GEC 111 Understanding The Self (Module 4) PDF

**GEC 111** **UNDERSTANDING THE SELF** **Topic 4: Unpacking the Self** **Why Do I Look Like Myself?** Science explain that our parents are very much instrumental in understanding why we look how we look. Gregor Mendel first figured out how genes are passed from parents to offspring in plant...

**GEC 111** **UNDERSTANDING THE SELF** **Topic 4: Unpacking the Self** **Why Do I Look Like Myself?** Science explain that our parents are very much instrumental in understanding why we look how we look. Gregor Mendel first figured out how genes are passed from parents to offspring in plants, including humans. His experiments on pea plants showed that genes are passed intact from generation to generation and that traits were passed from parent to off spring through several generations. From our skin tone, our hair color, to our height, our physical characteristics are confirmation that we are the offspring of our parents. When heredity is actually at work, we find ourselves being the reflections of our ancestors, the product of their DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) at work in us, and for others, also looking like carbon copies of them. **The Beginning of Life** Life begins at fertilization. Fertilization refers to the meeting of the female sex cell and the male sex cell. These sex cells are developed in the reproductive organs called **gonads.** The male sex cell called **spermatozoa** are produced in the male gonads called **testes.** On the other hand, the female sex cells called **ova** are produced in the female gonads called **ovaries.** The fertilized cell known as **zygote** contains all the hereditary potentials from the parents. This zygote goes to the uterus and continues to grow during the gestation period of about 280 days or 36 weeks or 9 calendar months. Each parent contributes one sex chromosome to the offspring. A male parent may pass either an X or Y chromosome while a female always gives the X chromosome. When an X chromosome comes from the father and meets the chromosome from the mother, the resulting combination is XX which indicates a female offspring. However, when the father produces a Y chromosome which pairs with the X chromosome from the mother, the resulting combination is XY, signifying a male offspring. Both male and female chromosomes contain several thousands of **genes**. Genes are small particles in a string-like formation. They are the true carriers of hereditary characteristics of the parents. Within the gene is a substance called **DNA** which is the code of heredity. It contains information and instructions about the newly created organism and programs the traits that should be inherited. **Maturation** is the unfolding of the inherent traits. **Human Development** The formation of male or female structures depends on the presence of testosterone (A substance called hormone that occurs naturally in men and male animals). The embryonic testes release testosterone once formed and the formation of the duct system and external genitalia follows. The same with female embryos that form ovaries, it will cause the development of the female ducts and external genitalia since testosterone hormone is not produce. Pseudo hermaphrodites are formed who is an individual having accessory reproductive structures that do not "match" their gonads while true Hermaphrodites are individuals who possess both ovarian and testicular tissues but this condition is rare in nature. Nowadays, many pseudo hermaphrodites undergo sex change operation to have their outer selves fit with their inner serves (gonads). **Human Anatomy** Puberty is the period of life when the reproductive organs grow to their adult size and become functional under the influence of rising levels of gonadal hormones \[testosterone in male and estrogen in female\] and generally between the age of 10-15 years old. At the age of 13, male puberty is characterized by the increase in the size of the reproductive organs followed by the appearance of hair in the pubic area, axillary and face. The reproductive organs continue to grow for two years until sexual maturation marked by the presence of mature semen in the testes. For the female, the budding of their breasts usually occurring at the age of 11 as a sign of their puberty stage. *Menarche* is the first menstrual period of females which happens two years after the start of puberty. Hormones play an important role in the regulation of ovulation and fertility of females. **FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICAL SELF** The development of the individual is caused by two interacting forces: heredity and environment. **Heredity (nature)** is the transmission of traits and characteristics from parents to offspring. It provides the raw materials of which the individual is made up. Through the genes, hereditary potentials like physical, mental, social, emotional, and moral traits are passed down to generations. **Environment (nurture)** is the sum total of the forces or experiences that a person undergoes from completion to old age. It also includes family, friends, school, nutrition, and other agencies one is in contact with. **Diseases associated with the reproductive systems** Infections are the most common problems associated with the reproductive system in adults. Vaginal infections are more common in young and elderly women and those whose resistance to diseases is low, like, Escherichia coli which spread through the digestive tract, the sexually transmitted microorganisms such as syphilis, gonorrhea and herpes virus and yeast fungus. Pelvic inflammatory disease and sterility are also the effect of vaginal infections. For males, the most common inflammatory conditions are prostatitis, urethritis, and epididymitis, STD, Orchiditis. Major treat to reproductive organs are Neoplasms, tumor of the breast and cervix cancers in adult females and prostates cancer in adult males. Most women hit the highest point of their reproductive abilities in their late 20‟s, i.e. irregular ovulation and shorter menstrual periods -- menopausal period. The production of estrogen may continue after menopause but the ovaries finally stop functioning as endocrine organs. The reproductive organ and breast begin to atrophy or shrink if estrogen is no longer released from the body. With this case, the vaginal becomes dry that causes intercourse to become painful if frequent and the vaginal infections become increasingly common. Signs of estrogen deficiency: irritability and mood changes \[depression in some\]; intense vasodilation of the skin's blood vessels, gradual thinning of skin and loss of bone mass, slowing rising high blood levels etc. Note: there is no counterpart for menopause in males. Although aging men show a steady decline in testosterone section, their reproductive capability seems unending. Healthy men are still able to father offspring well into their 80‟ and beyond. **STAGES IN THE LIFESPAN** An individual undergoes definite stages of development. In each phase, the child experiences certain developmental characteristics to prepare him/her for the next.  **Cultural Standards of Beauty** Different cultures have different standard beauty; during the 19th century in the African country of Tahiti, it was recorded that some men and women were set aside in a special place for fattening purpose ( Pollock, 1995) They were covered in a large amount of tapa barck cloth, which, after the ritual is over, reveals a lighter skin for those who were selected. Fattening rooms" are used less these days but are still relevant among well -- off families (brink 1995) Lakoff and sherr (1989) explains that beauty was not just a product of wealth , but a commodity in and of itself. In their book Face Value: The Politics of Beauty In the Philippines, the development of local standards of beauty can be traced back to our colonial influence. Skin color is the characteristic of culture. The lighter skin is the best in the hierarchy of being than the brown and black skin. In terms of social rank and status. As a result, the Philippines was colonized by fairer skinned races of Spaniards, Americans and Japanese. **The Filipino Obsession with Beauty** - Prior to forms of surgeries, health issues must be addressed in the first place. But there are others who feel like they still need to adjust some aspect of their body, because they feel like they don\'t look good, even though you tell them that they already are. - those who are suffering BDD are so obsessed about their appearance, thus think about their flaws, real or not incessantly and uncontrollably - ***Body Dysmorphic Disorder*** (BDD) is a relatively common disorder that consists of a distressing or impairing pre-occupation with imagined or slight defects in appearance. BDD is commonly considered to be an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is important to recognize and appropriately treat BDD, as this disorder is associated with marked impairment in psychosocial functioning, notably poor quality of life, and high suicidality rates. - The "dysmorphophobic" patient is really miserable in the middle of his daily routines, conversations, while reading, during meals, in fact everywhere and at any time, is overcome by the fear of deformity... which may reach a very painful intensity, even to the point of weeping and desperation. - ***Anorexia*** is defined as "A serious mental illness where people are of low weight due to limiting their energy intake. It can affect anyone of any age, gender, or background. As well as restricting the amount of food eaten, they may do a lot of exercise to get rid of food eaten. Some people with anorexia may experience cycle of binge eating and then purging - Disorder of body image is a significant feature of a number of pathologies, especially eating disorders, in psychology. - It has two aspects of a perceptual component, which applies to how we correctly interpret the size of our body, also known as the estimation of body size and the attitudinal aspect that refers to how we think and feel about the size and shape of our body that, if not correctly interpreted, will result in dissatisfaction of the body. **THE MATERIAL SELF: To Buy or Not to Buy?** A Harvard psychology in the late nineteenth century, William James, wrote in the book, the principles of psychology in 1890 that understanding the self can be examined through its different components namely: 1\] its constituents; 2\] the feelings and emotions they aroused self-feelings; 3\] the actions for which they prompt the seeking and self-preservation. The constituents of self are composed of material self, the social self, the spiritual self, and the pure ego. The material self, according to William James primarily is about: our bodies; clothes; immediate family; home. **[Material Self:]** 1. Body is the innermost part of material self. You are directly attached to this commodity that you cannot live without. You strive hard to make sure that this body functions well and good. Example is Mariah Carey, she was reported to have placed a huge amount for the insurance of his vocal cords and legs. 2. Clothes is next to the body that was being influenced by the "the philosophy of dress" by Herman Lotze. William James believed that an essential part of the material self is clothing. Lotze stipulated in his book that any time you bring an abject into the surface of your body, you invest that object into any consciousness of your personal existence taking in its contours to be your own and making it part of the self. 3. Immediate Family is the third in the hierarchy. Your parents and siblings hold another great important part of yourself. What they do or became affects you. When an immediate family member dies, part of you dies, too. When their lives are in success, you feel their victories as if you are the one holding the bacon. In their failures, you are put to chance or guilt. When they are disadvantage situation, there is an urgent urge to help like a voluntary instinct of saving one's self from danger. 4. Home is the fourth component of material self. Home is where your heart is. It is the earliest nest of your selfhood. Your experience inside the home were recorded and marked on particular parts and things in your home. There was an old cliché about rooms: "if only walls can speak". The home thus is an extension of self, because in it, you can directly connect yourself. You may have heard the saying, "You are what you eat." The material self takes it one step further and asserts, "You are what you have." The material self is the sum total of all the tangible objects, people or places an individual carry the designation my or mine. *[There are two subclasses of the material self: ]* 1. **Bodily self** - speaks of entities that are clearly an intimate part of who a person is. It speaks for a person's pet, (my cat), possessions (my watch), places (my home town), and the products of one's labor (my research paper). 