GEEC 108 – Understanding the Body image

Self  Person’s perception of the level of

attractiveness of his/her body or it can be
Physical Self somebody’s own impression of how his or
her body looks.
SELF AS IMPACTED BY THE BODY
 Sense of how other people view our
 An important component in the study of bodies.
the person’s self and identity.  Internal or external
 William James said, “the self is the sum  One’s perception of his or her body elicits
total of all that man can call his, which either pleasing/satisfying or
includes his body, family, and reputation, unpleasing/unsatisfying feelings.
also his clothes and his house…”
 Concrete or tangible aspect/dimension
of the person which is primarily observed Beauty
and examined through the body.
 Inner (inner qualities of the person) vs.
William James External (physical characteristics of the
person; shape, color, form that pleases the
- The body is the initial source of sensation
aesthetic senses, especially the sight)
and necessary for the origin and
maintenance of personality.

Erik Erikson Aesthetic Capital

- Experience is anchored in the ground-  The presence of aesthetical based cultural
plan of the body goods and their ever-increasing influence
in modern society poses new conceptual
Sigmund Freud opportunity to Sociology.
- The body is the core of human experience

Maurice Merleau-Ponty THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN

- Placed the body at the center of human UNDERSTANDING
existence, as a way of experiencing the “BODY IMAGE” AND “SELF-ESTEEM”
world.
Kenny & Nichols
“We are all body-builders as we build and style
“Through our bodies, we make sense (meaning) of our bodies on a daily basis. We decide how to dress
the world and our environment. The body is not and style our bodies, we decide how much hair we
merely an object, but we are our bodies. Our want on our bodies, and we shave, wax, etc. We
bodies are the vehicle for our expression in the manipulate our bodies’ weight through diet and
world. The body is the sight for the articulation of exercise and we even modify our bodies to extreme
all our identifications of gender, class, sexuality, levels and introduce mechanical agents into our
race, ethnicity and religion.” bodies merging flesh and technology.”
- The human body is endowed with varied De Mello (2014) – Encyclopedia of
forms of social significance.
- From the late 1970s to 1980s, Humanities
Body Adornment
and Sociology developed a new and “Body adornment refers to the practice of
broader interest in the body. Sociologists, physically enhancing the body by styling and
historians, philosophers, and decorating their hair, painting and embellishing
anthropologists, including scholars from the fingernails, wearing makeup, painting the
sport and medical studies spoke about body, wearing jewelry, and the use of clothing.
this interest on the body which was then Body adornments are by definition temporary.
called “body culture”. The sociologists, Body modifications, on the other hand, refers to
Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens, agree the physical alteration of the body through the use
in saying that the body is the only fix- of surgery, tattooing, piercing, scarification,
point of “self-identity”. branding, genital mutilation, implants, and other
practices. Body modifications can be permanent o Media awareness seminars and
or temporary, although most are permanent and screening and balancing of
alter the body forever.” commercials and advertisements
on television and magazines are
needed to balance the effects of
De Mello’s “Shameful Bodies: Religion media on adolescents.
and the Culture of Physical
Improvement”
IMPACT OF MEDIA ON
“Examined how traditional religious narratives ADOLESCENTS’ SELF-ESTEEM
and modern philosophical assumptions come
together in the construction and pursuit of a Davies & Furnham
better body in contemporary western societies.”
- Constant exposure to cultural standards
of beauty in evaluating own body image
may produce non-normative shift in the
Lelwica form of dieting practices which may lead
“Clarifies that such shame is not a natural to eating disorders as a result of body
response to being fat, physically impaired, image dissatisfaction, the feeling of
chronically sick, or old.” discrepancy between actual and ideal
body image.

