Module # 5 The Spiritual and Moral Self connectedness, and openness to the

infinite.”
What do these definitions have in common
1. The Spiritual Self
with regard to spirituality?
Spiritual Self – is the most intimate, inner
subjective part of the self. It connects to the • Spirituality talks about meaning and
satisfaction of having an ability to argue and purpose that go beyond the physical
discriminate, of one’s moral sensibility and realities of life
conscience. • Spirituality is focused on a person’s
connections to different aspects of
• The ability to use oral sensibility and his/her existence: to other people, to
conscience may be seen through the nature, and to sacredness and
expressions of religion, its beliefs and divinity
practices.
• Spirituality talks about the sacred and
• Cultural rituals are also
transcendent.
manifestations of what people
• Spirituality is acquired as a result of
believe in. Seeking the meaning of life
is a journey that the spiritual self is various personal, social, and
on. environmental factors present
throughout one’s lifetime.
There are several definitions that have been • Spirituality is often interchangeably
formulated regarding spirituality. referred with Religiosity but they
• Puchalski (2014), spirituality is the have distinct differences.
aspect of the self that is associated to
an individual’s process of seeking and
Religiosity is defined as the adherence to a
expressing meaning and how he or
belief system and practices associated with a
she is connected to the self, to
tradition in which there is agreement about
others, to the moment and to
everything else that composes what is believed and practiced.
his/her environment, including the • It is a formal attachment to the set of
sacred and significant. beliefs, values, and practices of a
• Beauregard and O’Leary (2007), particular religious sect. It includes
spirituality is any experience that is specific practices, proscriptions
thought to bring the experiencer in (what should not be done and
contact with the divine; it is not just avoided), and participation in a
any experience that feels meaningful. specific community that shares the
• Sinnott (2002), spirituality is also same beliefs and practices.
posited as the individual’s personal
Here differences between religiosity and
relation to the sacred or
spirituality:
transcendent, a relation that the
informs other relationships and the • If religiosity is communal, then
meaning of one’s own life. spirituality is individual.
• Myers and his colleagues (2000), • In religiosity, beliefs and practices are
spirituality is the “personal and within religious groups, and religious
private beliefs that transcend the commitment, conservatism, and
material aspects of life and give a skepticism are manifested. Spiritual
deep sense of wholeness, attributes include the need for
spiritual quest, ecumenical
 worldviews, compassion, service, and deeper understanding and
inner peace. acceptance of things as they are.
• A person can possess spirituality even • Buddhists also believe in the non -
his/she does not subscribe to any violence principle. And the acquiring
religion. Spiritual models are present of wisdom through the reflection of
everywhere. They function for Dharma.
respondents as exemplars or spiritual o Samatha: mindfulness of breathing
qualities, such as compassion, self- and development of loving kindness
control, or faith. Thus, a person can o Vipassana: aims at developing insight
be spiritual without being religious. into reality.
Christianity
Religion: Rituals and Ceremonies • Christians believe in the holy trinity:
Religion – a set of cultural beliefs and God the Father, God the Son, God
practices that usually include: the Holy Spirit.
• Eternal life after death will be
• a belief in anthropomorphic achieved through faith in Jesus
supernatural being; such as Christ, God the Son, who came into
spirit/gods flesh to spread the Good News. He
• a focus on sacred supernatural, with died on
a feeling of reverence and awe the Cross for the sins of humanity
• presence of supernatural energy that o Sacrament of Baptism and
is found on supernatural as well as Communion are practiced by
physical beings and objects Christian churches.
performance of ritual activities o Baptism symbolizes birth in Christian
• articulation of worldview and moral World.
codes through narratives/’stories o Communion is an act of
remembrance of Christ’s love.
• provide creation of social bonds and
o Christmas and Resurrection are two
social control within a community
major celebrations in Christianity.
Hinduism
Ritual – the performance of ceremonial acts
• Hinduism covers a wide range of
prescribed by tradition or sacred law. A
traditional beliefs and religious
specific, observable mode of behavior
groups, so there is no single founder
or leader.
RELIGION BELIEFS CUSTOMS & PRACTICES • Hindus believe that existence is a
cycle of birth, death and rebirth,
Buddhism governed by Karma. It is a concept
• Buddhism believes that life is not a where the reincarnated life will
bed of roses. There are suffering, depend on how the past life was
pain, frustrations. spent.
• When people suffer, they want to • Vedas are sacred scriptures of
experience the goodness of life and Hindus.
avoid disappointments. o Diwali is the festival of lights
• This can be resolved by practice of
meditation, acquiring wisdom, and
 o Navrati is the festival of nine 2. Discovering Life’s Meaning
nights, which celebrate the
Well-being it is being intrinsic in nature, is an
triumph of good over evil.
inner, personal construct, associate with
Islam
self-esteem, and self-understanding. It is
• Muslims believe in Allah, their “One how good one feels about himself/herself.
God”. They believe in the unity and Life satisfaction it is the general attitude
universality of God. towards life. When well-being and life
• Muslims have a strong sense of satisfaction are present, happiness naturally
community. Islam means “willing flow.
submission to God”
Happiness is generally regarded as the
• The Holy Book of Islam is called the
emotional result of life satisfaction.
Quran.
Happiness can be subjective and temporal
Muslims believe in the 5 pillars of Islam: while life satisfaction is more encompassing.
1. Shahadah – “There is no God but the How well-being and life satisfaction
one true God and Mohammed is his achieved?
messenger.
o Personal factors such as personality
2. Salat – the prayer that is practiced 5
(such as openness to experience and
times a day,
extraversion), cognition, physical
3. Zakat – monetary offering for the
health, and vigor have been
poor. 2.5% of Muslim’s assets.
associated with well-being and life
4. Hajj – yearly pilgrimage to Mecca.
satisfaction.
5. Sawm – fasting during Ramadan
o Environmental conditions contribute
Judaism to individual life satisfaction.
o Socio-economic status, home and
• The Jews believe in the God of
social
Abraham, the God that liberated
environment, interpersonal
slaves from Egypt to Canaan, the
relationships, and education also
promised Land.
influence one’s well-being and life
• Jews believe in the coming of satisfaction.
Messiah, the
Savior. Characteristics of people who have a high
• Their sacred scripture is called Torah. level of wellbeing and life satisfaction

