U N I T I I I : T H E S E L F F R O M VA R I O U S P E R S P E C T I V E S

MODULE 6
U N PA C K I N G T H E S E L F :
PHYSICAL SELF
1. BODY AND SELF-ESTEEM CONNECTION
2. C U LT U R A L C O N C E P T S A N D S TA N D A R D S O F
BE AUTY
3. PHYSICAL SELF VS INNER SELF
“ M I R R O R , M I R R O R O N T H E WA L L ,
W H O ’ S T H E FA I R E S T O F T H E M A L L ? ”
 AM I BEAUTIFUL?
DO PEOPLE FIND ME
AT T R A C T I V E ?
W H AT C A N I D O T O E N H A N C E
M Y F E AT U R E S ?
PHYSICAL SELF

• Refers to the body

• The part of us that can be directly seen and observed by
everyone.
• All of us have their own physical appearances or physical
characteristics.
BIOLOGICAL BLUEPRINT
• Underneath the skin is a dynamic system that cannot be seen by the naked eye
which includes the biological and chemical processes that contribute to one’s
physical features.

• HEREDITY- sum of all biological processes by which particular

characteristics are transmitted from parents to their offspring
BODY
IMAGE
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.
A P O S I T I V E O R   H E A LT H Y B O D Y
I M A G E   I S F E E L I N G H A P P Y A N D
S AT I S F I E D W I T H Y O U R B O D Y, A S
W E L L A S B E I N G C O M F O RTA B L E W I T H
A N D A C C E P T I N G T H E WAY Y O U L O O K .
A N E G A T I V E O R   U N H E A L T H Y B O D Y
I M A G E   I S F E E L I N G U N H A P P Y W I T H
T H E W A Y Y O U L O O K . P E O P L E W H O
F E E L L I K E T H I S O F T E N W A N T T O
C H A N G E T H E I R B O D Y S I Z E O R
S H A P E .
BODY IMAGE IS BOTH INTERNAL
AND EXTERNAL
• INTERNAL (PERSONAL) • EXTERNAL (SOCIETAL)
• how we perceive our bodies • view of others about our physical
visually appearance which include strangers, our
• how we feel about our physical families, close friends
appearance • standards of beauty dictated by culture
• how we think and talk to ourselves and media
about our bodies
• our sense of how other people view
our bodies
VIEW OF OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT
OUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
• We learn from other people, particularly those closest to us about the
things that are considered important.
• Friendships and families are particularly important in body image
development because we place high value on them, spend lots of time
with them and develop shared experiences, values, and beliefs.
STANDARDS
OF BEAUTY
- C U LT U R E
-MEDIA
C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
T H E “ G O L D E N R AT I O ”
T H E P E R F E C T FA C E
STEPHEN MARQUARDT
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
1. THE LONG-NECKED WOMEN
( M YA N M A R )
• known as the "long-neck" or "giraffe" tribe (Padaung group)
• The odd practice is a sign of beauty and wealth.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
2. WOMEN SHOWING OFF THEIR NOSE
JOBS (IRAN)
• Iran has become the rhinoplasty
capital of the world.
• 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.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
3 . S T R E T C H E D E A R L O B E A N D S H AV E D
H E A D ( K E N YA & A F R I C A )
• Members of the Masai tribe in Africa are known for their practice
of wearing heavy jewelry made of stones or elephant tusks to
stretch their earlobes over time.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
4 . L I P S T R E T C H I N G ( PA R T S O F A F R I C A
& 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.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
5 . TAT T O O S O F M A O R I W O M E N ( N E W
ZEALAND)
• Māori women in New Zealand have
traditionally adorned a tattoo on their
chin as a means to attract a mate.

• The sacred tradition is known as Ta

Moko.

• Each moko is different and includes

ancestral tribal information specific to
the wearer.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
6 . W O M E N W I T H PA L E S K I N ( A S I A N
COUNTRIES)
• Women in many Asian
countries abhor the sun
because pale skin is a sign
of beauty and desirability.
• Pale skin depicts the life
of luxury and wealth.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
7. 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.
 C U LT U R A L S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y
8. WOMEN WITH FULLER FIGURES
( M A U R I TA N I A )
• 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.
 HOW PEOPLE DEFINE BEAUTY

 journalist Esther Honig used the online marketplace Fiverr

to send out a photo of herself to graphic designers in more
than 20 countries.
Their task: to edit the photo to make Honig look
"beautiful" — however the designer defined the term.
 S TA N D A R D S O F B E A U T Y A C C O R D I N G
TO MEDIA

• 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 most
applicable especially to young girls.
 2015 STUDY BY
LAURA ROMO
• 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, advertisements, and so
forth.
T H E R E A R E P E O P L E W H O G I V E B I G G E R VA L U E T O T H E I R
FA C E S , A P P E A R A N C E A N D S H A P E O F T H E B O D Y. M O S T
E S P E C I A L LY A D O L E S C E N T S .
 PUBERTY
• The process when the body starts to mature
• Adolescents experience puberty at the same time they
experience transition from childhood to adulthood.
R E S E A R C H I N D I C AT E S T H AT G O O D
LOOKS DO NOT BOOST TEEN CONFIDENCE

• It's widely believed that beauty and self-esteem go together,

but this may not actually be the case for teens, according to
a study published in The Journal of Clinical Child and
Adolescent Psychology.
T H E R E A R E O N LY F E W P E O P L E W H O B E C O M E
H A P P Y W I T H T H E S H A P E O F T H E I R B O D Y.
• 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”
7. WEAR CLOTHES THAT
ARE COMFORTABLE AND
MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD.
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.
WHERE DOES BEAUTY LIE?

B E A U T Y I S O U T T H E R E ; I T I S O B J E C T I V E . I T I S P R I M A RY
Q U A L I T Y T H AT R E S I D E S I N T H E O B J E C T.

B E A U T Y I S N O T T H E R E , I T I S S E C O N D A RY Q U A L I T Y T H AT
RESIDES IN THE PERCEIVER. (JOHN LOCKE)

B E A U T Y I S N E I T H E R P R I M A RY N O R S E C O N D A RY; I T I S
T E RT I A RY I N N AT U R E . I T D E P E N D S O N T H E A P P R O P R I AT E
S I T U AT I O N A L P E R S P E C T I V E .