Audrey Tramel (2013)

Stice & Withenton
- The predominance of “pop culture” in
today’s society definitely has some effects - Body image dissatisfaction is a strong
such as the way teenagers think of predictor of depression, exercise
themselves, how they associate with dependence, eating disorders and steroid
others, and how they express use among young people in the US.
characteristics of their maturation.
- Pop culture a culture widely accepted
and patronized by the public as in pop Simmons & Blyth’s Cultural Ideal
music which is very appealing to the Hypothesis
youth.
- Self-definition – the way a person sees - Puberty brings boys closer to their ideal
himself. For teens, the image is influenced body while girls shift further from theirs.
to a large extent by personal choices, - The cultural idea is that male bodies
which are, in turn, influenced by the should be big ang strong, while ideal
images and associations teens glean from female bodies is slim.
pop culture on a daily basis. - Adolescent girls should more likely to
express body dissatisfaction and resort to
dieting.
The Influence of Media on the
Adolescent’s Understanding of Beauty
Caufmann & Steinberg
Javellana, G.M. (2014)
- If the body shape is far from dominant
- mentions that the media plays a large cultural ideal of slimness, teens are more
role in how teenagers view themselves by likely to develop low self-esteem and
shaping images of what teenagers are negative body image.
supposed to be or do. The internet is the
most frequently used media with the
respondents using it often. Fredrickson & Roberts
o Magazines – have the strongest
- Western girls are socialized to constantly
negative relationship with the
think of whether their bodies and physical
weight of the respondents.
appearance are pleasing to others or not.
 indicators of character, morality,
intelligence, or success;
Croll i. Approach health and well-being from a
- Body image is the dynamic perception of firm and socially engaging perspective
one’s body – how it looks, feels, and and put importance on a healthy lifestyle
moves. and;
j. Keep in mind that the body, in whatever
shape or size, is good and sacred, having
been created in the image and likeness of
SELF-ESTEEM AND ITS SIGNIFANCE
god. Such body deserves love and respect.
- A person’s overall sense of self-worth or
personal value.
- How much you appreciate and like Political Self
yourself.
- Tends to be stable and enduring. Political Self
- Can involve a variety of beliefs about
- Organizes self-relevant information about
yourself, such as the appraisal of your
politics
own appearance, beliefs, emotions, and
- Organizes one’s belief, attitudes,
behaviors.
affiliations, and aids.

DEVELOPING SELF-ESTEEM
Politics
Point of balance
- Defined as a social institution through
a. Talk back to the media and speak our which power is acquired and exercised by
dissatisfaction with the focus on some people and groups. (Kendall, 1998)
appearance.
b. de-emphasize numbers as pounds,
kilograms or inches, feet and meters on THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL
the scale; they don’t tell us anything SELF
meaningful about the body as a whole or
our health; Family
c. Stop comparing ourselves with others and
- Makes the most contribution in the
remember that each one is unique;
development of one’s political self
d. We need to appreciate and enjoy our
bodies in the uniqueness of what we have; School
e. Spend time with people who have a
healthy relationship with food, activity, - Responsible for formal education and
and their bodies. training of the children to become a good
f. Question the degree to which self-esteem and worthy citizen
depends on our appearance beacsue
Church
basing our happiness on how we look is
likely to lead us to failure and frustration, - Helps in the development of an
and may therefore prevent us from individual’s political self
finding true happiness;
g. Broaden our perspective about health and Mass Media
beauty by reading about body image - Has a strong influence in the political
cultural variances, or media influence and formation and view of an individual
check out a local art gallery paying
particular attention to fine art collections
that show a variety of body types
DEVELOPING A FILIPINO IDENTITY
throughout the ages and in different
cultures; - Values
h. Recognize that size prejudice is a form of - Traits
discrimination, as shape and size are not - Community and Institutional Factors
Katapatan • Resilience Through Humor
• Playfulness and Wit
- To fight back against the oppressive rule
of the colonizers

Sanduguan Flexibility, Adaptability, and Creativity

- Mutual promise, like blood brothers, • Adaptability
helping one another in times of need and o Easily adjust to changing
development circumstances
• Resilience in Uncertainty
Pagka-makabayan o Unplanned events are met with
- Patriotism calm and resourcefulness
• Creativity
Kalayaan o Make use of available resources to
create and solve problems
- Liberty