Five major festivals observed by Jews: • Effective self-perception.

• Realistic self-esteem and self-
1. Rosh Hashanah: the New Year
acceptance.
2. Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement
• Control of behavior.
3. Pesach: Passover • True perception of the world.
4. Shavuot: Pentecost • Sustaining relationships and
5. Sukkot: Tabernacles. affection.
• Self-direction and productivity.
• The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday
evening at sunset and is an important time
when families gather for the Sabbath meal. 3. The Moral Self
Morality
 • Dilemma is a problematic situation in Kohlberg was interested behind the
which a difficult choice must be reasoning of the answers rather than the
made. answers themselves.
• Moral is related to the sense or a
standard that determines what is • Preconventional Morality (before age 9)
right and what is wrong. It They are concerned with self- interest but
distinguishes correct from incorrect, starting to judge people individually based
or appropriate from inappropriate. on their needs and point of view. That is
• Morality refers to the system of why consequences determine morality
beliefs and values that ensures that
individuals will keep their obligations o Pleasure/pain orientation
to others in the society and behave in o To avoid pain, punishment or
ways that do not interfere with the getting caught
rights and interests of others. (Gerrig o “Heinz needed the medicine and
& Zimbardo, 2002). stealing it best served his need.”
Moral Reasoning
o Cost-benefit orientation
• Moral reasoning refers to the o To get rewards
judgments people make about what o “If Heinz did not get caught
courses of action are correct or in stealing the drug then his action
correct in particular. is not wrong.”
Jean Piaget and the Stages of Intellectual
• Conventional Morality (early
Development
adolescence)
Sensorimotor (0-2 y.o.) - Experience the
world through their senses Put emphasis on conformity.
Pre-operational (3-6 y.o.) - Explore the
world symbolically; “It is all about me” o Good-child orientation
o To gain acceptance and avoid
Concrete Operational (7-11 y.o.) - They disapproval
start to think logically about concrete
events that they experience o Law and Order orientation
Formal Operational (adolescence) - The o To follow rules and avoid
adolescent can transcend the concrete censure by authorities
situation and think about the future. o “Heinz is wrong stealing the
drug because it is against the
Lawrence Kohlberg Stages of Moral law stealing it.”
Development
• Heinz Dilemma “A woman is dying of • Postconventional Morality (adolescence
cancer. There is a special new drug that and beyond)
might save her but the pharmacist wants to
have a big profit so he charges a lot of money We begin to account for differing values
for it. Her husband, Heinz, can’t afford it and and basic rights. These are moral principles
has tried everything from fund raising to of a person but it doesn’t really need to
begging the pharmacist to no avail, so he conform to societal norms. It is based on
steals the drug. WAS HE WRONG?” universal ethical principles and abstract
reasoning.
 o Social Contract orientation accepting and non-punishing attitude
towards their children’s desires,
o To promote welfare of society
actions, and impulses. They use
reason rather than direct power.
o Ethical Principle orientation Effects of Parenting Styles
o To achieve justice and avoid self- 1. Children reared under autocratic
condemnation parents tend to be withdrawn,
fearful, and dependent. These
children may suffer from low self-
o Cosmic orientation esteem. They
o To be true to universal principles
may carry these traits until
and feel oneself part of a cosmic
adolescence or adulthood.
direction that transcends social
norms 2. Children raised by authoritative
parents have children who are
o Heinz is right to steal the medicine
independent, reliable, rationale, and
because people have the right to
confident. These children generally
live.”
feel good about themselves.
3. Children who are raised by
4. Parenting Styles and Practices permissive tend to not put structure
and order in things that they do.
4. Uninvolved parents are detached and
Environmental influence- it is characterized indifferent to the needs of their
