UTS-Wk4-The Physical Self PDF

The Physical Self Objectives Understand Analyze the Celebrate the biological impact of beauty in concept of culture on body diversity image and self- our physical esteem selves Introduction There is al...

The Physical Self Objectives Understand Analyze the Celebrate the biological impact of beauty in concept of culture on body diversity image and self- our physical esteem selves Introduction There is always a pressure in our society to look good, and to seek the visually better version of ourselves. We often get so caught up in the ways we can make sure that we look beautiful and nice, that sometimes we frown at our natural looks, our dark complexion, or even our short stature Introduction The social pressure of looking perfect gave rise to the many beauty products and enhancement procedures, being patronized by a large proportion of our population, just to fit in, to be accepted, and be beautiful. Introduction Our PHYSICAL SELVES have become so dependent on the judgment of our appearance, and not with the celebration of it. Why do I Look Like Myself? Have you ever faced the mirror and asked yourself, “Why do I look like me? ” GREGOR MENDEL – genes are passed from parents to offspring Why do I Look Like Myself? Genetics has a hand on our physical appearance. Our biology dictates that our looks are result of the genes transferred to us by our parents Cultural Standards of Beauty Defining beauty can be a very daunting task. As culture decides the norms of the society, its concept of what is beautiful is similarly invoked from a cultural perspective Different cultures have different standards of beauty. Cultural Standards of Beauty African country of Tahiti (19 th Century) Some men and women were set aside in a special place for fattening purposes They were covered in large amount of bark cloth, which after the ritual is over, reveals a lighter skin for those who were selected. The goal is to enhance beauty Cultural Standards of Beauty In the Philippines, the construction of local standards of beauty can be traced from our colonial influences. Skin color signifies the value of the people in society Lighter skin – higher in terms of social status Cultural Standards of Beauty The colonization of our country by these white-skinned people lasted for more than three centuries. We were forced to believe that they were the more superior people, more civilized, and a standard of beauty The Filipino Obsession with Beauty: The Case of Xander Ford The Filipinos obsession with beauty translates not only with women, but also with men. Xander Ford (Marlou Arizala)  The Filipino Obsession with Beauty: The Case of Xander Ford Xander’s decision to alter his physical appearance was not without the pressure of the society to look good, if not better. He was not spared from bullying since he became an internet sensation because by our standards, he simply is unattractive The Filipino Obsession with Beauty: The Case of Xander Ford His decision to go under the knife was because of a lookist culture which dictates that happiness is only afforded to good-looking people The Filipino Obsession with Beauty: The Case of Xander Ford Health concerns are foremost to be considered before going through these kinds of surgeries Yet there are those who feel that there is always a need for them to alter whichever part of their body The Filipino Obsession with Beauty: The Case of Xander Ford This perspective seems to be the case not only for a lot of millennials but for those who are suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) The Filipino Obsession with Beauty: The Case of Xander Ford Those who are suffering from BDD are so obsessed about their appearance, thus think about their flaws, real or not, incessantly and uncontrollably The Filipino Obsession with Beauty: The Case of Xander Ford Those who are suffering from BDD are very much preoccupied by a perceived physical flaw that is either absent or so trivial that only the one suffering from it sees it as a problem, being so distressed about it, that daily routines are affected A Healthy Body Image, Self-Esteem in Peril The quest for physical perfection has brought us to an ordeal that will not end unless we got to the bottom of the problem. Our society has not only placed so much importance on looking beautiful, but has done a great job in commercializing the same A Healthy Body Image, Self-Esteem in Peril Perhaps, at one point in our lives, we have been implicitly or explicitly criticized, or even ridiculed for how we look A Healthy Body Image, Self-Esteem in Peril Our standards have become so unbearable that our society mocks us for looking imperfect A Healthy Body Image, Self-Esteem in Peril When women in particular get called out for being heavy, they are not called as such by people to remind them to get healthy, but just to vilify their looks, and magnify their imperfections A Healthy Body Image, Self-Esteem in Peril This results to, not only having a strong desire for the bullied to get thin, but with it also comes that