GE1-MODULE-FINALTERM-1 Unpacking The Self PDF

UNIT II: Unpacking The Self S E L F UNIT 11: Unpacking The Self Intended Learning Outcomes: 1. Explore the different aspects of self and identity 2. Demonstrate critical, reflective thought in integrating the various aspects of self and identity 3. Identify the different forces and institutions that impact the development of various aspects of self and identity 4. Examine ones self against the different aspects discussed in this learning module a. The Physical Self  b. The Sexual Self c. The Material/ Economic Self d. The Spiritual Self READ e. The Digital Self f. The Social Self LESSON 9: a. The Physical Self The crucial aspect of self in one’s physical features. People are often perceived initially by their physical features, including one’s face, bodily structure, height, weight, and fitness. However, more than the physical attributes a person possesses, people should also consider their physical competencies, their valuation of physical worth, and perception of beauty. In this unit, factors that shape one’s physical self, including biological and environmental factors, will be discussed. Toward the end, issues associated with physical health, hygiene, nutrition, standards of beauty, and other socio-cultural factors will be tackled. The Physical Self: The Biological Blueprint Am I beautiful? Do people find me attractive? What can I do to enhance my features? These questions underlie our physical self, which embodies our physical appearance, what we see in the mirror, and what often triggers people’s first impressions of others. However, our physical self is not only limited to what we can directly see by the naked eye; underneath our skin is a dynamic system of biological and chemical processes that contribute to our physical features. Thus, the philosophical statement “what is essential is invisible to the eye” can also refer to underlying physiological processes that trigger bodily changes and eventually sustain our survival. The shape of our bodies, our height, weight, skin color, hair color, and other physical characteristics do not just develop at random; these are triggered by genetic transformations and biological development and biological development, which are embodied in the concept of heredity. Heredity has been defined as “the transformation of traits from parents to offspring.” The traits are made up of specific information imbedded within one’s gene, which is the basic unit of heredity. It is not surprising that we have inherited our physical trait from both our parents. When you look at the mirror, who do you think you resemble more, your father or your mother? If for example, you look more like your father that your mother, it doesn’t mean that you did not inherit any traits from your mother and vice versa. This can be attributed to the concepts of genotype and phenotype. Genotype refers to the specific information imbedded within our genes; not all genotypes translate to an observed physical characteristic. On the other hand, phenotype is the physical expression of a particular trait. Genotype can only be determined through blood testing but one’s phenotype can be directly observed. For example, a man who has white skin and a woman who has brown skin produced a brown-skinned offspring. While one can assume that the newborn only took the skin color of his mom, a close examination of his genotype may reveal that he also inherited the gene for white skin from his dad. What explains this particular phenomenon? This is attributed to the concept of dominant and recessive genes. The brown skin of the mom was dominant gene and the white skin of his dad was the recessive gene, thus, that was the skin color of the child. However, if he marries and his spouse has a recessive gene for white skin, their offspring may have white skin. Dominant and recessive genes are dependent on alleles, which are alternate versions of a particular gene. Since human cells carry two copies of chromosomes, they have two versions each gene. Each individual carries 23 pairs of chromosomes, threadlike bodies in the nucleus of the cell and the storage unit of genes. The 23rd pair, also known as sex chromosome, determine the sex of an individual. The XX is for males while the XY if for females. Within each chromosome is the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is a nucleus acid that contains the genetic instructions specifying the unique blueprint of an individual’s physical features; thus, no two individuals have the same DNA. This is the reason why in cases when paternity or maternity needs to be established, or identifying a suspect in a crime situation, DNA is the most crucial genetic information to be gathered. These cellular components trigger the physical growth and maturation that our bodies go through, from birth to adulthood. Maturation is known as the completion of genetic character within an organism or the unfolding of an individual’s inherent traits or potential. Maturation enables us to walk, run, talk, and eventually, result in physical changes that are evident in the adolescent stage. The Physical Self: Environmental Conditioning While our genetic information determine the extent of our physical features, it is not the only factor that influences our physical self. As we grown, we are exposed to environmental influences that shape our physical self, including those from our social networks, societal expectations, and cultural practices. Family, being our first social group, forms a crucial foundation of our development, including that of our physical self. Aside from factors of heredity, our family is also primarily responsible for how we take care of our bodies. Our nutrition and sustenance we initially establish by what was cooked in the home. The Physical Self: Achieving Physical Well-being There is nothing wrong with enhancing our physical self. What is problematic is when we focus too much on physical beauty and disregard everything else. How do we take care of ourselves and our body? Here are just some tips: 1. Healthy eating. We need to have the right combination of food to ensure our health and sustenance. Having the right diet will result in healthy skin, ideal weight, and better stamina. 2. Embracing a healthy lifestyle. Avoiding drinking, smoking, and other unhealthy habits would reduce the risk of illness and diseases and make your immune system stronger. Physical activities such as walking, running, going to the gym, and sports would also contribute to a healthier body. 3. Having the right hygiene. Taking care of our body by maintaining a hygiene regimen can also help in making us feel good about ourselves. 4. Confidence in ourselves is our best make-up. Being secure in ourselves, embracing a positive outlook toward various situations and problems, and loving and accepting who we are will surely result in an optimal physical well-being. Exercise 2.1 Instructions: In this space provided, create a collage using your own pictures to show how you developed from the time you were born up to present. For each picture, write a caption to tell a story about your own evolution. Focus on the physical changes manifested while you were growing up. Exercise 2.2 Instructions: Based on your collage, answer the following questions: 1. What significant changes have you seen in yourself while growing up? What makes these changes significant? Please explain. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ 2. In your opinion, what factors contributed to those significant changes while growing up? Explain. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ 3. Considering how you look now, is there anything you wish to change? Why or not? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Exercise 2.3 Genogram Genograms often give families their inkling of intergenerational family relationship patterns. Genograms are relatively emotion freeway of collecting information that makes sense to the family and connects them to the therapeutic exploratory process. Make your own three-generation genogram in a long bond paper. Read information about preparing a genogram. Sample: Exercise 2.3: Genogram Exercise 2.4 Body Map: Coloring Activity. Use different colors. Answer next page. 1. Which part of your body you see the most and you can identify with? 2. Which part of your body you take for granted? 3. What does your body tell you about yourself?  1. Which part of your body you see the most and you can identify with? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. Which part of your body you take for granted? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. What does your body tell you about yourself? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ b. B. The Sexual Self Sexuality There are means through which sexuality is experienced. From childhood to old age, by means of body, through roles in life, by means of beliefs, and through relationships. Young people are very interested in sexual orientation and sexuality It’s something in the nature and nurture. They go a lot of experimentation to understand and verify their sexuality. And because of this, there are some who has high “risk- taking behaviors”. Sexual Concepts: 1. Gender identity – in the mind 2. Sexual Orientation – to whom are you sexually attracted 3. Gender expression – how you move and what you wear 4. Biological sex – depends on hormones and genetalia Sexual orientation is a dynamic spectrum and may change through time. For instance, as time goes by, a person may: stay as heterosexual, predominantly heterosexual, occasionally homosexual, bisexual or predominantly heterosexual, occasionally heterosexual always homosexual. They go through a process of discovery, as they are uncertain. Various Experiences Clothing and gestures may not show the gender of a person. Among the lesbians, there are those who are more masculine in actions and clothing. There are those who are feminine, but are attracted to the same sex. Among the gay men, there are those who are feminine and there are those who are masculine. Among the gay and lesbian couples, it is necessary that one should take the “wife” role and the “husband” role. Everybody Desires to be Happy Regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, everybody wants to be happy. Happiness in relationship (good relations, loving each other). Happiness in physical/ sexual relationship (there’s lust, satisfaction, orgasm). Free from diseases (e.g. sexually transmitted diseases, HIV-AIDS), acceptance and respect from the society, and productive lives (industry, life’s direction, contribution to the society). There are four (4) areas of sexuality: (1) physical, (2) emotional, (3) psychological, and (4) spiritual, and these are all interconnected. To Prevent, To Avoid, and To Fight Against Discrimination We must keep from and fight against treating a person as a sex object. There should be zero tolerance against sex