PSY 1A:

Understanding
the Self
 Midterm: Points of View on the Self
• Tripartite Composition of Self
• Bio-Ecological Perspective
• Socio-Anthropological Perspective
• Psychological Perspectives
• Cultural Concept of the Self
Units & Finals: Facets of the Self
Modules • Physical Self
• Sexual Self
• Spiritual Self
• Material Self
• Digital Self
• Political Self
 Module 09
PHYSICAL SELF
 1. Body and self-esteem
connection

2. Cultural concepts and

PHYSICAL SELF standards of beauty

3. Physical self vs Inner

self
 1. Self-esteem refers to a
person’s overall sense of
his or her value or worth.
It can be considered a
sort of measure of how
SELF-ESTEEM much a person “values,
approves of, appreciates,
prizes, or likes him or
herself” (Adler & Stewart,
2004).
“MIRROR, MIRROR ON
THE WALL, WHO’S THE
FAIREST OF THEM
ALL?”
It is rare for us to be
fully satisfied and
contented with our
body shapes or
how our body looks.
➢The case of Michael Jackson (non-
stop surgeries to correct/mend his
appearance)

➢ Profitable businesses of skin

whiteners, cosmetic surgery, diet
pills and teas, etc.

➢Eating disorders like anorexia

nervosa and bulimia.

➢ Prevalent malnourishment of
adolescent Filipinas (“bawal ang
maging mataba!)
 Am I beautiful?

Do people find me
attractive?

What can I do to
enhance my features?
 • Refers to the body

PHYSICAL SELF • The part of us that can

be directly seen and
observed by everyone.
Endomorphs, have lots of body fat, lots of
muscle, and gain weight easily. Football
lineman tend to be endomorphs -- they're
heavier and rounder individuals, and they
don't have to necessarily be overweight.
Both Oprah Winfrey and Marilyn Monroe are
classic examples of endomorphs.

-Center for Wellness without Borders

Mesomorphs are athletic, solid, and strong.
They're not overweight and not
underweight, and they can eat what they
want without worrying too much about it.
They both gain and lose weight without too
much effort.

-Center for Wellness without Borders

Ectomorphs are long and lean, with little body
fat, and little muscle. They have a hard time
gaining weight. Fashion models and basketball
players fit this category. While most of us love
to hate these genetically-blessed individuals,
some male ectomorphs may not be thrilled
with their narrow-chested frames, and some
female ectomorphs long for more womanly
curves.
-Center for Wellness without Borders
 how and what you think and feel about
your body. It includes the picture of your
body that you have in your mind, which
might or might not match your body’s
actual shape and size.
BODY IMAGE
 A positive or healthy body image is
feeling happy and satisfied with your
body, as well as being comfortable with
and accepting the way you look.

POSITIVE BODY IMAGE

 A negative or unhealthy
body image is feeling
unhappy with the way you
look. People who feel like
this often want to change
NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE
their body size or shape.
BODY IMAGE IS BOTH INTERNAL &
EXTERNAL
 • how we perceive our bodies
visually
INTERNAL (PERSONAL)
• how we feel about our physical
appearance
 view of others about our physical
EXTERNAL (SOCIETAL) appearance which include strangers, our
families, close friends
VIEW OF OTHER PEOPLE We learn from other people, particularly
ABOUT OUR PHYSICAL those closest to us about the things that
are considered important.
APPEARANCE
 • MEDIA
STANDARDS OF BEAUTY
• CULTURE
The “Golden Ratio”
The Perfect Face
Stephen Marquardt
 The “Golden Ratio”
The Perfect Face
Stephen Marquardt
It’s impossible to attain the Golden Ratio yet…

✓We still want to achieve it

✓As a result, men who are surrounded by

“beautiful women” will never be contented
with their “beautiful” wives (Contrast Effect)

✓Common and repeated question: “Which do

you prefer: to be rich or to be beautiful?
STANDARD OF BEAUTY

Every culture have its own gauge to

‘beauty’
The Long-Necked Women
(Myanmar)

known as the "long-neck" or

"giraffe" tribe (Padaung group)
The odd practice is a sign of
beauty and wealth.

