GE 113: Understanding the Self 2 - University of Southeastern Philippines PDF

Course Pack Writers: Dr. Aristeo C. Salapa Prof. Carmencita Z. Gomez Prof. Jay J. Balan Prof. Maven Rey P. Batarina Dr. Mary Ann C. Cacananta  GE 113: Understanding the Self 2 Welcome Message...

Course Pack Writers: Dr. Aristeo C. Salapa Prof. Carmencita Z. Gomez Prof. Jay J. Balan Prof. Maven Rey P. Batarina Dr. Mary Ann C. Cacananta  GE 113: Understanding the Self 2 Welcome Message The University of Southeastern Philippines recognizes that the undergraduate should be equipped not only of the academic training for future jobs, employment success and the study of the student’s field of expertise but strives further for it students to be of benefit as an individual in relation to the society as responsible and responsive citizens. In the same way that the arts and sciences electives are geared toward these goals, the General Education subjects has evolved because of the need of the times in this fast and ever- changing world. Its transformative contribution to the individual encompasses his civic love for the community, the nation, the whole world and his God. As Roman (2011) puts it, the GE Program is the hallmark of undergraduate education. It shapes the students’ way of thinking and values system enabling them to appreciate and understand various themes of human experience. According to Carlos P. Romulo, it is a laboratory of life, a habit of mind and mode of thought. It prepares students to respond critically and constructively to change and develop students’ understanding of the ethical dimensions of what they say and do (Harvard University). Henceforth, this pursuit must start within himself. Understanding the Self is a fundamental course in the General Education curriculum for tertiary education. It is designed to help students understand the nature of identity including factors that influence and shape personal identity. This course is intended to facilitate the exploration of the issues and concerns regarding self and identity to arrive at a better understanding of one’s self. It strives to meet this goal by stressing the integration of the personal into the academic-contextualizing matters discussed and in the everyday experiences of students- making for better learning, generating a new appreciation for the learning process, and developing a more critical and reflective attitude while enabling them to manage and improve themselves to attain a better quality of life. Faculty Information: Getting help For academic concerns (College/Adviser - Contact details) For administrative concerns (College Dean - Contact details) For UVE concerns (KMD - Contact details) For health and wellness concerns (UAGC, HSD and OSAS - Contact details)  GE 113: Understanding the Self 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Cover page................................................................................................................... 1 Welcome Message..................................................................................................... 2 Table of Contents........................................................................................................ 3 List of Tables................................................................................................................. 4 List of Figures.............................................................................................................. 5 USeP Vision, Mission and Goals............................................................................... 6 USeP Graduate Attributes......................................................................................... 6 USeP Core Values....................................................................................................... 7 Course Overview......................................................................................................... 8 Course Assessment..................................................................................................... 9 Course Map..................................................................................................................11 Module 1 The Self from Various Perspectives Overview........................................................................12 Lesson 1........................................................................ 12 Lesson 2........................................................................ 23 Lesson 3........................................................................ 26 Lesson 4........................................................................ 30 Module Summary.......................................................... 33 Module 2 Unpacking the Self Overview........................................................................34 Lesson 1........................................................................ 34 Lesson 2........................................................................ 41 Lesson 3........................................................................ 58 Lesson 4........................................................................ 63 Lesson 5........................................................................ 74 Lesson 6........................................................................ 80 Module Summary.........................................................90 Module 3 Managing and Caring for the Self Overview........................................................................91 Lesson 1........................................................................ 91 Lesson 2........................................................................ 102 Lesson 3........................................................................ 107 Module Summary Course Summary........................................................................................................ 119 References................................................................................................................... 120 Appendix A................................................................................................................... 122  GE 113: Understanding the Self 4 LIST OF TABLES Tables Page 1.................Some Distinctions Between the Soul and....................................... 17 the Body as Described by Descartes 2.................Stages of Cognitive Development.................................................... 28 3.................Sexual Development at Puberty....................................................... 43 4.................Phases of Human Sexual Response Cycle..................................... 45 5.................Sexual Orientations..............................................................................49 6.................Comparison Between Spiritual and Religious................................ 65 7.................Classifications of Religion..................................................................68 8.................The Difference between the Soul and the Spirit............................ 71 9.................Ethnical Descriptions of the Soul......................................................72 10.............. Comparison of the Public and Private Self..................................... 86 11.............. The Left and Right Brain functions................................................... 94 12.............. Approaches and Skills Inventory for Students................................96 13.............. Classroom Assessment Tools...........................................................99 14.............. Filipino Traits and How They Were Evaluated Based on East-West Cultures........................................................................112 15.............. Probable Reaction to Unsatisfied Needs.........................................116  GE 113: Understanding the Self 5 LIST OF FIGURES Figures Page 1.................Socrates................................................................................................14 2.................Plato...................................................................................................... 15 3.................St. Augustine........................................................................................15 4.................Rene Descartes...................................................................................16 5.................John Locke........................................................................................... 17 6.................David Hume......................................................................................... 18 7.................Immanuel Kant.....................................................................................19 8.................Sigmund Freud..................................................................................... 20 9.................Gilbert Ryle...........................................................................................21 10.............. Paul Churchland..................................................................................21 11.............. Maurice Marleau-Ponty...................................................................... 