GE 7 2ND | MIDTERM REVIEWER

Physical features

• the crucial aspect of the self

• people are often recognized by their physical features

Physical self

• The physical self is shaped by BIOLOGICAL and ENVIRONMENTAL factors.

• The physical self is not only limited to what is seen by the naked eye. Underneath the skin is a dynamic system of biological and chemical processes contributing to one’s physical features.
  

Heredity - the transmission of traits from parents to offspring.

Gene - basic unity of heredity.

Genotype - refers to the specific information embedded within one’s genes

Phenotype - is the physical expression of a particular trait.

Chromosomes - threadlike bodies in the nucleus of the cell and the storage unit of genes.

• Each individual carries 23 pairs of chromosomes.

• The 23rd pair shall determine the sex of the individual.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) - considered as the blueprint of life.

• DNA is a crucial material in establishing paternity or maternity or identifying the suspect in a crime.

Maturation - is known as the completion of the growth of a genetic character within an organism or the unfolding of the inherent traits of a person.

Environmental Conditioning - you are exposed to environmental influences that shape your physical self, including those from your social networks, societal expectations, and cultural practices.

Family - primarily responsible for how you take care of your body. Nutrition and sustenance were initially established by what was cooked in the home. Thus, your food intake and diet are often determined by the meals you were served. Aside from food, practices on hygiene were first transmitted by your parents.

Body Type - one aspect of physical beauty

Bulimia - binge-eating

Anorexia Nervosa - not eating

Cosmetic Surgery - to alter certain facial or body features, even among adolescents.

TIPS IN TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF AND BODY:

• Healthy Eating - eating the right amount and combination of food to ensure your health and sustenance.

• Healthy Lifestyle - avoid drinking, smoking, and doing unhealthy habits to reduce the risk of illness and diseases and to make your immune system stronger.

• Proper Hygiene - taking care of your body by consistently following a hygiene regimen can also help you feel good about yourself.

• Being Confident - self-confidence is your best makeup and results in an optimal physical well-being.

Socio-biological Aspects of the Self - a vital aspect of one’s identity is the sexual self, encompassing the biological, physical, emotional, and social domains.

• Initially rooted in the distinguishing physical attributes found in men (penis) and women (vagina).

Sexual Curiosity - often at its peak, with adolescents engaging in sexual activity as influenced by biological and socio-cultural factors.

Gender Orientation - may manifest at this stage.

THE BIOLOGY OF SEX

Sexual Genitals - a biological feature that distinguishes males from females. Moreover, during puberty, observable changes in the human body also known as secondary sexual characteristics, begin.

Circumcision - rite of passage among filipino males.

Menstruation - onset of adolescence among females.

Procreation - males start producing sperm while females begin producing eggs.

the release of hormones (Testosterone for males and Estrogen for females) triggers physiological changes in the reproductive system.

SEXUAL URGES DURING PUBERTY

• they become more sensitive to sexual stimuli, and feel sexual arousal.

• arousal may be exhibited through Penile Erection in men and Vaginal Lubrication or wetness in women.

Orgasm - if sexual arousal is satisfied through sexual intercourse.

• Humans are likely to engage in sexual activities to satisfy sexual urges.

• Medical professionals have cited the health benefits of masturbation, which include stress relief, better sleep, improved self-esteem, and enhanced body image.

• Masturbation is a better alternative to sexual intercourse, which may result in pregnancy and acquiring sexually transmitted diseases.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF SEXUAL CHOICE

• Sexual intercourse - also known as Copulation is the reproductive act in which the male organ (penis) enters the female reproductive tract (vagina)

• HIV/AIDS - the most alarming sexually transmitted disease

  • untreated HIV can lead to AIDS, which compromises the immune system and puts the person at risk of illness and death.

  • once the illness has progressed, the infected person may develop fever, rashes, and sores.

  • in its final stage, a person with AIDS may suffer from a variety of illnesses, including pneumonia and cancer.

HOW DOES ONE ACQUIRE A SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE?

• Unprotected sex with multiple partners.

• Irresponsible sexual behavior

ADOLESCENTS AND SEXUAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Adolescents need to realize the importance of having informed choices.

• engaging in sexual activities may result in consequences that adolescents may not be ready for: pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

RESPONSIBLE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR ENTAILS THE FOLLOWING:

• Respect for one’s body - it means taking care of one’s body and avoiding activities that undermine one’s worth and respect.

• Being guided by one’s personal beliefs and core values - everyone, especially an adolescent, should always be grounded by his or her personal principles and self-worth.

• Maturity in thoughts and needs - refers to being objective, rational and calm instead of being swept by one’s emotions.

• Being future-oriented - instead of focusing on the present, a person should always weigh his or her present actions 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.