by forces outside of the individual like how children. As such, as children grow up
he/she has been raised or reared by his or feeling unloved and cannot follow
her parents. instructions. Some also fall prey or
resort to substance abuse as a form
Parenting Styles
of distraction or a way to get
1. Authoritarian – parents attempt to attention.
shape, control, evaluate the behavior
and attitudes of their children in
accordance with an absolute set of Module # 6 The Material/Economic Self
conduct standards that usually
comes from religious or respected
authorities. They use harsh discipline “I shop therefore I am: I have, therefore I
and punishment. Obedience is a am?”
virtue. • Materialistic/ Economic Self-
2. Authoritative- parents direct their primarily about our bodies, clothes,
children’s activities in a rational and immediate family, and home. We are
intelligent way. They are supportive, deeply affective by these things
loving and committed; support a because we put so much investment
give-and-take relationship; discuss of our self to them.
their rules and policies with their
children; and encourage children to • Empirical Self- various ways people
present their viewpoints. answer the question “Who Am I?”
3. Permissive- parents are less William James categorized the material self
controlling and behave with an into 3 categories:
 o Material Self – tangible objects
people, places that carry the The Nature of Consumer Behavior
designation my or mine. These are
o Consumers differ from others; their
entities that are clearly an intimate
own
part of who we are (Ex. My pets, my
purchasing behaviors would also vary
iPhone, my hometown, my thesis).
from one product category to
o Social Self- According to Andersen & another
Chen (2002) this is how we are
o The number of effort and amount of
regarded and recognized by others.
time spend in deciding
Social self includes individuals that
we regard as “ours” (ex. Parents, o Consumers buying and consumption
siblings, romantic partners, close behavior
friends, and colleagues. for the same product would often
vary because of the present situation
o Spiritual Self- this is our emotions,
they are in
attitudes and beliefs. A person is said
to have a belief, from the time the • Possessions, tell a lot about their
belief is first acquired to the time it is owners (status symbol). Thus, one’s sense of
discarded or lost. (ex. We say things self and identity is influential on how an
like “I can’t buy that”, “I inherited a individual chooses to purchase his/her wants
view”. and how he/she makes economic decisions
that will address his/her personal and social
o We regard our possessions as part of
needs
ourselves.
We are what we have and what we Factors that influence our decision to buy:
possess” – Belk, 1988 financial constraints, availability of items and
services, and the influence of family and
friends.
Shaping the Way We See Ourselves: The
However, the most important factor is
Role of Consumer Culture on Our Sense of
Self and Identity determining whether these items and
services fall under
• Consumer Psychology- “A study that
o Wants. Synonymous with luxuries.
deals with activities that directly
involved in selecting, obtaining, and People buy them for reasons that do
using products and services and ideas not warrant necessity
to satisfy needs and desires, including o Needs. These are important for
decision processes that precede and survival. Food, clothing, and shelter
follow these actions.” (Davis and are basic needs so people purchase
Palladino, 1995) them out of necessity.
• Consumer Behavior- “The study of In the process of acquiring material goods,
the buying units and exchange people generally consider 2 things:
processes involved in acquiring,
consuming and disposing of goods, o Utility. Concerned with how things
services, experiences and ideas.” serve a practical purpose.
(Mowen, o Significance. Concerned with the
1995) meaning assigned to the object. It is
also concerned with how objects
become powerful symbols or icons of
 habit and ritual which can be quite Many people these days (the most
separate from their primary function. vulnerable is the younger generation)
happiness is attached to buying something