Pakikipagkawa-tao
- Being faithful to the goodness of the other Hard Work and Industry
• Hardworking
• Family Motivation
STRENGTH OF FILIPINO CHARACTER • Willingness to Take Risks

Pakikipagkapwa-tao
• Openness and Unity: Faith and Religiosity
o Filipinos feel connected to others
• Strong Faith
and treat everyone with respect
• Acceptance and Optimism
and dignity
• Everyday Religiosity
• Empathy and Generosity
o They show empathy, help in times
of need (pakikiramay) and
practice bayanihan (mutual Ability to Survive
assistance) • Resourcefulness
• Hospitality • Endurance in Adversity
o Known for their warmth and • Adaptability
welcoming nature

Family Orientation
WEAKNESS OF FILIPINO CHARACTER
• Strong Family Bonds
o Have a deep love for family, 1. Extreme Personalism
2. Extreme Family-Centeredness
extending beyond immediate
3. Lack of Discipline
family
4. Passivity and Lack of Initiative
• Source of Identity
5. Colonial Mentality
o Provides Filipinos with a sense of
6. Kanya-kanya Syndrome
personal identity
7. Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Realism
• Support System
o Family is the primary source of
emotional and material support
• Commitment and Responsibility THEORIES OF POLITICAL CULTURE
o Central commitment and 1. Modernization and Post-
responsibility for Filipinos modernization Theory
2. Social Capital Paradigm
3. Political System Approach
Joy and Humor
• Cheerful Disposition
 ESTABLISHING A DEMOCRATIC o We notice we are being watched or
CULTURE observed
o Depending on who we are
Democracy interacting with
o Depending what personal
- The awareness and understanding that
the self and community are both the information we need to be
foundation of democratic practice and the providing to present ourselves in a
result of it way that will be acceptable to
others
- It is selective; carefully done – self benefit,
impress others
ATTRIBUTES OF A DEMOCRATIC
SOCIETY
- Empowerment of the people IMPACT OF ONLINE INTERACTIONS
- Consultation ON THE SELF
- Popular Decision-making
- Total development o Human interaction requires
- Delivery of services emotional involvement and
- Fair and impartial system of justice cognitive effort, but not in online
- Accountability of public officials interaction.
- Promoting respect for the rights of - Facebook provides opportunities for
others increased identity
- Concern for their welfare, unity, justice, o Young users report increased self-
and equity esteem and general wellbeing
following instances of positive
feedback on social networking
sites (Valkunburg, Peter, &
Digital Self
Schouten, 2006)
Online Identity - Online interactions cannot reveal one’s
true feelings and can decrease people’s
- distinction between how people present happiness levels.
themselves online and how they do o Emotions are expressed through
offline. emoticons or punctuation.
- gap between the online and offline o It is easier to hide emotions behind
identity is narrowing (or even
an email, Facebook post or a tweet.
overlapping)
o Based from studies, there is a
o People use social media to
tendency for a decreased
communicate with people they
happiness level and an detriment
know in “real life” contexts (home,
on overall wellbeing, rooting from
work, school)
the feeling of jealousy
o Wireless networking and portable
- We cannot control our self-
devices make it easy to access presentations in online interactions
social media as part of day-to-day and this may be both beneficial and
life. harmful to the individual.
o Online interactions enable us to
self-censor to a greater extent and
SELECTIVE SELF-REPRESENTATION manage our online identities more
AND strategically which provides
IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT greater opportunity to
misrepresent ourselves.
- These are characteristics showing
behaviors designed to convey an image
about ourselves to other people and to
influence the perception of other people
of this image.
- We tend to change our behavior
EXTENDED SELF IN A DIGITAL WORLD - Creates a dilemma in the narrative of the
self.
Russel W. Belk
- Belk presented five changes emerging
from our current digital age. SETTING BOUNDARIES
o Dematerialization
Subrahmanyan, Greenfield and Tynes,
o Reembodiment
2004
o Sharing
o Co-construction of Self - Adolescents’ online interactions are both
o Distributed Memory a literal and a metaphoric screen for
representing major adolescent
developmental issues, such as sexuality
Dematerialization and identity. Because of the public nature
of internet chat rooms, they provide an
- Information, communications, photos, open window into the expression of
videos, music, calculations, messages, adolescent concerns.
written words are now largely invisible
and immaterial, composed of electronic
streams stored in digital storage devices. SEXUAL SELF
- The part of yourself where you learn and
Reembodiment understand your sexual development and
how people's sexual activity, beliefs,
- “breakout of the visual”, leading to new misconceptions and unlimited access
“constructions” and definitions of the self from the internet on sex can influence
in the virtual world where online games, your own sexual behaviors and responses.
blogs, web pages, photo and video- - Speaks about sexual health, sexual
sharing sites, internet dating sites are orientation, gender identity and
possible. expression and values around sexuality.