22 12.............. William James......................................................................................27 13.............. Carl Rogers.......................................................................................... 27 14.............. Jean Piaget.......................................................................................... 28 15.............. Susan Harter........................................................................................29 16.............. What is the Halo Effect?.................................................................... 38 17.............. Beauty Standards Across the World............................................... 49 18.............. The Amygdala and Nucleus accumbens.........................................49 19.............. The Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)...................................51 20.............. Material Self Investment Diagram.................................................... 59 21.............. Star of David........................................................................................ 68 22.............. The Cross............................................................................................. 68 23.............. The Crescent Moon and Stars.......................................................... 69 24.............. The Swastika....................................................................................... 69 25.............. The Dharma Wheel.............................................................................70 26.............. Divisions of the Nervous System......................................................93 27.............. Lobes of the Brain............................................................................... 93 28.............. Concept Map........................................................................................93 29.............. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs............................................................116  GE 113: Understanding the Self 6 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHEASTERN PHILIPPINES VISION Premier Research University in the ASEAN. MISSION USeP shall produce world-class graduates and relevant research and extension through quality education and sustainable resource management. GOALS At the end of the plan period, the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) aims to achieve five comprehensive and primary goals: 1. Recognized ASEAN Research University 2. ASEAN Competitive Graduates and Professionals 3. Vibrant Research Community 4. Proactive Research-based Economic Empowering Extension Services 5. Capacity for Innovative Resource Generation INSTITUTIONAL GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES LEADERSHIP SKILLS Creates and inspires positive changes in the organization; exercises responsibility with integrity and accountability in the practice of one’s profession or vocation. CRITICAL AND ANALYTICAL THINKING SKILLS  GE 113: Understanding the Self 7 Demonstrates creativity, innovativeness, and intellectual curiosity in optimizing available resources to develop new knowledge, methods, processes, systems, and value-added technologies. SERVICE ORIENTED Demonstrates concern for others, practices professional ethics, honesty, and exemplifies socio-cultural, environmental concern, and sustainability. LIFELONG LEARNING Demonstrates enthusiasm and passion for continuous personal and professional development. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE Demonstrates proficiency and flexibility in the area of specialization and in conveying information in accordance with global standards. CORE VALUES OF THE UNIVERSITY UNITY STEWARDSHIP EXCELLENCE PROFESSIONALISM  GE 113: Understanding the Self 8 THE COURSE OVERVIEW COURSE TITLE : UNDERSTANDING THE SELF CREDIT : 3 UNITS SEMESTER : First & Second Sem. 2020- 2021 TIME FRAME : 54 hours COURSE DESCRIPTION : The course deals with the nature of identity, as well as the factors and forces that affect the development and maintenance of personality identity. The directive to Know Oneself has inspired countless and varied ways to comply. Among the questions that everyone has had to grapple with at one time or other is “Who am I?” At no other period is this question asked more urgently than in adolescence – traditionally believed to be a time of vulnerability and great possibilities. Issues of self and identity are among the most critical for the young. This course is intended to facilitate the exploration of the issues and concerns regarding self and identity to arrive at a better understanding of one’s self. It strives to meet this goal by stressing the integration of the personal with the academic – contextualizing matters discussed in the classroom and in the everyday experience of students – making for better learning, generating a new appreciation for the learning process, and developing a more critical and reflective attitude while enabling them to manage and improve their selves to attain a better quality of life. The course is divided into three major parts: The first seeks to understand the construct of the self from various disciplinal perspectives: philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and psychology – as well as the more traditional division between the East and West – each seeking to provide answers to the difficult but essential question of “What is the self?” And raising, among others, the question: “Is there even such a construct as the self?”  GE 113: Understanding the Self 9 The second part explores some of the various aspects that make up the self, such as the biological, material and the more recent Digital Self. The third and the final part identifies three areas of concern for young students: learning, goal setting, and managing stress. It also provides for the more practical application of the concepts discussed in this course and enables them the hands-on experience of developing self- help plans for self-regulated learning, goal setting, and self-care. This course includes the mandatory topics on Family Planning and Population Education COURSE OUTCOMES : On the completion of the course, student is expected to be able to do the following: Course Outcomes Graduate Outcomes Aligned to CO1 Assess self from these various perspectives Recognize personal experiences and identify multi- leading to the emergence of one’s self and faceted self. identity. CO2 Grasp a better understanding of their personality, self and identity, along with the knowledge of the Express oneself to others by unpacking the self influential forces which impact on these such as comfortably and without inhibitions. gender, culture, family and relationships. CO3 Demonstrate basic skills in managing the self Apply and improve self-management skills in local, and identity. regional and national aspects. COURSE ASSESSMENT: Learning Evidence and Measurement Rubrics As evidence of attaining the above learning outcomes, the student has to do and submit the following: Learning Evidence: LE1: PORTFOLIO Areas to 1.0 1.75 2.25 3.0 5.0 Assess Beyond Expected Satisfactory Acceptable Unacceptable Expectation Organization Reach detail Adequate to Adequate detail Satisfies the Cannot follow indicating good detail but miss out required guidelines for excellent indicating clear some guidelines inclusion in understanding of knowledge of thoroughness portfolio. step required to steps used to create portfolio create portfolio  GE 113: Understanding the Self 10 Creativity Excellent Demonstrates Moderate work No effort Demonstrates creativity and originality and output is demonstrated in no originality or independent independent observed. work independent thought in thinking presentation thing in creating creating portfolio portfolio. Personal Provides Provides Adequate detail Satisfies the Evaluation excellent detail adequate to but miss out required Cannot give a that realistically good detail that some guidelines detailed or assesses his/her realistically thoroughness realistic portfolio. assesses his/her assessment of portfolio. his/her portfolio. Learning Evidence to Assess: LE2: JOURNAL OF EXPERIENCES Areas to 1.0 1.75 2.25 3.0 5.0 Assess Beyond Expected Satisfactory Acceptable Unacceptable Expectation Personal Reflects well on Reflects on own Some reflection Little reflection Did not comply Experiences own work; work; provides on own work; on own work; provides many example provides few provides very examples examples few or no examples Effort on Obvious, Acceptable Some effort on Little or no effort No effort Journal detailed effort effort on all parts assignment on assignment exerted; No on assignment of the Neat organization Writing is highly assignment Minimal evident; organized with Organization is organization logical clear and easy sequence to follow Retelling of Detailed Clear Somewhat clear Vague No explanation Experience explanation of explanation of explanation of explanation of of experience experience experience experience experience and Non-objective Specific Objective Somewhat observation of observation of descriptors of observation of objective experience experience observations