• Consumption has become an addiction

Materialism and Happiness. What is the
many people have forgotten that there are
value of materialism (Fournier & Richins,
1991)? things in life that can bring true happiness,
such as spending time with family and/or
• Pursuit of possessions and friends; to have “me” time; enjoy nature; to
materialism’s role in consumption read etc.
choices reflects materialism as a
value
What should we invest instead? We should
• The importance of acquisition to
invest on experiential purchases
reach satisfaction
Material Purchases
• Impossible to achieve happiness
o Tangible
o Lasts a couple of day
o Take up physical space (Nicolao
Possessions and Happiness. et al, 2009)
• We tend to devote time and money o Instant pleasure
for things we want to buy. (Boven, o Social Ills
2005) o Guilty feelings (Richins, 2012)

• We give importance to buying more

(Rinchins, 2003) Experiential Purchases
• And in effect we experience “joyless
o Intangible
material possessions resulting in
o Lasts for a lifetime
comfort but not pleasure.” (Nicolao
o Provide knowledge (Nicolao
et al, 2009)
et al, 2009)
• “Materialists believe that acquiring
o Cannot be acquired if not
things will make them happier and
available (Boven & Gilovich,
they tend to act on this belief by
2005)
buying more” (Watson, 2003)
o Lasting pleasure
o Social relationships
o Less advantageous
The Problem with Consumerism:
comparison (Boven, 2005)
1. It is intrusive
• Some material possessions can be
2. It is manipulative perceived as experiences (Boven,
2005)
3. It cannot provide many of the things
that are important to us • Material possessions with
sentimental value can provide more
4. It restricts our choices and lives
happiness (Boven & Gilovich,
5. It affects our worldviews and 2003)
characters
6. It is unsustainable
How to Avoid the Trap of Kapwa has Two Categories:
Consumerism/Materialism
o Ibang Tao (other people)
1. Exercise intellectual independence o Hindi Ibang Tao (not
other people).
2. Consume less, live more