Puberty to Adolescence
Sharing - Physical changes – sex hormones
undergoing physical changes and
- Uploading , downloading, sharing –
producing feelings that are sexual in
provide free access of information
nature.
through web surfing.
- Most adolescents are confused with these
- Other information kept private before
feelings
now are shared online (ex. diaries)

Co-construction of Self SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

- A lifelong process that starts at the
- Our digital involvement is social in nature.
moment of conception.
- Blogs invite comments, social interaction
which help in constructing our individual
and joint extended sense of self as the
new version of Cooley’s “Looking Glass PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF
Self Theory” known as the collaborative DEVELOPMENT
self.
- Seeking affirmation Sigmund Freud
- Every child goes through a sequence of
development stages and that the child’s
Distributed Memory experiences during these stages
determine adult personality
- Devices and technologies are available for
characteristics.
recording and archiving our memories.
THE HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM b) Plateau – brief period occurs before
orgasm.
- Sex is not just for reproduction. c) Orgasm – ejaculation (males);
- Sex serves other purposes as well; helps contractions of the walls of the lower
strengthen relationships, encourages a third of the vagina (females)
man to stick around to care for his child, d) Resolution – decrease in arousal occurs
and affects not only health but also well- after orgasm.
being.

HUMAN SEXUALITY
THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
- Sexuality is much more than sexual
- The ovaries produce 400,000 eggs or so feelings or sexual intercourse.
every 2 days. The ovum is 100,000 times - It is a part of who a person is and what
larger than the sperm cell. The egg cell she/he will become.
carries the X chromosome. - It includes all the feelings, thoughts, and
- Puberty in girls usually starts between behaviors associated with being female or
ages 8-13, along with all the bodily male, being attractive and being in love, as
changes and menarche (first menstrual well as being in relationships that include
period) would seal the growth spurt and sexual intimacy and sensual and sexual
signal the female’s sexual maturity. activity.
- It also includes enjoyment of the world as
we know it through the five senses.
THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
FIVE CIRCLES OF SEXUALITY
- The testes produce 200 million sperm
cells/spermatozoa every week. It carries 1. Sensuality
X or Y chromosome, which is the sex- a. Awareness and feelings about your
determining cell. own body and other people’s
- In boys, puberty starts around 10-15 bodies, especially the body of a
years old and explains why some girls sexual partner.
look more mature than boys. b. Enables us to feel good about how
- The testosterone hormone causes most of our bodies look and feel and what
the changes in a boy’s body and men need they can do.
sperm to reproduce. c. Allows us to enjoy the pleasure our
bodies can give us and others.
2. Sexual Intimacy
a. Ability to be emotionally close to
HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE
another human being and to
- Biological factors (presence of androgens, accept closeness in return
estrogens, progesterone) prime people for b. Sharing intimacy, caring about
sex. another, liking or loving a person,
- Libido / sexual motivation – person’s emotional risk-taking and
overall sexual drive or desire for sexual vulnerability to a loved one.
activity, which is motivated by biological, 3. Sexual Identity
psychological, and social factors. a. person’s understanding of who
- Sex hormones do not directly regulate the he/she is sexually, including the
ability to copulate. sense of being male or female.
4. Reproduction and Sexual Health
