they associate with that role.
aesthetically pleasing this choice
makes us feel better about ourselves.
Theory of embodied cognition

A simple way to explain this

perspective is that “states of the body
modify states of the mind.”
enclothed cognition showed how the
symbolic meaning of clothing changes
how people behave
Gender Identity
How those of their gender should act, dress, or speak; we refer to
these sets of expectations as sex roles.

Sex Role Socialization

• Gender roles vary by culture
• Many societies still expect traditional roles :
• Men are expected to be assertive and have certain skills
• Women are taught to foster harmonious relationships
Sex-Typed Products
 The Body

The way we think about our bodies

(and the way our culture tells us we
should think) is a key component of
self-esteem.
 Exemplar of Appearance
Ideals Of 1
”What is beautiful is good” Stereotype

Beauty 2
Favorable phisical features :
• Attractive faces
• good health and youth
• balance/symmetry
• feminime curve/hourglass body shape
• ”strong” male features

3 Virtually every Culture has a beauty bias

Genetic rather than cultural : large eyes, high
cheekbones, and a narrow jaw
Ideals of Female Beauty Evolve Over Time

Early 1800s 1890s 1990s

Delicate/Looking Voluptous/Lust Waif
ill y Look
Ideals of Female Beauty Evolve Over Time
Bad Economy
Mature
Features
Good Economy
Babyish
Features
Modern
High Heels, Body Waxing, Eyelifts,
Liposuction
 What Is Today’s Ideals Of
Female Beauty ?
Though it began as America's obsession, the cultural priority on thinness is spreading to
other countries. Still, even with the ideal of thin, the U.S. consumer today is larger than 60
years ago. The typical woman's body is not as petite as it used to be.

Consumers increasingly choose to have cosmetic surgery to change a poor body image or to
enhance appearance. These may include breast augmentation, liposuction, nose jobs, face
lifts, and other enhancements.
 Ideals of Male Beauty
Positively valued male characteristics include a heavy lower face, slightly
above average height and a prominent brow.

• Beards were a no-no for over a century; in the early to mid-1800s

• Then in the latter part of the century the “beard movement” came into
fashion As Robber Barons like full-bearded Jay Gould and Andrew
Carnegie flouted their millions, beards now became linked to
capitalists.
• In 1901, and the clean- shaven look was back.

In fact, one national survey that asked both men and women to comment on male aspects of
appearance found that the dominant standard of beauty for men is a strongly masculine, muscled
body, though women tend to prefer men with less muscle mass than men themselves strive to attain.
Body Decoration and Multitation
People in every culture adorn or alter their bodies in some way. Decorating
the physical self serves a number of purposes:

To separate group members from nonmembers

To place the individual in the social organization
To place the person in a gender category
To enhance sex-role identification
To indicate desired social conduct
To indicate desired social conduct
To provide a sense of security
 Body Decoration and Multitation

Body Anxiety Cosmetic Surgery Tattos Body Piercing

Thank You