PREFACE

Young people in this millennium tend to devote most of their time in the addicting
realm of Social Media resulting to lack of time spent for self-introspection and
reflection.Most of their times are spent for Vlogging, accepting online challenges, posting
selfies and travel blogs, viewing videos, etc., while less are spent in resolving and
addressing personal issues and self identify. They seem to lack the necessary skills and
proper guidance in dealing with the self in times of vulnerabilities. While most of their
attentions are preoccupied with the presentations posted online that kept themselves busy
online, they tend to deviate themselves from the trend of understanding the self through the
personality theories of various disciplines. What is most challenging by the educators is
their strong tendency to determine their self-identity through the digital personalities which
are mostly fake and unreal. What is trending online seems to be the determinants of their
personality and self identity.

This course, Understanding the Self, follows the blended learning modality for the
college students facing the havoc of this pandemic. Compliant to what is prescribed by
CHED memorandum; this is designed for them to understand themselves better through the
various disciplines and be able to use the proper response in confronting this global crisis.
This is significantly beneficial on the part of the young students in transcending themselves
towards human authenticity. The Pandemic brought by the COVID 19 has post a great
challenge on the personality and decision making skills of the young students. This is to
facilitate them in using their free choice based on what they feel as significant to their own
growth and mental health development.

The course is divided into three major parts: The Self from Various Perspectives,
Unpacking the Self, and Managing and Caring for the Self. This Instructional Materials is a
product of the collaborative efforts of the faculty members of the JHCSC System who are
teaching this course.

The Authors

Preface

i
 Young people in this millennium tend to devote most of their time in the addicting
realm of Social Media resulting to lack of time spent for self-introspection and reflection.
Most of their times are spent for Vlogging, accepting online challenges, posting selfies and
travel blogs, viewing videos, etc., while less are spent in resolving and addressing personal
issues and self identify. They seem to lack the necessary skills and proper guidance in
dealing with the self in times of vulnerabilities. While most of their attentions are
preoccupied with the presentations posted online that kept themselves busy online, they tend
to deviate themselves from the trend of understanding the self through the personality
theories of various disciplines. What is most challenging by the educators is their strong
tendency to determine their self-identity through the digital personalities which are mostly
fake and unreal. What is trending online seems to be the determinants of their personality
and self identity.

This course, Understanding the Self, follows the blended learning modality for the
college students facing the havoc of this pandemic. Compliant to what is prescribed by
CHED memorandum; this is designed for them to understand themselves better through the
various disciplines and be able to use the proper response in confronting this global crisis.
This is significantly beneficial on the part of the young students in transcending themselves
towards human authenticity. The Pandemic brought by the COVID 19 has post a great
challenge on the personality and decision making skills of the young students. This is to
facilitate them in using their free choice based on what they feel as significant to their own
growth and mental health development.

The course is divided into three major parts: The Self from Various Perspectives,
Unpacking the Self, and Managing and Caring for the Self. This Instructional Materials is a
product of the collaborative efforts of the faculty members of the JHCSC System who are
teaching this course.

The Authors

Acknowledgment

The development of this module is made possible through the initiative of Dr. Mary
Jocelyn V. Battung, JHCSC President; Dr. Lina T. Codilla, Vice-President for the Academic
Affairs; and Ferlor Angel G. Rodriguez, IMS Coordinator. They took the lead in conducting
webinars which greatly helped and guided us in crafting this work.

ii
 To Dr. Nimshe Pastrano, Dean of Students’ Affairs, for leading the General
Education Group to be able to produce this module.

To Jeronil G. Fabriga for lay outing the cover design of this module.

To our Almighty God, for the wisdom, guidance of the Holy Spirit, and good health
throughout the preparation and writing this module. Glory be to God the Father.

The Authors

Table of Contents

Preface ii
Acknowledgment iii

Unit 1 The Self from Various Perspectives 1

Lesson 1 Philosophical Perspectives on the Self 2

Lesson 2 The Self from Psychological Perspective 15
Lesson 3 The Self from Sociological and
Anthropological Perspectives 22
Lesson 4 The Self in Western and Eastern Thoughts 31
iii
Unit 2 Unpacking the Self 39

Lesson 5 The Physical Self 40

Lesson 6 The Sexual Self 46
Lesson 7 The Material and Economic Self 73
Lesson 8 The Digital Self 79
Lesson 9 The Political Self and Being a Filipino 87
Lesson 10The Spiritual Self 100

iv
 UNIT 1

THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

Learning Outcomes:

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

a) discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from various
disciplinal perspectives;
b) compare and contrast how the self has been represented across different disciplines
and perspectives;
c) examine the different influences, factors, and forces that shape the self; and
d) demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the development of one's self
and identity by developing a theory of the self.

LESSON
1

1
 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE SELF

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
a) recognize the importance of independent thinking in understanding the self;
b) respond to a thinker’s concept of self;
c) describe one’s personal view of self; and
d) restate and evaluate conceptions of self by some philosophers;

Pretest
Directions:Group the following words into three by theme or motif.

Theme 1: Theme 2: Theme 3:

___________________ _____________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________ _____________________
___________________ ______________________ _____________________
___________________ ______________________ _____________________

1. What themes or motifs unify the words in your lists? How are you able to find these
themes?
_______________________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________
2
 2. Is there an overall prevailing theme or motif? What is it?
_______________________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________

Learning Content
One who understands others is clever.
One who understands the ‘self’ is enlightened.
One who conquers others is forceful.
One who conquers the ‘self’ is strong…

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Philosophy is often labelled the “mother of all sciences,” and rightly so as modern-
day disciplines such as physics and psychology originate from it. As you may have known
already from your studies in high school, it can be etymologically defined as “the love of
wisdom,” the Greek philia meaning love and sophia wisdom.

