GE 1

Understanding
the Self

JOMERY ROSE N. SANORJO

INSTRUCTRESS
Module 1: Week 6 - Unpacking the Self

Lesson Objectives:
a. Describe the Physical Self.
b. Examine the self as impacted by the body.
c. Explain how one’s culture influences body-image and self-esteem.
d. Recognize the true meaning of beauty.
e. Construct a Personal Self.

Table
of

Cover Page
Table of Contents
Pre-test
Lesson 1 – The Physical Self
Cultural Conception of Beauty
Worksheet 1
Self Check
Worksheet 2
My Diet Planner
Worksheet 3
Who is beautiful?
Worksheet 4
My Physical Self
References

Pre-test
You are a talent scout for the country’s
new franchise the Philippine’s Next Top Model.
Write down (as many as you can) descriptions of the
“ideal beauty standards” that would guide
you in your search of a male or female model.
Then, answer the questions that follow on the next page.
1. As a modeling scout, why do you think these characteristics are ideal? Does the list reflect your personal ideas
about beauty, or just what you think people want to see in advertising?
_________________________________________________________________
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2. What has influenced your ideas of what an ideal female/male model looks like? How does it make you feel about
your own body?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What thoughts would be going through your mind if you were one of the potential boy/girls waiting to be evaluated for
the Philippines’ Next Top Model?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What will be your reaction if the scout criticized you in front of the other aspiring models that you are not likeable for
the franchise? How would you handle such criticism and rejection?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
 Lesson 1 Physical Self
Among the many aspects of yourself that make up who you are and who you believe yourself to be is the Physical Self,
which denotes the tangible aspect of the person that can be directly observed and examined as we interact with our environment
and fellow beings. In other words, the physical self refers to one’s physical body (Haugen, et. Al., 2011).
Believe it or not, who you are physically is important to many people. An individual’s physical characteristics including
one’s face, body shape and structure, height, weight, skin color, hair color, and even fitness, are often perceived primarily (Marsh
& Redmane, 1994). Think of someone you know who is Very active. He/she loves trekking and mountain climbing, and being
physically fit and strong is a big part of how he/she defines himself/herself. Think of another person whose physical self is
different. This person is overweight and usually gets out of breath when climbing up the stairs going to the second floor, or simply
walking for more than a few minutes. The physical self is still part of his/her self-concept, but contrary to the person who is
active, the second person’s physical self is out of shape.
Just as the ‘self’ has been described in a Variety of ways, many psychologists define the ‘body’ or the physical self in
different approaches as well (Baumesiter, et. Al., 2003). More than the physical attributes that an individual possesses, others
also consider the person’s physical competencies such as his or her self-worth and perception of beauty as critical aspects of the
physical self since a healthy one leads to a dynamic functioning of the ‘self’ towards self-realization (Annesi, 2007; Schmidt,
2013).
Adolescents like you need to be treated as a distinct segment of the population to help you realize and address your health
and lifestyle problems. This way, you can have the opportunity to develop your physical self, an essential part of your whole
‘self’.
Fernandez (2009), in her study about physical self-concept and psychological well-being/ unwellness during adolescence,
defined self-concept as the “totality of perceptions that each person has of themselves. The results of her study show that the
more an individual feel happy with his or her physique, the higher his or her self-esteem becomes. Further, she also found out
that the more psychological well-being one has, the less likely that he or she will experience anxiety and depression, and eating
disorder. Self-esteem is how you feel about who you are as a person. It is often referred to as 'confidence' in yourself (Mruk,
2006). It is also called physical self-esteem or physical self-worth, which means, “a person’s evaluation of their physical self
which includes evaluations of both the physical appearance and physical competencies (Livingstone, 2008).
Among the contributors to our understanding of the physical self is Kenneth Fox (1997) who developed a measurement
tool for assessing the physical self-called the Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP), which includes the following subscales
(excerpt from Gill, et. Al (2017), Psychological Dynamics of Sport and Exercise, 4th ed.).

