Unit 2: Unpacking The Self

INTRODUCTION

“Searching in all directions with one’s awareness, one finds no one dearer
than oneself. In the same way, others are fiercely dear to themselves. So
one should not hurt others if one loves oneself.” – Raja Sutta

Self- understanding is vital to your ability to change and grow – and to succeed as a person. With
this vision, this unit purposively aims to deepen your thoughts and appreciation of yourself as a
physical, sexual, material, spiritual, political and digital being. As your personal identity influences
everything you do, knowing about these different dimensions of yourself is critical to harnessing
your holistic character as a person, as a friend, as a daughter or son and as a family member.

The lessons provided in this unit will give you the opportunity to assess how unpacking of yourself is
challenged and shaped by the people you come into contact with and the experiences you
have.

The unit which entails 25 hours will also guide you towards your realization of your psychological
needs which are your primary source of motivation and which drive your values and behavior.
These experiences will help you see yourself from your own perspective and from others’ view so
you will be able to fully realize the qualities that make you and others unique.

More importantly, it will help you empower yourself to make changes and to build on your areas
of strength as well as identify areas where you would like to make improvements that could help
you to respond to the pressures of changes and transitions in your life.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this unit, the students will be able to: 1. identify the concepts, principles, and theories
involved in all aspects of the self; 2. trace the development of the self in developing one’s own
identity; and 3. examine issues and concerns regarding the self to better understand one’s self.

TOPIC 1: THE PHYSICAL SELF

Gladys Lavarias, MA

“Make sure you don’t start seeing yourself through the eyes of those who
don’t value you. Know your worth even if they don’t.” – Thema Davis

This topic (for 4 hours) focuses on the discussing the physical aspect about yourself. This will
help you explore the bodily make up the self. For you to better understand the self, it is time for
you to open up to gain knowledge and explore more of your physical attributes. The self in this
unit will be studied bodily.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

a. define what is physical self;

b. examine the relationship of physical self to the development of self-esteem;
c. show respect and appreciation on the standards of physical beauty in different cultures; and
d. discuss the importance of beauty and generate innovative practices on how to make and
maintain a beautiful self.

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THE SELF AS IMPACTED BY THE BODY
This lesson will focus on the first aspect which is the PHYSICAL SELF. Physical self refers to the body,
this marvelous container and complex, finely tuned, machine with which you interface with your
environment and fellow beings. The physical self is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect
of the person that can be directly observed and examined.

RELATIONSHIP OF PHYSICAL SELF TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-ESTEEM How do you evaluate

people you meet? Do you assess them based on how they look/appear? Do you let your physical
appearance define who you are? Development principles state that each one of us is unique. No
two individuals are the same. The physical self has a big impact in the development of your self-
esteem. Self-esteem is an individual’s sense of personal worth and an acceptance of who one is.
It is the value you place on yourselves; how much you like or dislike who you are. And how do you
achieve this? A self-help environment reflects the belief that autonomy and independence are
the birthright of every child. Nothing renders people more helpless than not being able to maintain
their own needs or to take care of themselves in basic ways. Self-concept is based on what you
know about yourselves, which includes the ability to take care of your own needs.

To care for oneself, to feel capable of learning, to solve problems, are all rooted to feelings of self-
esteem. Children’s well-being should be developed and its foundations laid early during the early
years of development for them to understand themselves and others. Your physical attributes and
experiences impact the development of a strong self-concept and a positive self-esteem. There
are four (4) components of self-esteem (Gordon, 2000): (1) A sense of one’s own identity (2) A
sense of belonging (connectedness) (3) A sense of one’s own uniqueness and (4) A sense of self
(power). A positive sense of self is critical for young people. Research (Marshall, 1989) shows that
low self-image is correlated with poor mental health, poor academic achievement, and
delinquency. A positive self-image strengthens self-confidence. Self-image is based on the way
society views individuals. And an essential ingredient of self-image is the quality of human
interactions.

HOW BEAUTY IS DEFINED AROUND THE WORLD

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/definitions-of-beauty-around-the-world-104188662505.html Definitions of Beauty around the World
Yahoo Beauty December 3, 2014 By Erica Smith

From face tattoos to long necks, you will see how the standards of beauty change from one
country to the next. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you don’t have to look too far to
realize that’s true. You’ve all done some things in the name of beauty (eyelash extensions, Brazilian
waxes and using tanning beds, to name a few) that probably seem crazy to people in different
cultures who define beauty much differently. In the U.S., they may value long, flowy hair, bronzed
skin and a face free of wrinkles, but in other parts of the world, pale complexions, visible scars and
shaved heads are enviable traits. Here, you will explore nine very different qualities that are
considered beautiful around the globe. Find out if you would be considered beautiful in these far-
flung destinations.

1. Ethiopia: Body Scars

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While some are concerned with erasing scars, Ethiopia’s Karo tribe is creating them. In the tribe’s
eyes, beauty is literally skin deep: the scars cut onto the stomachs of women at childhood are
seen as beautiful adornments meant to attract men who are husband material.

