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    Lesson 6 The Material Self

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    NICASIO PIMENTEL
    This document discusses the concept of the "material self" and how possessions are connected to one's identity and sense of self. It explains that according to William James, the material self includes one's body, clothes, immediate family, and home. It then examines each of these parts of the material self in more detail and how people form strong attachments to these possessions and view them as extensions of themselves. The document also discusses how consumerism and collecting possessions have become ways that people express themselves and find security and comfort in modern society. In the end, it notes that materialism refers to viewing material possessions and comfort as more important than spiritual values.

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    Lesson 6 The Material Self

    Uploaded by

    NICASIO PIMENTEL
    211 views4 pages
    This document discusses the concept of the "material self" and how possessions are connected to one's identity and sense of self. It explains that according to William James, the material self includes one's body, clothes, immediate family, and home. It then examines each of these parts of the material self in more detail and how people form strong attachments to these possessions and view them as extensions of themselves. The document also discusses how consumerism and collecting possessions have become ways that people express themselves and find security and comfort in modern society. In the end, it notes that materialism refers to viewing material possessions and comfort as more important than spiritual values.

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    Lesson-6-The-Material-Self

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    This document discusses the concept of the "material self" and how possessions are connected to one's identity and sense of self. It explains that according to William James, the material self includes one's body, clothes, immediate family, and home. It then examines each of these parts of the material self in more detail and how people form strong attachments to these possessions and view them as extensions of themselves. The document also discusses how consumerism and collecting possessions have become ways that people express themselves and find security and comfort in modern society. In the end, it notes that materialism refers to viewing material possessions and comfort as more important than spiritual values.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    211 views4 pages

    Lesson 6 The Material Self

    Uploaded by

    NICASIO PIMENTEL
    This document discusses the concept of the "material self" and how possessions are connected to one's identity and sense of self. It explains that according to William James, the material self includes one's body, clothes, immediate family, and home. It then examines each of these parts of the material self in more detail and how people form strong attachments to these possessions and view them as extensions of themselves. The document also discusses how consumerism and collecting possessions have become ways that people express themselves and find security and comfort in modern society. In the end, it notes that materialism refers to viewing material possessions and comfort as more important than spiritual values.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    The key takeaways are that our possessions and material goods relate to our self-identity, and that the material self consists of our body, clothes, immediate family, home, and possessions according to William James.

    The different parts of the material self according to William James are the body, clothes, immediate family, and home.

    According to Belk, we regard our possessions as parts of our selves, and that we are what we have and what we possess - there is a direct link between self-identity and what we have.

    LESSON 6: THE MATERIAL SELF

    I. Intended Learning Outcomes

    1. explain the association of the extended self and possessions;


    2. identify the role of consumer-culture to self and; and
    3. appraise one’s self based on the description of the material self

    II. Inculcating Concepts

    Introduction

    We are living in a world of sale and shopping spree. We are given a wide array of
    products to purchase. Product advertisements are suggestive of making us feel better or look
    good. Part of us wants to have that product. What makes us want to have those products are
    connected with who we are. What we want to have and already possess is related to our self.

    Belk (1988) stated that “we regard possessions as parts of our selves. We are what we
    have and what we possess.” There is a direct link between self-identity with what we have and
    possess. Our wanting to have and possess has a connection with another aspect of the self, the
    material self.

    Let us try to examine ourselves further in the lens of the material self.

    THE MATERIAL SELF

    According to William James, the material self is about our bodies, clothes, immediate
    family, and home. Other parts of the material self might also include possessions, cars, clothes,
    home, and body.

    ASSOCIATION OF THE SELF AND EXTENDED POSSESSIONS

    Body

    Clothes

    Immediate
    Family

    Home
    BODY

    The inner most part of our material self is our body. Intentionally, we are investing in our
    body. We strive hard to make sure that this body functions well and good. Any ailment or
    disorder directly affects us. We strive to provide for our body and make sure that it functions
    well. Certain people even have insurance for their body parts. There were people who get their
    certain body parts insured. Celebrities like Mariah Carey who was reported to have placed a
    huge amount for the insurance of her vocal cords and legs (Makan, 2016).

    CLOTHES

    “Philosophy of the Dress” by Herman Lotze, explains that clothing is an important part of
    the self. The clothes become extensions of who we are that is why we strive to dress well.
    Clothing is considered as a form of self-expression and the clothes we wear reflect who we are
    as a person. Lotze, in his book, Microcosums, stipulates that “any time we bring an object into
    the surface of our body, we invest that object into the consciousness of our personal existence
    taking in its contours to be our own and making it part of the self” (Watson, 2004).

