The Material Self Part 2: Self and Possessions - PDF

Learning Outcomes After this lesson, you should be able to : – Explain the association of self and possessions; – Identify the role of consumer culture to self and identity; – Appraise one’s self based on the description of material self.  Introduction Our life is...

Learning Outcomes After this lesson, you should be able to : – Explain the association of self and possessions; – Identify the role of consumer culture to self and identity; – Appraise one’s self based on the description of material self.  Introduction Our life is now full of options. And our world, real or digital, is filled with products, all vying for our attention and money through sales, promotions and product advertisements. Advertisements appeal to our desire of feeling better or looking good – our wants.  Introduction WANTS POSSESSIONS SELF  Introduction WANTS POSSESSIONS SELF Belk (1988): – “We regard our possessions as parts of ourselves. We are what we have and possess.”  Introduction WANTS POSSESSIONS SELF SELF Belk (1988): IDENTITY – “We regard our possessions as parts of ourselves. We are what we have and possess.”  Introduction WANTS POSSESSIONS SELF SELF Belk (1988): IDENTITY – “We regard our MATERIAL possessions as parts SELF of ourselves. We are what we have and possess.”  The Lens of the Material Self ACTIVITY : Black Card Challenge – A very wealthy person gave you a black card and told you to use it as much as you want to make yourself happy. What are you going to do with it? – Make a list of what you want to have. Write as many as you want and estimate a price (please make use of the next 15 minutes to make your list).  Analysis Answer the following questions: 1. How do you feel as you do the Debit Card Challenge? 2. Which among the items on your list you like the most? Why? 3. If ever you were given the chance in real life to have one among the list, which would you choose? Why? 4. Is your choice in question number 3 different from your answer to question number 2? Why or why not? 5. Let your classmate read your list. Ask him/her to give or write a quick impression of yourself based on the list you showed him/her. 6. Is the quick impression of your classmate has some truth about who you are?  Abstraction William James (1890) in the The Principles of Psychology: – Understanding the self can be examined through its different components: 1. Its constituents (material self, social self, spiritual self, and pure ego –Trentmann, 2016; Green, 1997) 2. The feelings and emotions they arouse (self- feeling) 3. The actions to which they prompt (self- seeking and self-preservation)  Abstraction James (1890) – the material self is primarily about our bodies, clothes, immediate family, and home. SELF Body Clothe s Immediate family Home Material Self Investment Diagram  Abstraction James (1890) – the material self is primarily about our bodies, clothes, immediate family, and home. SELF Body Clothe s Immediate family Home Material Self Investment Diagram We are deeply affected by these (body, clothes, immediate family, and home) because we have put so much investment of our self to them.  Abstraction 1. Innermost part SELF - we are directly Body attached to it Clothe 2. Intentional investing s Immediate - We make sure the family body functions well Home and good 3. Valuable Material Self Investment Diagram  Abstraction 1. Essential part of SELF material self (James, Body 1890) Clothe 2. Form of self expression s Immediate (Watson, 2014) family “any time we bring an Home object into the surface of our body, we invest that object into the Material Self Investment consciousness of our Diagram personal existence takings in its contours to be our own and making it part of the self” - Herman Lotze,  Abstraction 1. Parents and siblings SELF - What they do and Body become affect us. Clothe 2. Nearest replica of our s Immediate self family - We place huge Home investment in our immediate family Material Self Investment Diagram  Abstraction SELF Body Clothe 1. Earliest nest of selfhood. s 2. Holds records and Immediate family markings of our Home experiences. 3. An extension of self where we can directly Material Self Investment connect to. Diagram  Abstraction Investment of self to things = attachment to things SELF Possessions = part or extension of Body the self Clothe s Immediate family Home Material Self Investment Diagram  Abstraction Investment of self to things = attachment to things SELF Possessions = part or extension of Body the self Clothe s Immediate family James (1890) Home - “ a man’s self is the sum total of all what he Material Self Investment Diagram CAN call his.”  WE ARE WHAT WE HAVE Belk (1988): – “We regard our possessions as parts of ourselves. We are what we have and possess.”  WE ARE WHAT WE HAVE Belk (1988): – “We regard our possessions as parts of ourselves. We are what we have and possess.” Identification of self starts at infancy DISTINCTION Environme nt  WE ARE WHAT WE HAVE Belk (1988): – “We regard our possessions as parts of ourselves. We are what we have and possess.” Identification of self starts at infancy DISTINCTION Environme nt ME  WE ARE WHAT WE HAVE Belk (1988): – “We regard our possessions as parts of ourselves. We are what we have and possess.” Identification of self starts at infancy DISTINCTION Environme nt * Who may ME Others* desire my possessions  APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT 1. Go back to your Debit Card Challenge List. Put a mark on the left side of each item with relation to the following categories: B – body C – Clothes F – family H - home  APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT 2. Answer the following questions: - Which among the categories you have most on your list? - What do you think this 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.  APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT. Collage making – Create a collage of your treasured possessions including your current clothing style. You may use symbols or pictures of your treasured possessions. Put a short note why you treasure each item Research Paper – Make a research paper on the role of Filipino consumer culture to Filipino self and identity. 3 or more symbols/items Laptop - I use this at work