Unpacking the Self

Learning Outcomes

 Understand the theoretical underpinnings for how to manage and care for different
aspects of the self
 Acquire and hone new skills and learnings for better managing of one’s self and behaviors
 Apply these new skills to one’s self and functioning for a better quality of life

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 Physical Self

Physical self refers to the body which we interface with our environment and fellow being.
It is a tangible aspect of the person that can be directly observed and examined.

People now days are too conscious on how they look. How they see themselves in the
mirror, how people will look at them and what will people say about them. Our concept of our
self and the perception of people around us will always have big effect on how we deal in a
situation, cultural or not. This discussion of Physical Self has found place on different Schools of
Psychology, like psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanism etc. For example:

 William James considered body as initial source of sensation and necessary for the
origin and maintenance of personality. It is an element of spiritual hygiene of supreme
significance. For example, a boxer during a fight, do not notice/feels his wounds until
the intensity of fight has subside.
 Sigmund Freud, In Psychoanalytical school, construction of self and personality makes
the physical body the core of human experience.
 Wilhelm Reichargued that mind and body are one; all psychological processes, he
postulated, are a part of physical processes, and vice versa.
 According to Erik Erikson, the role of bodily organs is especially important in early
developmental stages of a persons life. Later in life, the development of physical as
well as intellectual skills help determine whether the individual will achieve a sense of
competence and ability to choose demanding roles in a complex [Link] example
a child get their confidence when they bigger, stronger, faster and more capable of
learning complex skills.
 Carl Jung, argued that the physical body and the external world can be known only as
psychological experiences.
 B.F. Skinner, says that the role of the body is of primary importance.

Which from this different orientation clearly show us and explains how people
deals with their physical self. Regardless of what culture or traditions he or she may be, his or her
interpretation of himself will be how people act in the community.

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Self – Esteem

“We all know that self-esteem comes from what you think of you,
not what other people think of you” -Gloria Graynor –

People from different culture have opted to change their features in attempt to meet the
cultural standards of beauty, as well as their religious and/or social obligations. They modify and
adorn their bodies as part of the part of complex process of creating and re-creating their
personal and social identity to be accepted by society and to be able to accept them self. This
includes body painting, tattooing, jewelries and adornments. Youth in present time are too
conscious of their physical attributes that they are not confident to face the day without make-
up.

As our physical self, dictates how we act in front of other people it also defines how we
will manage our self-esteem. Yet, this self-esteem is vital on how we form positive and healthy
relationships with people around us. We have different kinds of self-esteem; The Inflated Self-
Esteem (this people holds high regards of themselves. Better than the other to the point of under
estimating them), High Self-Esteem (this is a positive self-esteem, which make the person be
satisfied of themselves) and Low Self-Esteem (this person do not value themselves and do not
trust their possibilities).

Most of the times, this self-esteem are define by what physical attributes they have.
Beauty as define by the society, culture or traditions, is what matter to the person.

Required Reading/s:

Demello, M. (2014). Beautiful bodies. Body studies: An introduction (pp 173 – 188). Routledge.

Demello, M. (2014). Fat and thin bodies. Body studies: An introduction (pp 189 – 205).
Routledge.

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 Sexual Self

As we come to understand the beauty of physical self, it is also proper to learn to understand the sexual
self. As psychoanalytical theory states that physical body is the core of human experience as form of
construction of self and personality. Freud maintained that nature of the conflicts among id, ego and
superego changes overtime as a person grows from child to adult. There are psychosexual stages that
focus: oral, anal, phallic and genital. Thus, these stages are directly related to different physical center of
pleasure.

To fully appreciate sexual self, it is necessary to understand human reproductive system, erogenous
zone,and human sexual behavior.

Understanding Basic of Sexual Behavior

Human Sexual behavior is complex and complicated, thus, it is not at all different from other species
(Feldman, 2010). To illustrate; men sexual behavior can occur at any time, by being arouse to certain
stimuli. At puberty, the testes begin to secrete androgens (male sex hormones) which produce secondary
sex characteristics like growth of bodily hair and change in tone of voice. Female sexual behavior starts at
puberty where the two ovaries begin to produce estrogens and progesterone (female sex hormones). This
stage of puberty for female occurs in cyclical manner where also brought changes. While for nonhuman,
period of ovulation is only when the ovulation occurs to the female specie is receptive to sex.

Human reproductive system is an organ system by which reproduces and bear live offspring. It requires
the union between the male and female reproductive system to which carries out to produce another life
form. Provided that all organs are present, human reproductive system works from the released of egg
cell from female reproductive organ, to the fertilization of sperm cells, to the conception, up to the giving
birth of the baby and eventually to the return of the female physical body to the original state. (Harrison,
2018)

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 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Male Reproductive System

a. Testis – is the most important part of male reproductive organ. It is the source of Spermatozoa
(male germ cell)
b. Scrotum – it is a sac of skin where the two testes are enveloped; directly below and outside of the
abdomen.
c. Prostate glands – it is a gland that carries out both urine and seminal fluid. It is connected by
sperm ducts from sperm ducts joining into single tube called urethra. Urethra then leads to the
outside of the body through penis.
d. Penis – it is where the ejaculation occurs by sending sperm cell from testis and secrete out.
e. Sperm – It is a male gametes, one that is necessary for the egg to develop and become a baby.

Female Reproductive System

1. Ovary – It is a pair of small, oval organs which produces ova (ovum; female germ cells). Thousands
of ova will mature and will be taken up to the fallopian tube through the uterus by the time of
puberty.
2. Fallopian Tube – are pair of thin tubes that leads from ovaries to the uterus.
3. Uterus – (womb) it is a hollow pear-shaped elastic muscular structure where fertilized ovum
(zygote) develops into a baby.
4. Vagina – It is a tube leading to outside of the body through an opening called the vulva.