2. **Extracorporeal self** -- A person's sense of self is not only limited to the physical entities but also includes their psychological ownership of them. For instance, an individual may have a favorite book she likes to read. The book itself is not a part of the self, rather, it is a sense of appropriation represented by the phrase "my favorite book." This is what referred to when one talks about the extracorporeal/extended self. It includes all of the people, places and things that they regard as "theirs." It is William James who expanded the study of the self which include nonphysical aspects of an individual. He asserts that the self was fluid and it comprises more than the physical body. [o Ways an individual can tell whether an entity is a part of themselves ] 1\. Assessing ones emotional investment in the object or entity. If a person respond in an emotional way when the entity is being commended or condemned, the entity is likely to be part of their self. 2\. Assess how you act towards it. If we profligate attention on the entity and work to advance and uphold it, one can infer that the entity is a part of themselves. In addition to highlighting the essential role of motivation plays in ascertaining what is the self from what is not. James also contend an interesting point about the nature of the entity that become part of the self. James argues that these possessions are not simply treasured for what they provide; they are also valued because they become part of an individual. **THE SELF AND ONE'S POSSESSION** People live in a sales and shopping spree culture. They get a wide variety of items for purchasing from a plain package of spoon and fork to running a restaurant. Anyone can find product buying promotions almost everywhere including the digital room. **[Diderot Effect: Why we want things we don't need]** **Materialism** is defined as the importance a consumer attaches to worldly possessions. - At the highest level of materialism, such possession assumes a central place in the person's life and are believed to provide the greatest sources of satisfaction. - To the highly materialistic person, purchases of consumer goods offer the potential for magical transformation of the self. **THE MATERIAL SELF: LIVING IN A MATERIAL WORLD** The physical body is known as the material self's core constituent unit. Material self comprises one's nearest relatives and material collection with particular emphasis on clothing. o "what an individual wear is an extension of who they are or try to be" Every time a person wear different kinds of clothing, it\'s an opportunity for them to: o Relate it to the surface of their bodies, o Merge it with the person's own genuine realization of life (Hermann Lotze, 1890). William James also emphasized the properties one gets to acquire through time (i.e. a house). o Acquisition of this entities incorporates the wealth of the empirical self and thus regarded as the \"most intimately yours\" because it is made possible by your labor. As you purchase an item, you develop an attachment with most of those things because you convey the same resources that allow you to carry out the transaction. **Shrinkage of the Personality**- considered by William James as the justification of one's experience of sorrow in losing any of their personal possessions in a fire or after seeing their latest collection of shoes be washed away in a storm. This is why you "die a little" every time you lose some of your possessions. **[Best Buys: Consumer Culture and the Self]** "Necessity is the mother of consumption." We consume because we need to. We trade for products and services at each of our waking moments. In supermarkets and shopping malls, people negotiate what is basically the material representation of their work (money) in return for a multitude of things that they are continuously made aware of by advertisements. Back then, people's awareness about what goods and services that are easily accessible are often drawn from print newspapers and magazines, radio and television. However, with the rising popularity of social networking platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, etc.) and even selling platforms (Lazada, Shopee, Zalora, etc.), products and services details can reach consumers even faster. **[I saw the Sign: The Semiotics of Consumption]** Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) contended that definitions are built off conventions and are, by default, subjective. o Therefore, words are unmotivated signals, without defined meanings. o Signifier may be presented as a word, sound or illustration and the signified, or the idea or concept attached to it, is still present. o Synchronously (at a point in time) or diachronically (over a relative time period), both interactions are never constant and will change over time. **Relational definitions** are said to be allocated to words, such that, one cannot be identified in total isolation from another (Barry, 2002). o The proper sense of the word traveler, for example, can only be understood if it is correlated and compared with related meanings such as "tourist," "guest," "explorer," and "backpacker" -- this is called paradigmatic chain. **Paradigmatic chain** is a series of terms with similar meanings that may be used as substitutes, but others may not be as rational when used. o This is explained by the manner in which objects are often seen as associated with very particular historical or cultural definitions, based on a person\'s socio-cultural / socio-political context. **HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT TO BUY?** There are five stages in the so-called "Buyer Decision Process according to Philip Kotler (1980), namely: 1.) Needs Arousal/Recognition 2\) Information Search 3\) Evaluation of Behavior 4\) Purchase Decision 5\) Post-purchase Behavior