Pivotal Interpersonal Value

Responsible Consumerism and Its • Pakiramdam- Shared inner perceptions.
Importance Filipinos use damdam, or the inner
perception of others' emotions, as a basic
• Responsible Consumerism, or Ethical tool to guide his dealings with other
Consumerism- is when customers people.
make intentional purchases of
products, opting for those that have Socio-personal Value
minimal to no negative impact on
• Kagandahang Loob: Shared humanity-
humans, animals, and the
This refers to being able to help other
environment.
people in dire need due to a perception of
• Sustainable Development- is the idea being together as a part of one Filipino
that human societies must live and humanity.
meet their needs without
compromising the ability of future • Filipino Hospitality – we welcome our
generations to meet their own needs. guests and tourists as if they are our own
The “official” definition of sustainable brothers and sisters; we make them feel at
development was developed for the home.
first time in the Brundtland Report in • Respect for Elders – Filipinos greet their
1987 elders with “Mano po” and use “po” and
“opo” in conversations. Not addressing
How to be a responsible consumer
older people properly is rude or impolite.
1. Look at where your products are We refer to them also as kuya, ate, tito,
made tita, lolo, lola, manong, aling, etc.

2. Buy sustainably, locally, or DIY

The use of po and opo in everyday
3. Know the supply chain policy of language can be found commonly in the
brands Tagalog region.