2. Kenya: Long Earlobes and Shaved Heads

To the Masai tribe of Kenya, long, stretched earlobes and low-maintenance buzz cuts are the
ideal. Women are known to shave their heads and use everything from elephant tusks to twigs to
pierce and stretch their lobes to become more attractive.

3. Burma and Thailand: Long Necks

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Kayan tribe. At 5 years old, Kayan women start priming their necks with heavy brass rings. Each
year, more coils are added, pushing down their shoulders and creating the effect of a longer
neck. Keep in mind that the rings in this centuries-old ritual can weigh up to 22 pounds (9.98 kg).

4. China, Thailand and Japan: Pale Skin

In various parts of Asia, pale, white skin is revered as a sign of affluence and attractiveness. In
Japan, women avoid the sun at all costs, while skin-care products with whitening agents are the
norm in places like China and Thailand. Sometimes, it’s hard to find products without bleaching
properties.

5. New Zealand: Face Tattoos

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Tattooing is a sacred ritual to the Maori people of New Zealand, and not something parents warn
their teenagers they’ll one day regret. Traditionally, a chisel was used to carve grooves into the
skin, creating swirling tattoos called Tamoko. Women with tattooed lips, chins and full blue lips are
the most beautiful.

6. Mauritania: Full Figures

While Americans are perpetually dieting and striving to be thin, Western African cultures find
women who are overweight to be the most beautiful — the more stretch marks, the better.In the
past, it wasn’t completely unheard of for families in Mauritania to send their daughters to “fat
farms,” camps that would force-feed girls 16,000 calories a day to help them reach their ideal
weight. Fuller figures are still the ideal, and fattening camel’s and cow’s milk are go-tos for
plumping up, but thankfully, the government now frowns upon the unpleasant force feeding.

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7. Iran: Surgical Bandages

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 — a sign of their social
status and their path on the route to beauty. So much so that they’ll often wear their bandages
much longer than needed, while others will purchase surgical tape to wear, even if they haven’t
gone under the knife.

8. India: Decorated Skin

Instead of accessorizing with extravagant jewelry, women in India turn to nose rings, bindis and
henna to make themselves more attractive for festivals and celebrations, like weddings. Brides in
particular will often wear a dot of red powder on the face known as a kumkum to look more
beautiful.

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9. Japan: Stick Straight Hair

In Japan, stick straight hair is seen as the norm, and therefore, the most beautiful hair texture.
Japanese women with wavier patterns have become pros at getting this look, turning to
chemicals and flat irons to keep their hair as sleek as possible. It’s no surprise that thermal
reconditioning — using a bond-breaking chemical and meticulous flat-ironing to straighten hair
— is referred to as Japanese hair straightening in the U.S. THE FIVE GLOBAL BEAUTY ARCHETYPES:

http://www.worldwisebeauty.com/2012/09/19/are-you-a-seductive-fox-or-a-powerful-peacock-
find-your-global-beauty-type-here/

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SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS

Section 1: The Physical Self

This section identifies and explains the biological and environmental factors that shape the
physical self. It also delves into socio-cultural issues associated with physical well-being.

The Biological Blueprint

The physical self is shaped by biological and environmental factors

Heredity is defined as the transmission of traits from parents to offspring. The traits are made up of
specific information embedded within one’s gene.

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Genotype refers to the specific information embedded within one’s genes; not all genotypes
translate to an observed physical characteristic.

Phenotype is the physical expression of a particular trait.

Each individual carries 23 pairs of chromosomes, which are threadlike bodies in the nucleus of the
cell and the storage unit of genes. The 23rd pair, also known as sex chromosomes, determines the
sex of an individual.

Within each chromosome is the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is a nucleic acid that
contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of every individual.

Maturation is known as the completion of growth of a genetic character within an organism or

the unfolding of an individual’s inherent traits or potential.

Environmental Conditioning

As you grow up, you are exposed to environmental influences that shape your physical self,
including those from your social networks, societal expectations, and cultural practices.

Family, being your first social group, forms a crucial foundation of your development, including
that of your physical self.

As you grow older, you get exposed to a larger social group with new practices and standards.
As a result, you may begin engaging in acts that would make you attractive and acceptable to
others.

One aspect of physical beauty is a person’s body type. Contemporary media has portrayed slim
bodies as the ideal body type for women and muscular bodies for men. Thus, adolescents indulge
in activities that would enable them to achieve these ideal body types.

However, some adolescents may resort to unhealthy habits just to achieve the ideal body type. It
is important to remember that physical beauty is only skin-deep; that what matters is feeling good
about oneself and embracing a healthy perception of one’s physical worth.

Achieving Physical Well-being

Healthy eating. Following a healthy diet results in healthy skin, ideal weight, and better stamina.

Embracing a healthy lifestyle. Physical activities such as walking, running, going to the gym, and
engaging in sports also contribute to a healthier body.

Maintaining proper hygiene. Taking care of your body by consistently following a hygiene regimen
can also help you feel good about yourself.

Being confident. Be secure in yourself, embrace a positive outlook toward various situations and
problems, and love and accept who you are. https://utsged101portfolio.wordpress.com/section-
1-the-physical-self/

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