a. person’s capacity to reproduce and
SEXUAL RESPONSE PHASES the behaviors and attitudes that
make sexual relationships healthy
a) Excitement (desire/arousal) – sexual and enjoyable.
urges occur in response to sexual cues or 5. Sexualization
fantasies, a subjective sense of sexual a. People behave sexually to
pleasure and physiological signs of sexual influence, manipulate, or control
arousal. other people.
Sexuality in adolescent youth (13-19) - HIV (Human Immunodeficiency
Virus) / AIDS (Acquired
- Increased interest in romantic and sexual Immunodeficiency Syndrome) – bodily
relationships and in genital sex behaviors. fluids, Intravenous Drug Abuse, Sexual
- Strong emotional attachments to Intercourse
romantic partners and find it natural to
express their feelings within sexual
relationships.
TEENAGE PREGNANCY
- Unpredictable
- Most adolescents explore relationships - Pregnancy in females under the age of 20
with one another, fall in and out of love, at the time that the pregnancy ends.
and participate in sexual intercourse - Pregnant teenagers face many of the same
before the age of 20. obstetrics issues as other women. There
are, however, additional medical concerns
for mothers aged below 15 years old.
THE CHEMISTRY OF
LUST, ATTRACTION & ATTACHMENT
• Prevention – Comprehensive sex
1) LUST – a phase which is driven by the sex education and access to birth control
hormones testosterone and estrogen appear to reduce unplanned teenage
(excite the feeling of lust within the brain) pregnancy.
2) ATTRACTION – a phase that is
considered one of the beautiful moments • Education – Dutch Approach – the
of life, a time when a person actually curriculum focuses on values, attitudes,
starts to feel the love. Scientists think that communication and negotiation skills, as
the three main neurotransmitters are well as biological aspects of reproduction.
involved in this stage; adrenaline, • Abstinence only education – ineffective
dopamine, and serotonin.
3) ATTACHMENT – a bond helping the
couple to take their relationship to
FAMILY PLANNING/
advanced levels. It instigates the feeling of
bearing children and falling in love with
RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD
them wholeheartedly. Hormones - A simple way of regulating and spacing
(oxytocin and vasopressin). the births of children. It is giving birth
according to the health and economic
conditions of the family, giving birth of the
mother according to her right age.
o To promote healthy, happy family.
THE DIVERSITY OF HUMAN SEXUALITY
o For the mother to recover her
- Pressures to be “masculine” or “feminine” health and strength after delivery
- Gender roles affect whether adolescents o For the child to have a better
feel encouraged or discouraged in their chance of growing healthier and
choices about relationships, leisure well-cared.
activities, education, and career.

CONTRACEPTION METHODS
Sexual Intercourse (vaginal, oral, and
- Natural Birth Control – requires
anal)
commitment, discipline, self-control;
- Premarital Sex – sexual activity practices abstinence, fertility awareness methods,
by people who are unmarried; the rhythm, calendar or standard days
acceptable/unacceptable depending on method, outercourse and continued
the culture or country breastfeeding
- Sexually Transmitted - Artificial Birth Control – use of
Diseases/Infections (Venereal Diseases) modern/contemporary measures;
– passed through sexual contact or genital contraceptive or birth control pills,
diaphragm, male and female condoms,
 spermicide, cervical cap, today sponge, - Described as someone who has a strong
birth control patch, birth control shot, faith in God, positive personal qualities, a
birth control implant, intrauterine device strong sense of morality, a positive sense
(IUD), tubal ligation/vasectomy, tubal of self and well-being, a spiritual
implants and emergency contraception connectedness, and a mature ability to
pill. solve problems.