discrimination and sex abuse. There are different forms of discrimination and abuse according to gender (e.g. demeaning behaviour, ignoring the existence, slurs and jokes, whistling, green jokes), discrimination in the workplace, insults, causing physical injury, rape, and molestation. Therefore, everyone must uphold the care for the whole person. The Body, Sexuality and the Self Focus on the Body There are people who give so much importance to their face, their appearance, body form and strength— especially among young single men and women. When you look at yourself in the mirror? What do you see in it? Only a few would be satisfied with the shape and condition of their bodies. A vital aspect of one’s identity is the sexual, encompassing biological, physical, emotional and social domains. While it is initially rooted in the distinguishing physical attributes found in men (penis) and women (vagina), bodily transformations and development of secondary sexual characteristics during adolescence would eventually trigger physiological response, lading to beliefs and behavior associated with sex. During the adolescence stage, sexual curiosity is often at its peak, with adolescents engaging in sexual activity as a result of biological and socio-cultural forces at work. Further, this stage sets the tone for the gender of one’s sexuality, his/her thoughts and behavior, in order to make responsible choices concerning one’s sexual self. Sexual Self: The Biology of Sex At birth, sex is a biological feature that distinguishes males from females. Aside from the external genitals (penis for male and vagina for females), there are observable changes in the human body that begin during puberty and adolescence, known as secondary sexual characteristics. For males, this would include outgrowth of facial and bodily hair, the emerging Adam’s apple, deepening of the voice, and muscle development. Moreover, here in the Philippines, the practice of circumcision is considered a rite of passage to adulthood among young men. For females, the onset of menarche (first menstruation), and noticeable changes in the hips, breast, and skin underlie sexual changes during this developmental stage. Aside from these observable changes in males and females, release of hormones (testosterone for males and oestrogen for females) trigger physiological changes in the reproductive system. Thus, this stage, males and females are capable of procreation; males are capable of producing sperm while females begin producing eggs. When physiological changes are triggered within individual’s reproductive system, an adolescent is likely to experience sexual urges, become more sensitive to sexual stimuli, and feel sexual urges, become more sensitive to sexual stimuli, and feel sexual arousal. In men, it is natural for them to experience erection during an arousing moment; for women, vaginal lubrication (wetness) is the likely response. If sexual arousal is satisfied through sexual intercourse, men would experience ejaculation while women would reach orgasm. The refractory period, or the period of rest after ejaculation, is likely to be longer in men while women can achieve multiple orgasms due to a shorter refractory period after intercourse. The bodily sensations are normal and typical in any sexual activity since hormones produced within the body trigger these physiological responses. These sensations are part of the sexual response cycle, which includes four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. Completing the cycle would lead to sexual satisfaction. When adolescents feel sexual urges, they are likely engage in sexual activities that would satisfy those urges. However, the kind of sexual activities they engage in may vary. During adolescence stage, it is common occurrence to watch and read pornographic materials, engage in kissing and petting, and perform masturbation, the act of stimulating one’s genitals for sexual pleasure. Medical professionals have cited the health benefits of masturbation, including stress relief, better sleep, improved self-esteem, and enhanced body image. Further, masturbation is better alternative to sexual intercourse, which may result to unwanted pregnancy and acquiring sexually-transmitted diseases. It is important to be aware of one’s sexuality and sexual attributes in order to make responsible decisions based on fully-informed choices. This is a crucial matter that adolescences that adolescents may not be ready for: pregnancy and acquiring sexually transmitted diseases. Sexual Self: Sexual Identity and Gender Orientation At birth, one’s sexuality is dependent on hi physical features and genitals. Most of the time, one’s sexuality and gender orientation are generally the same. However, biological sex and gender orientation are two different things; biological sex is one’s assignment upon birth and is dependent of physical features the person has. On the other hand, gender is an identity that is learned and embraced by the individual. It goes beyond biological domains and is both a personal and social construct. As a social construct, gender is known to be the socially created roles, personality traits, attitudes, behaviors, and values attributed for men and women. This also includes the relative power and influence of each, indicating that gender is relational and refers not simply to women or men but to the relationship between them. Thus, gender is anchored on societal beliefs and norms. Gender roles are societal expectations of how men and women should at. Everyone has a basic idea of how men and women should act and behave; men are assumed to be strong and dominant while women are perceived to be submissive and demure. However, gender and biological sex are not always the same. A person may have been born a man but assumes womanly traits while a woman may behave like a man. This is an aspect of sexual orientation. Further, one’s sexual orientation manifests itself in their relationships. A guy who is attracted to girls is considered heterosexual while someone who is attracted to the same sex is called a homosexual. However, discussing this issue may have sensitive impact to some people who have strict adherence to straight sexual orientations. Sexual identity and gender orientation underlie our concept of self. We express our sexuality through individuality; our beliefs and behavioral lifestyle are based on our own perception of sexuality. However, while gender orientation ad sexual identity are deemed to be social constructs, it is important to highlight our self-expression and moreover, become responsible in doing so. This will also translate to our beliefs about sex, gender, and behavior. We should take note that our behavior in various situation would entail consequences; we need to realize what the effects are of such actions and how we can regulate our own behavior including our sexual behavior. Sexual Self: The Consequences of Sexual Choice Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation, is the reproductive act wherein the male organ (penis) enters the female’s reproductive tract (vagina). Teenage couples who engage in sexual intercourse are usually overwhelmed by the sensations they feel during the act. In addition, most teenagers who have sex with their partners often rationalize the act by claiming they “love each other” and are “ready to be committed to each other”. However, if the woman is fertile during the time of intercourse, pregnancy is likely to occur and will last approximately nine months before the birth of the child. Having a child entails a big responsibility and should not merely be consequence of an impulsive moment. There are physical risks to having an early pregnancy that may impact on an adolescent’s development, including risk of miscarriage, emotional stress, and health risk for both mother and infant. Further, early pregnancy may result to dropping out of school, alienation, and other similar disruptions. Pregnancy does not only affect females; males are also burdened by the responsibility of caring for a new child, his partner, and may also face the same problems as his partner. Aside from pregnancy, another consequence of sexual intercourse in the risk of acquiring sexually-transmitted diseases. These sexually-transmitted diseases, while most of them can be treated and cured, may have long-term consequences to one’s health. STD is passed on by means of exchange of body fluids or genital contact. Among the common diseases are syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and genital warts. Symptoms of these sexually- transmitted diseases include a burning sensation during urination, warts and sores in the genital and mouth area, abnormal and smelly discharge, genital irritation, and painful bowel movements. Treatment of these diseases may entail medication and in some cases, surgery. However, there are cases when these diseases may affect one’s reproductive functions and worse, may result to death. The most alarming sexually-transmitted disease is Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). It is a virus that can be transmitted by anal, oral, or vaginal sex with and infected person, as well as through breast milk, during childbirth, and by coming into contact with the blood of an HIV positive person. Untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS, which comprises the immune system and puts the person at risk of illness and death. In its early stages, HIV has no symptoms. Once the illness has progressed, the first symptom may include fever, rashes, and sores. In its final stage, a person with AIDS may suffer from a variety illnesses, including pneumonia and cancer. At the moment, there remains no cure for HIV and AIDS. How does one acquire a sexually-transmitted disease? It is prevalent among individuals who engage in unprotected sex with multiple partners. Irresponsible sexual behavior often results in dire consequences that have significant impact on people’s lives and futures. Aside from health risks associated with sexually transmitted diseases, it may also ruin relationships, create a negative stigma against people with STD, and disrupt school and employment. Thus, it is important that an adolescent should make responsible decisions with regard to their sexuality and sexual behavior. Responsible sexual behavior entails the following: - Respect for one’s body. This would mean taking care of one’s body and avoiding activities that undermine one’s worth and respect. - Maturity in thoughts and deeds. This would refer to being objective, rational, and calm, instead of being swept by one’s emotions - Being guided by one’s personal beliefs and core values. An adolescent should always be grounded by his personal principles and self-worth. - Being future-oriented. Instead of focusing on the present always weigh your actions now with possible consequences in the future. Sexual pleasure might be overwhelming at the moment but always focus on what it will entail in the future. The Obsession to Have a Beautiful Face and Body The tragedy of Michael Jackson (endless survey to alter face) The demand for cosmetic surgery, skin whiteners, etc. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia Malnutrition among young women due to improper way of dieting The “Golden Ratio” – The Perfect Face It’s rather impossible to achieve the Golden Ratio, but people still vie for it. Some are not satisfied with the way their parents look like, and are attracted to more beautiful people (contrast effect). “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” True, but if I could afford to have a good looking partner, why not? It is but a big challenge to us educators and parents to indicate inside than outside. Plump, skinny, just right, sexy or chubby, as long as the fashion industry dictates what is beautiful – be it for men or women – youth can never be satisfied with their bodies. Every culture would have standards for beauty. Medieval age at some tribes (e.g. Africa) – chubby, plump. For Hollywood and local showbiz actors and actresses are skinny, sexy, six-packs abs for men. Body Art and Status Symbol Then and Now, practice tattooing, scarification, piercing, and body painting. What is your view about this? 46 Terms That Describe Sexual Attraction, Behavior, and Orientation Why does it matter? Sexuality has to do with the way you identify, how you experience sexual and romantic attraction (if you do), and your interest in and preferences around sexual and romantic relationships and behavior. Who your sexual or romantic partner is at a given moment in time doesn’t necessarily define this part of who you are. Sexuality can be fluid — changing in different situations for some, and over the years for others. Observing patterns in sexual and romantic attraction, behavior, and preferences over time is one way to better understand your sexual identity or romantic orientation. Familiarizing yourself with language that describes different types of sexual and romantic feelings and orientations will help you, your partners, and your friends navigate and understand the many ways people experience and identify their sexuality. 1. Allosexual A word and category describing those who experience sexual attraction. Use of this term helps to normalize the experience of being asexual and provides a more specific label to describe those who aren’t part of the asexual community. Allosexism refers to norms, stereotypes, and practices in society that operate under the assumption that all human beings experience, or should experience, sexual attraction. Allosexism grants privilege to those who experience attraction and leads to prejudice against and erasure of asexual people. 2. Androsexual A term used to communicate sexual or romantic attraction to men, males, or masculinity. This term intentionally includes attraction to those who identify as men, male, or masculine, regardless of biology, anatomy, or sex assigned at birth. 3. Asexual Asexual identity or orientation includes individuals who don’t experience sexual attraction to others of any gender. Also referred to as “aces,” some people who are asexual do experience romantic attraction to people of one or multiple genders. 4. Aromantic A romantic orientation that describes people who experience little or no romantic attraction, regardless of sex or gender. 5. Autosexual A person who’s sexually attracted to themselves. Someone’s desire to engage in sexual behavior such as masturbation doesn’t determine whether they’re autosexual. 6. Autoromatic A romantic orientation that describes a person who’s romantically attracted to themselves. Those who identify as autoromatic often report experiencing the relationship they have with themselves as romantic. 7. Bicurious This refers to people who are questioning or exploring bisexuality, which typically includes curiosity about one’s romantic or sexual attraction to people of the same or different genders. 8. Bisexual A sexual orientation that describes those who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attractions to people of more than one gender. Also referred to as “bi,” bisexual typically includes individuals who are attracted to a variety of people, with genders that are similar to and different than their own. 9. Biromantic Those who experience romantic attraction, but not sexual attraction, to individuals of more than one gender. 10. Closeted Closeted, also referred to as “in the closet,” describes people in the LGBTQIA+ community who don’t publicly or openly share their sexual identity, sexual attraction, sexual behavior, gender expression, or gender identity. Closeted is often understood as the opposite of “out,” and refers to the metaphorical hidden or private place a LBGTQIA+ person comes from in the process of making decisions about disclosing gender and sexuality. Some individuals may be out in certain communities but closeted in others, due to fear of discrimination, mistreatment, rejection, or violence. 11. Coming out A phrase that refers to the process of being open about one’s sexuality and gender. For many LGBTQIA+ people, “coming out” isn’t a one-time event, but a process and series of moments and conversations. Also described as coming out of the closet, this process can include: sharing about a same-gender or similar gender sexual or romantic attraction or experience; identifying as LGBTQIA + disclosing one’s specific gender identity, gender expression, or sexual or romantic orientation. Some LGBTQIA+ people decide to keep their sexuality, gender, or intersex status private, while others decide to share these things with loved ones, acquaintances, or the public. The process of coming out or the state of being out is a source of self-acceptance and pride for many (but not all) LGBTQIA+ individuals. However, it’s important to remember that each person’s coming out experience is different, and the act of coming out can be hard and emotional.The decision to come out is deeply personal. Each person should make decisions about disclosing sexuality and gender in their own time and manner. 12. Cupiosexual Cupiosexual describes asexual people who don’t experience sexual attraction but still have the desire to engage in sexual behavior or a sexual relationship. 13. Demisexual On the asexual spectrum, this sexual orientation describes individuals who experience sexual attraction only under specific circumstances, such as after building a romantic or emotional relationship with a person. 14. Demiromantic This romantic orientation describes individuals who experience romantic attraction only under specific circumstances, such as after building an emotional relationship with a person. 15. Fluid This terms refers to the fact that sexuality, sexual attraction, and sexual behavior can change over time and be dependent on the situation. It’s used to describe those who experience shifts in their sexuality, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior in different situations or throughout the course of their lifetime. You may hear someone describe their sexuality as “fluid.” 16. Gay A term that describes individuals who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the same or a similar gender. Some gay-identified women prefer the term lesbian, while others prefer queer or gay. It’s also best to ask which word or term someone uses to describe themselves. The fields of medicine and psychology previously referred to this sexual orientation as homosexual. Homosexual is now viewed as an outdated and offensive term and shouldn’t be used to refer to LGBTQIA+ individuals. 17. Graysexual Graysexual is a term used to acknowledge the gray area on the sexuality spectrum for people who don’t explicitly and exclusively identify as asexual or aromantic. Many people who identify as graysexual do experience some sexual attraction or desire, but perhaps not at the same level or frequency as those who identify their sexuality as being completely outside of the asexual spectrum. 18. Grayromantic A romantic orientation that describes individuals whose romantic attraction exists in the gray area between romantic and aromantic. Many people who identify as grayromantic do experience some romantic attraction, but perhaps not at the same level or frequency as those who identify their sexuality or romantic orientation as something other than asexual. 19. Gynesexual A term used to communicate sexual or romantic attraction to women, females, or femininity. This term intentionally includes attraction to those who identify as women, female, or feminine, regardless of biology, anatomy, or the sex assigned at birth. 20. Heterosexual A term that describes people who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the “opposite” gender (e.g. male vs. female, man vs. woman) or a different gender. Both cisgender and transgender identified people can be heterosexual. This sexual orientation category is commonly described as straight. 21. Homosexual An outdated term rooted in the fields of medicine and psychology that refers to individuals who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the same or a similar gender. 22. Lesbian A woman or female-identified person who experiences sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the same or a similar gender. Some women who are lesbians may also refer to themselves as gay or queer, while others prefer the label lesbian. 23. LGBTQIA+ The acronym that often describes individuals who don’t identify as exclusively heterosexual or exclusively cisgender. The letters in the LGBTQIA+ acronym stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual. The + symbol in LGBTQIA+ refers to the fact that there are many sexual orientations and gender identities that are part of the broader LGBTQIA community, but aren’t included as part of the acronym. 24. Libidoist asexual A term used to describe an asexual person who experiences sexual feelings that are satisfied through self-stimulation or masturbation. This label acknowledges that, for some people, acting on libido or sexual feelings doesn’t necessarily involve sexual behavior with others. 25. Monosexual A broad sexual orientation category that includes people who experience romantic or sexual attraction to people of one sex or gender. Monosexuality typically includes those who are exclusively heterosexual, gay, or lesbian. 26. Non-libidoist asexual Referring to an identity on the asexuality spectrum, a non-libidoist asexual is someone who doesn’t experience any sexual feelings or have an active sex drive. 27. Omnisexual Omnisexual is similar to pansexual and can be used to describe individuals whose sexuality isn’t limited to people of a particular gender, sex, or sexual orientation. 28. Pansexual A term that describes individuals who can experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to any person, regardless of that person’s gender, sex, or sexuality. 