experience observation of during experience experience Grading System The final grade in this course will be composed of the following items and their weights in the final grade computation: Assessment Grade Source (Score or Rubric Grade) Percentage of Final Grade Item AA1 Quizzes (Score) 20 % AA2 Exam (Score) 40 % AA3 Reports/ Recitation/Debate (Score) 10 % LE 1 Portfolio (Rubric) 15% LE 2 Journal (Rubric) 15% 100%  GE 113: Understanding the Self 11 The Course Map UNDERSTANDING THE SELF Module 1: Module 2: Module 3: The Self from Various Unpacking the Self Managing & Caring for the Perspectives Self Lesson 1: Physical Self Lesson 1: Ancient to Post Lesson 1: Learning to be a Lesson 2: Gendered self Modern Philosophy better student Lesson 3: Material & Lesson 2: Sociology Lesson 2: Setting goals for Economic Self Lesson 3: Anthropology Success Lesson 4: Spiritual Self Lesson 4: Psychology Lesson 3: Taking Charge of Lesson 5: Political Self Lesson 5: The Self in One’s Health Lesson 6: Digital Self Western & Oriental Thought  Recognize personal experiences & identify multi- faceted self  Express oneself to others by unpacking the self comfortably & without inhibitions Module 1  Apply & improve self-management skills in local, regional and national aspects (Title)  GE 113: Understanding the Self 12 Module 1 The Self from Various Perspectives Module Overview: Welcome to Module 1. This module discusses the self from all angles. From the thoughts of the philosophers, macro, micro and inner journey with presentation of influences from Asian and Western thoughts. It is on this context that the journey, deep probing and self-introspection plus few observations on the community we live are expected to be uncarved. Enjoy your journey. Module Outcomes: At the end of this module, students will be able to 1. Discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from various disciplinal perspectives; 2. Compare and contrast how the self has been represented across different disciplines and perspectives; 3. Examine the different influences, factors, and forces that shape the self; and 4. Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analysing the development of one’s self and identity by developing a theory of the self.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 13 Module 1 Lesson 1 The Self According to the Philosophers Learning Outcomes: At the end of this lesson, you are expected to: 1. Examine one’s self as presented from the different views of the philosophers and 2. Formulate a better understanding of the self. Time Frame: 3 hours Introduction This lesson talks about the idea of the self from various thoughts of the philosophers across all periods. It is encouraged that we can describe and discuss the different notions of the self from different points-of-view as well as compare and contrast same so as to better understand the deep rooted meaning of the self or perhaps a holistic definition of the self as read, experienced, and encountered. This lesson allots 3 hours for it is believe that knowing and being familiar with some philosophers would take a while and sometimes being engrossed by their thoughts are inevitable. Activity: Knowing thyself As we start, on a reflective manner or shall we say, introspective way, do answer silently/ or using a piece of paper the following questions? 1. Think/ write at least 5 adjectives that best describes you. 2. What makes you special? 3. What makes you stand from the rest?  GE 113: Understanding the Self 14 4. Did you notice of some transformation about yourself? From younger years to present? 5. How is your self related to other selves? 6. What will happen to your self when you die? Analysis Answer the following questions:  Were you able to answer the questions above with ease?  Which one are the easiest? Why?  Which one are difficult? Why? Abstraction Let’s find out how the philosophers define or describe self during the early and modern times. They are the prime movers on the different views of the self. I. Socrates Greek Philosopher and one of the very few individuals who shaped the Western thought. Most information from him are second hand and from the writings of his student Plato. He is known for his Socratic method, where an idea is tested by asking series if questions to determine underlying Figure 1. Socrates by Kedumuc10, beliefs and the extent of knowledge to guide 2016 (https://bit.ly/3g3spjN), CC0 the person toward better understanding. a. Some of his ideas are: i. The soul is immortal ii. The care of the soul is the task of philosophy iii. Virtue is necessary to attain happiness b. He believed that philosophy has a very important role to play in the lives of the people. His most quoted phrase is “the unexamined life  GE 113: Understanding the Self 15 is not worth living.” He said that: self-knowledge or the examination of one’s self, as well as the question about how one ought to live one’s life, are very important concerns because only by knowing yourself can you hope to improve your life. One should consciously contemplate, turn your gaze inward, and analyse the true nature and values that are guiding in life. Self-knowledge would open your eyes to your true nature. Your real self is not even your body. The state of your inner being determines the quality of your life. c. Socrates said existence is of two kinds: i. Visible- it changes; this is the state of human being; seen by the naked eye like the body. ii. Invisible- constant; the mind; the soul d. The goal of life is to be happy. How does one become happy? A virtuous man is a happy man. Virtue is defined as moral excellence, and an individual is considered virtuous if his/her character is made up of the moral qualities that are accepted as virtues, i.e. courage, temperance, prudence, and justice. e. Death, for Socrates is a trivial matter for the truly virtuous has realized that the most important thing in life is the state of his/her soul and the acts taken from taking care of the soul through self- knowledge. II. Plato A student of Socrates. His philosophical approach is what they call "collection and division." In this method, the philosopher "collects" all the common ideas with common characteristics and then divides them into various genres until a subset of ideas are specified. Figure 2. Plato by Raphael, 2019 He is best known for his “Theory of Forms” (https://bit.ly/2E7mRaD), CC0 which asserted that the physical world is not really the “real” world because the ultimate exists beyond it.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 16 a. The “soul” according to him is the most divine aspect of the human being. His concept of divine is not a spiritual being but rather one that has an intellectual connotation. b. The three parts of the soul: i. The appetitive (sensual) – enjoys sexual experiences like food, drink and sex. ii. The rational (reasoning) – use of reason iii. The spirited (feeling)- understands the demands of passion; loves honor and victory. III. St. Augustine He is also known as St. Augustine of Hippo. One of the Latin Fathers of the Church, one of the Doctors of the Church, and one of the most significant Christian thinkers. He was most influenced by Plato’s Theory of Forms. He asserted that they were concepts existing within the perfect and eternal God where the Figure 3. St. Agustine by Sandro Boticelli, 2002. soul belonged. The soul held the truth and was (https://bit.ly/3iLO95u), public domain acceptable of scientific thinking. His concept of the “self” was an inner, immaterial “I” that had self-knowledge and self-awareness. The human being is both a soul and body, and the body possessed senses, such as imagination, memory, reason, and mind through which the soul experienced the world. a. The aspects of the soul/ soul according to St. Augustine are: i. It is able to be aware of itself ii. It recognizes itself as a holistic one iii. It is aware of its unity b. St Augustine espoused the following contentions: i. Human beings through the senses could sense the material, temporal objects as we interacted with the material world; ii. The immaterial but intelligible God would only be clear or obvious to the mind if one tune into his/her immaterial self/soul;  GE 113: Understanding the Self 17 iii. Human beings who is both soul and body is meant to tend to higher, divine and heavenly matters; iv. A person is similar to God as regards to the mind and its ability IV. Rene Descartes He is a French philosopher, mathematician and scientist. He is considered as the father of modern Western Philosophy. He is often regarded as the first thinker to emphasize the use of reason to describe, predict, and understand natural phenomena based on observational and empirical evidence. Figure 4. Rene Descartes by Frans Hals, 2020 (https://bit.ly/31Ymsj8), CC0 a. Rene Descartes made these significant contributions: i. Doubt is a principal tool for disciplined inquiry; this method is called hyperbolical/metaphysical doubt/ or methodological scepticism. A systematic process of being sceptical about the truth of one’s belief in order to determine which beliefs could be ascertained as true. ii. Known for his famous line of “Cogito ergo sum” – I think, therefore, I am. He asserted that everything