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During the sexual intercourse, the semen from male is discharged in the vagina. The sperms will begin
moving up to the uterus reaching the fallopian tube. During the travel most of the sperms will die while
climbing up the fallopian tube, only one sperm will enter the ovum and can remain alive for only 12 hours.
In this time, if it meets ovum which will lead to fertilization. This zygote (fertilized egg) will form in an
embryo from which will enter gestation period. It is around 9 months in time for the woman to give birth.

Physiological Aspects of Sexual Excitement

Erogenous Zone

These are part of the body that particularly sensitive to touch, pressure and vibration which
contributes to sexual arousal. Identifying erogenous zone (“hot spots”) gives different reaction and effect
to a person. For one, these could bring sexual satisfaction, also, improves sexual health and stimulating
different spots may produce different reaction to the body. Female and male erogenous zone are
reproductive organ (vagina, penis, scrotum & clitoris), mouth (lips), neck, breast (nipples) and ears.

Phases of Sexual Response

Although, erogenous zone brings us to sexual arousal which is unique to each individual, people shares
same basic aspects of sexual responsiveness. According to Johnson & Master (1966), sexual response
follows a regular pattern consisting of four (4) phases: arousal, plateau, orgasm and resolution.

The arousal phase is a subjective sense of sexual pleasure. The physiological sign in males is penile

tumescence (erection) and vasocongestion to female leads to vaginal lubrication and nipple erection.

The plateau phase is a brief period of time before the orgasm. It is the body’s preparation for
orgasm.

The orgasm phase is an intense, highly pleasurable experience. When this phase is reached,
rhythmic muscular contractions occur in the genitals. In male, the contractions expel semen, a fluid

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containing sperm, a process called ejaculation. For women and men, breathing and heart rates reach
maximum.

Last stage of sexual arousal, the resolution stage where the decrease of arousal (particularly in
male) happens. Genitals resume their unaroused state and shape; blood pressure, breathing and heart
rate return to normal.

Diversity of Sexual Behavior

Sexual behavior transcends in different forms. It may be influenced by not only the basic
physiological aspect of sexuality but also by different expectations, attitudes, beliefs and state of medical
and biological knowledge. It made sexual behavior take a more diverse forms such as heterosexuality,
homosexuality, bisexuality and transexuality.

Heterosexuality

Is a sexual attraction and behavior directed to other sex. More than male-female intercourse, it
involves kissing, petting, caressing, massaging and other form of sexual activities.

Homosexuality and Bisexuality

Homosexualsisa romantic and/or sexual attraction between members of same sex. Bisexuals are
person who can be romantically or sexually attracted to same sex and the other sex. Some male
homosexuals prefer the term Gay and some female homosexual prefer the term Lesbian. Gays and Lesbian
as preference for a terminology refer not only to their sexual preference but also as Gender preference.
These by which refer to a broader array of attitudes and lifestyle of the individual than the sexuality itself.

Transsexuality

These are people who believed they were born with the body of the other gender. Men
transsexuals believe that they are men in a women’s body and women transsexuals believe that they are
women in a men’s body. Transsexuals sometimes seek sex exchange operations, which undergo several
steps such as intensive sexual counseling, hormone injections, living as member of desired sex for several
years, surgery.

Transgenderism

These are people who view themselves as a third gender, they are transvestites (who wears clothes of the
other gender) or those who believed that traditional male-female classifications inadequately
characterized them.

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Natural and Artificial Method of Contraception

As overpopulation and countless cases of Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) such as gonorrhea, syphilis
etc., along with the threat of Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the government educates
people the importance of Contraception. There are two kinds of contraception; the Natural Contraception
and the Artificial Contraception.

Natural Contraceptionare type of birth control that depend with observations on woman’s body through
monitoring and recording different fertility signals during her menstrual cycle. Through there different
methods one may predict when it is safe or when a woman will more likely to get pregnant. These may
be in a form of abstinence, calendar method, basal body temperature method, cervical mucus method,
symtothermal method, ovulation detection, lactation amenorrhea method and coitus interruptus.

Artificial Method is diverse method of contraception using to prevent conception of a woman. There are
different types of artificial contraception but not all types are appropriate for all situation. Using artificial
contraception depends on the individual’s health status, age, sexual activity and/or number of partners.
These are oral contraception, transdermal patch, vaginal ring, subdermal implants, hormonal injection,
Intrauterine device (IUD), chemical barriers, diaphragm, cervical cap, male and female condoms, surgical
methods (vasectomy and tubal ligation).

Natural Method of Contraception

Method Rate of Description
Failure
Abstinence Most effective way of birth control. Done thru
0% abstaining from sexual intercourse. It is also the
most effective way to avoid STIs.

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Calendar Method Also called as the Rhythm Method. It involves
avoiding coitus during the days that the woman is
fertile.

25%

Basal Body Temperature BBT is the woman’s body temperature at rest. Done
by monitoring the changes in the woman’s
temperature every morning before any activity. A
9 to 25 % slight increase and decrease in her temperature will
be her sign of ovulation (fertile). This period the
woman must abstain from mating for the next
three days.

Cervical Mucus Method Here the basis is the changes in the cervical mucus
during the ovulation. According to this method a
25% woman is fertile when the cervical mucus is profuse
and watery. During this time she must avoid coitus
during this days.