SEXUAL IDENTITY AND GENDER ROLES

GEX and GENDER

• one’s sexuality depends on his or her physical features and genitals

Biological Sex - one’s assignment upon birth and is dependent on physical features (e.g. male, female, intersex, etc.)

Gender - an identity that is learned and embraced by the individual (e.g. male, female, genderqueer, etc.). It is one’s internal sense of self and identity.

One’s gender expression - how one embodies gender attributes, presentations, roles, and more (e.g. masculine, feminine, androgynous, etc.)

SEX

• refers to the biological and physiological differences between men and women

• has two main categories: male and female

• remains the same regardless of time and culture

• created by the reproduction needs, that is, biological features

GENDER

• refers to the social and cultural differences between men and women

• has two main categories: masculine and feminine

• may differ across time and culture

• distinctions are created by social norms

GENDER AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT

• as a social construct, gender comprises the socially created roles, personality traits, attitudes, behaviors, and values attributed to men and women.

• Gender is relational and refers not simply to men or women but to the relationship between them.

• Gender is anchored on societal beliefs and norms.

Gender Roles - refer to societal expectations of how men and women should act.

Traditional View on Gender Roles of Men and Women

• MEN - are assumed to be strong and dominant

• WOMEN - perceived to be submissive and demure

Sexual identity and gender orientation underlie one’s concept of self.

• a person expresses his or her sexuality through individuality.

• one’s beliefs and behavioral lifestyle are based on his or her own sexual identity.

• it is important to highlight one’s self-expression.

⇨ Gender Identity

• woman-ness

• man-ness

⇨ Gender Expression

• feminine

• masculine

⇨ Biological Sex

• female-ness

• male-ness

Gender expression - how a person outwardly shows their gender identity. It includes physical expressions such as person’s clothing, hairstyle, makeup, and social expressions such as name and pronoun choice.

Sexual Orientation - describes to whom a person is sexually attracted.

Heterosexual - attracted to the opposite sex

Homosexual - attracted to the same sex

• Genderqueer Pride - used by those whose gender identity is not “man” or “woman” (lavender, white, green)

• Intersexual Pride - used by natural-born and transitioning intersexuals (lavender, white, baby blue, pink, white, lavender)

• Straight Allies - used by non-LGBTQ supporters of LGBTQ rights (a rainbow colored-A in the middle)

• Bear Brotherhood - used by gay and bisexual people of the bear brotherhood (bear paw and shades of brown with white, gray and black)

• Lipstick Lesbian - used by lesbian and bisexual people with feminine identity (shades of pink with a lip print)

• Leather Pride - used by BDSM and leather fetishists. Not always LGBTQ (a heart print with interchanging colors of black and blue with white in the middle)

• Gay Pride - used by all members of the LGBTQ community (rainbow flag)

• Bisexual Pride - used by those with possible attraction to those of the same gender and others (hot pink, purple and blue)

• Pansexual Pride - used by those sexual attraction to all genders and sexes (pink, yellow and sky blue)

• Asexual Pride - used by those with a lack of sexual attraction (black, gray, white, purple)

• Polyamory Pride - used by supporters and practicers of having multiple relationships at once (dark blue, red and black with a pi symbol at the middle)

• Transgender Pride - used by male-to-male and female-to-male transgenders (pale sky blue, lavender, white, lavender, pale sky blue)

What is EMOTION?

• an important aspect of understanding the self is acknowledging the presence of emotions.

• Emotions - serve as a driving force in how one acts and behaves.

  • it plays a part in making decisions, embracing certain lifestyles, and relating to others.

  • emotions are the lower level responses occurring in the brain, which create biochemical reactions in the body, and consequently cause changes in one’s physical state.

Emotion - a biological experience and response emotions, which originate as sensations in the body, are intense feelings (exhilaration, terror, despair) that last only seconds to minutes. They are controlled by chemicals our brains release in response to a trigger or event - basically our body’s response to whatever is happening around us. T

• based on an external stimulus, and almost always come and subside quickly.

• emotions have corresponding and universal facial expressions and body language

Feelings - have been defined as the mental portrayal of what is going on in your body when you have an emotion and are the by-product of your brain perceiving and assigning meaning to the emotion.

• in other words, feelings are subjective experiences that frame the interpretation of emotion.

⇨ emotions start as sensation in the body

⇨ feelings are generated from our thoughts about those emotions

• feelings are how we interpret emotions and let them sink in.

We use the word, “feel” for both physical and emotional states.

Feelings can be diluted or distorted by the stories we’ve unconsciously created based on past events or experiences.

Mood - an affective state. They are less specific, less intense, and less likely to be provoked or instantiated by a particular stimulus or event.