perceived by the senses could not be used as proof of existence because human senses could be fooled. Doubting once existence can be done so that a thinking entity is there and doing the act of doubting. iii. His claims about the self are- constant, not prone to change and not affected by time; only the immaterial soul is the source of our identity. Table 1. Some distinctions between the soul and the body as described by Descartes  GE 113: Understanding the Self 18 The Soul The Body It is a conscious, thinking substance It is a material substance that changes that is unaffected by time over time It is known only to self (only you know It can be doubted; the public can correct you own mental event and others claims about the body cannot correct your mental states It is not made up of parts. Its views the It is made up of physical, quantifiable entirely of itself with no hidden or divisible parts separate compartments. It is both conscious and aware of itself at the same time V. John Locke He is a philosopher and physician and one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers. Also known as the Age of Reason, this intellectual movement dominated the ideas in Europe during the 18th century. a. Locke expanded the definition of the “self” to include the memories of that thinking thing. He believed that the “self” is Figure 5. John Locke by Godfrey identified with consciousness and this Kneller, 2020 (https://bit.ly/34bhnqj), CC0 “self” consists of sameness and consciousness. b. His contentions are: i. The self consists of memory ii. The person existing now is the same person yesterday for he/she remember the thoughts, experiences or actions of the earlier self iii. A person’s memories provide a continuity of experience that allows him/her to identify the same person over time. iv. The person can be held accountable for past behaviors for as long as he/she can remember v. Punishing behaviors one had no recollection of doing is equivalent to punishing the person for actions that was never performed.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 19 vi. A person who cannot remember as the same as that of a person who never committed the act which means the person is ignorant. VI. David Hume He is a Scottish philosopher, economist and historian in the Age of Enlightenment; a fierce opponent of Descartes Rationalism; Rationalism is a theory that reason, rather than experience, is the foundation of all knowledge. He is also one of the three figureheads (Locke and George Berkeley) who influenced the British Figure 6. David Hume by Allan Ramsay, 2012 (https://bit.ly/3iRuIYO), Empiricism movement. public domain Empiricism is the idea that the origin of all knowledge is a sense experience. It emphasized the role of experience and evidence in forming concepts. a. To David Hume, the self is nothing else but a bundle of impressions. He categorizes it into two – impressions and ideas. Impressions are the basic objects of our experience or sensation. They form the core of our thoughts. Impressions are vivid because they are products of our direct experience with the world. Ideas are copies of impressions. b. Self, per Hume is simply “a bundle of collection of different perceptions, which succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux and movement.” VII. Immanuel Kant He believes that the things that men perceive around them are not just randomly infused into the human person without an organizing principle that regulates the relationship of all these impressions. There is necessarily a mind that organizes the Figure 7. Immanuel Kant by Johann Gottlieb Becker, 2020 (https://bit.ly/2Y9lbEV), public domain  GE 113: Understanding the Self 20 impressions that men get from the external world. Without the self, one cannot organize the different impressions that one gets in relation to his own existence. He therefore suggests that it is an actively engaged intelligence in man that synthesizes all knowledge and experience. a. Two kinds of consciousness of self (rationality): i. Consciousness of oneself and one’s psychological states in inner sense, and; ii. Consciousness of oneself and one’s states by performing acts of apperception. (Apperception is the mental process by which a person makes sense of an idea by assimilating it to the body of ideas one already possesses). b. Two components of the “self”: i. Inner self- The “self” by which you are aware of alternations in your own state, ii. Outer self- It includes your senses and the physical world. c. He also proposed that the “self” organizes information in three ways: i. Raw perceptual input, ii. Recognizing the concept, and iii. Reproducing in the imagination. VIII. Sigmund Freud He is a philosopher, physiologist, psychologist, one of the most influential thinker in the 20th century. His most important contribution is psychoanalysis, a practice devised to treat those who are mentally ill through dialogue. He did not accept the existence of any single entity that could be put forward as the notion of the “self.” His Figure 8. Sigmund Freud by Max Halberstadt, 1921 ground-breaking work in the field of (https://bit.ly/3l1JsXl), CC0 psychoanalysis answered about the human psyche. In psychology, the psyche is the totality of the human mind, both conscious and unconscious.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 21 a. Three levels of consciousness: i. Conscious which deals with awareness of present perceptions, feelings, thoughts, memories, and fantasies at any particular moment; ii. Pre-conscious/subconscious which is related to data that can readily be brought to consciousness, and; iii. Unconscious which refers to data retained but not easily available to the individual’s conscious awareness or scrutiny. b. He also proposed existence of unconsciousness: i. A repository for traumatic repressed memories; and ii. The source of anxiety-provoking drives that is socially or ethically unacceptable to the individual. c. He also structured the mind/ psyche intro 3 parts: i. Id- operating on pleasure principle; if unpleasurable, there is tension ii. Ego- operating on reality principle; if it fails, anxiety is experienced iii. Superego- it incorporates the values and morals of society; controls the Id impulses; persuades the ego to choose moralistic goals and strive for perfection rather than simply realistic ones. d. Two systems of the Superego: i. Conscience- if the ego gives in to the Id’s demands, the superego may make the person feel bad through guilt. ii. Ideal Self- an imaginary picture of how you ought to be. It represents career aspirations; how to treat other people; and how to behave as a member of society. e. These are all products of the Psychoanalytic Theory of Freud. Where a personality theory is based on the notion that an individual gets motivated by unseen forces, controlled by the conscious and rational thought.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 22 IX. Gilbert Ryle According to him what truly matters is the behavior that a person manifests in his day to day life. He suggests that the “self” is not an entity one can locate and analyse but simply the convenient name that people use to refer to all the behaviors that people make. Your actions define your own concept of “self.” X. Paul Churchland He is known for his studies in neurophilosophy and the philosophy of the mind. His philosophy stands on a materialistic view or the belief that nothing but matter exists. If something can be seen, felt, heard, touched, or tasted, then it exists. Figure 9. Paul Churchland by a. His idea is called eliminative https://bit.ly/31ZfJWd materialism or the claim that people’s common sense understanding of the mind is false, and that certain classes of mental states which most people believe in do not exist. XI. Maurice Merleau-Ponty He emphasizes that the body is the primary site of knowing the world. His idea of the “self” is an embodied subjectivity- a verb that means to give a body. Subjectivity, is the state of being a subject- an entity that possesses conscious experiences such as perspectives, feelings, beliefs, and desires. A subject acts upon or affects some other entity, called the Figure 10. Mareleu-Ponty, 2012 (https://bit.ly/2EhDOPy), object. A subject therefore, is something that Wikimedia Commons  GE 113: Understanding the Self 23 exists, can take action, and can cause real effects (object). a. The body and mind are so intertwined that they cannot be separated from one another. b. He dismissed the Cartesian Dualism that has spelled so much devastation in the history of man. To him, the Cartesian problem is nothing else but plain misunderstanding. The living body, his thoughts, emotions, and experiences are all one. Application Who Believed? 1. He believed that the most important thing in life is the state of an individual’s soul. 2. He believed that human being is both a soul and body. 3. He asserted that “self” does not exist; instead, he stressed that perceptions are only active for as long as an individual is conscious. 4. He proposed for the existence of the unconscious. 5. He believed that there are parts of the soul, namely, appetitive, rational, and spirited. 6. He claimed that human knowledge is derived from experience. 