Symptothermal Method 2% It is a combination of Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

and Cervical Mucus Method.
Ovulation Detection 2% It is an over-the-counter kit that requires a urine
specimen to detect the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) to
predict ovulation.
Lactation Amenorrhea Method This is exclusive for breastfeeding woman. Thus, it
should be noted that the woman is advise to choose
other method after period of three months or if the
mother is not exclusively breastfeeding or is using
formula drink for the baby.
Coitus Interruptus 75% The oldest method of contraception. This is where
the couple proceeds with coitus but the moment he
ejaculates, the men withdraw before emit
spermatozoa outside of the vagina.

Artificial Method of Contraception

Method Description

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Oral Contraception It is known as the “Pill”. Contains synthetic estrogen and
progesterone. It is recommended to take the pill on the first
Sunday after the beginning of the menstrual flow.

Transdermal patch It is a patch applied in the following areas; upper outer arm, upper
torso, abdomen or buttocks for three weeks.

Vaginal Ring Releases a combination of estrogen and progesterone and

surrounds the cervix. It remains in there for 3 weeks. It was
removed on the fourth week as menstrual period flows. The
woman becomes fertile as soon as the ring is removed.

Subdermal Implants It is a two rod-like implants under the skin of the woman during
her menstruation or on the 7th day of her menstruation to make
sure that she will not get pregnant. It contains etonogestrel,
desogestrel and progestin. Have a 1% failure

Hormonal Injections This injection prevents ovulation and cause change in the cervical
mucus. It has an almost 100% effectiveness. And one of the most
popular choice for birth control.

Intrauterine Device (IUD) It is a small T-shaped object inserted in uterus thru vagina to
prevent fertilization. It is done only by a physician right after the
woman’s menstruation to be sure that she is not pregnant.

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 Chemical Barriers These are used to cause death of the sperm before it can enter the
cervix of the woman. These are spermicides, vaginal gels and
creams, and glycerin films.
Diaphragm Inhibits the entrance of into the vagina. It should not be left in
place for more than 24hours to avoid irritation. It has a failure rate
of 16%.
Condoms Male Condomis a synthetic rubber sheath that is placed in the
erect penis before penetration to avoid the sperm to enter the
vagina during the ejaculation

Female Condom is also a synthetic rubber placed against the

vaginal opening to prevent the sperm to enter the vaginal during
the ejaculation.
Surgical Methods Vasectomy is a procedure done to male through small incision
made on each side of the scrotum to block the passage of sperms.

Tubal Ligation is a procedure done to female through cutting,

cauterizing, or blocking the fallopian tube to inhibit the passage of
both sperm and the ova.

Required Reading/s:

Feldman, R. (2008).Diversity of sexual behavior. In Bettino (Ed.), Understanding psychology 8th ed

(pp. 379 -385).McGraw Hall.

Feldman, R. (2008).Understanding human sexual response. In Bettino (Ed.), Understanding

psychology 8th ed(pp. 369 -375).McGraw Hall.

Feldman, R. (2008).Sexual difficulties. In Bettino (Ed.), Understanding psychology 8th ed(pp. 389 -
391).McGraw Hall.

Lugue & De Leon (2001). Textbook on family planning. Rex Printing.

Wolfson (2010). The chemistry and chimera of desire. Retrived from

[Link]

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 The Material and Economical Self

William James, Also known as the father of American Psychology identified various
components of the Empirical self, one of which is what he called a Material Self. According to
James, that Man’s “Material self” is not only consisting of his own body but also includes the
different things he possess from ones family, friends, as well as things such as, ones clothes,
house, cars, gadgets, end even the amount of money he has in the bank.

Body

Possessions
(house, cars, Self Family
phone, car, as"ME"
etc.)

Friends

In James’ idea of the Material Self, One defines themselves and at the same time is being
defined by the people they are acquainted with along with the accumulation of objects and
achievements that a person acquired from the different endeavours and experiences in life. For
example, a person can identify themselves as a singer not only from their own beliefs that they
can sing, we can also consider factors such as if other people also says that he or she can sing, if
he or she belongs to a family of singers, have trophies and awards relating to singing (winning a
singing contest), or works as a singer in a band or in a concert hall.

The losing of such objects or people will render one feel that apart of him was also lost at
the same time, for example, in cases of death in the family, losing a business that a person have
invested for his entire life, sudden inability to play music because of an accident. Also, the time

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a person died his possessions and associations with other people will be the only objects that will
remind the world of who that person were.

So we represent ourselves through clothes, the gadgets we wear, the friends we have and
the things that we do. All of these contribute to whether we are accepted or not in the world we
live in. With this in mind, the choices that we make in order to achieve the recognition of others
depends not only on our own capabilities but more so on the value we and the other people give
to what we have or can acquire. For example, now the things like having an Iphone, drinking
coffee at Starbucks, or buying branded clothes maybe used as a manifestation of a good social
standing it may not be similar to owning a company, having a house at an exclusive subdivision
but the former are much easier to acquire and achieve than the latter.

Having the ability to find the things that will define yourself that will persist through time,
were your life and achievements both defines who you are and what you are capable of and at
the same time provide you with the direction and knowledge on what to prioritize will result to
a more cohesive and easier establishment of who you are as a person and what you want to be
in life.

Required Reading/s:

Dittmer, H. The Individual Centered Approach: Material Possessions as Parts of the Extended Self.
Pp. 41 – 64 and Possessions as Symbolic Expressions of [Link] 95 – 121 in TheSocial
Psychology of Material Possessions: To Have is to Be?. St. Martin’s Press.

Gibbs et al. (2006). Self presentation in online personals: The role of anticipated future
interactions, self-disclosures and perceived success in internet dating. Communications
Research. 33.2.152-172.