    IMMEDIATE FAMILY

    The third hierarchy is our immediate family. Our parents and siblings hold another great
    important part of our self. What they do or become affects us. When an immediate family
    member dies, part of our self dies, too. When their lives are in success, we feel their victories as
    if we are the one holding the trophy. In their failures, we are put to shame or guilt. When they
    are in a disadvantageous situation, there is an urgent urge to help like a voluntary instinct of
    saving one’s self from danger. We place huge investment in our immediate family when we see
    them as the nearest replica of out self.

    HOME

    Home is where the heart is. It is the earliest nest of our selfhood. Our experiences inside
    the home were recorded and marked on particular parts and things in our home. There was an
    old cliché about rooms: “if only walls can speak”. This saying stems from the idea that the rooms
    inside our house are witnesses to the experiences and memories we have experienced. The
    home, thus, is an extension of the self, because in it, we can directly connect our self.

    POSSESSIONS

    Having investment of self to things, made us attached to those things. The more
    investment of self-given to the particular thing, the more we identify ourselves to it. We also
    tended to collect and possess properties. The collections in different degree of investment of
    self, becomes part of the self. As James (1890) described self: “a man’s self is the sum total of
    all what he CAN call his.” Possession, then, become a part or an extension of the self.
    SPECIAL CASES OF EXTENDED SELVES

    COLLECTIONS

    In the past, people collect out of necessity i.e. food, water, clothing, and other resources,
    however, today, people no longer collect out of necessity, but out of luxury. “I shop, therefore I
    am” somehow presents the idea that the things you buy reflects your personality and you as a
    person. People get a sense of security when they have things that make them comfortable.
    People collect things that give them comfort. Collecting has become a significant activity in our
    consumer society as it has become more widely affordable through the discretionary time and
    money available to the general population rather than just to the wealthy elite (Mason, 1981).

    PETS

    Some people treat pets as members of the family i.e. clothe pets, go to regular check-ups,
    sleep with them, spend to groom them, photograph them, and even mourn their death. Pets are
    seen as surrogate parents for children and surrogate children for adults. Pets are also
    therapeutic for children, patients, and adults. “Bring your pet to work day” is an activity that can
    be done by employees in order to relieve theirDogs and cats in universities that serve as stress
    relievers

    BODY PARTS

    Body parts are among the most central parts of the extended self. In psychoanalytic
    terms, such self-extension is called cathexis. Cathexis involves the charging of an object,
    activity, or idea with emotional energy by the individual. The concept most commonly has been
    applied to body parts and it is known, for instance, that women generally tend to cathect body
    parts to a greater degree than men and that such cathexis reflects self-acceptance. When a
    body part is more highly cathected, there is greater use of grooming products to care for this
    body part.

    APPRAISING ONE’S SELF BASED ON THE DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL SELF

    MATERIALISM

    Materialism refers to the theory or belief that nothing exists except matter, its
    movements and its modifications; the theory or belief that consciousness and will are wholly due
    to material agency; a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more
    important than spiritual values.
    REFERENCES:

    Alata, E., Caslib, B., Serafica, J. & Pawilen, R,A. (2018). Understanding the Self (1st
    edition). Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.

    Makan, Sunil. 2016. ELLE. 13 Celebrities With Insured Body Parts That Are Worth More Than
    Your House. Accessed October 10, 2017. http://www.elleuk.com/life-and-
    culture/articles/a30167/mariah-carey-jennifer-lopez-doly-parton-celebrities-insured-body-
    parts/.

    Mason, Roger (1981). Conspicuous Consumption: A Study of Exceptional Consumer Behavior,


    Westmead, England: Gower.

    Watson, Cecelia. 2004. The Sartorial Self: William James’s Philosophy of Dress. Accessed
    October 10, 2017.
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8333321_The_Satorial_Self_William_James’s_
    Philosophy_of_Dress.

    William, James. The Principles of Psychology. New York: Dover Publications. Accessed
    October 10, 2017. http://niasconsciousnesscentre.com/Courses/2015-
    Readings/SignsofSelf/03.William%20James%20on%20the%20Self.pdf.

    Villafuerte, S., Quillope, A., Tunac, R., & Borja, E. (2018). Understanding the Self. Quezon
    City: Nieme Publishing House Co.

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