7. He believed that self is not in the body, and he stressed that the body and its qualities are rooted to the self 8. He viewed that the immaterial soul does not exist because it cannot be experienced by the senses. 9. He believed that an individuals’ actions define his/her own concept of the self. 10. He asserted that the soul is distinct from the body. Closure Congratulations you made it. There might still be some confusion in the mind but nonetheless a clear distinction is made. Some further readings are also  GE 113: Understanding the Self 24 made available to deeper our understanding and widen our perspectives of the self from the different philosophers. We are now ready to proceed to Lesson 2. As we embrace our concept of self and identity, there are other factors that define us. This is the whole idea of Lesson 2. Module 1 Lesson 2 The Self as a Product of Modern Society Among Other Constructions Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the student is expected to: 1. Compare and contrast how the self can be influenced by the different institutions in the society; and 2. Deeper look at the meaning of self as influenced. Time Frame: 3 hours Introduction: Time and again and across ages, the self has been debated, discussed and conceptualized. Affirming and negating views were presented so as to substantially present vivid descriptions of the “self.” As time passes by, these settled into the idea between the body and the soul. Now, a new locus of discussion is in the pipeline due to the advent of social sciences. For an accepted fact is, no matter how a gifted person is if interaction to the external reality is void, one ceases to exist in empty space. Thus, a solitude life. But how one’s existence is influenced towards the development of the self? Activity Get a picture of yourself during your elementary, high school and now that you are in college. Paste it in separate coupon bonds. Let members of the family  GE 113: Understanding the Self 25 write salient and obvious characteristics they have seen or remember with you (positive and negative). Do not forget to write also. Let the games begin. Analysis After so doing the activity, divide a coupon bond into three parts. List down the following as many as you can. Similarities in all stages of my Differences in my “self” across Possible reasons for the “self” the three stages of my life differences in me Abstraction: How is one influenced by the society he/she lives? Who are the person that influences him/her? Were the influences positive or negative? Social constructivists argue that the self should not be seen as a static entity that stays constant through and through. It has to be seen as something that is unceasing flux, in a constant struggle with external reality and is malleable in its dealings with society. The self is multi-faceted. I. The Modernized Society Modernization has significantly changed society, and this has affected how an individual builds and develops his or her self-identity. Pre-modern society was centered on survival. People behaved according to social rules and traditions while the family and immediate environment provided supervision on how to get through life. a. Key characteristics of modernity (Giddens, 1991) i. Industrialism- extensive use of material power and machinery in all processes of production;  GE 113: Understanding the Self 26 ii. Capitalism- involving competitive product markets and the commodification of labor power; iii. Institution of surveillance- massive increase of power and reach by institutions, especially in government, and; iv. Dynamism- having vigorous activity and progress. II. Differences between social groups and social networks a. Social groups- are described as having two or more people interacting with one another, sharing similar characteristics, and whose members identify themselves as part of the group. They can be organic or rational groups. The former is highly influenced by family. Organic motivation is runs deep giving the person a sense of belongingness. The downside implies less freedom and greater social conformity. The latter occurs in modern societies. They are formed as a matter of shared self-interests. They join based on free will. They are called rational motivation. b. Social Networks- refers to the ties or connections that link you to your social group. Examples of these are: what links you to family is blood relation; to barkada is friendship; classmates common interest to learn. Other self-influences to external adaptation: i. Culture – adopting to social situation and social norms- being a father, husband, worker, friend, OFW, and among others ii. Language- regional dialects; pop culture dialects; for Mead and Vygotsky persons develop these and it affects interaction iii. Gender- is the role we portray and adapt or adopt; sex is the physiological makeup of the person. Application: Answer honestly the following questions: 1. What are the influences of family in your development as an individual? 2. What social pressures help shape yourself? Would you have wanted it otherwise?  GE 113: Understanding the Self 27 3. What aspects of your self do you think may be changed or would you like to change? Closure: You made it to Lesson 2. The journey continues. Lesson 3 now will the self to culture. Let’s proceed. Module 1 Lesson 3 “I am Who I am” Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the student is expected to: 1. Identify the different ideas in psychology about the “self”; 2. Create own definition of the “self” based on the definitions of psychology; and 3. Analyse the effects of various factors identified in psychology in the formation of the self. Time Frame: 3 hours Introduction: The study of the self is not just from philosophers down to a larger context but also to the individual per se. This lesson focuses on the individual and the cognitive functions, but it does not discount the context and other possible factors that affect the individual. Activity: Lists 10 to 15 qualities or things that you think define who you are. 1. 6. 11. 2. 7. 12. 3. 8. 13. 4. 9. 14. 5. 10. 15 Analysis:  GE 113: Understanding the Self 28 After listing those 10-15 qualities, roam around in the neighbourhood (not your relative but just near to where you live) and let them check or add more qualities whom they perceived who you are. Let them freely write or check your lists. Abstraction: The perennial question is: Who I am? Or Who am I? Williams James (1890) was one of the earliest psychologist to study the self and conceptualized the self as having two aspects – the “I” and the “me”. The “I” is the thinking, acting, and feeling self. The “me”, is the physical characteristics as well as psychological capabilities that makes who you are. Other concepts similar to the self are identify the Figure 11. William James by Notman self-concept. Identity is Studios, 2018. (https://bit.ly/2Yl33rI), composed of personal CC0 characteristics, social roles, and responsibilities as well as affiliations that define who one is. Self- concept is what basically comes to your mind when you are asked about who you are. Both are not fixed. They keep on changing at every moment. Carl Rogers captured a self-schema or our organized system or collection of knowledge about who we are. These are but not limited to: Figure 12. Carl Rogers by Didus, hobbies, family, religion, 2018. (https://bit.ly/3j0cvZw), CC0 nationality, interests, work, course, age, name, physical characteristics among others. Moreover, Swiss clinical psychologist known for his pioneering work in child development known as “theory of cognitive development”, Jean Piaget, did a comprehensive theory about the development of human Figure 13. Jean Piaget by Ensian, 2016. (https://bit.ly/34hpSA8), CC0 intelligence. It deals with the nature of knowledge itself; and how humans gradually come to acquire, construct and use it. Cognitive  GE 113: Understanding the Self 29 development is a progressive reorganization of mental processes resulting from biological maturation and environmental experience. Cognitive development is at the center of human organism. The three basic components of Piaget’s cognitive development are: 1. Schema/ Schemes- building blocks of knowledge; 2. Adaptation- involves child’s learning processes to meet situational demands; 3. Stages of Cognitive development- reflect the increasing sophistication of the child’s thought process. He further describes two processes used by the individual in his/her attempt to adapt- assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation is the application of the previous concepts to new concepts. Accommodation happens when people encounter completely new information or when existing ideas are challenged. In the Stages of Cognitive Development, Piaget theorized that children progress through 4 stages: Table 2. Stages of Cognitive Development Stage Age Characteristics of Stage Sensorimotor 0-2 Child learns by doing; looking; touching; sucking; the child also has a primitive understanding of cause-and-effect relationships. Object permanence appears around 9 months Preoperational 2-7 Child uses language and symbols, including letters and numbers. Egocentrism is also evident. Conservation marks the end of the preoperational stage and the beginning of concrete operations Concrete Operations 7-11 The child demonstrate conversation, reversibility, serial ordering, and a mature understanding of cause-and- effect relationship. Thinking at this stage is still concrete Formal Operations 12+ The individual demonstrates abstract thinking at this stage is still concrete Dr Susan Harter (1999) detailed the emergence of self- concept and asserted that the broad development changes observed across early childhood, later  GE 113: Understanding the Self 30 childhood and adolescence could be interpreted within a Piagetian framework. These developments are as follows: 1. Early childhood- the child describes the “self” in terms of concrete, observable characteristics, such as physical attributes, material possessions, behaviors and preferences. 