SPIRITUAL SELF The Spirit and the Soul

- The spiritual self is a profound and • Soul: Embodies our consciousness, our
deeply personal aspect of our being. It's a experiences, and our growth over time.
journey of self-discovery and connection, It's the unique journey of each individual.
exploring our inner essence and finding • Spirit: Represents our essence, our true
meaning beyond the material world. nature. It's the spark of life that connects
- Being spiritual is one aspect of an us to something divine
individual’s well-being which is vital and
widely studied a number of researchers
across several disciplines but remains to Rituals
be elusive in terms of making a standard
- A sequence of activities involving
definition
gestures, words, and objects, performed
- Spirituality is a set of “personal and
in a sequestered place, and performed
private beliefs that transcend the material
according to set sequence
aspects of life and give a deep sense of
- It is often viewed as a sincere or religious
wholeness, connectedness, and openness
series of actions which follow a certain
to the infinite” (Myers et. Al. 2000, p.265)
order.

THE three themes of spirituality

Common practices of rituals
The connectedness with the sacred
Life-cycle rituals
- Development and the maintenance of
- These are often known as rites of passage
one’s connection to the sacred.
as they signify a status change from one
- These manifests connection with a
vital life stage to another. There are three
supreme being, with people, or even with
stages: separation (parting from the old
nature which also includes harmony,
state), transition (a form of segregation),
interpersonal relationship and sense of
and reintegration (being reincorporated
faith or belief to God and the people
with the society).

Pilgrimage
Sense of meaning or purpose
- Some religions necessitate or encourage
- Development of a focused sense of self, rituals of pilgrimage which is a trip to a
individuality, and values. place viewed sacred for the purpose of
- Spirituality is something that completes devotion.
the life of a person, it includes a sense of
peace and direction Rituals of Reversal
- Some believe that these rituals allow for a
social "blowing off of steam" and allow
Expressions of spirituality individuals to go against certain social
norms. These activities are playful and are
- Done by manifesting values in one’s
confined to a certain place and time.
relationships and activities with family,
friends, and loved ones. Sacrifice
- A spiritual person is both spiritual and
religious. - A sacrifice is the offering of something
valuable to a supernatural being. This is
 often done to please or appease deities as - Frankl’s most famous example is
a sign of gratitude, humility, worship, achieving meaning by way of suffering.
and/or devotion. - The ultimate goal is self-transcendence, in
the spiritual realm.
- It is a reference to God, a reference to
Finding Meaning in LIFE religion.
(Logotheraphy)
Viktor Emil Frankl
MATERIAL SELF
- Human is motivated by a “will to
meaning,” by following a philosophical William James
assumptions about human that cannot be - “man’s self is the sum total of all that he
proved by certainty can call his”
o First assumption: human consist - This includes one’s body, family, clothes,
of body, mind, and spirit. The body house, lands, horses, yacht and bank-
and mind are what we have, and account, etc.
the spirit is what we are.
o Second assumption: life has Trentman (2016)
meaning under all circumstances, - If they grew, their owners felt triumphant
even the most miserable. It is - If they faded, they feel a part of
something that everyone themselves was dying.
experiences, and it represents an
order in a world with laws that go
beyond human laws.
o Third assumption: people have a
Possessions
will to meaning. Means if a man - The material self consists of what
finds meaning he is ready for any interests you or passionate about, and
type of suffering. what you spend for.
o Fourth assumption: people have o Clothing – decorate the self; fashion
volition under all situations. - Objects help make the person but they
o Fifth assumption: existence has a also show what the person is made of. It
mandate characteristics to which means the use and display of wealth
individuals feel must acknowledge. remains powerful and controversial, and
nowhere more so than for the super rich.
Curtis (2017) manifested that cash can have
Ways of Discovering Meaning of Life serious bearing on one’s beliefs regarding the
Experiential Values way a person views himself/herself.