29. Panromantic A term that describes individuals who can experience romantic, or emotional (but not sexual) attraction to any person, regardless of that person’s gender, sex, or sexuality. 30. Polysexual A term that describes individuals with a sexual orientation that involves sexual or romantic attraction to people with varying genders. Polysexual orientations include bisexuality, pansexuality, omnisexuality, and queer, among many others. 31. Pomosexual A term (not necessarily an identity) used to refer to those who reject sexuality labels or don’t identify with any of them. 32. Passing Passing refers to society’s perceptions and assumptions of someone’s sexuality or gender. Specifically, this term is most commonly used to discuss the frequency and extent to which an LGBTQIA+ person is perceived as or assumed to be straight or cisgender. It’s important to note that some LGBTQIA+ people have the desire to pass while others do not. In fact, the act of being perceived as straight or cisgender can be a source of discomfort and discrimination for some in the LGBTQIA+ community. 33. Queer An umbrella term that describes individuals who aren’t exclusively heterosexual. The term queer (the Q in LBGTQIA+), acknowledges that sexuality is a spectrum as opposed to a collection of independent and mutually exclusive categories. Use of the word queer opens up options beyond lesbian, gay, and bisexual to individuals who don’t fit neatly into these categories or prefer a category that isn’t dependent on sex and gender. While this term once had negative and derogatory connotations, queer has resurfaced as a common and socially acceptable way for LGBTQIA+ individuals to refer to themselves and their community. Despite its growing use, some people still have negative associations with the word queer and don’t like to be referred to in this way. Queer, like all terms describing sexuality, should be used sensitively and respectfully. 34. Questioning The process of being curious about or exploring some aspect of sexuality or gender. Questioning can also be used as an adjective to describe someone who’s currently exploring their sexuality or gender. 35. Romantic attraction The experience of having an emotional response that results in the desire for a romantic, but not necessarily sexual, relationship or interaction with another person or oneself. Some people experience romantic attraction but don’t experience sexual attraction. 36. Romantic orientation Romantic orientation is an aspect of self and identity that involves: how you identify, the way you experience romantic desire (if you do), the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people who someone engages in romantic relationships with (if any), the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people someone is romantically attracted to (if any). 37. Sapiosexual A word used to describe those who experience attraction based on intelligence, rather than sex or gender. 38. Sexual attraction Sexual attraction refers to experiencing sexual desire or arousal in relation to another person or group of people. 39. Sex-averse Sex-averse describes those who are asexual and are averse to or extremely disinterested in sex or sexual behavior. 40. Sex-favorable On the spectrum of asexuality, sex-favorable is viewed as the “opposite” of sex- repulsed and describes those who are asexual, and in certain situations can have favorable or positive feelings toward sex. 41. Sex-indifferent Sex-indifferent describes those who are asexual and feel indifferent or neutral about sex or sexual behavior. 42. Sexual orientation or sexuality Sexual orientation or sexuality is an aspect of self that involves: how you identifythe way you experience sexual or romantic desire (if you do), the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people who someone engages in sexual or romantic activity with (if any), the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people someone is attracted to (if any). Sexuality can change over the course of someone’s life and in different situations. It’s understood to be a spectrum instead of a series of mutually exclusive categories. 43. Sex-repulsed Similar to sex-averse, sex-repulsed is on the spectrum of asexuality and describes those who are asexual and are repulsed by or extremely disinterested in sex or sexual behavior. 44. Skoliosexual A sexual orientation that describes those who are sexually attracted to people with non-cisgender gender identities, such as people who are nonbinary, genderqueer, or trans. 45. Spectrasexual A term that describes people who are sexually or romantically attracted to multiple or varied sexes, genders, and gender identities — but not necessarily all or any. 46. Straight Also known as heterosexual, straight describes people who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to individuals of the “opposite” gender (e.g. male vs. female, man vs. woman) or a different gender. People who identify as cisgender and transgender can be straight. It’s okay to feel unsure or overwhelmed by all of the labels we now have to describe sexual and romantic orientation, attraction, and behavior. Expanding the language you use to describe your sexuality can provide important guidance, validation, and access to community while on your journey of sexual self-discovery and satisfaction. Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/different-types-of-sexuality Exercise 2.5 Create an art to express your sexuality. LESSON 10: a. The Material/ Economic Self Symbolic Self-Completion A theory of symbolic self-completion can now be spelled out, using the concepts of "commitment to goals," "symbols of completeness," and "social reality." Commitment to Self-Defining Goals. From Lewin's perspective a goal-specific tension remains active only as long as the person is involved psychologically in the pursuit of the goal. Ovsiankina (1928) found that when the task was important personally to subjects, the resumption effects were strongest. For subjects who found the tasks to be personally unimportant (i.e., trivial or arbitrary), the resumption rate was so low that one would be inclined to doubt the presence of a goal-directed tension system. How does one recognize a self-defining goal, in contrast to other kinds of goals? "Self- defining" means that people predicate of themselves some quality that corresponds to a sense of control and capability, such as "parent," "athlete," or "artist." Further, and central here, is that these goals are defined by interacting with others (Mead, 1934) and that the sense of progress toward the goal requires social recognition. Symbols of Completeness. These may be defined generally as indicators of one's standing with respect to a self-defining goals that are potentially recognizable by others. At a very rudimentary but important level are the simplest self-descriptions (e.g., a person teaching at a university introduces himself to an audience as "scientist"). Of course, the human is not solely dependent on these kinds of open self-characterizations. There are numerous abbreviations for immediate social acknowledgment, many of these describable as "status symbols." That is, having a diploma from a graduate school is a broadly recognized symbol of the person's self-definition, and it will propel the person toward a sense of completeness. Similarly—titles, official occupational positions, and membership in select interest groups are all socially evolved mechanisms for providing the individual with indicators, or markers of possessing an aspired-to self-definition. For the sake of convenience it is possible to view such symbols as falling into three groups, being based on: (a) the background experience or training requisite to the activity; (b) occupying a position or status that furthers the relevant activities; or (c) performance of the act itself. For each of these three categories of symbols the person stands to be recognized as possessing the self-definition that is sought after. In the case of "a" the specific symbol could be education, in the instance of "b" it might be the position "vice- president," and for "c" one is recognized as being a musician, or lawyer, simply by remaining highly active in musician like or lawyerlike actions. Social Reality. Mahler (1933) found that the tension-reduction potential of a substitute task depended largely on whether or not solving the substitute task carried a "social reality". The substitute task had tension-reducing properties only when the solution was announced to the experimenter. Once others acknowledge the person for having solved the problem, having solved it becomes a social fact and thus can serve as a self-defining symbol. This line of thinking can be carried back to Cooley (1902), who states that self-definitions can come into being and remain stable only by virtue of the acknowledgment of others. Thus the sense of progress toward a self-defining goal is dependent on the acknowledgment of others. We will call this the social reality factor. We can also talk about a concept of "broadening social reality." Once a person has an indicator at hand, the sense of completeness should be enhanced to the degree that one can inform more people about it, or more generally, enlarge the scope of individuals who would potentially recognize the completeness of the self-definition. Exercise 2.6 Instructions: 1. List down all the things that you buy for yourself (include only the things that you buy yourself, do not include those for others). _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. Identify the needs and the wants in your list. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. On your list remove five (5) things that you think you can live without. Explain why you think you can live without them. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. After explaining, remove three (3) things. Then explain why you chose to remove those. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 5. Repeat this until you only have one need. Explain in this paper, why you chose to have this instead of the others. _______________________________________________________ c. The Spiritual Self Spirituality, Religion, and the Supernatural What Are Religion and Spirituality? Religion is an organized system of ideas about the spiritual or supernatural realm that is accompanied by rituals. Through rituals, people attempt to influence things that they think are beyond their control. Spirituality also concerns an aspect of the divine and supernatural but is oftentimes limited to the individual, with no need for any formal organization. This is the search for meaning and direction in life and the ways by which one may preserve these. The two are related, although not separate from one another, spirituality is much more profound than religion. Religion – Its Role in Society: To explain things To establish order To justify things To provide support Socializes people Vehicle for passage into a different domain Theories on Religion: Cognitive – imparts meaning and value to the world Psychological – how people adapt to extreme fatigue and tension (stress) Social Function – looks at the relationships of people, unity and conformity to the majority Religion - Organized Organized belief in the supernatural. Fulfills numerous social and psychological needs. In the last 10,000 years, no group of people have gone/existed within religion. Religion – Symbols Religions make use of many symbols Norms, words, ideas and objects that point to other objects. When put together, these symbols become a system of knowledge. (System of Knowledge) Religion – Myths These are stories that have explanations about the divine and the supernatural. Within a culturally, myths are considered real. This is accompanied by ideology and a worldview. Modern “major” religions have their myths… Brahma, Krishna, Vishnu, many more (Hinduism) Muhammad and the Angel Gabriel (Islam) Adam & Eve (Judaism & Christianity) The Jade Emperor/Heavenly Grandfather (Taosim) Myth Religious, sacred, stories that provide basis for beliefs/practices. Origins of humanity, creation of the universe, nature of death/illness. Lay the founding for values/morals. Can be passed down verbally or in writing. Myths help to shape a culture’s worldview. Worldview The collective body of ideas that members of a culture generally share concerning the ultimate shape and substance of their reality. Myths help to shape a culture’s worldview, the way they look at reality (e.g. Judeo- Christian vs. Navaho worldview). Question: What do these myths say about each religion’s worldview? What Functions Do Religion and Spirituality Serve? All religions serve a number of important functions: – They reduce anxiety by explaining the unknown and offer comfort in times of crisis. – They provide notions of right and wrong, setting precedents for acceptable behavior. – Through ritual, religion may be used to enhance the learning of oral traditions. Religion – Rituals Religions have rituals/ritu. It is whatever is done repeatedly. 2 Types of Ritual 1. According to the Calendar (Calendric) 2. Based on crisis Religion –Rites of Passage Rites of separation – rites that involve the separation of the individual from society Rites of transition – rites on the temporary separation of an individual before inclusion in a big group Rites of incorporation – in the new state/condition, the individual is returned to the big group. Rites of intensification – rituals used in times of problem or crisis, in order to unify, reduce fear or to mobilize people into action Questions: How many of you would consider yourselves religious? Agnostic? Atheist? What do these words mean? No known group of people anywhere on the face of the earth, at any time over the past 100,000 years, have been without religion. Why? THERE ARE SEVEN WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH The spiritual element of wellness can be the most personal piece of the puzzle when trying to place all eight dimensions of wellness together. Generally, people like to live a life with meaning and purpose. When these goals are met, it puts harmony in one’s life, and the others they surround themselves with. So, what can you do to improve your spiritual wellness? It’s best to figure out what techniques work for you. Since spiritual wellness involves one’s values, beliefs, and purpose, it can be achieved in several ways—both physically and mentally. 1. Explore your spiritual core. By exploring your spiritual core, you are simply asking yourself questions about the person you are and your meaning. Ask yourself: Who am I? What is my purpose? What do I value most? These questions will lead you down a road where you will think more in-depth about yourself and allow you to notice things about yourself that will help you achieve fulfillment. 2. Look for deeper meanings. Looking for deeper meanings in your life and analyzing occurring patterns will help you see that you have control over your destiny. Being aware of this can help you achieve a happy and healthy life. 3. Get it out. Expressing what is on your mind will help you to maintain a focused mind. After a long day or a significant event, you may feel confused and not be able to make sense of your feelings. By writing down your thoughts, you may be able to think clearer and move forward. 4. Try yoga. Yoga is a physical technique that can help improve your spiritual wellness by reducing emotional and physical strains on your mind and body. Yoga is taught at all different levels and can help lower stress, boost the immune system, and lower blood pressure as well as reduce anxiety, depression, fatigue, and insomnia. 5. Travel. It’s true! Taking time for yourself to travel to a comforting place or somewhere new can do wonders for your mind. When you are at a place where your mind can keep out distractions and help you reflect and rest, you will have a better connection with yourself. This allows you to weed out stressors and set your mind on the right path for overall wellness. Some activities to take part in when on a trip can be exercising, speaking with a counselor or advisor, meditation, or taking a temporary vow of silence. 6. Think positively. Once you start viewing things in your life in a positive manner, you will find yourself thinking differently and refocusing your mind to a happy, healthy place. When you eliminate negativity and re-frame how you think of certain things and situations, you’ll notice yourself being more relaxed. 7. Take time to meditate. While managing your time and daily tasks can be hard, it is crucial to devote time to connecting with yourself. Whether in the morning when you wake up, during your lunch break, or before you go to sleep, take five to 10 minutes to meditate each day. Fitting mediation and relaxation into your lifestyle will free your mind and foster a stronger relationship with your spiritual wellness. Source: http://stories.illinoisstate.edu/student-affairs/health-promotion-and-wellness/7-ways-improve-spiritual- wellness/ Exercise 2.7: How do you spiritually, harmonize your life? Share the ways/ steps on how you do it? LESSON 11: d. The Digital Self The Digital Self The Development and Expression of the Self and Identity in Social Networking Sites What’s in my Facebook or Instagram account? Are there common themes in your posts? If ever, what are they? What do they say about you/ your identity? Adolescence and SNS Adolescence It is the period of physical, cognitive and emotional changes the individuals undergo as they navigate from childhood to adulthood. The transition period of individuation for identity construction of an autonomous self They need for personal space Their Social Networking Sites provide the needed personal space and avenue for identity construction through anonymity, connectivity, and interactivity Three (3) Types of Adolescent self-esteem: 1. Self-concept 2. Personal Self-esteem 3. Collective self-esteem Adolescents’ self-esteem is affected by their perceived evaluation of other people about them. They tend to overestimate the extent to which other people evaluate them, as a consequence, they become preoccupied with how they present themselves. They package themselves by hiding their undesirable features and by highlighting their pleasant ones. Thus, when given good feedback, they feel better about themselves. Social affiliation and communication are essential factors in adolescents’ self-esteem. Adolescents tend to feel good about them when they are happy with their group membership and when their social support is available. SNS serve as the avenue for these social needs Identity Construction in Facebook Personal online identity construction Social online identity construction According theory the results from the study of Brillantes-Evangelista, Baybay, & Dingcong (2013) adolescent identity construction is a process of forming an autonomous self who is presented to an audience: Personal Identity refers personality attributes of an individual which are not shared with other people, and Social Identity this aspect of individuals’ self- concept that stems from their knowledge of their membership with a certain social group. Facebook Use Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook in the year 2004, originally designed Facebook only for Harvard University students. As the demand and popularity for social media networks grew throughout the world. Facebook creators expended their networks to include everyone. This change started a massive following of individuals and made Facebook one of the most popular social media networks in the world. Facebook, as a controlled setting, becomes a venue for the college students to engage in their identity construction. It presented themselves through wall posts, photos, and profiles in such a way that convey an image of themselves that they want their audience to see. Space for the individuals to explore and create their personal and social identities Facebook as a platform to: It creates a space for self-revelation and assertion Project needs and preferences Create virtual surrogate group Experiment on different identity Manage impressions through positive self-presentation Creating a space for self-revelation and assertion Disclosure of their personal information and their assertion of who they are or what they want others to see about them. “When I was still in 1st year and very active on Facebook, I would post pictures of myself going out with my friends, and many people would see it. Facebook provides them their online personal space, which is an essential aspect in exploring their identities. They would point out that I had become different from who I was back in High School, someone who didn’t have much of a social life but would rather go home straight from school.” Projecting Needs and Preferences “It can be seen in Facebook, like what I’m doing can be seen more, like my normal self when I’m with my friends.” Usually it can’t be seen who I really am when I’m with my family compared to when I’m with my friends. My posts are usually about activities with my friends and with my boyfriend…” Facebook is a space for the participants to project their emotional needs and preferences. They are able to verbalize or at least depict through their photos and other posts their thoughts and feelings. This process of projection and airing out of needs and preferences serve as an externalization of their thoughts and feelings which can help them reflect and reconstruct aspects of them. “…I just wanted to give voice to the thoughts of teenagers who might not be able to say it.” Creating a virtual surrogate group The individual’s relationships somehow shape their identity construction by allowing their online social groups define how they present themselves This social construction of the self will be further facilitated