fear of gaining weight, thus restricting food intake A Healthy Body Image, Self-Esteem in Peril ANOREXIA – a serious mental illness where people are of low weight due to limiting their energy intake A Healthy Body Image, Self-Esteem in Peril BODY SHAMING – criticizing yourself or others because of some aspect of physical appearance A Healthy Body Image, Self-Esteem in Peril The Filtered Self The advent of social media put pressure on us to look even better. We post our most physically appealing self We use filter applications, where we can hide our imperfections, creating and recreating a self that is better approved by our online friends The Filtered Self These photo sharing applications give us the freedom to alter our looks, and present our physical selves, not just the way we want it, but the way our society approves it. The Filtered Self When our filtered photos look better than the unfiltered ones, and the virtual world agrees, we tend to keep everything that way. There is a possibility, however, that the more we approve of the filtered us, the more that we disregard our real, unfiltered physical selves. Celebrating Beauty in Diversity Cultural concepts of beauty should be celebrated. However, practices that enhances attractiveness, yet are severely harmful to our health, should be stopped Celebrating Beauty in Diversity We are challenged at this time to speak up against body shaming particularly that we are living in an image-driven virtual society. You Are Who You Look! Embracing Your Physical Self In a society that worships perfection, embracing our physical selves is not going to be easy. The significance of self-acceptance is necessary in embracing our physical selves It would be impossible to live a contented life if we are not happy with our physical selves. We need to be reminded that our looks are a testament that we are a byproduct of our parents love for each other The Self as Embedded in Culture As a sociological concept, culture is made up of all the ideas, beliefs, behaviors, and products common to, and defining a group’s way of life. Since it defines the group’s way of living, our actions then as part of the group are supposed to be understood based on our cultural context. The Self as Embedded in Culture The material and non-material culture, its two components, are essential in understanding how the self is influenced by it. MATERIAL CULTURE – consists of human technology - all the things that people make and use The Self as Embedded in Culture One of the significant characteristics of culture is that it is very much dynamic. It changes from time to time. The fluidity of culture can be ascribed to man’s distinct ability to create, transform and re- create culture itself. The Self as Embedded in Culture NON-MATERIAL CULTURE – inclusive of the intangible human creations that includes beliefs, values, norms and symbols of ourselves and even of the material world The Self as Embedded in Culture These material and non-material cultures are vital in the understanding of self in the society As we are taught the norms in our cultural context, we become aware of our identity as part of our society, ultimately seeing ourselves in light of the society’s cultural values and goals The Self as Embedded in Culture The more we get to know our culture, the more we become aware of how we were influenced by it. When our culture changes, we are challenged to uphold our values or alter our worldview and behavior as well Mead’s Development Stages of the Self An interesting link between the behavior of man, and the emergence of the self as part of the society, was studied by George Herbert Mead. According to Mead, the emergence of the self becomes evident as the individual goes through the preparatory, play and game stages. Mead’s Development Stages of the Self Geertz and his Concept of the Self as an Unfinished Animal Geertz mentioned that culture should not be seen as a complex behavioral pattern but as a set of control mechanisms – engineered programs in directing human behavior. Geertz believed that it is thus necessary for man to look and be governed by rules to guide him in making sure that his actions will make him a better member of the society The Self as the Product of the Modern World A significant part of what should be understood about culture is that it is very much dynamic. Since the self has to keep up with the ever- changing world, he needs to adjust, re-adjust and re-align his actions with the seismic transformation and evolution of the society The Self as the Product of the Modern World GLOBALIZATION, as a product of the modern world, has then affected the way we view the self. The internet age brought an understanding of the self, as a part of the global world. The Self(ie) Generation as Culture Creators In Jose Villa’s research (2016), entitled Cross- cultural Gen Z, he found out that a majority of Gen Z will define their cultural identity in basically diverse means The same research showed that this generation has embraced and balanced multiple cultures Thank You