Gonzales & Hancock (2010). Mirror, Mirror on my FB Wall: Effects of Exposure to FB on self-
esteem. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking.
Doi:10.1089/cyber.2009.0411

Walther (2007). Selective self-presentation in computer mediated communication:

Hyperpersonal dimensions of technology, language and cognition. Computers in Human
Behavior. 23. 2538 – 2557.

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14
 The Spiritual Self

William James’ take on spiritual self which is included to the other empirical selves is defined as
the inner most workings of the persons mind, the behavior, beliefs and even morals that involves
every aspect of the human as a person. Considering the will of the person, how they distinguish
between right and wrong and also one’s intellect are some of the manifestation of the spiritual
self of a person. According to James (1890) people will find more satisfaction in having been able
to show of the spiritual self like their intelligence, to have their wishes be done, and to act upon
their conscience than to count or show their possession, because he said that the spiritual self
“is the most enduring and intimate part of the self”.

Intelligence and
Person's Will
Abilities

Spiritual
Self

Morals Values

Manifestations of the Spiritual Self

Person’s Will – Refers to one’s wishes, these are the things that we want to see and
achieve in our lives.

Intelligence and abilities – these are the perceived strengths of a person, the things that
they have confidence in doing and believe to have a certain level of mastery of. Ex.

Morals – it is the definition of what is right and wrong, distinguishing the things that are
acceptable for a person, the society and at the same time the determination of the possible
effects of their actions to themselves, their environement and other people.

Values – is the person’s ability to distinguish what is important and what is not. With one’s
values system a person may be able to prioritize what they think are the tasks or things that the

15
need, what are things that should be done or resolve immediately and what are those that they
can delay without grave repercussions.

With these in mind, the establishment of a person’s notion of what is good, as well as, their ability
to not only be able to stand on what they think is the right thing to do but to be able to make life
decisions based on such beliefs is what William James consider as the manifestation of a person’s
spiritual self.

In the Philippines, our country is known to have a culture that values the teachings of
religion, where our notion of right and wrong is based on the teachings of the church or any
religion that the people are following. Having such guide, it is imperative for one to fully
understand the extent and be able to define the cohesiveness of their own beliefs to the
teachings of their religion, this will enable one to be able to understand further who they are,
what they want to do, and what are the things that they can and cannot do based on the
acceptable behaviours that are being taught in one’s religious orientation.

People will act according to how they feel, what they believe in and what they want to do
or happen, but having the inability to understand that there may be some difference on how
others perceive and conflict may arise, since Williams also posits that if the one’s beliefs, abilities
as well as emotions are being criticized a person may feel that they are being questioned as a
whole which will result to negative reactions. For example, people tend to criticize other people
that are different from them (religion, race, gender, etc.) these criticisms may elevate to bigger
problems such as discrimination or division of groups, but if we think carefully we cannot expect
others to believe what we believe in, one cannot expect others to have the skills that they have,
and an individual cannot expect others to be able to think exactly like him, then we will have an
easier time to create an environment that promotes the individuality of every members of the
society.

The Practice of Religion: Belief in Supernatural Being and Power

Religion refers to beliefs and behaviors related to supernatural beings and powers. Worldview
is broader than religion. Worldview refers to the collective body of ideas that members of a
culture generally share concerning the ultimate shape and substance of their reality. Religion
also differs from spirituality, which is a concern with the sacred in an individual manner. All
cultures have religion, spirituality, a worldview and magic (Haviland, 2007).

Difference between Religion and Spirituality

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 Religion Spirituality
 Religion is an organized system of ideas  Concern with the sacred, as distinguished
about spiritual reality, or the supernatural, from material matters. In contrast to
along with associated beliefs and religion, spirituality is often individual
ceremonial practices (Haviland, 2007). rather than collective and does not require
a distinctive format or traditional
organization (Haviland, 2007).

Myth, Rituals and Supernatural

Myth Rituals Supernatural

 A sacred narrative that  A culturally prescribed  The supernatural is around
explains the symbolic act or procedure you all of the time,
fundamentals of human designed to guide especially in non-
existence—where we and members of a community industrialized societies
everything in our world in an orderly way through
came from, why we are personal and collective  In a lot of cultures, health,
here, and where we are transitions. wealth and daily things are
going.  Two types: calendric and related to supernatural.
crisis.

Functions of Religion

Emotional Function
Cognitive Function Helping individuals to cope up
with anxieties that often
Enabling humans to explain the accompany illness, accidents,
unexplainable phenomena. death and other misfortunes

Social Function
Social control, conflict resolution
and building group solidarity

The Concept of “Dungan” – Spirit or Soul

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The “soul“ or spirit of a person has two dimesions; (1) human body and (2)spiritual. Soul referred
to as kaluluwa by the Tagalogs or dungan by the Ilonggos comes from the root word duwa,two.
The dungan is not seen by the human eye, it takes on a different form. For instance, it can be in
a form an insect or a small animal such as lizard. The Bisayans believe that the dungan leaves the
body while person is asleep. Travelling dungan outside the body must be free from accidents
such as getting trapped in a jar. Only when the soul has safely reunited with the body, the person
will be awake. Dungan is also connoted as “willpower”. If a person has a strong willpower, is it
said to have a strong dungan (Magos, 1986).

Rituals and Ceremonies

Rituals in the Philippines are quite common. Visayan fishing villages practice the offering ritual
called harang. A local shaman invokes sea-spirits. There are several stages of the ritual
purification, invocation, entreaty and feast which cover community life such as harvest,
operation of fishing boats and cases of illnesses (Kawada, 1996).