by the gratification they received from their online group and by their dissatisfaction with their on-ground affiliations Experimenting on a different identity The individuals explore and experiment on their identities by trying out different aspects of themselves and new roles. By creating multiple accounts, these adolescents are able to create their different selves co-existing in a virtual world. They could shift from one identity according to who they chose to be at a given time. With multiple Facebook accounts depicting different persona, the “self” is no longer deemed as a unitary construct but fluid and plural identities Managing impressions: positive self-presentation Individuals depict happy and pleasant dispositions in their Facebook accounts. Showing only their socially desirable features--they construct their ideal selves in front of their audience. Their self-presentation via Facebook is more strategic compared to their on-ground self-projection. They have more time to think of which aspects of their personalities or profile should be presented or which photos depict their best image. “I like pictures where I look good and decent. It’s not much about who I’m within the photos, but more of how okay I look.” Adolescents tend to overestimate the extent to which other people watch and evaluate them. They think they are always on the look-out, thus, they present their image as ideal as they can be The feedback that they get from other people becomes their basis for changing aspects of themselves or for hiding information. The SNS (e.g., facebook) can be a viable venue for identity construction. So what’s wrong with using social networking sites? It’s not the use per se, but how it is used. It becomes unhealthy when it replaces REALITY. When it replaces on-ground social interaction. When virtual reality becomes the basis of social gratification, self-esteem, and identity. When the person is in constant monitoring of the self (e.g., likes, photos, status, activity posts, etc.) and how one fares in comparison to others. When personal identity becomes dependent on virtual social identity. When these happen, one can have very weak or diffused identity, can be very insecure, and/or self-absorbed, and with very poor socio-emotional skills. Exercise 2.7 Facebook Intensity Scale How much do you use Facebook and is it approaching an “addiction”? Find out by completing this 14-item quiz. Please check: 1. How many total Facebook friends do you have? ( ) 10 or less ( ) 101-150 ( ) 251-300 ( ) 11-50 ( ) 151-200 ( ) 301-400 ( ) 51-100 ( ) 201-250 ( ) More than 400 2. In the past week, on average, approximately how many minutes per day have you spent on Facebook? ( ) Less than 10 ( ) 31-60 ( ) 2-3 hours ( ) 10-30 ( ) 1-2 hours ( ) More than 3 hours For the items 3 – 14, please use the Likert scale below: 1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Neutral/ Mixed feelings 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree Statements 1 2 3 4 5 3. Facebook is particularly of my everyday activity. 1 2 3 4 5 4. I am proud to tell people I’m on Facebook. 1 2 3 4 5 5. Facebook has become a particularly of my daily routine. 1 2 3 4 5 6. I feel out of touch when I haven't logged onto Facebook 1 2 3 4 5 for a while. 7. I feel I among particularly of the Facebook community. 1 2 3 4 5 8. I would be sorry if Facebook shut down. 1 2 3 4 5 9. I have used Facebook to check out someone I method 1 2 3 4 5 socially. 10. I use Facebook to learn more about other people in my 1 2 3 4 5 classes. 11. I use Facebook to learn more about other living near me. 1 2 3 4 5 12. I use Facebook to keep in touch with my old friends. 1 2 3 4 5 13. I use Facebook to meet new people. 1 2 3 4 5 14. I’ve been on Facebook for? ( ) Less than 1 year ( ) 2-3 years ( ) 4 years or more ( ) 1-2 years ( ) 3-4 years Scoring About how many total Facebook friends do you have? 0=10 or less 5=201-250 1=11-50 6=251-300 2=51-100 7=301-400 3=101-150 8=more than 400 4=151-200 In the past week, on average, approximately how many minutes per day have you spent on Facebook? 0=less than 10 3=1-2 hours 1=10-30 4=2-3 hours 2=31-60 5=more than 3 hours [ I’ve been on Facebook for… 1= less than 1 year 4=3-4 years 2=1-2 years 5=4 years 3=2-3 years 11 items are rated from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 5 (“strongly agree”) Interpretation If you scored … Your Facebook intensity is… 60 & up High 49-59 Moderate 35-48 Normal 20-34 Low 0-19 Very Low What INSIGHTS have you drawn from this activity? (Write in 50 words). Exercise 2.8 Instructions: Answer the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Then, score it and bring to the class for further discussion and sharing. Read the instruction on scoring and interpretation below. The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is reliable and valid measure of addictive use of internet, developed by Dr. Kimberly Young. It consists of 20 items that measures mild, moderate and severe level of Internet Addiction. Based upon the following five-point likert scale, select the response that best represents the frequency of the behavior described in the following 20-item questionnaire. 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Rarely 2 = Occasionally 3 = Frequently 4 = Often 5 = Always 1. ___How often do you find that you stay online longer than you intended? 2. ___How often do you neglect household chores to spend more time online? 3. ___How often do you prefer the excitement of the Internet to intimacy with your partner? 4. ___How often do you form new relationships with fellow online users? 5. ___How often do others in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend online? 6. ___How often do your grades or school work suffer because of the amount of time you spend online? 7. ___How often do you check your e-mail before something else that you need to do? 8. ___How often does your job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet? 9. ___How often do you become defensive or secretive when anyone asks you what you do online? 10. ___How often do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Internet? 11. ___How often do you find yourself anticipating when you will go online again? 12. ___How often do you fear that life without the Internet would be boring, empty, and joyless? 13. ___How often do you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are online? 14. ___How often do you lose sleep due to late-night log-ins? 15. ___How often do you feel preoccupied with the Internet when off-line, or fantasize about being online? 16. ___How often do you find yourself saying “just a few more minutes” when online? 17. ___How often do you try to cut down the amount of time you spend online and fail? 18. ___How often do you try to hide how long you’ve been online? 19. ___How often do you choose to spend more time online over going out with others? 20. ___How often do you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are offline, which goes away once you are back online? Scoring Procedure and Interpretation After all the questions have been answered, add the numbers for each response to obtain a final score. The higher the score, the greater the level of addiction and creation of problems resultant from such Internet usage. The severity impairment index is as follows: NONE 0 – 19 points MILD 20-49 points: You are an average online user. You may surf the Web a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage. MODERATE 50 -79 points: You are experiencing occasional or frequent problems because of the Internet. You should consider their full impact on your life. SEVERE 80 – 100 points: Your Internet usage is causing significant problems in your life. You should evaluate the impact of the Internet on your life and address the problems directly caused by your Internet usage. How did you feel about your score? Answer in 50 words below. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ e. The Social Self This part discusses the social and environmental factors that shape oneself. This included environmental systems, cultural orientations, and other social factors that play a crucial role to one’s self. The Self and Its Social Agency Human development is largely influenced by membership in crucial social groups that shape various aspects of the self; from belief systems, values orientation, and behavior. At the beginning of life, one already belongs to a social group: his/her family. It is the most pervading influential social group that impacts the self in its entire course of development. The views one holds about the world, values upheld in making choices and decisions, and the habits and persistent behavior one carries have been formed in the context of one’s family and home environment. Next to family, schools and the general academic environment form a significant part of the social self. Worldviews expand as one gets exposed to more people in different social learning environment. Knowledge and social skills gained from mentors, relatives, and peers contribute to how the social self is harnessed. Aside from one’s family and school environments, communities also shape one’s social self to a large extent. The social self inevitably changes as one accommodates and eventually assimilates beliefs promoted by the society as he/she thinks, appreciates, and behaves according to standards set by micro and macrosystems. Culture “Culture is the complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, law, art moral, custom, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” (Tylor, 1871) To further understand the nature of culture and its influences on oneself, the following models illustrate how culture functions in relation to one’s social self. Biological Systems Theory Urie Bronfenbenner’s (1935) Biological Systems of Development explains an individual’s social development, using biological, environmental, and ecological lenses. Individu alism- Collecti vism Model A nother model that highlights the impact of culture to the self is the Individualism- Collectivism model proposed by Hazel Markus and Shinobu Kitayama (1991). According to the model, individualism as an orientation focuses on one’s individual attributes and personal distinctiveness. People who are individualistic are observed to be competitive and self-reliant. On the other hand, the collectivist orientation values relationships and harmony. People who are collectivistic prioritize interests to maintain healthy relationships. I vs. Me One’s behavior when he or she is alone differs from his or her behavior when he or she is with others. This is what Herbert Mead (1934) posited in his theory of the social self. He posited that the self is divided into 2 parts: the I which is known as the unsocialized self, and the Me which is known as the socialized self. The I is manifested when one acts naturally for his/her own motivations and not because of others. On the other hand, the Me is the awareness of how others expect one to behave. This is also known as the social self. These different models present ideas on the process of the self’s social development. Studying these models helps in understanding oneself and other people. It is not ideal, however, to generalize a certain culture based on these models. UNIT III: Managing The Self UNIT 111: Managing The Self Intended Learning Outcomes: 1. Understanding the theoretical underpinnings for how to manage and care for different aspects of the self. 2. Acquire and hone new skills and learnings for better managing of one’s self and behaviors. 