The rings can weigh up to 25

pounds.
 WOMEN SHOWING OFF
THEIR NOSE JOBS (IRAN)
Women are so proud of going under the
knife that they will continue to wear
their bandages long after they're
needed, in order to show off their
beauty.
 Stretched earlobe and
shaved head (Kenya &
other parts of Africa)
Members of the Maasai tribe in Africa
are known for their practice of wearing
heavy jewelry made of stones or
elephant tusks to stretch their earlobes
over time. Maasai men and women
consider long-stretched earlobes a
symbol of wisdom and respect.
LIP STRETCHING (PARTS
OF AFRICA & South
america)
A Mursi or Suri woman in Ethiopia,
consider a lip plate as denoting female
maturity, signaling that she has
reached child-bearing age.
 TATTOOS OF MAORI
WOMEN
(NEW ZEALAND)
Māori women in New Zealand have
traditionally adorned a tattoo on their
chin as a means to attract a mate. The
tradition is known as Ta moko.
 WOMEN WITH PALE
SKIN (Asian countries)
Women in many Asian countries abhor
the sun because pale skin is a sign of
beauty and desirability.
 KAJAL UNDERLINING
THE EYES (middle east)
In the Middle East beauty is not something that
reveals, but something that is kept secret from
the human eye, enhancing mystery and a
specific charm.

Arabian women, make sure to

underline their eyes with kajal
and their hands with henna
tattoos.

Wearing a powerful perfume is

another way to stand out from
the crowd.
WOMEN WITH FULLER
FIGURES (MAURITANIA)
In the African country of Mauritania, drought
and famine is common, so being overweight has
traditionally been a sign of prosperity.

A heavier woman has been so

desirable that girls as young as 7
were sent to fat farms to put on
weight.

Some of these girls end up

weighing between 130-220 pounds.
 INDIAN WOMEN
ACCESSORIZE WITH
HENNA
Women in India adorn nose rings,
bindis and henna to make themselves
more attractive
Indian culture has always considered
beauty an expression of godliness and
something to be revered
Indian ideal of beauty : fair skin,
a silhouette with feminine curves, big
expressive eyes, and long, dark, shiny
hair.”
 SCARIFICATION IN
AFRICA IS A SIGN OF
BEAUTY
Women tend to scar their
torsos and chest because it is
considered sensual and intriguing.
The scars are used to mark stages in a
young girls life, her
transformation from childhood to
adulthood
To men, women with fashionable scars
are more sexually appealing
and attractive.
 ➢ journalist Esther Honig used
the online marketplace Fiverr to
send out a photo of herself to
graphic designers in more than
HOW DO PEOPLE 20 countries.
DEFINE BEAUTY?
➢Their task: to edit the photo to
make Honig look "beautiful" —
however the designer defined
the term.
 ➢As long as the fashion industry
is the one dictating what is
supposed to be “beautiful”, be it
for men or women, adolescents
will never be comfortable and
please with their bodies.

➢The media can cause body

dissatisfaction, low self-esteem,
and disordered eating. This is
STANDARDS OF BEAUTY most applicable especially to
ACCORDING TO MEDIA young girls.
 Focus group with Mexican
American adolescent females to
discuss their views on body
image and the media. Most of the
girls said they were aware that
being thin is the standard of
beauty as shown by white women
in movies, television shows,
2015 STUDY BY advertisements, and so forth.
LAURA ROMO
 There are people who
give bigger value to their
faces, appearance, and
shape of the Body. Most
especially adolescents.
 ➢The process when the body starts
to mature

➢the stage of development when

the genital organs reach maturity
and secondary sex
characteristics begin to appear,
signaling the start of adolescence.

➢Adolescents experience puberty at

PUBERTY the same time they experience
transition from childhood to
adulthood.
 It's widely believed that beauty
and self-esteem go together, but
Research indicates that this may not actually be the case
good looks do not boost for teens, according to a study
teen confidence. published in The Journal of
Clinical Child and Adolescent
Psychology.
There are only few people
who become happy with
the shape of their body.
 A healthy body image is
important. When you feel
good about your body,
you are more likely to
have good self-esteem
and mental health as
well as a balanced
attitude to eating and
physical activity.
HOW CAN WE BUILD A
STRONG AND POSITIVE
BODY IMAGE?
1. Appreciate all that your
body can do.

2. Keep a list of what you

like about yourself.

3. Remind yourself that

“true beauty” is not
simply skin-deep.

4. Look at yourself as a
whole person.
5.Surround Yourself with
Positive People

6. Shut down those voices in

your head that tell you your
body is not “right” or that
you are a “bad” person.

7. Wear clothes that are

comfortable and that make
you feel good about your
body.
8. Become a critical viewer of
social and media messages.

9. Do something nice for

yourself.

10. Use the time and energy

that you might have spent
worrying about food,
calories, and your weight to
do something to help others.
 It’s all about accepting yourself the
way you are. If you want to work
towards a better you in whatever
regards.... do it. But you’re okay
just the way you are today.

TESS HOLLIDAY