 Sport competence (sport): Perceptions of sport and athletic ability, ability to learn sport skills, and confidence in the sport
environment
 Physical condition (condition): Perceptions of physical condition, stamina, and fitness; ability to maintain exercise; and
confidence in the exercise and fitness setting Body attractiveness (body): Perceived attractiveness of figure or physique, ability
to maintain an attractive body, and confidence in appearance
 Physical strength (strength): Perceived strength, muscle development, and confidence in situations requiring strength
 Physical self-worth (PSW): General feelings of happiness, satisfaction, pride, respect, and confidence in the physical
self
In other words, a person’s physical self is not only limited to what can be seen by the naked eye because beyond our
physical appearance are biological and chemical processes that trigger one’s transformation and development as embodied
in the concept of heredity.
Heredity refers to the transmission of traits like eye color, hair color or skin color from parents to offspring
(Charlesworth & Charlesworth, 2009). Inside every cell in the body is a secret code that determines everything about you. DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid) is the material that determines all your traits, and it is found inside the nucleus of all your cells. Also called
the blueprint of an individual’s physical features, the DNA triggers the physical growth and maturation that our bodies go
through from birth to adulthood. Maturation is the unfolding of a person’s inherent traits. It is the completion of growth
of genetic characters within an organism. The traits that are made-up of specific information are embedded within one’s basic
unit of heredity known as a gene. These are short pieces of DNA that determine a specific trait, like eye color or hair color.
You haVe about 20-25 thousand genes total, each one responsible for a different characteristic (Griffiths, et. Al., 2012;
Rhodes, 2006).
The genes in your cells are different from your parents' genes because you inherit one copy of each gene from
your father and one from your mother. As a result, the particular combination of genes in your cells is different from
eVeryone else in the world. This recombination of genetic material not only determines Visible traits like your eye and hair color,
but also can cause you to be more (or less) susceptible to certain diseases (Pearson, 2006).
In the process of reproduction, each parent produces a special type of cell called gametes that only has one copy
of each gene. The two gametes are combined to form a new cell that contains a random mixture of the genes from the
parents. This is the reason why each child in a family haVe a different combination of genes eVen if they haVe the
same parents - also the reason why identical twins are still different from each other (Griffiths, 2012).
Note that although you inherit two copies of each gene from your parents, only one trait is expressed. How does
your body decide which one it will be? Going back to our example of eye color, if you get a gene for brown eyes (B)
from your father and another for brown eyes (B) from your mother, then you will have two copies of the brown eye
gene (BB). Definitely, you will have brown eyes, too. Similarly, if you get two copies of the gene for blue eyes (bb),
you will definitely have blue eyes. But what happens if you get one gene for brown eyes and one for blue eyes (Bb)?
In a situation where you also have brown eyes, it can be said that the gene for brown eyes is dominant. That means that
you will express this trait even if you only have one copy of the gene. In contrast, the gene for blue eyes is recessive,
meaning that you will only have blue eyes if you have both genes.
To understand how two brown-eyed parents can produce a blue-eyed child, the Punnett square can be used as
a tool to determine which traits will be expressed in the offspring of two parents. To create a punnet square, one has to
list the genes of one parent Vertically on the left side and the genes of the other parent horizontally above the
square. Then combine the genes in the four sections of the square to determine all possible gene combinations that the
child could have. Assuming that both parents have one gene for brown eyes and one for blue eyes. Then, the Punnet
square would look like the figure below:
This means that there is a 25% chance that a baby will have two genes for brown eyes (BB), a 50% chance that
it will have one gene for brown and one for blue eyes (which means it would still have brown eyes because blue is
recessiVe), and a 25% chance that it will inherit two genes for blue eyes (bb). So, it is certainly possible for two
brown-eyed parents to have blue-eyed children. If both parents carry genes for both brown and blue eyes, there is a 1
in 4 chance that a child will have blue eyes.
It is important to note also that there are other factors that influence the development of our physical self aside
from the genetic information that determines our physical features. As we grow and begin to explore the world around
us, we get to interact with different environmental factors that shape our physical self: our social interaction with our
family, in school, in the church, or in a bigger social group, our community and the entire society. We are exposed to
Various practices and cultural norms which make us more conscious of our physical self (Concepcion, 2007).
People of your age start to engage in activities that would make you attractive and acceptable to others. Some
of you start to spend a huge amount of money to buy new clothes or accessories as a result of the constant need to
look good. You learn to shave, go to the gym, choose your outfit of the day (OOTD) and eat the right kind of food.
Females start to act prim and proper while males act more manly (Rhodes, 2006). These are all for the sake of
meeting the standards of beauty according to one’s culture.

Cultural Conception of beauty

What seems beautiful for you, may not be beautiful for others. As the saying goes, “beauty is the eye of the
beholder.” This is because different cultures define beauty much differently.
In the U.S., beautiful girls mean having long, flowy hair, bronzed skin and a wrinkle-free face. In Ethiopia,
body scars are adored. While we want our scars erased, the Kato tribe in Ethiopia creates scars onto the women’s
stomachs at childhood, which are meant to attract men who are husband-material. The Masai Tribe of Kenya define
beautiful as having long, stretched ear lobes and shaved heads. Women use everything from elephant tusks to twigs
to pierce and stretch their lobes to become more attractive. Long, giraffe-like necks are the ultimate sign of beauty and
female elegance to Kayan tribe in Burma. At 5 years old, Kayan women start priming their necks with heavy brass
rings which can weigh up to 22 pounds, since more coils are add- ed each year, pushing down their shoulders and
creating the effect of a longer neck.
In Various parts of Asia, pale, white skin is a sign of affluence and attractiveness. In Japan, women avoid the
sun at all costs while whitening agents normal in China and Thailand. To the Maori people of New Zealand, tattoos
are sacred rituals wherein a chisel is used to carve groves into the skin, creating swirling tattoos called Ta-moko.
Women with tattooed lips and chins, and full, blue lips are considered the most beautiful.
While many cultures are dieting and striving to be thin, Western African cultures find women who are
overweight to be the most beautiful. For them, the more stretch marks, the better. In the past, families in Mauritania
send their children to “fat farms” camps that force-feed girls 16,000 calories a day to help them reach their ideal
weight to achieve a fuller figure. They even prefer fattening camel’s and cow’s milk. Nose jobs seem like a staple in
the image-conscious U.S. but Iran is actually the rhinoplasty capital of the world. Both men and women are proud to
show off their procedures, which is considered as a sign of their social status and their path on the route to beauty. In
fact, they often wear their bandages much longer than needed. Some even buy surgical tape to wear even if they have
not gone under a surgery.
 Women in India do not accessorize with extravagant jewelries. Instead, they turn to nose rings, binds and
henna to make themselves more attractive for festivals and celebrations. Brides often wear a dot of red powder on the
face known as Kumkum to look more beautiful.
In Japan, stick straight hair is the norm, and therefore the most beautiful hair texture. Japanese women haVe
turned into pros at thermal conditioning and flat-ironing to straighten hair.
Indeed, physical beauty has been regarded as an essential part of one’s self across all cultures. Although
defined in a different way, it has become a primary part of an individual’s physical self. No matter how Various
cultures define it, the most important thing to remember is that we feel beautiful because we a healthy perception of
our physical worth — that is why we feel good about ourselves.
 Worksheet 1
Self Check