General Features of Harang Ritual

Explanation of
Purification of Invocation of Motivation, Offering
Feast
the Place Spirits Request & Communion
Entreaty (kan-on)
(tuob) (pagtawag) (bayad)
(pangamuyo)

Finding and Creating Meaning in Life

Viktor Frankl, the originator of Logotherapy, indicates how his involvement in quest for the
significance of life in a Nazi death camp changed his viewpoint of the world. Frankl states that
we can't abstain from affliction, yet we can pick how to manage it and discover significance in it.
Frankl's hypothesis question the thoughts of Freud, who trusted the significance of life was to
seek after joy. Frankl trusted that the motivation behind life isolates the person from creatures

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as well as enables us to survive troublesome circumstances. The reason forever isn't identified
with the quest for delight, however to finding what you adore and living with significance. For
Frankl, man cannot avoid suffering but can find meaning from it. His theory holds three primary
human capabilities called as noological possibilities: self-detachment, self-transcendence, and
the ability to “spiritually be in touch” with something or someone independent of spatio-
temporal dimensions. To complement these capabilities he indentified three postulates.

Anthropological Psychological Philosophical

“Man does not simply exist Man’s key motivation is the Life has unconditional
but always decides what his search for meaning. meaning, regardless of the
existence will be, what he circumstances or situation.
will become in the next His life in the concentration
moment.” camp, Frankl writes that he
found meaning that helped
Man is ultimately self- strengthen his will to survive.
determining.

Required Reading/s:

Demetrio, Fernando & Zialcita. (1991) The soul, 95 -97. One is not enough. 99 – 101. The soul
book. GF Books

Frankl, V. (159). Man’s search for meaning:An introduction to logotheraphy (pp 149 -210).Verlag
für Jugend und Volk.

Haviland,W. et al. (2007). Spirituality, religion and the supernatural. In The essense of
anthropology(pp 289 – 306). Thomson Wadsworth.

Kawada, M. (1996). Bayad sa dili naton kaipon: A visayan ritual offering to the spirits. In Ushijima
& Zayas (Eds), Binisaya nga kinabuhi (Visayan Life). Visayas maritime anthropological
studies (pp 213 – 240) . CSSP Publications.

Sosis, R. (2010). The Adaptive Value of Religious Ritual. In Angelono (ed). Annual editions:
Anthropology 10/11. 33rd ed (pp 133 – 137) . McGraw Hill.

Stein & Stein (2011). Ritual. In the Anthropology of religion, magic and witchcraft (pp 77 – 102)
.Prentice Hall.

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 The Political Self

Developing a Filipino Identity: Values, Traits, Community and Institutional Factors

Collective action, shared vision, means of sustainable future and the link to generation has been
crucial in the construction of identity and sense of belonging in the democratic standpoint. On
the other hand, in the socio psychological perspective, citizenship or being a Filipino serves a a
cognitive and motivational basis for ones beliefs and behavior. Thus, enhancing the practice of
citizenship and democracy is crucial to the awareness and understanding of self and community.

Three Major Concerns in Building an Identity

The level of individual, community and institution are primary factors that come into play in the
building an identity. At the same time, it is essential to consider the following concerns in building
an identity:

1. Instrumental - An individual act in accordance with rules and identities consistent with
supportive of democratic processes.

2. Morals - Values and beliefs embody and reinforce democratic principles.

3. Transformative - Includes process of self-reflection and redefinition of individuals, institutions

and communities.

Community

Person
Level of
Institution
Individual

Aspects in Developing Filipino Identity

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 Individual Attitudes and Macro-Factors at the
Traits Institutional Factors
Societal Level
•Dualism of Filipino Traits •Family •Immediate community
(negative and positive) •Church with which one readily
•Colonial/Accomodative •School identifies one's self
Surface Value (hiya, •Media •Less intimate grouping of
utang na loob, which one is a member
pakikisama) •Government
•Confrontatie Surface •Non-government
Value(bahala na, •People's organization
sama/lakas ng loob,
pakikibaka)
•Pivotal Interpersonal
Value (pakiramdam)
•Linking/socio-personal
Value (kagandahang-
loob)
•Associated Societal Value
(karangalan,
katarungan,kalayaan)

Establishing a Democratic Culture

Sense of community and public good and empowerment of people are central questions to
consider in the development of democracy agenda. The following frameworks were used as a
guide in the development of action agenda. According to Diokno 1999, in her article Becoming a
Filipino Citizen, Perspective on Citizenship and Democracy, the agenda was crafted in September
1996 conference in which perceptions of citizenship and democracy from different standpoints
were discussed.

March and Olsen’s Framework of Przeworski’s Concept of Effective Citizenship

Democratic Political Development

• Building institutions that civilize  Official conduct in accordance with

expressions of solidarity and the law.
confrontation of conflict among  A judicial system appied equally to all.
identities.  Social conditions for the exercise of
• Forming specific identities (character, citizen's rights.
habits of thought, sense of reality and

21
 codes of conduct) that fit into and
support a democratic political order
• Sense of solidarity that connects the
individual to a broad political
community of others and organize
others and organizes other belongings
in a way that enriches the community

Based on the following frameworks, the democratic agenda was crafted.

1. Improve the political and social environment and reduce poverty through structural
reforms in order to foster a sense of community and enable citizens to exercise their
rights and fulfill their obligations.
2. Continually re-examine societal institutions responsible for value formation so that they
can inculcate, rather than indoctrinate, democratic citizenship values.
3. Incorporate cross-cultural activities in public and private sector programs, including
those of schools, churches, NGOs and POs, so as to recognize ethnolinguistic and
cultural diversity in the country and encourage the sharing of experiences.
4. Further promote the use of Filipino and Philippine languages in all transactions so as to
enable the articulation of citizenship and democratic views and values.
5. Continue to harness institutional as well as informal mechanisms that open up space for
the exercise of citizenship and democracy.

