Physical Self - Why Do I Look Like Myself? PDF

PHYSICAL SELF environment in the womb & continuous throughout the Prepared by: Bianca Patricia Reyes, RPm lifespan - Our physical growth and development are a product of Why do I l...

PHYSICAL SELF environment in the womb & continuous throughout the Prepared by: Bianca Patricia Reyes, RPm lifespan - Our physical growth and development are a product of Why do I look like myself? both our heredity and environment – there is an interplay between the two. Physical Self – refers to the physical body of an individual Cultural Standards of Beauty - reaching a consensus regarding the definition of - Science explains that our parents are instrumental in beauty is difficult to do, this is because beauty is understanding why we look the way we do. relative (it has no definite meaning, it depends on the person) and it is contextual (it differs from culture to Gregor Mendel culture) - Father of modern genetics - discovered that traits are passed down from one Different Cultural Standards of Beauty: generation to the next in a predictable way - it is through the genes that traits are passed down. 1. Giraffe women - Myanmar & Thailand - their belief is that the larger the neck, the more beautiful you are. - this starts from childhood, where the female will receive a brass spiral ring around her neck. Every year they will add 1 to 2 rings until they are adults. 2. Elongated earlobes - Masai tribe & other ethnic groups in Africa - this practice permits a form of status for women, > we have 23 pairs of chromosomes accentuated by the extent of the deformation or > in which we have 22 pairs of autosomes and 1 pair of elongation w/ the earlobes covered with colorful pearls sex chromosomes (XX or XY) & jewels. HEREDITY – the genetic transmission of heritable 3. Pure white skin characteristics from parents to offspring - in countries w/ Oriental culture (ex. SoKor, China, Japan) there is an obsession with pale white skin. DOMINANT INHERITANCE – only the dominant gene is - for them, pale white skin is the standards or symbol for expressed (RR or Rr/rR) wealthy people RECESSIVE INHERITANCE – the child receives identical 4. Plus size recessive alleles, resulting in the expression of a - during the ancient times, in Nigeria, being fat is viewed nondominant trait (rr). Ex: red hair as a sign of prosperity, fertility, and beauty. - fattening rooms are used less often nowadays, but are > genetics has a huge contribution to our physical still relevant among well-off families. appearance. “Beauty was not just a product of wealth, but a Nature vs. Nurture commodity in and of itself. In other words, it was no longer a matter of looking to wealth to find beauty, but Nature (heredity) - in born traits & characteristics of looking to beauty to find status. Now, beauty could inherited from our biological parents give the illusion of wealth.” -Lackoff & Scherr (1989) Nurture (environment) - totality of nonhereditary, or experiential, influence; tarting w/ the prenatal Philippine Standards of Beauty BULIMIA NERVOSA – the person binges uncontrollably - our concept of physical selves as Filipinos is largely and engages in compensatory behaviors afterwards to associates with our skin color and the construction of avoid gaining weight. local standards of beauty can be traced from our colonial influences. 3. Body dysmorphia - historically, we have been colonized by people with fair skin (Spaniards, Americans, Japanese) for almost 3 Importance of Beauty centuries. - we have a very Eurocentric perspective when it comes - Beauty is considered important throughout history. to beauty. 1. It indicates youth, health, good genes, and fertility. 2. Attractive people have a lot of advantages in life. Body Image - men tend to seek attractive women as mates. - refers to how individuals perceive, think, and feel - according to studies, men and women who are about their body & physical appearance. attractive have more opportunities such as getting hired, - it may be aligned or not aligned with our actual promotions, and income. appearance. - people tend to view attractive people as good, happier, smarter, and better people. Appearance - refers to everything about a person that others can observe such as height, weight, skin color, clothes, and hairstyle. Celebrating Beauty in Diversity - we should stand against the cultural requirement on Self-esteem – is a person’s overall evaluation of his/her what we should do with our bodies in order to look own worth. beautiful. Thus, a celebration of beauty in diversity requires a culture of resistance (Jeffreys, 2005). This is a - Our body image can affect both our physical and culture that veers away from the dictates of what psychological well-being women and men in society should look like to be called beautiful. Causes of Poor Body Image 1. Parents’/society’s emphasis on an ideal body lead girls to experience body dissatisfaction. 2. Bullying & peer pressure have been associated with greater body dissatisfaction. 3. Media such as television, advertisements, music, and movies are often filled with good-looking faces, making women and men more concerned with physical attractiveness. Effects of Poor Body Image 1. Girls who have a higher body dissatisfaction are likely to experience depression and low self-esteem. 2. Possibility of eating disorders: ANOREXIA NERVOSA – is an ED, in which the person refuses to eat for fear of gaining weight which can result in severe starvation and death.