3. Apply these new skills to one’s self and functioning a better quality of life. 1. Learning to be a better Student  2. Goal Setting and Happiness 3. Managing Stress READ LESSON 12: 1. Learning to be Better Student Study Techniques Many students are being left behind by an educational system that some people believe is in crisis. Improving educational outcomes will require efforts on many fronts, but there are solutions involve in helping students to better regulate their learning through the use of effective learning techniques. Fortunately, cognitive and educational psychologists have been developing and evaluating easy-to-use learning techniques that could help students achieve their learning goals. Ten (10) Techniques: 1. Elaborative Interrogation – Generating an explanation for why an explicitly stated fact or concept is true. Anyone who has spent time around young children knows that one of their most frequent utterances in “Why?” (Perhaps coming in a close second behind “No!”). Humans are inquisitive creatures by nature, attuned to seeking explanations for states, actions, and events in the world around us. Fortunately, a sizable body of evidence suggests that the power of explanatory questioning can be harnessed to promote learning. 2. Self-explanation – Explaining how new information is related to known information, or explaining steps taken during problem solving. Self-explanation may enhance learning by supporting the integration of new information with existing prior knowledge. The key continuum along which self-explanation prompts differ concerns the degree to which they are content-free versus content specific. 3. Summarization – Writing summaries (various lengths) of to-be-learned texts. Students often have to learn large amounts of information, which requires them to identify what is important and how different ideas connect to one another. One popular technique for accomplishing these goals involves having students write summaries of to-be- learned texts. Successful summaries identify the main points of a text and capture the gist of it while excluding unimportant or repetitive material. Although learning to construct accurate summaries is often an instructional goal in its own right, our interest here concerns whether doing so will boost students’ performance on later criterion tests that cover the target materials. 4. Highlighting/ Underlining – Marking potentially important portions of to-be-learned materials while reading. More systematic evaluations of actual textbooks and other student materials have supported the claim that highlighting and underlining are common behaviors. When students themselves are asked about what they do when studying, they commonly report underlining, highlighting are common, or otherwise marking material as they try to learn it. We treat these techniques as equivalent, given that, conceptually, they should work the same way (and at least one study found no differences between them). 5. Keyword mnemonic – Using keywords and mental imagery of text materials while reading or listening. Develop a mental image of students hundred over textbooks, struggling with a science unit on the solar system, trying to learn the planets’ names and their order in distance from the sun. To facilitate learning, the student uses the keyword mnemonic, which is a technique based on interactive imagery. The potential benefits of the keyword mnemonic have been extensively explored, and its power partly resides in the use of interactive images. 6. Imagery for text – Attempting to form mental images of text materials while reading or listening. Investigations of imagery use for learning text materials have focused on single sentence and longer text materials. Evidence concerning the impact of imagery on sentence learning largely comes from investigations of other mnemonic techniques in which imagery instructions have been included in a comparison condition. 7. Rereading – Restudying text material again after an initial reading. Rereading is one of the techniques that students most frequently report using during self-regulated study. Rereading simply increases the total amount of information encoded regardless of the kind or level of information within the text. 8. Practice testing – self-testing or taking practice tests over to-be-learned material. Practice testing are use as (a) to distinguish testing that is completed as low-stakes or no-stakes practice or learning activity outside of class from summative assessments that are administered by an instructor in class, and (b) to encompass any form of practice testing that students would be able to engage in on their own. For example, practice testing could involve practicing recall of target information via the use of actual or virtual flashcards, completing practice problems or questions included at the end of textbook chapters, or completing practice problems or questions included at the end of textbook chapters, or completing practice tests included in the electronic supplemental materials that increasingly accompany textbooks. 9. Distributed practice – Implementing a schedule of practice that spreads out study activities over time. To-be-learned material is often encountered on more than one occasion, such as when students review their note and then later use flashcards to restudy the materials, or when a topic is covered in class and then later studied in a textbook. 10. Interleaved practice – Implementing a schedule of practice that mixes different kinds of problems, or a schedule of study that mixes different kinds of material, within a single study session. In virtually every kind of class at every grade level, students are expected to learn content from many different subtopics or problems of many different kinds. For example, students in a neuroanatomy course would learn about several different divisions of the nervous system, and students in a geometry course would learn various formulas for computing properties of objects such as surface area and volume. Given that the goal is to learn all of the material, how should a student schedule his or her studying of the different materials? An intuitive approach, and one we suspect is adopted by most students, involves blocking study or practice, such that all content from one subtopic is studied or all problems of one type are practiced before the student moves on to the next set of material. In contrast, recent research has begun to explore interleaved practice, in which students alternate their practice of different kinds of items or problems. Name: __________________________________ Date:____________ Year/Course/Section: ________________________ Score: ___________ Exercise 3.1. Instruction: Create your own mnemonics related to the 10 study techniques mentioned in the previous topic. You can use key words, rhyming words, and acronyms. Use the space provided below to write your answer. Name: __________________________________ Date:____________ Year/Course/Section: ________________________ Score: ___________ Exercise 3.2 DIRECTIONS TEST 1. Read everything before doing anything, then work as quickly as possible. 2. Put your name in the upper right hand corner of the paper. 3. Draw a box around your name. 4. Circle the word “name” in sentence 2. 5. Take a timer and time yourself. 6. Answer this question incorrectly. Is a parakeet a bird? __________ 7. If yesterday was three days after Sunday draw three stars. 8. Count in your normal speaking voice from one to eighteen backwards. 9. Sign your full name four times at the bottom of the paper. 10. Trace your left hand at the back of the paper 11. Put an X in the lower left hand corner of this paper. 12. Draw a circle around the X. 13. Draw a triangle around the circled X. 14. Multiply 70 x 30 on the back of this paper. 15. Write the time when you reached this direction. 16. Draw a simple sketch on an airplane on the back of this paper. 17. Use a blue ballpen for answering. 18. Place the airplane on your palm. 19. Draw a heart around your favorite number. 20. Now that you have finished reading carefully, do only sentences number 1, 2, and 4 Please sit back quietly and say nothing to anyone else. Exercise 3.3 speed test Name: __________________________________ Date:____________ Year/Course/Section: ________________________ Score: ___________ Instruction: LESSON 13: b. Goal-Setting Goal-Setting Many people pursue goals that they expect will make them happy, but happiness isn’t always the end result. There are people who will put everything they have into one aspect of their life, such as their careers (at the expense of their personal lives) only to wonder years later why they are successful and still unhappy. It is all too common for people to be surrounded by beautiful homes, expensive cars, and designer clothes, have hundreds of Facebook friends and still have less personal satisfaction with in their life than if they did not have all that extra “stuﬀ”. So then how is one to know which goals will provide personal happiness and which ones will not? Goal-setting involves deciding what you want to accomplish and devising a plan to achieve the result you strive for. Goal-setting encompasses a major component of personal development and is viewed as an eﬀective tool for making progress towards goals by ensuring that a person has a clear awareness of what they must do to achieve their objective. Goal- setting is intrinsically linked with a desire to improve one’s self and overall happiness. The amount of time spent on achieving goals, means that you will want to be sure of why you are working towards speciﬁc goals. Your happiness has to be the driving factor, and the deal breaker behind which goals you work towards, and which ones you toss. Think back to the goals you achieved in your past. Remember how you felt when you got your driver’s license or on your wedding day or when you graduated from your diﬀerent levels of schooling? At every point in your life when you feel content or happy, you can most probably ﬁnd that you were either making progress toward a goal or had reached a goal. Now think back to when you were last unhappy. In each case you may have either: 1. had no goal, 2. were trying to reach an undesirable goal, 3. you were making no or little progress towards a goal or 4. due to circumstances you were not able