Required Reading/s:

Doronilla, ML (1997). An overview of Filipino perspectives on democracy and citizenship. In

Perspectives on citizenship and democracy(pp 69 – 112). UP TWSC.

Diokno, MS (1997). Becoming a Filipino citizen. In Perspectives on citizenship and democracy(pp

17 -38) . UP TWSC.

Zialcita, F. (1997). Barriers and bridges to a democratic culture. In Perspectives on citizenship and
democracy ( pp 39 – 68) . UP TWSC.

22
 Digital Self: Self and Others in Cyberspace

I, Me and Myself and My User ID online

Digital self is a mask we put on to draw in the innovative world. With the digital technologies
such as web pages, online games, virtual worlds, social media, smart phones, Internet , self-
extension is extensive. Objects that one’s possess can truly extend the self, as when an
instrument or weapon enables us to get things done of which we would somehow or another be
unable. Belonging can likewise emblematically extend self. Sartre explained that the reason we
want to have something is to enlarge our sense of self and that the only way we can know who
we are is by observing what we have. Belk (1988) presented the concept of the extended self: (1)
Dematerialization, (2) Reembodiment, (3) Sharing, (4) Co-construction of Self, and (5) Distributed
memory.

This reasonable refresh looks to renew the idea, consolidate the effects of digitization, and give
a comprehension of consumer feeling of self in the present innovative condition. It is essentially
a work in advance, for the computerized condition and our conduct inside it keep on evolving. Be
that as it may, some vital changes are now certain. Five changes with advanced utilization are
viewed as that effect the idea of self and the idea of belonging. Required alterations and
increments to the extended self are laid out, and bearings for future research are recommended.
The advanced world opens a large group of new implies for self-extension utilizing numerous new
items to come to an incomprehensibly more extensive crowd. Despite the fact that this requires
certain reformulations, the fundamental idea of the extended self stays crucial.

Belk’s Summary of Digital Modification of the Extended Self

Digital Dimension Self Possession

Dematerialization Attachment to and
singularization of virtual
possessions; almost, but not
quite the same
Reembodiment Avatars affect offline self; Attachment to avatars
multiplicity of selves
Sharing Self revelation; loss of control Aggregate possessions; sense
of shared place online

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 Co-construction of self Affirmation of self;building
aggregate extended self;
“Attachment to Virtual
Possessions in Videogames”
Distributed memory Narratives of self Digital clutter; digital cues to
sense of past

Selective Presentation and Impression Management

Self-presentation is behavior that attempts to convey some information about oneself or some
image of oneself to other people. These behaviors are activated by the evaluative presence of
other people and by others' knowledge of one's behavior. In new situations, many people would
like to impress and become self-conscious. People behave in ways designed to create a favorable
impression or even to one’s ideals. Humans are social animals and regulate our behavior to fit in
world or adjust it to impression that we desire. People monitor their behavior, observe how
others react and adjust their performance to create a desired impression.

Two Types of Self-Presentation

1. Pleasing the audience – This type of self-presentation which try to match self to the audience's
expectations and preferences.

2. Self-construction – This type of self-presentation tries to match oneself to one's own ideal self.
The expression of the audience-pleasing motive varies across situations.

Multiple Aspects of the Self

Higgins (1987) argues that there are three domains of the self: the actual self, the ideal self and
the ought self.

1. Actual self – this refers to the attributes an individual possesses.

2. Ideal self – this refers to the attributes an individual would ideally possess.

3. Ought self – this refers to the attributes an individual ought to possess.

According to Higgins, the discrepancies between the actual self and ideal self leads to feelings of
dejection. Our sense of self helps organize our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Our overall self-
evaluation influences our cognitive processes. For instance, when people with high self-
evaluation fail, they sustain their self-worth by looking at others failure.

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 Ideal
Ought

Real

Multiple Aspects of the Self

Impact of Online Interaction on Self

Computer-Mediated Communication

Computer-mediated communication encompasses human communication involving several

exchange through various platforms such as text, audio, and/or video messages. A CMC
interaction occurs through various types of networking technology and software, including email,
Internet Relay Chat (IRC), instant messaging (IM), Usenet and mailing list servers. An interesting
discussion can stem from a comparison of how we construct our identity in the “real world”
versus how we construct it in the online world. As Dutton (1996) points out, that technology can
work two ways – open or close social choices. Individuals shape the impact of technology has on
their lives by choosing which technology to use and how to use it.

Boundaries of Self Online

The line between offline and online self has become blurred. Since people nowadays are
becoming more connected digitally, self-identity is becoming more fashioned in transmedia
paradigm. In the present culture of constant connectivity, the Internet is coordinated into our
lives with the end goal that the experience of being on the web is subjectively not quite the same
as before.

25
Required Reading/s:

Belk, R. (2013). Extended self in a digital world. Journal of consumer research . 40.3. 477 -500.

Ellison, et al. (2006). Managing impressions online: Self presentation processes in the online
dating environment. Journal of Computer Mediated Communication. 11. 415 – 441. Doi
10.111/j. 1083-6101.2006. 00020x

Gibbs et al. (2006). Self Presentation in online personals: The role of anticipated future
interactions, self-disclosures and perceived success in internet dating. Communications
Research. 33.2.152-172.