- Experiencing something or someone we o Social and Business Value

value. o Self-Sufficiency and Service
o Ex. The love we feel towards o Self-View
another – family, relatives, friends, o Ethics
and workmates o Addiction
a) Social and Business Value
Creative Values a. These are two motivations for
- Becoming involved in one’s projects, or completing a given task.
project of one’s own life. b. Social – a person sees it as a
- Creativity and passion involved in arts, worthy investment of time and a
music, writing, invention, and work. part of his/her social duty, and
he/she is usually happy to help out
Attitudinal Values c. Business –when money is offered
as the motivation; people start
- Practicing virtues such as compassion,
thinking less of the social aspect
bravery, a good sense of humor, etc.
and more about the business value.
b) Self-Sufficiency and Service
 a. Those who are conscious of money o Those who lost possessions to a
typically strive to be more self- mudslide went through a process of
sufficient than those for whom grief similar to that of losing a
money isn’t a priority. loved one
c) Self-View o People go through the stages of
a. The amount one earns could have denial, anger, depression, and
an effect on how he/she views acceptance.
both himself/herself and others. - Juliet Schor (1998) - “cycle of work and
b. Class essentialism – the idea that spend”
differences between classes are o Work more to buy more
based upon identity and genetics, o Explains the connection between
rather than circumstance. wealth and well-being.
d) Ethics o The level of consumption is set
a. Those who perceive themselves to mainly by people’s choices about
be in a higher class were the most how much to work, and therefore
likely to engage in unethical how much income to earn.
behavior, particularly when a o The income earned then determines
symbol of wealth was introduced. the level of consumption.
b. Self-interest maximization (Piff) o After working so hard, people feel
- an idea that suggests those who deserving of their comforts and
have the most money or occupy luxuries.
higher classes are more likely to
take a “what’s in it for me?”
attitude. They actively work Special Cases of Extended Self
toward the most benefit for
themselves. Collections
e) Addiction Belk (1982)
a. Many addictions begin because of
person gets a positive response • Humans once primarily assembled
from a certain type of behavior. collections of necessities for future
b. Shopping, gambling, etc. security.
c. Behavioral or process addiction
• Humans today more often assemble
– a compulsive behavior not
collections of non-necessities for
motivated by dependency on an
distinction and self-definition.
addictive substance, but rather by
a process that leads to a seemingly • Collecting has become a significant
positive outcome. activity in our consumer society as it has
become more widely affordable through
the discretionary time and money
Possessions and the Extended Self available to the general population rather
than just to the wealthy elite.
- Rosenblatt, Walsh, and Jackson (1976)
Goldberg and Lewis (1978)
suggested that a process of grief and
mourning may follow the discovery of • Suggested that “Many collectors who are
theft, just as one might grieve and mourn inhibited and uncomfortable in social
the death of a loved one who had been a interaction, surround themselves with
part of one’s life. favored objects upon which they project
- Dinisman (2017). Victims perceive their human-like qualities. They practically talk
belongingness as an extension of to these objects; they find comfort in being
themselves, so they feel the loss as a threat with them and regard them as friends.”
to their self-identity, which elicits strong
negative emotional reactions. Possession Pets as Extended Self
having high sentimental value and being • Pets are regarded commonly as
much more than functional. representative of self.
- McLeod (1984) on Victims of Natural
Disasters
 • Some relationship between personality
and choice of pet does exist.
• Like people, pets are regarded as family
members.
• We name our pets, feed and care for them,
photograph them, spend money on them,
groom them, talk to them, protect them,
sleep and play with them, and mourn
their death.
• Levinson (1972) and Robin and Bensel
(1985) found that pets are so
instrumental to self-identity that they are
often useful as transition objects
(surrogate parents) for children and as
surrogate children for adults.
• Pets can be therapeutic.

Body Parts
• Body parts are among the most central
parts of the extended self.
• Freud – self-extension is called cathexis
(charging of an object, activity, or idea
with emotional energy by the individual).
• When a body part is more highly
cathected, there is greater use of
grooming products to care for this part of
the body.
• Csikszentimihalyi and Rochberg-
Halton (1981)
• Proposed the seemingly identical
concept of psychic energy
investment to describe the process
of identification with possessions
of any type.
• We are permanently attached to
our body parts, these body parts
are expected to be more strongly
cathected than material
possessions.
• The loss of body parts is
tantamount to losing one’s identity
and one’s very being. (loss of limb,
amputation)