2. Middle or Later Childhood- self is described in terms of trait like constructs that would require the type of hierarchical organizational skills characteristic of logical thought development. Figure 14. Susan Harter by Guilford Press, 2020 (https://bit.ly/2Q6xqxx) 3. Adolescence- emergence of more abstract self- definitions, such as inner thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and motives. 4. Emerging Adults- a vision of possible self. The age of possibilities. Time of grand dreams. More realistic. The Art of being wise is knowing what we overlook according to the “father of American psychology” William James. According to him, the “self” has two elements: the I-self and the Me-self. The I-self is the pure ego. It is the objective self. It is the “self” that is aware of its own actions. The I-self has these characteristics: a. The sense of being the agent or initiator of behavior b. A sense of being unique c. A sense of continuity d. A sense of awareness about being aware The Me-self is the self that is the object. The self you can describe like your personal characteristics, personalities, social role, or relationships, thoughts, feelings. They are call the empirical self. These are based on observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic. The dimensions of the Me-self are: a. Material b. Social c. spiritual Application: Do a research and list ten (10) things to boost your self- esteem or improve your self-concept. Cite your sources. Analyze which of those tips are  GE 113: Understanding the Self 31 more likely to backfire and make someone conceited or narcissistic and revise them to make the statements both helpful to the individual as well as society in general. Closure: You made it to Lesson 3. As this lesson provides, it is more of the introspection of the self. A journey to deep within the recesses of one’s existence. Module 1 Lesson 4 The Self in Western and Eastern/Oriental Thought Learning Outcomes: At the end of this lesson, the student is able to: 1. Explain the concept of self as found in Asian thoughts; 2. Differentiate the concept of self according to Western thought against Eastern/ Oriental perspectives; and 3. Create a representation of the Filipino self. Time Frame: 3 hours Introduction: Different cultures and varying environment tend to create different perceptions of the “self” and one of the most common distinctions between cultures and people is the Eastern vs. Western dichotomy wherein Eastern represents Asia and Western represents Europe and Northern America. One of the major proponents of cultural psychology, Richard Shweder, wrote “Cultural traditions and social practices regulate, express, and transform the human psyche, resulting less in psychic unity for humankind than in ethnic divergences in mind, self, and emotion (as cited in Otig et al, 2018)”.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 32 Activity: Write top five (5) differences Western and Eastern society, culture, and individuals. Cite your sources. Western Eastern Analysis: Do you agree with the differentiation? Where can you find for the Philippines in the distinction? Can you mention some factors, similarities and differences from our Asian neighbours? Is there also a difference between regions or ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines? Abstraction: There are a lot of sources in which we can analyse the perspective of Eastern and Western thought. The Western tradition is generally acknowledged to be “imbued with a style of thinking based on dichotomy and binary opposition. Frank (1985) outlined 4 categories on how the term “self” is used in contemporary western discussions; to wit: a. Analytical – tendency to see reality as an aggregate of parts; b. Monotheistic- involved the tendency to unitary explanations of phenomena and a closed system view of the “self” c. Individualistic – where self-expression and self-actualization are important ways of establishing who one is, as well as in finding satisfaction in the world.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 33 d. Materialistic/ rationalistic – tends to discredit explanations that do not use analytic-deductive modes of thinking. The Oriental/ Eastern thoughts present the following: 1. Confucianism- code of ethical conduct; how one should act properly according to their relationship with other people; focused on having a harmonious social life; a cultivated self in Confucianism is what some scholars call as “subdued self.” where personal needs are repressed for the good of the many; it is hierarchical for the purpose of maintaining order and balance in society. 2. Taoism- is living the way of the Tao or the universe; it rejects having one definition of what Tao is, and one can only state clues of what it is as they adopt a free-flowing, relative, unitary, as well as paradoxical view of almost everything; rejects hierarchy and strictness; would prefer a simple lifestyle and its teachings thus aim to describe how to attain that life. 3. Buddhism- the self is seen as an illusion; born out of ignorance, of trying to hold and control things, or human-centered needs; thus, the self is also a source of all these sufferings; forget the self; forget the cravings of the self; break the attachments with the world; renounce the self which is the cause of all the suffering and I so doing, attain the state of Nirvana. 4. Islam- the Arabic word for the “self” is Nafs written in the Holy Qur-an. It pertains to the psyche or the soul. The Quran does not ascribe any property of goodness or evil to the self. The Nafs is something, which has to be nurtured and self-regulated so it can progress into becoming good through its thoughts and actions. *Further references are available at https://bit.ly/2CMpfU0 Application: Create a representation, diagram, or concept map of the SELF according to Filipino culture. Provide a brief explanation of your output. You can also cite books and researches about Filipino culture, self, and identity to further elaborate on the topic.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 34 Closure: Congratulations. You made it to the last lesson for Module 1. It is with hope that learnings, development and continued growth for the self in many angles enhances one’s discovery and strengthen oneself as it journeys with life. Module Summary: The journey towards the self-made Module 1 an initial trip. The self as defined by key philosophers, to self as influenced from macro and micro perspectives, towards inner journey and finally influences between Asian and Western thoughts provide the undertaking of probing deeper as one journeys with life. As experienced and lived day by day, it is inevitable that whether high or low, north or south, tearful joy and joyful tears, the self like a wheel runs through with it. As they say, it’s not the journey that counts but every moment we live with the journey called life. Positive or negative, we are responsible for the life we live. Module Assessment: This will be provided by the faculty in charge. Module 2 Unpacking the Self Module Overview: In this chapter, the student will explore some of the various aspects that make up the self, such as the biological and material to the spiritual and political, including the more recent digital self.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 35 Module Outcomes: At the completion of this course pack, learners should be able to:  Explore the different aspects of self and identity;  Demonstrate critical, reflective thought in integrating the various aspects of self and identity;  Describe the different forces and institutions that impact the development of various aspects of self and identity; and  Examine one’s self against the different aspects of self-discussed in class.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 36 Module 2 Lesson 1 My body. My choice. Learning Outcomes: At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to:  Define what is beauty;  Discuss what the Philosophers think about beauty;  Explain how cultural traditions shape body image;  Analyse the relationship between body image and self-esteem; and  Evaluate personal concept of physical beauty. Time Frame: 3 hours Introduction: Welcome! In this lesson we commence the second part of this course by identifying the philosophical views and environmental factors that shape personal understanding of the physical self. It also delves into psycho-socio-cultural issues associated with physical well-being. Activity: “How do I feel about myself?” Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Below is a list of statements dealing with your general feelings about yourself. Please indicate how strongly you agree or disagree with each statement by putting () mark in the column of your choice. ITEMS STRONGLY AGREE DISAGREE STRONGLY AGREE AGREE 1. On the whole, I am satisfied with myself. 2. At times I think I am no good at all. 3. I feel that I have a number of good qualities. 4. I am able to do  GE 113: Understanding the Self 37 things as well as most other people. 5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of. 6. I certainly feel useless at times. 7. I feel that I’m a person of worth, at least on an equal plane with others. 8. I wish I could have more respect for myself. 9. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure. 10. I take a positive attitude toward myself. Scoring: 2,5,6,8,9 are reversed score. Give “Strongly Disagree” 1point, “Disagree” 2 points, “Agree” 3 points, and “Strongly Agree” 4 points. Sum scores for all ten items. Keep Scores on a continuous scale. Higher scores indicate higher self-esteem. Analysis: Answer the following questions:  What does healthy self-esteem mean to you?  What do you love the most about your body?  What are the things you are good at?  When do you feel self-sufficient?  How often do you doubt your professional/ personal competence?  What could be a problem if your looks do not match your physical standards?  Based on the activity above, what is the significance of your score? Do you agree with the result?  GE 113: Understanding the Self 38 Module 2 Lesson 1 My body. My choice. Learning Outcomes: At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to:  Define what is beauty;  Discuss what the Philosophers think about beauty;  Explain how cultural traditions shape body image;  Analyse the relationship between body image and self-esteem; and  Evaluate personal concept of physical beauty. Abstraction: I. What Philosophers think about beauty? The nature of beauty is one of the most persistent and controversial subjects in Western philosophy. Beauty, along with kindness, truth and justice, was one of the highest values. The two most-debated views about beauty are: a. Beauty is objective (before 18th century) i. St. Augustine believed that things gave delight because it was beautiful. ii. Plato conceptualization of beauty is a response to love and desire. He argued that beauty exists in the realm of forms and that things look beautiful because they reflect the idea of beauty that already exists in the realm of forms. iii. Aristotle argued that the main forms of beauty are order, symmetry, and definiteness, which can be demonstrated by mathematical science. b. Beauty is subjective (18th century)  GE 113: Understanding the Self 39 i. David Hume – “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: it exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty. One person may even perceived deformity, where another is sensible of beauty; and every individual ought to acquiesce in his own sentiment, without pretending to regulate those of others” ii. Immanuel Kant – “The judgment of taste is therefore not a judgment of cognition, and is consequently not logical but aesthetical, by which we understand and that whose determining ground can be no other than subjective” iii. Francis Hutcheson – “The perception of beauty does depend on the external sense of sight; however, the internal sense of beauty operates as an internal or reflex sense. The same is the case with hearing: hearing music doesn’t necessarily give the perception of harmony as it is distinct from hearing “. II. Psychological discovery about beauty  Studies show that those who consider themselves attractive make more money than those who look good than the average person. In politics, voters who are actively involved in social and political issues have a 90% chance of selecting candidates based on "attendance."  These study results can be attributed to a cognitive bias called the “halo effect”. o Cognitive bias – error in reasoning, evaluating, remembering, or any other mental process that is often a result of holding on to one’s preferences and beliefs regardless of contrary information o Halo effect – tendency of people to rate attractive Figure 15. What is the Halo effect by Joshua Seong, 2020. (https://bit.ly/2YiYGgL)  GE 113: Understanding the Self 40 individuals more favourably for their personality traits or characteristics as compared to those who are less attractive  Evolutionary psychology has found that some of the basic and important traits it encounters can indicate its quality as a partner in a romantic relationship. The most important and permanent element of facial attention is the structural features of the face. They are also sexual in nature.  In addition, our hormones form our faces. These gender-specific facial features of adult men and women cause testosterone to be exposed during a person's development. We are programmed to use strong indicators of masculinity and femininity as this reflects a person's level and health. III. How cultural traditions shape body image Cultural traditions can either be a positive or a negative influence on body image and on self-esteem. Body image is generally how one thinks and feels toward one’s own body (as cited in Otig, Gallinero, Bataga, Salado & Visande, 2018). People consider joining cultural groups to be who they are. As a result, they are more likely to participate in such cultural programs and practices. Choosing friends, Figure 16. Beauty standard across the world by Esther Honig, 2014. (https://bit.ly/3hxdsbr) media and even spouses from your culture. When culture is considered an important activity individually, it is difficult for human beings to cope with the conscious and unconscious influence of culture on human life. IV. The relationship between body image and self-esteem  GE 113: Understanding the Self 41 The term self-esteem was coined by William James in 1800. He presented self-esteem as the number of successes a person achieves in the domains of life that are important to him or her, divided by the number of failure s that occurred in those areas. In the 1960’s behavioural scientists defined self-esteem in terms of an attitude concerning one’s worth as a person (as cited in Otig et al., 2018). Self-esteem is about how you value yourself and how you treat other people. It is important because it affects your state of mind and your behavior. Body image on the other hand is how you look at your body, make you attractive, and make yourself look like some other people. For many, especially teenagers, body image is something that sings with pride. If you have a positive image of your body, you can choose and accept yourself in any way, even if you do not fit the popular notion of "beautiful" or "beautiful". This healthy attitude allows you to explore other aspects of growth, such as developing good friendships, being more independent of parents, and challenging yourself physically and mentally. Developing these parts of your body will increase your confidence. V. The importance of physical beauty Physical beauty is very important, so it is important to understand the correct definition of physical beauty so as not to damage your self-confidence. The definition of the dictionary of physical beauty is: "The degree to which a person or his physical characteristics are considered pleasant or beautiful." Don't assume that the definition of "who" does not indicate what physical features are attractive and invincible. This is because while physical beauty is very important, the good news is that the standards of physical beauty vary from person to person. When your appearance does not match the quality of your beauty, self-image problems arise. In order to have a positive self-  GE 113: Understanding the Self 42 image and better self-confidence, you must first understand your misconceptions about physical attraction. Application: Complete the statements below. 1. My philosophy of beauty is ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 2. A beautiful person is ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. I am beautiful because ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4. List down names of people you know who are beautiful ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Closure: Well done! You have just finished Lesson 1 of this module which pointed out that as a vessel of the self, the physical well-being of a person must be maintained at all times. Should there be some parts of the lesson which you need clarification, please ask your instructor during consultations. When you're ready, move on to Lesson 2 in this module, which discusses the concepts of fully asserting yourself as a sexual being, including positive and negative thoughts and feelings, among others. Module 2 Lesson 2 Let’s talk about SEX  GE 113: Understanding the Self 43 Learning Outcomes: At the end of this lesson the student should be able to:  Define sexual self;  Trace the human sexual development;  Outline the human sexual response cycle;  Explain the relationship of brain activity to sexual response;  Recognize the diverse sexual behaviours;  Identify sexual orientation and gender identity issues;  Enumerate the various Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) and its transmission;  Discuss responsible parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012; and  Differentiate methods of contraception. Time Frame: 6 hours Introduction: This lesson addresses one of human development’s most important elements, the sexual self. It highlights environmental and biological factors that influence sexual growth. Activity 1: Characterizing Myself Fill out the chart below. MY TRAITS My characteristics My characteristics My characteristics or traits most or traits most traits not similar to similar to those of similar to those of those of my father my father my mother or my mother Positive Negative Activity 2: Gender Sensitivity and Development Seminar/ Webinar Analysis:  GE 113: Understanding the Self 44 Answer the following questions:  Are there more positive traits than negative traits written on your chart?  