Gonzales & Hancock (2010). Mirror, Mirror on my FB Wall: Effects of Exposure to FB on self-
esteem. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking.
Doi:10.1089/cyber.2009.0411

Walther (2007). Selective self-presentation in computer mediated communication:

Hyperpersonal dimensions of technology, language and cognition. Computers in Human
Behavior. 23. 2538 – 2557.

26
 Managing and Caring for the Self

Learning Outcomes

 Understand the theoretical underpinnings for how to manage and care for different
aspects of the self
 Acquire and hone new skills and learnings for better managing of one’s self and behaviors
 Apply these new skills to one’s self and functioning for a better quality of life

27
 Learning to be a Better Student

Becoming a Better Student

As a person growth is an inevitable goal and change will always be present in what we do.
As such, for students, the need to understand that just barely passing the different subjects and
graduating after is not necessarily the best option for successfully landing you dream job, or
becoming successful in the world of work. It is also important to note that being a student does
not necessarily mean that the only thing you have to do is to read books, go to class, or prepare
and answer tests, these things may be the usual things expected for a student to do in school,
but understanding that the preparation for real life endeavors may start in the class room, but
not necessarily end there.

In terms of having freedom in the classroom, there are several things that needs to be
noted, one of which is in the freedom of the students towards their choices of what to learn as
well as how they are going to use such learning in real life situations. Aside from having a good
learning environment where the needs of the students are being met, the students should also
understand the value of what they are learning and why they are learning those (Kujjpers,
Meijers, Gundy, 2011).

To become a better student, several things are needed to be done, aside from just
listening from the discussions and following the directions taught by the teachers a student
should be able to have a better understanding of what they are doing, have the ability to
recognize and sort the different information that they are encountering, and to be able to have
a certain level of understanding on the concepts that they are studying in which could result for
better application and appreciation of such learnings.

Tips to Become a Better Student

1. Prepare Before going to school

 Always try to research or read the next lesson, do your assignments at home
or before going to school, eat and have proper rest before going to school.
 In preparation for school not only your assignments, or making sure that you
have all the tools you need for class ready and prepared but to also make sure
to have your body prepared by making sure to have enough rest and eating as
to ensure that you as a student have enough energy to go through the entire
day.

28
 2. Use different Resources
 Aside from books provided for the class, don’t forget to use the library, and
the internet. Using different resources will enable you as a student to access
more information and be able to learn the latest learnings and information
related to the subject matter that you are studying.

3. Be Critical and make learning personal

 Know what you are learning, why you are learning and how they are important
to you and your plans in life.
 By being critical to the information that you acquire you will be able to
appreciate more their value and be able to apply and relate them to your
situation and let these learning help you to be able to achieve your goals.

4. Ask Help
 The school may focus on the interaction between the teachers and students
but the institution is comprised of more than what or who are inside the class
room and the people in the school from the guidance office, librarian,
registrar, etc. and even people outside the school such as your parents and
friends or other professionals can help you as a student to break limitations,
ease the difficulties that is brought about by the requirements of the
curriculum.

5. Do other things
 The school provides co-curricular or extra-curricular activities, join clubs, or
school groups to widen you experiences as a student. Not only can you have
better relationships which will translate to more help in the future, but an
active body and mind that may or may not necessarily related to school work
can also help a student to balance their lifestyle and maintain a healthy body
and mind.

Required Reading/s:

29
J. Dunlosky, K.A., Rawson, E.J. Marsh, M.J. Nathan, & D.T. Willingham (2013). Improving student’s
learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from Cognitive and
educational [Link] science in the public interest, 14 (1), 4 -58.
Doi10.1177,1529100612453266

30
 Setting Goals for Success

Bandura’s Self- Efficacy

Albert Bandura, one of the most renowned psychologist. He has made significant
contributions to all branches of psychology. Self-Efficacy Theory is part of his Social Cognitive
Theory (or Social Learning Theory) which is a fundamental to positive psychology.

Self-Efficacy is commonly defined as the belief in one’s capabilities to achieve a goal or an

outcome. It is the ability to influence events that affect one’s life and control the way these
events are experienced (Bandura, 1994).

Students with high self-efficacy may more likely to challenge themselves with difficult
tasks and be highly motivated to achieve the task. They put high degree of effort and will do
everything in their power to meet their commitments. Self-efficacious students may more likely
recover quickly from setbacks and ultimately are to achieve their personal goal. However,
student with low self-efficacy, believe that they cannot be successful and will less likely to make
extended effort and may consider challenging task to be avoided. They have low aspirations and
may result from poor academic performances.

Four Ways to Build Self-Efficacy

1. Mastery Experience

Every experience is not always positive outcome. It may also bring failure. This
experience’s will help us build resilience thru treating failure as learning opportunity and chance
to reach our goal with different approach.

2. Social Modeling

Observing those who practice high self-efficacy in their lives and who have reached their
goals despite hardships can provide great motivation to a person. Bandura notes that it is
necessary to draw role-models from one’s own social surroundings. In this age, internet and
social media can be big source of employing role-models.

3. Social Persuasion

It is about finding the right mentor. Social Persuasion is about having other’s (role model)
directly influence one’s self-efficacy by providing opportunities to master experience. These
social persuasion may are mentors that are knowledgeable and practices what they preach.

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 4. States of Physiology

Our own emotions, moods and physical state can influence our interpretation of

self-efficacy. Having feeling of tension, anxiety and weariness can lower our self-efficacy. Positive
emotion can help build positive insight for high self-efficacy to a person.

Dweck’s Mindset Theory

Another learning theory that explains persons acquiring of intelligence and realizing
his/her goals is the Mindset Theory by Carol S. Dweck. She is a psychologist from Stanford
University that tries explain the way to understand the effects of learning and education to a
person.