Let us do some self-check. Below are common activities that you might have been doing that greatly affect
your body. Answer each item as honestly as possible by putting a check mark on how frequent you do the following
activities.

Activity Never Seldom Most of the Always

time

I drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.

I usually sleep beyond 10:00pm.

I prefer to use the elevator than take the stairs.

I exercise at least three times a week.

I usually skip breakfast.

I eat fruits with my meal.

I lie on the couch while watching TV.

I take a walk after dinner.

I drink soft drinks with my meal.

I take time to dress-up every day.

What do you realize about your daily activities? Can you say that you have a healthy physical self? Explain your
conclusion below.
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Worksheet 2
 My Diet Planner
Based on your conclusion from the previous activity, create a daily program that will help improve your
physical self. Explain how this planner will be beneficial for you.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Brief Explanation:
 Worksheet 3
Who is Beautiful?
Paste a photo of someone who you believe is good-looking. Then, answer the questions that follow.

Name: ________________________________________
Description; ____________________________________
____________________________________

1. What stands out to you about what this image is trying to show you is beautiful?

2. How do you think someone in the same racial, ethnic, historical, gender or age group as the person or people in
the picture might be impacted by this image?

3. How do you think someone in a different racial, ethnic, historical, gender or age group might be impacted by
this image?

4. What does this image try to teach you what is beautiful?

 Worksheet 4
My Physical Self
A. Complete each sentence below.
1. Beauty is
2. A beautiful person is
3. I am beautiful because
4. I am beautiful because

B. If you are to reconstruct your physical self, how would you look like? What would be the components of
your own physical self? How can you make yourself beautiful? Create your own physical self below
based on
References:

Anderson, C., SriVastaVa, S., & Beer, J. (2006). Knowing your place: self-perceptions of status in face-to-face groups.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 91: 1094–1110.

Annesi, J. (2007). Relations of age with changes in self-efficacy and physical self-concept in
pre-adolescents participating in a physical actiVity interVention during afterschool care. SAGE Journals on Perceptual and Motor
Skills 105: 221–226.

Baumeister, R., Campbell, J., Krueger, J. (2003) Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success,
happiness, or healthier lifestyles? Psychological Science in the Public Interest 4: 1–44.

Charlesworth, B. & Charlesworth, D. (2009). Darwin and Genetics. Doi:10.1534/ genetics.109.109991.PMC2778973.

Concepcion, R. (2007). Weight stigma consciousness and perceiVed physical appearance : their key precursors and relationship
to health behaViors. RetrieVed from http:// ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/ 9593tx673.

Fernandez, A. (2009). Self-concept and psychological well-being/unwellness during adolescence. RetrieVed from
https://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/02/03/45499.aspx last February 2, 2017.

Gill, D., Williams, L., & Reifsteck, E. (No Year). Psychological Dynamics of Sport and Exercise, 4th ed.
RetrieVed from www.HumanKinetics.com/PsychologicalDynamicsOfSportAndExercise last NoVember 3, 2017.

Griffiths, A., Wessler, J., Carroll, S., & Doebley, J. (2012). Introduction to Genetic Analysis (10th ed.).
New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.

Haugen, T., SafVenbom, R., & Ommundsen, Y. (2011). Physical actiVity and globa self-worth: The role of self-esteem indices and
gender. Mental Health and Physical ActiVity. Vol. 4 (2), 49-56. RetrieVed from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa2011.07.001.

LiVingstone, C. (2008). Dictionary of Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine. Amsterdam: ElseVier Limited.

Marsh, H. & Redmane, J. (1994). A Multidimensional Physical Self-concept and Its Relations to Multiple Components of Physical
Fitness. Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychology, 16, 33-55.

Mruk, C. (2006). Self-Esteem research, theory, and practice: Toward a positiVe psychology of self- esteem (3rd ed.). New
York: Springer.
Prepared by:

Jomery Rose N. Sanorjo