Module 7

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Module 7

The Material/Economic Self

Introduction

This chapter deals with the description of the material self. It includes the basic
components and the subclasses of the material self. It also covers the role of material
possessions on the sense of self and identity.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this chapter, the student is expected to:


1. develop understanding about the material self;
2. describe the basic components of the material self;
3. appraise one’s self in terms of motives in acquiring material possessions;
4. develop qualities of a wise buyer; and
5. apply critical and reflective thought in integrating the aspects of the
material self.

Learning Content

The Material Self

The American philosopher and psychologist, William James (1979), considered


the self as anything that an individual considers to be his or hers, not only his or her
body and material possessions but also his or her reputation and beliefs. The self
constitutes the material self and the manifestation of one’s identity through his material
possessions.

The material self entails two subclasses such as the bodily self and the
extracorporeal self or beyond the body self. The bodily component as the term
suggests refers to the entities comprising our bodies. For instance, someone may speak
of his/her head, eyes, and hands which form part of his/her physical body. Rosenberg
(1979) regarded the extracorporeal self as the extended self. The extended self includes
other people (e.g. my parents), pets (my puppy), possessions (my phone), places (my
hometown), and the products of our labor (my recipe). Thus, it is not merely the
physical entities which encompass the material self but the tangible objects, people or
places carrying the designation my or mine.

James (1979) added that an entity can be identified as part of the self through our
emotion and/or action towards it. If we pay much attention or work hard towards that
entity, we can conclude that the entity is part of the self. As James wrote:

“A man’s self is the sum total of all that he can call his, not only his
body and his psychic powers, but his clothes and his house, his wife and
children, his ancestors and friends, his reputation and works, his lands and
horses, and yacht and bank account. All these things give him the same
emotions. If they wax and prosper, he feels triumphant; if they dwindle and
die away, he feels cast down, --not necessarily in the same degree for each
thing, but in much the same way for all.” An equally instinctive impulse
drives us to collect property; and the collections thus become, with
different degrees of intimacy, parts of our empirical selves. The parts of our
wealth most intimately ours are those which are saturated with our
labor. ... and although it is true that a part of our depression at the loss of
possessions is due to our feeling that we must now go without certain goods
that we expected the possessions to bring in their train, yet in every case
there remains, over and above this, a sense of the shrinkage of our
personality, a partial conversion of ourselves to nothingness, which is a
psychological phenomenon by itself. (p. 293)

The Role of Material Possessions on the Sense of Self and Identity

Possessions are considered as the extended versions of oneself; whereas, material


possessions tell something of the personality and social values of those who own them.

Ø Regardless of how much or how little material possessions people have, they
remain valuable because these possessions are symbolic of one’s social status.
The more expensive they are; the more other people are impressed.

Ø Russel Belk (1988) in his work “Are We What We Own?”, suggests that
material possessions act as an objective manifestation of the self. Material
possessions can be a reflection of hard work and success.

Ø Normally, people tend to measure success through the amount of their material
possessions. Owning material possessions becomes a driving force in urging
an individual to seek a high level of achievement in order to be able to acquire
more possessions.

Ø However, the lack or loss of material possessions can be disruptive to one’s


mental health.

Ø People tend to judge others through their material possessions.

Ø Materialism – refers to giving more importance to material possessions than


intangible values.

Ø Materialistic person – one who is excessively concerned with the


acquisition of material possessions.

Ø The strong desire for material possessions could lead to psychological


dysfunction or impairment in functioning such as compulsive buying
disorder (CBD) which is characterized by an obsession with shopping and
buying behaviors that can cause adverse consequences.

Ø Lack or loss of these material possessions could lead to anxiety, insecurity, and
depression in people who are overly materialistic.

In relation to the Theory of Meaning of Material Possessions, Dittmar (1992,


2004) suggested that material goods can fulfill a range of instrumental, social, symbolic
and affective functions. Individuals buy and use material goods depending on their
specific functions.

1. Instrumental functions relate to the functional properties of a product.

e.g. Jake bought a four-wheeler closed van for the delivery of their merchandise

2. Social symbolic functions signify personal qualities, social standing, group


affiliation and gender roles.

e.g. Using branded bags and shoes

3. Categorical functions refer to the extent to which material possessions may be


used to communicate group membership and status.

e.g. Wearing organizational shirt

4. Self-expressive functions reflect a person’s unique qualities, values or


attitudes.

e.g. Collecting items with Panda designs

In terms of the economic self, people buy goods not only because they need them
but also because of the joy and happiness the goods give by merely having of acquiring
them. The emotion that an individual expects to feel when doing or buying something is
called the anticipated affect. The anticipated positive effect like excitement, pride, and
happiness as well as the negative affect such as anger, sadness, and frustration are
important predicates of whether to buy or not to buy the product. In other words, these
emotions can be a strong motivator or barrier for the buying behavior of people.