Dweck proposed that people hold for the nature and the cause of intelligence have
several implications, specifically the way the person motivates himself to learn and practice.
“Mindset” is a term used by Dweck to explain the assumptions, methods, or notations held by
one or more people or group of people. It represents the cognitive processes activated in
response to a given task.

There are two kinds of mindset, the fixed and growth mindset. Fixed mindset (before
termed as entity mindset) is an innate or in-born personality of a person. It is basically “who you
are”, how God made you. And Growth Mindset (or the Incremental mindset), where people
believe that training and an effort to learn can change one’s qualities and traits. Whena parent
constantly attribute the child’s success to inborn or innate ability, children will come to develop
a fixed mindset. (e.g. Pedro failed the math exam because he finds the math subject as his
weakness) Thus, praising his success to performance will be attributing the success to child’s
intelligence. However, when the child’s success in school was particularly attributed to the child’s
effort to review to pass the test, it can be then be that the child has developed a growth mindset.
(e.g. Pedro failed the math exam because he did not review for the test.)

It is then said that acquiring a Growth Mindset is much better kind of mindset because it
attributes success to learning and continuous practice. Thus, the individual is not afraid of failure,
it only directs the person to need to practice more, pay attention, invest on effort, and master
new learning. The person then be more confident to face challenges and believe in him/herself
that he will improve his performance.

Goal Setting Theory

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 Most people would probably agree that goal setting is one of the main ingredient for a
person to succeed. It is a powerful way of motivating people and motivating yourself. Dr. Edwin
Locke pioneers a research in 1960s’ about setting goals. This theory was more known to work or
industrial setting, much from where the SMART goal originated. It was also then after several
years he collaborated with Dr. Gary Latham to a seminal work “A Theory of Goal Setting and Task
Performance.
Goal Setting Theory states that there is a relationship between how difficult and specific
a goal was and the people’s performance task. He found that specific and difficult goals led to
better task performance than vague or easy goals.
Motivating words such as “Try Hard” or “Do your best” is less effective than phrases such
as “Try to get more than 80% correct” or “Try beating your best score”
Having goal that is too easy is not motivating force than hard and specific goals.

Five Principles of Goal Setting

a. Clarity – Clear, measurable and unambiguous (specific) goals.

b. Challenge –Set a level of challenge to beat yourself with.
c. Commitment – The more harder the goal, the more commitment is required.
d. Feedback – Listen to feedback from people to provide opportunities to clarify
expectations, adjust goal difficulty and gain recognition.
e. Task Complexity – The more complicated and demanding the role would give high
level of motivation to a person.

Required Reading/s:

Locke, E. (2002). Setting goals for Life and Happiness. In Snyder & Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of
postive psychology ( pp 299 – 312). Oxford University Press.

Zimmerman, B. (2002).Becoming Learner: Self-Regulated Overview. Theory into Practice, 41 (2),

64 -70. doi:10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2.

33
 Taking Charge of One’s Health

Stressors and Reponses

Stress is person’s response to events that threaten them. A student can experience
various kinds of deadline from deadline of projects or exam, family problem, peer pressure to
the complex stress such as ever changing environment or terrorist attack. Even the pleasant
events, such as preparing for a party or starting a sought-after job can produce stress.

In recent years, focus on this issue has been broadened as psychology came to see stress
and coping in broader context. Health Psychology, a newer subfield of psychology, investigates
the psychological factors such as stress of different kind and in different situation. It also includes
coping mechanism, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Stress Effect on the Body

 Muscle Tension  Uncontrolled blood glucose level

 Tension-type headache and  Heartburn or acid reflux
migraine headache  Ulcer
 Difficulty in breathing  Severe stomach pain
 Asthma  Diarrhea
 Increased heartrate  Constipation
 Stronger contraction of the heart  Increased respiration rate
muscle  Dilated blood vessel in the arms
 Elevated blood pressure and legs
 Heart attack  Affects testosterone production
 Stroke  Sperm production
 Inflammation of the respiratory  Erectile dysfunction
system  Absent or irregular menstrual cycle
 Elevated epinephrine and cortisol  Difficult premenstrual symptoms
hormones

Stress and Filipinos: The Social and Cultural Dimension of Stress

Stress is the non-specific response of the body to any demand placed upon it (Selye, 1926).Stress
is an individual’s physiological and/or psychological reaction to the real and imagined demands
of life. It is the way a person reacts physically and emotionally to change. On the other hand,
culture is best defined as a highly complex, continually changing system of meaning that is

34
learned, shared, transmitted and altered from one generation to another (Triandis, 1995). How
does culture might influence environmental system, personal system, transitory conditions,
cognitive appraisal and coping skills, and health and well-being?

Stress has turned into an unavoidable truth, and for a few, the day by day standard. However,
incidental stress can help enhance our concentration and execution, living with incessant stress
can reverse discharge by causing uneasiness, discouragement, and serious medical [Link]
affects the body’s immune system. Filipinos experience stress and results to illnesses, physical
and mental, fleeting and serious and life-threatening. This can also lead to depression and other
maladaptive behavior that can be harmful to self and others. On the other hand,stress can be
mediated through culture. For instance, Filipinos have various threshold and ways to cope with
stressors. Concurrently, men and women express emotion in different patterns. Women deal
with stressful situation through tiis (endurance)and kimkim (repression). Men are less expressive
than women and prone to confront “political economy of stress “(Tan, 2006). Thus, culture
influences how people react to stressors.

Required Reading/s:

Tan, M. (2008).Stress and the Filipino. Retrieved from [Link]

filipino/

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36