4. Campaign for worker’s rights

5. Consume less • Close Family Ties – we maintain a tight
relationship with families regardless of
age. And we are fond of reunions during
Module # 7 The Political Self Filipino Values birthdays, holidays, fiestas year-round.
and Traits Nursing homes are not an option for
families on treating their
• Core Filipino Value: Kapwa, meaning parents/grandparents.
'togetherness', is the core construct of • Cheerful Personalities – we have a habit of
Filipino Psychology. It refers to community; smiling a lot, no matter how we may feel
not doing things alone. inside. Smiling and humor are coping
strategies for us in times of tragedy and
calamities (part of our resilient character).
There’s always positivity.
• Self-sacrifice – this is an extension of our revolutions and uprisings against a
hospitality. We go out of our way to help common enemy.
friends, families, and loved ones. We work
abroad, stop going to school, and endure a
lot of hardships for loved ones. Some Filipino “Negative” Values
• Bayanihan – the spirit of communal unity
o Colonial Mentality – lack of
and cooperation.
patriotism and attitude of favoring
foreign products (also beliefs and
Filipino Accommodative Values attitudes) instead of our own. Not
only concerning goods, but also the
o Hiya This is loosely translated as desire to look more foreign and keep
'shame' by most Western up with foreign living/beauty
psychologists. However, hiya is standards.
actually 'sense of propriety'
o Maňana Habit –our term for
o Utang na Loob: Norm of reciprocity.
procrastination. Dawdling things
Filipinos are expected by their
which could have been done at an
neighbors to return favors whether
earlier time. A poor habit off laziness
these were asked for or not when it is
that results in heavier workloads.
needed or wanted.
o Pakikisama and Pakikipagkapwa: o Ningas Kugon – the attitude of
Smooth Interpersonal Relationship, eagerly starting things but quickly
or SIR as coined by Lynch (1961 and losing eagerness soon after
1973). This attitude is primarily experiencing difficulty. Pride we hold
guided by conformity with the on to our pride like to is more
majority precious than keeping a good
relationship with others. We find it
Filipino Confrontative Values hard to apologize and wait for the
other party to apologize first.
o “Bahala Na” Attitude – This attitude
o Crab Mentality – a toxic trait among
loosely translated into English as
Filipinos where one resents the
‘fatalistic passiveness’. he is
achievement of another. They pull
determined to do his best, hence the
each other down and smear their
term bahala na, which actually came
reputation rather than bringing them
from the phrase bahala na, meaning
up.
'I will do all my best, let God take care
of the rest'. o Filipino Time – a common attitude of
o Relying on divine favors and luck to arriving late to commitments,
get over difficult times instead of especially if they are meeting
finding concrete solutions. Not someone close to them. We do not
exerting enough effort to succeed. observe punctuality.
o Lakas ng Loob - This attitude is
characterized by being courageous in
Filipino Markers
the midst of problems and
uncertainties. • Proverbs or Salawikain – sayings that
o Pakikibaka - Literally in English, it convey lessons and reflections on Filipino
means concurrent clashes. It refers to practices, beliefs, and traditions. o
the ability of the Filipino to undertake Proverbs can be classified in 6 categories:
- expressing a general attitude toward life within societies. The one who holds
and laws governing life power holds influence.
o Politics functions based on a
- ethical
proverbs recommending and
particular social economic and
condemning certain virtues
cultural context. The nature of
- expressing system of values politics and political systems is
dependent on the culture of the
- “general truths and observations about life
state. Political claims made by
& human nature
advocates are influenced by their
- humorous proverbs and - miscellaneous geographical location and ideology.
proverbs o The political is also personal. One’s
personal choices reflect his/her
personal politics; both are
• Superstitions – we subscribe to sets of indistinguishable.
superstitions passed down from past o Politics goes hand in hand with the
generations. Some are influenced by society. Politics pervades the
other cultures, but they have been retold structure of society, and thus
according to our own experiences. influences inhabitants in their
• Myths and Legends – due to our rich beliefs, ethics, and behavior.
culture and history, numerous myths and However, the political self is not only shaped
legends have sprung about things that are by one’s political affiliation or beliefs. One’s
beyond one’s imagination. These stories sense of accountability should be
aim to explain origin of things or teach a manifested in promoting certain advocacies
valuable lesson. through healthy political engagement. This
• Heroes and Icons – people who are is aligned with the concept of active
reminders of patriotism and nationalism citizenship.
as they have sacrificed their lives for our
o Active citizenship refers to the
country’s freedom and progress. It could
structured forms of engagement
also be people who have elevated the
with political processes and
identification of Filipinos in a worldwide
everyday form of participation in
cultural perspective.
society. It is also defined as the
process of sharing decisions which
Politics, Citizenship and the Self affect one’s life and the life of a
community in which one lives.
• Politics - refers to the actions or activities
Participation is the fundamental
concerned with achieving and using power
right of citizenship.
in a nation or society. It is also defined as
o Active citizenship is anchored on
the ways that power is shared in an
one’s cognitive and behavioral
organization and the ways it is affected by
engagement to participate in formal
personal relationships between people
and informal political activities. o
who work together.
Active citizenship is a practice of
As Aristotle stated, “man is, by nature, a democracy.
political animal.” o Active citizenship is a social
Politics as imbibed by man implies several construct. It fosters social
things: relatedness and belongingness.
o Active citizenship is also associated
o Politics is concerned with power. with the “sense of community.”
Power inequalities can be observed
 o Active citizenship may facilitate
ethnic pride and provide a voice to
the woes of their social group.

For the younger generation, active

citizenship can contribute to their social
development. Engaging in such activities
can also enhance efficacy and competence
of the younger generation, as they are
considered to be the “future leaders” of the
society. The participation of the youth in
nation building activities enhances their
value orientation and fosters integrity,
compassion, and the sense of justice, which
are crucial to the holistic development of a
citizen of a nation.

Active citizenship helps an individual

embrace his/her individuality through the
choices he/she makes and the behavior
he/she manifests.

The political self is a result of various

personal and environmental factors that
impact the individual. The participation of
the youth in political discourse and social
activities can result in cultural and political
paradigm shifts that may be felt even by
future generations. Thus, the future begins
now.

How to be a Good Filipino Citizen

1. Be an active Filipino citizen

Every Filipino citizen of legal age have a

chance to choose the right leaders for the
Philippines who are genuine in helping and
caring for the Filipino people.
2. Study of the Philippine history

3. Support local products

4. Speak the Filipino language

5. Do not spread fake news and be

democratic in engaging with dissent