• Moods are typically described as having either a positive or negative valence

• they are influenced by the environment, diet, exercise, physical health, and what you choose to think about.

• they can last minutes, hours, or days, and they have no unique corresponding nonverbal facial expressions or body language.

The Emotional Components

• Subjective Feeling Component - this is where an individual simply experiences the feelings.

• Action Tendency Component - once the emotion is identified, the body moves into action

• Appraisal Component - cognitively analyzing the emotion, the individual is able to pick up on the situations, actions, environments, or individuals that are causing the emotion

• Motor Component - this is the communicative function of how we express what we are experiencing (facial expressions, hand gestures, body movements, etc.).

• Physiological Component - this component supports all others and is the chemical reaction our body experiences.

CATEGORIES FOR THEORIES OF EMOTIONS

• Physiological Theories - suggest that responses within the body are responsible for emotions

• Neurological Theories - propose that activity within the brain leads to emotional responses

• Cognitive Theories - argue that thoughts and other mental activity play an essential role in forming emotions.

• Social Theories - posits that emotions occur within the course of social interactions and within social settings.

Sources of Emotions and Moods

1. Personality

2. Day of the week and time of the day

3. Weather

4. Stress

5. Social activity

6. Sleep

Functions of Emotions

• Adaptive - one of the most important functions of emotions is preparing the body for action. In this sense, each emotion, regardless of any positive or negative connotations, is useful in its own way.

• Social - emotions communicate our emotional state of mind and express what is going on inside. In addition, they also facilitate social interaction.

• Motivational - relationship between motivation and emotions is bidirectional. There is constant feedback between emotions and motivation and vice versa.

Emotional Intelligence - refers to the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.

Three Skills of Emotional Intelligence

1. emotional awareness - the ability to identify and name one’s own emotions

2. the ability to harness those emotions - apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving

3. the ability to manage emotions - regulating one’s own emotions when necessary and helping others to do the same.

Emotion Regulation - a term generally used to describe a person’s ability to effectively manage and respond to an emotional experience.

• people unconsciously use emotion regulation strategies to cope with difficult situations many times throughout each day.

Variety of Emotion Regulation Strategies

• how to effectively manage your emotions

• awareness

• discover the “why” of emotions

• “what is the solution?”

• choos how you want to react

Step 1: Pause.

• this step is important because instead of acting on feelings right away, you stop yourself and think things through. Count to 100 or say the alphabet backwards.

Step 2: Acknowledge What You’re Feeling.

• for example, are you mad at someone, or are you sad because your feelings were hurt by what they did? Whatever it is you are feeling, it is ok to feel that way.

Step 3: Think.

• now that you have taken a few moments to figure out what exactly it is that you are feeling, think about how you make yourself feel better.

Step 4: Help.

• take an action to help yourself based upon what you came up with in the “Think” step.

If You Are Having Trouble Thinking Of Ways To Help Yourself, Try One (Or A Few) From This List:

Mood Boosters

• read the story of somone you admire

• watch a funny YouTube video

• play with an animal

• watch a movie you loved when you were younger

• reorganize your room

• make a list of places you want to travel

Address Your Basic Needs

• eat a healthy snack

• drink a glass of water

• take a shower or bath

• take a nap

Process Feelings

• draw how you’re feeling

• make a gratitude list

• punch a pillow

• scream

• let yourself cry

• rip paper into small pieces

• Vent

Venting - is not the same as asking for help, it’s taking an opportunity to share your feelings out loud. We do this naturally when we talk with somone we can trust about whatever is upsetting us.

• you can also vent by writing a letter to the person who upset you. Keep the letter a couple of days and then tear it up. Stick to pen and paper.

Problem Solving

• make a list of solutions to problems — it can help to brainstorm with a friend of family member.

• make a list of your strengths. There are plenty of things about you that are awesome, no matter how down you are feeling at the moment.

• if a person has upset you, talk with them directly.

Volunteering/Acts of Kindness

• do something nice for someone you know

• help a stranger

• volunteer your time

Hobbies/Stress Relievers

• learn something new — there are tutorials for all kinds of hobbies online

• create — try a craft project, color, paint, or draw. Invite a friend to join you for added fun.

• write — you could write a story, a poem, or an entry in a journal.

• get active — dancing, running, or playing a sport are some good ways to get moving.

• play a video game

• get a plant and start a garden

Relaxation Exercises

• practice belly breathing

• try progessive muscle relaxation

• play with play-doh

• go for a walk

• find a guided meditation on YouTube

• do youga

• read a book

• listen to music, a podcast, or an audiobook

• unplug — turn off your phone, tablet, and/or computer for an hour or so

Ask for Help

• text a friend

• ask someone to just sit with you

• call a family member

• talk to an adult you trust

• call a friend you haven’t talked to recently