to accomplish a desired goal. Goal Guidelines Goals should be challenging but realistic and attainable: If you set goals that are too easy, you will reach them without much diﬃculty, which will not provide you with a real sense of accomplishment. It is best to set goals that can be realistically reached, but only with a sufﬁcient amount of time and eﬀort put in. Goals should be speciﬁc and concrete: The goal should target an area to be worked on, and you should be able to measure the improvement or changes that have been aimed for, and have a time frame in which to achieve the goal. Avoid focusing on goal attainment: It is not possible to judge whether every goal made will ultimately be attainable. It is more than likely that you will not reach every goal that you set for yourself. Therefore, it is more advisable to focus on the journey you have taken (degree of attainment) rather than whether or not you fully reached your goal (absolute attainment). Continuous goal setting: Goal setting is a process that never ends. Once one goal is achieved, another goal with a diﬀerent direction should be created to take its place. As you evolve as a person, your goals will change. You should review your goals on a regular basis and adjust them as needed. Feedback: You should get regular feedback on how you are doing in pursuing your goals from those around you. Having consistent feedback contributes to the eﬀectiveness of goal-setting. The Darker Side of Goal-Setting Instant gratiﬁcation predominates in today’s society. Situations arise where speciﬁc goals may lead to temporary happiness. Often this brief happiness is associated with the lesser good which promises immediate pleasure and is more tempting in comparison to the greater good which may require more sacriﬁce and eﬀort. For example, while it may be more enjoyable to spend the night watching TV or out at a bar, but you know you will be better oﬀ is you spend the time working on an assignment. The use of drugs has become a relatively common method to gain the goal of temporary happiness. There are some who use drugs as a method to escape from their troubles. For a small price, a person can immediately take their mind oﬀ any issues and experience euphoria by taking a pill. This short-term pleasure can ultimately lead to long term pain when the eﬀects of the drug wear oﬀ and you feel miserable again and therefore feel the need to take the drug again, which leads to a spiral of need and relief. It is however diﬃcult to achieve true happiness through goal-setting simply by enjoying the pleasures of the moment. Locke’s Goal Setting Theory Locke’s primary revelation was around the power of setting specific and measurable goals, rather than keeping outcomes general. With his theory he demonstrated how targets like “increase sales by 20%” or “reach a customer NPS of 50” are much more effective than vague direction such as “complete your work to a higher standard”. This might seem obvious to those of us who have sat down to work out our KPIs, but this really was Locke’s brainchild. He gave us the foundation for modern goal-setting which had momentous practical implications for managers. Locke also demonstrated that the best way to feel motivated is to push yourself to do something that you’re not 100% certain you can achieve. Tackling challenging goals headfirst allows you to work hard, develop your skills and reap the rewards in terms of positive feedback and a sense of personal achievement. Speaking directly to Locke ourselves, he noted that managers can also use “impossible” goals to promote creativity – employees just need to be assured that there’s no punishment for not meeting ambitious targets. Locke and Latham’s five principles of effective goal setting Clarity. A goal must be specific and clear. Challenge. An easy or tedious goal is demotivating. But keep a realistic balance: don’t expect anyone on your team to spin straw into gold. Commitment. Your employees have to understand and buy in to the goal from the outset. Feedback. Provide regular feedback throughout the whole process. This helps to keep the goal on track. Task complexity. Think about realistic timescales, and break down the process into sub-goals with regular reviews. Name: __________________________________ Date:____________ Year/Course/Section: ________________________ Score: ___________ Exercise 3.4 Smart goal SETTING Specific: What Measurable: How Action-Oriented: Realistic: Can you Timely: When will exactly will you will you know Describe your do this in the time you achieve this accomplish? when you have goals using action given? Give goal? reached this goal? verbs and outline yourself the the exact steps opportunity to you will take to succeed by setting goals you’ll be accomplish your goal. able to accomplish. Name: __________________________________ Date:____________ Year/Course/Section: ________________________ Score: ___________ Exercise 3.5 Dream About the Future What one commitment can you make to yourself to take a step closer to making these goals come about? ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________ Name: __________________________________ Date:____________ Year/Course/Section: ________________________ Score: ___________ Ten-year goal worksheet with mastery/SKILLS Personal Mastery/skills Professional Fitness Realities Financial Mastery/skills Write down ten-year goals in the following categories Mastery/skills The key to using this exercise properly is to use this visualization as a guide for Personal Goals about your thinking Professional goals andGoals Fitness what would you like toGoals Financial come about. Then, makeGoals sure to come back to the present, and use it to take empowered actions in your present life (Thompson, 2015). Taking Mastery into account, create a modified te List areas of Dedicat Personal Plan Professional Plan Fitness Plan Financial Plan c. Happiness Happiness is a mental state of well-being that is characterized by a range of positive emotions. Positive psychology experts have endeavored to ﬁnd the answer to questions focusing on what “happiness” is, and how we might attain it. Self-Compassion? Drawing on the writings of various Buddhist teachers, self-compassion can be defined as being composed of three main components: self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and mindfulness (Neff, 2003b). Self-kindness. It self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than flagellating ourselves with self- criticism. It recognizes that being imperfect and experiencing life difficulties is inevitable, so we soothe and nurture ourselves when confronting our pain rather than getting angry when life falls short of our ideals. We clearly acknowledge our problems and shortcomings without judgment, so we can do what’s necessary to help ourselves. We can’t always get what we want. We can’t always be who we want to be. When this reality is denied or resisted, suffering arises in the form of stress, frustration, and self-criticism. When this reality is accepted with benevolence, however, we generate positive emotions of kindness and care that help us cope. Common Humanity. One of the biggest problems with harsh self-judgment is that it tends to make us feel isolated. When we notice something about ourselves we don’t like, we irrationally feel like everyone else is perfect and it’s only me who is inadequate. This isn’t a logical process, but a kind of distorted self-centeredness: focusing on our inadequacies gives us tunnel vision so that we can’t see anything else but our own feeble, worthless self. Similarly, when things go wrong in our external lives, we feel that somehow other people are having an easier time of it, that our own situation is abnormal or unfair. When our experiences are interpreted from the perspective of a separate self, we have trouble remembering the similar experiences of our fellow humans (like the dying 84 year-old man whose final words were “why me?”) Self compassion recognizes that life challenges and personal failures are part of being human, an experience we all share. In this way, it helps us to feel less desolate and isolated when we are in pain. Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a non-judgmental, receptive mind-state in which thoughts and feelings are observed as they are, without suppressing or denying them. You can’t ignore your pain and feel compassion for it at the same time. Of course, you may think that suffering is blindingly obvious. But how many of us, when we look in a mirror and don’t like what see, remember that this a moment of suffering worthy of a compassionate response? Similarly, when life goes awry, we often go into problem-solving mode immediately without recognizing the need to comfort ourselves for the difficulties we’re facing. Conversely, mindfulness requires that we not be overly identified with negative thoughts or feelings, so that we are caught up and swept away by our aversive reactions. This type of rumination narrows our focus and exaggerates implications for self-worth. The mental space provided by taking a mindful approach to our difficult feelings, however, allows for greater clarity, perspective, and emotional equanimity. Self-Compassion Phrases. When you’re feeling stress or emotional pain— perhaps you are caught in a traffic jam, are arguing with a loved one, or are feeling inadequate in some way— it’s helpful to have a set of phrases memorized to help you remember to be more compassionate to yourself in the moment. You can take a deep breath, put your hand over your heart, or gently hug yourself (if you feel comfortable doing so), and repeat the following phrases: This is a moment of suffering Suffering is a part of life May I be kind to my self May I give myself the compassion I need The Science of Happiness: A Personal Application of Positive Psychology (Creating and Enhancing Joyful Habits among Educators) by Ronaldo A. Motilla, Ph.D. While studies have shown that, to a certain extent, a person’s enduring level of happiness is hereditary; happiness or also known as “heartfelt positivity” (Frederickson, 2015) can still be a product of an individual’s choice. Educators can learn habits and strategies to keep themselves joyful. Studies have revealed that when one is generally happy with his life, it broadens his thinking, expands the scope of his attention, and prompts him into a wide range of positive action. (e.g., Garland, Fredrickson, Kring, Johnson, Meyer et al., 2010; Cohn & Fredrickson, 2009; Suzuki, 2005; as cited in Compton & Hoffman, 2013). In other words, a happy educator becomes more open-minded, creative, and flexible thinker, capable of envisioning the big picture of his life. Seligman’s (2011) New Theory of Wellbeing provides the answer to being happy and how to flourish as a person. This theory includes (1) positive emotions, (2) engagement, (3) relationships wh

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