The Role of Consumer Culture on our Sense of Self and Identity

❏ It is a social system in which consumption is dominated by the consumption of


commercial products.

❏ Consumer culture denotes a social arrangement in which the relations between


lived culture and social resources, and between meaningful ways of life and the
symbolic and material resources on which they depend on, are mediated through
markets.
❏ The consumption of market-made commodities and desire-inducing marketing
symbols is central to consumer culture.

❏ A consumerist society is one in which people spend a great deal of time, money,
and energy to “consume” commercial products, goods, and services.

❏ Consumerism is the consumption of material goods and services in excess of


one’s basic needs. It is closely tied to materialism. Both heavily influence the way
individuals view the self.

❏ The state of needs and wants tends to be endless, and thus could cause negative
effects such as dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and depression.

❏ Karl Marx’s theory of the alienation of workers within a capitalist system stresses
that consumerist urges become a social force separate from the individual and
operating independently.

❏ Products and brands become the force that propels and reproduces norms, social
relations, and the general structure of society.

❏ The dominant worldview, values, and culture are inspired by disposable and
empty consumption.

Regardless of your intention in purchasing, keep these two things in mind when
acquiring goods. Consider its utility to ensure that the product serves a practical
purpose; and, remember its significance and be aware of how the objects become
powerful symbols or icons of habit ritual.

Teaching and Learning Activities

Activity 1

SHOPPING KING/QUEEN Challenge

Directions: You were given a day to shop like a king or queen and spend money as
much as you want. List down all the things you want to buy; then, answer the following:

1. What do you plan to do with all the items in your list?

2. How are you connected with those items?

3. Which among those items in your list best describe you? In what way?

4. Which among those items you like best? Why?


Recommended learning materials and resources for supplementary
reading
https://prezi.com/p/rtcf6o40smhy/the-materialeconomic-self/
https://faculty.washington.edu/jdb/452/452_chapter_02.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF3_dFo_yp8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54SF9o27-Xw

Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FTLM) adopted


Modular Distance Learning (MDL) – Module
Online Distance Learning (ODL) – Videocon/Google Classroom,
Email, Messenger, Zoom

Assessment Task

Directions: Answer the following questions briefly but substantially.

1.Define and explain the meaning of the material self?

2.When you buy goods/products, which among the following do you value most? Why?

a. price d. quality

b. brand e. significance

c. quantity f. utility

3.What do you consider as your most valuable possession? Why?

4.Do material possessions define one’s success in life? Defend your answer.

5.Can money really buy happiness? Explain your answer.

My Reflection

Watch the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?


v=orkaqFcTQh4) featuring Isla Fishers as the shopaholic journalist. Based on the
movie, discuss the experiences of a person who has a compulsive buying disorder. What
insights did you draw from the movie and how are you going to apply them to better
understand and develop your material self?

Directions: Your essay will be graded based on this rubric. Consequently, use this
rubric as a guide when writing your essay.

Scoring Rubrics for Essay

Exceeds Meets Needs Inadequate


CRITERIA Expectations Expectations Improvement
(4) (3) (2) (1)
Critical and
Original thought
Organization
Sentence,
Structure,
Grammar,
Mechanics and
Spelling
TOTAL

References

Antonova, N. (2014). Economic Identity and Professional Self-Determination.

Retrieved from https://www.atiner.gr/journals/social/2014-1-1-6-Antonova.pdf

Alata, E., Caslib, B., Serafica, J. & Pawilen, R. (2018). Understanding the self.
Manila: Rex Book Store.

Cole, N. (2019). What does consumerism mean. Retrieved from

https://www.thoughtco.com/consumerism-definition-3026119

Go-Monilla, M. and Ramirez, N. (2018). Understanding the self. Quezon City: C & E
Publishing

Maderazo, S. (2017, September 28). Material self and economic self. Retrieved
from:https://www.scribd.com/presentation/360154947/MATERIAL-SELF-
ECONOMIC-SELF-pptx

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