What type of traits have you written on the chart? Which traits are observable and which are not?  Compare the traits written on the first two columns with those on their 3rd. Are there more physical traits than non-physical traits that have been recorded  Are you happy for having those traits? Have you ever expressed your gratitude?  Have you ever expressed your gratitude to your parents for passing those traits to you?  How does gender play a role in development?  Why is gender equality important?  Do you think women are inferior to men or vice versa?  Does sexism exist only to a certain gender?  What factors do you think contribute to gender and identity issues? Abstraction: I. Definition of sexual self According to Ariola (2018) sexual self refers to the individual’s feelings, actions, and behaviour concerning various aspects as development of secondary sex characteristics, human reproductive system, the erogenous zones of the body, the biology of sexual behaviour, chemistry of lust, love and attachment, among many others. II. Development of secondary sex characteristics and the human reproductive system Immediately after fertilization of the egg, the development of the reproductive system begins. Rapid reproductive development  GE 113: Understanding the Self 45 occurs in the uterus; But when a baby is born before puberty, the reproductive system changes a little. In the absence of a special chemical code, all fertilized eggs occur in women, so the gender of a woman is considered “basic”. To become a fertilized egg, a cascade of chemical reactions must be triggered by a single gene on the male Y chromosome known as SRY, the sex-determining region on the Y chromosome. Both male and female embryos have identical cells that grow in the male or female gonads or gonads. III. Further sexual development that occurs at puberty Puberty is the stage of development where individuals become sexually mature. It can be separated into five stages. The characteristics of each stage vary for girls and boys. Table 3 Sexual Development at Puberty STAGES PUBERTY STAGES IN GIRLS PUBERTY STAGES IN BOYS 1 Approx. 8-11 years old: Approx. 9-12 years old: The ovaries enlarge and hormone production starts, but external  No visible signs of development is not yet visible. development occur, but, internally, male hormones become a lot more active.  Sometimes a growth spurt begins at this time. 2 Approx. 8-14 years old: Approx. 9-15 years old:  The first external sign of  Height increases and the puberty is usually breast shape of the body changes. development.  Muscle tissue and fat develop  At first breast buds develop. at this time.  The nipples will be tender  The aureole, the dark skin and elevated. around the nipple, darkens  The area around the nipple and increases in size. (the aureole) will increase in  The testicles and scrotum size. grow, but the penis probably  The first stage of pubic hair does not. may also be present at this  A little bit of pubic hair begins time. to grow at the base of the  It may be coarse and curly or penis. fine and straight.  Height and weight increase at this time. The body gets rounder and curvier.  GE 113: Understanding the Self 46 3 Approx. 9-15 years old: Approx.11-16 years old:  Breast growth continues and  The penis starts to grow during pubic hair gets coarser and this stage. darker.  It tends to grow in length  During this stage, whitish rather than width. discharge from the vagina  Pubic hair is getting darker may be present. and coarser and spreading to  For some girls, this is the where the legs meet the torso. time that the first menstrual  Also, boys continue to grow in period begins. height, and even their faces begin to appear more mature. The shoulders broaden, making the hips look smaller. Muscle tissue increases and the voice starts to change and deepen.  Finally, facial hair begins to develop on the upper lip. 4 Approx. 10-16 years old: Approx. 11-16 years old:  Some girls notice that their  At this time, the penis starts aureoles get even darker and to grow in width, too. separate into a little mound  The testicles and scrotum rising above the rest of the also continue to grow. breast.  Hair may begin to grow on  Pubic hair may begin to have the anus. a more adult triangular  The texture of the penis pattern of growth. becomes more adult-  If it did not happen in Stage looking. Three, menarche (first  Underarm and facial hair menstruation) should start increases as well. Skin gets now. oilier, and the voice  Ovulation may start now, too. continues to deepen. But it will not necessarily occur on a regular basis. (It is possible to have regular periods even if ovulation does not occur every month.) 5 Approx. 12-19 years old: Approx. 14-18 years old:  This is the final stage of  Boys reach their full adult development. height.  Full height is reached, and  Pubic hair and the genitals young women are look like an adult man’s do. ovulating regularly.  At this point, too, shaving is  Pubic hair is filled in, and a necessity. Some young the breasts are developed men continue to grow past fully for the body. this point, even into their twenties. IV. Erogenous zones of the body The term erogenous zone is use to describe areas of the body that are highly sensitive to stimuli and are often (but not always) sexually exciting (Otig et al.,2018).  GE 113: Understanding the Self 47 Specifically, it refers to parts of the body that are primarily receptive and increase sexual arousal when touched in a sexual manner. Erogenous zones may vary from one person to another. Some people may enjoy being touched in a certain area more than the other areas (Alata, Nicolas, Caslib, Serafica & Pawilen, 2018). a. Non-Specific Skin – It is similar to any other portion of the usual haired skin. Examples: sides and back of the neck, the axilla and side of the thorax b. Specific Skin – It is found the mucocutaneous regions of the body or those regions made both mucous membrane and of cutaneous skin. Examples: prepuce, penis, the female external genitalia, perianal skin, lips, and nipples V. Phases of human sexual response cycle The sexual response cycle refers to the sequence of physical and emotional changes that occur as a person becomes sexually aroused and participates in sexually stimulating activities, including intercourse and masturbation (“Sexual Response”, 2020). In both men and women, these events may be identified as occurring in a sequence of four stages: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. The basic pattern of these stages is similar in both sexes, regardless of the specific sexual stimulus (Nolen, 2020). Table 4 Phases of Human Response Cycle PHASES GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS Phase 1: Excitement Muscle tension increases Heart rate quickens & breathing is accelerated Skin may become flushed Nipples become hardened or erect Blood flow to the genitals increases, resulting in swelling of the woman’s clitoris & labia minora, & erection of the man’s penis Vaginal lubrication begins The woman’s breast become fuller and the vaginal walls begin to swell The Man’s testicle swell, his scrotum tightens, and he begins secreting a lubricating liquid Phase 2: Plateau The changes begun in phase 1 are intensified The vagina continues to swell from increased blood flow, and the vaginal walls turn a dark purple The woman’s clitoris becomes highly sensitive &  GE 113: Understanding the Self 48 retracts under the clitoral hood to avoid direct stimulation from the penis The man’s testicles are withdrawn up into the scrotum Breathing, heart rate & BP continue to increase Muscle spasm may begin in the feet, face, and hands Tension in the muscles increase Phase 3: Orgasm This phase is the climax of the sexual response cycle. It is the shortest of the phases and generally last only a few seconds. General Characteristics of this phase include the following: Involuntary muscle contractions begin BP, heart rate, & breathing are their highest rates with a rapid intake of oxygen Muscle in the feet spasm There is sudden, forceful release of sexual tension In women, the muscles of the vagina contract. The uterus also