Notes on Physical Self

SELF

  • Self is a concept or belief that an individual has of him or herself as an emotional, spiritual, and social being. It is your idea of who you are, like a self-reflection of one’s well-being.

UNPACKING THE SELF

  • "Unpacking the self" refers to a process of self-discovery and understanding that involves examining and analyzing different aspects of one's identity and personality.

THE CONCEPT OF SELF

  • Self-understanding: understanding who you are and what makes you unique. It motivates a person’s actions.
  • Core ideas from the slide:
    • "I am not who I think I am"
    • "I am not who you think I am"
    • "I am who I think you think I am"

THE CONCEPT OF THE PHYSICAL SELF

  • The Physical Self is the concrete, tangible dimension of a person that can be observed and examined.
WILLIAM JAMES
  • The body is an initial source of sensation and is necessary for the origin and maintenance of personality.
SIGMUND FREUD
  • His construction of the self and personality places the body at the core of human experience.
WILHELM REICH
  • Mind and body are one; all psychological processes are part of physical processes, and vice versa.
ERIK ERIKSON
  • Bodily organs play an important role in early development. Later, physical and intellectual skill development helps determine whether the individual achieves a sense of competence and can take on demanding roles in a complex society.
CARL JUNG
  • The external world and the physical body can be known only as psychological experiences.
B.F. SKINNER
  • The body plays a role of primary importance.

FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SELF

  • Two interacting forces shape development: heredity and environment.
  • HEREDITY (NATURE): the transmission of traits from parents to offspring.
  • ENVIRONMENT (NURTURE): the sum total of experiences from conception to old age.

THE BEGINNING OF LIFE

  • FERTILIZATION: meeting of the egg cell and sperm cell.
  • ZYGOTE: fertilized egg cell; contains all hereditary potentials from the parents.
  • GENES: true carriers of hereditary characteristics.

STAGES OF LIFE

  • PRE-NATAL PERIOD: conception to birth.
  • INFANCY: birth to end of infancy (note: the slide mentions "second week" which may refer to gestational timing in a simplified outline).
  • BABYHOOD: end of the second week to end of the second year.
  • EARLY CHILDHOOD OR PRESCHOOL AGE: 2extto62 ext{ to } 6 years old.
  • LATE CHILDHOOD OR ELEMENTARY AGE: 6extto12extyearsold6 ext{ to } 12 ext{ years old}.
  • PUBERTY OR PREADOLESCENCE
  • ADOLESCENCE
  • EARLY ADULTHOOD: 12extto13/14extyearsold12 ext{ to } 13/14 ext{ years old} to 18extyearsold18 ext{ years old}
  • MIDDLE AGE: 40extto60extyearsold40 ext{ to } 60 ext{ years old}
  • OLD AGE OR SENESCENCE: 60extyearstodeath60 ext{ years to death}

THE BODY AS BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL ENTITY

  • As a biological entity, the body has a functional role.
  • As a social entity, it is the most visible way of expressing and presenting someone's identity.
  • Research finding: a person perceived as attractive makes more money than a person of below-average looks.
  • In politics: voters who are not actively engaged in social and political issues choose candidates based on "looks" 90% of the time90\%\text{ of the time}.

THE HALO EFFECT AND COGNITIVE BIAS

  • The halo effect: a cognitive bias where attractive individuals are rated more favorably on personality traits.
  • A cognitive bias is an error in reasoning, evaluating, or remembering, often due to clinging to preferences and beliefs despite contrary information.

CULTURE, ADOLESCENCE, AND BEAUTY

  • A significant aspect of culture strongly influencing adolescents in face-to-face encounters with their physical selves is how culture conceptualizes beauty.
  • Young adolescents are pressured to adhere to society’s beauty definitions; otherwise, they risk being labeled ugly.

FASHION, BODY IMAGE, AND SELF-RECOGNITION

  • "A woman is what she wears" (Jane Gaines, 1990) implying women are defined by clothing and that people have body images.
  • Body image is the mental representation one creates, which may differ from how others actually see you.
  • Healthy body image includes recognizing that attractive bodies come in many shapes and sizes and that physical appearance says little about character or value. Acceptance and esteem for oneself are crucial.

STANDARDS OF BEAUTY

  • Symmetry: defined not by proportions, but by similarity between the left and right sides of the face.
  • Biology suggests we prefer displays of masculine or feminine traits according to gender.
  • Urban vs rural differences: urban regions show stronger attraction to masculine men and feminine women; smaller communities may prefer more feminine-looking men.

BEAUTY AND SELF-EXPRESSIONS ACROSS CULTURE

  • Since birth, the socialized body is subjected to cultural norms; attitudes toward the body reflect each society’s value system.
  • Examples of body modification and cultural practices: SCARIFICATION, KARO TRIBES IN OMO, NECK RINGS, VALLEY, ETHIOPIA.

BEAUTY THROUGH TIME; IS PHYSICAL BEAUTY IMPORTANT?

  • Body image refers to how you perceive your physical body, whether you believe you are attractive, and how you think others perceive you.
  • Body image is closely linked to self-esteem, especially for teenagers.
  • As bodies change, body image often changes; it is important to reframe how we view, think, and talk about our physical selves.
  • Descriptive terms used for body types (examples in the slide): Heavy, Thick, Skinny, Chubby, Short, Tall, Slender, Fat, Thin, Large, Small.

SELF-ESTEEM

  • Quote: "We all know that self-esteem comes from what you think of you, not what other people think of you" – Gloria Graynor.
  • What is self-esteem? Self-esteem is how we value and perceive ourselves; it is based on our opinions and beliefs about ourselves.
  • How self-esteem affects people: influences decision-making, relationships, emotional health, and overall well-being.

CHANGING OF FEATURES AND CULTURAL BEAUTY PRACTICES

  • People from different cultures modify their features to meet beauty standards and/or religious/social obligations.
  • Body modification and adornment are part of creating and re-creating personal and social identity to be accepted and to accept themselves.

TYPES OF SELF-ESTEEM

  • THREE TYPES:
    • A. INFLATED SELF-ESTEEM
    • B. HIGH SELF-ESTEEM
    • C. LOW SELF-ESTEEM
INFLATED SELF-ESTEEM
  • Individuals hold high regard for themselves to the point of underestimating others; ego-dominated.
HIGH SELF-ESTEEM
  • Positive self-esteem; individuals are satisfied with themselves.

PROMOTING PHYSICAL IMAGE

  • Personal Hygiene
    • Cleaning your body every day.
    • Behaviors to practice daily.
  • PERSONAL HYGIENE
    • Keep clean, be healthy!
  • GROOMING
    • Good grooming of face, skin, hair, nails, feet, clothes, and shoes.
    • A little time and care to look good!
  • PHYSICAL IMAGE EXPRESSED THROUGH GROOMING
  • SOCIAL GRACES
    • Dealing with people and society.
    • Making proper introductions, listening and not interrupting, good table manners, eye contact, body language.
  • PROPER BEARING AND POSTURE
    • Proper alignment of your body when standing or sitting.
  • HEALTH
    • Health defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

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