It may perhaps be said that the work of a philosopher is a work of speculation. This
is mostly true of our early thinkers who lack instruments and established methodology. In
the course of the centuries, thinkers either applied newly-invented tools to their reflections
or altogether moved their explorations away from pure speculation towards the paradigm of
the new sciences. Interestingly, philosophy remains to be a subject in universities and
colleges worldwide.

Today, what remains in the academic field of philosophy are mostly issues that
would not, or at least not yet, qualify for scientific validation. The question concerning the
self is one such issue. Here are some of the most influential philosophers who offered their
thoughts about this issue.

Socrates and Plato: The self is a soul

Often designated the title of “father of Western

philosophy,” Socrates (470-399 BCE) was one of the
first known thinkers to reflect on the concept of the self.
He lived in Athens, Greece around the 5th Century BCE.
His philosophy was grounded on the Delphic oracle’s
command to “Know Thyself”. One of Socrates’ most
popular statements is. He also advanced the idea that
knowledge is a virtue and that people do evil things

“The unexamined life is not

3
worth living.”
because of ignorance. In his lifetime, he went about conversing with people and questioning
traditional Athenian beliefs. Although doing this, he made a few friends, authorities mostly
felt threatened by his unorthodox views. He was eventually put to death by poison in front of
a large crowd.

Socrates believed that reality consists of two different

realms. First, there is the physical world of appearances that
comprises all that we can perceive with our senses. All
aspects of this realm are continually changing. In contrast,
there is an unchanging and perfect realm where universal
essences (called Forms or Ideas)such as truth and beauty
reside. This, according to Socrates, is the realm of the soul,
which is the divine and immortal element in each person.
To Socrates and his followers over the centuries, this soul
which is superior to the body and which finds its ultimate
"The first and greatest victory is fulfillment in union with the eternal and transcendent realm
to conquer yourself; to be
through intellectual enlightenment is the person’s real self.
conquered by yourself is of all
things most shameful and vile."
Plato (428-347 BCE) was Socrates’ leading student.
In fact, it was through the writings of Plato that we know of
his teacher’s thoughts today. As a student, the character of a heroic teacher figured much in
his work.

In the Phaedrus, Plato, with Socrates as his main character, writes of the soul as
having three parts: reason, physical appetite and spirit or passion. Reason, as the divine
essence, enables us to reflect on and understand eternal truths or essences. Physical appetite
is that which ties us to our basic biological needs like food and water, allowing for our
survival. Spirit enables us to feel basic emotions such as love and anger. These three are in a
dynamic relationship with one another, sometimes in cooperation and at other times in
quarrel. In case of the latter, Plato believes that it is reason’s duty to sort things out and exert
control over the other parts of the soul in order to restore harmony within the person.

In relation to their idea on the self, Socrates and Plato maintained that, in this life,we
are able to contemplate the Forms because we ourselves have had experience of these Ideas
before our birth in this world of appearances. Therefore, we know them already, only that
this knowledge became ‘latent’ in the soul. However, a recovery or recollection of our
innate knowledge of these Forms may be attained in three ways: 1) perception of things that
resemble the Forms; 2) teaching by another person; and 3) inquiry into the Forms by
intellectual conversation (Taylor, 2003).

Augustine: The self seeks for God

So far, it is remarkable that Socrates’ and Plato’s idea

of the self-soul does not sound foreign to us at all. That is

4
 “In yourself you rouse us,
giving us delight
partly due to another thinker’s synthesis of their ideas with the Christianity which we in
glorifying you, because you
have
come to know today. This thinker was St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430),
made us awith Christian
yourselfbishop
as
our goal, and our
and one of the early doctors of both the Western and Eastern Churches. His philosophy heart is is
restless until it rests in
based on Socrates’ and Plato’s views (e.g. that the mortal body isyou.”
inferior to the immortal
soul, etc.), but with a religious twist. For him, Platonism and Christianity were partners. He
identified Socrates’ and Plato’s perfect realm of universal essences to be the Christian God
with whom the soul can achieve union through faith and reason.

In his writings, Augustine grapples with the problem of selfhood. He notes that the
self is a mystery, a known-unknown. This paradox is the source of our restlessness which
sets us seeking. Hence, the process of understanding the self is for him a long and difficult
journey. To him, God and the soul are inevitably linked such that one’s search for the self is
ultimately connected to that person’s search for God who, in Augustinian terminology, is
called “the Selfsame”. God is the heart of our hearts, the light of our thinking and the very
self of ourselves. This means that God is found within the self, although He is above
(Sweeney, 2014). All of this suggests that we cannot arrive at a full understanding of the
mystery of our individual selves, except through and with God, who is the ground of our
being.

Rene Descartes: The self is a thinking thing

The French intellectual Rene Descartes (1596-1650) is a

distinguished figure in the fields of mathematics, science and
philosophy. Earlier philosophers were mostly concerned with the
nature of reality, how we ought to behave, the existence of God, and
the nature of the soul. Descartes, on the other hand, was more
concerned with the thinking process used to address such questions.
He is today regarded as “father of modern philosophy,” both for
breaking away with the Scholastic-Aristotelian tradition of the
middle ages, and for providing a philosophical groundwork for the
“I think, therefore I possibility of the sciences (Smith, 2018; Skirry, n.d.).
exist.”

One of Descartes’ most enduring legacies is his emphasis on

the importance of independent thinking. One cannot claim to be a thinker, he writes, only by
manifesting knowledge of the great ideas in the history of thought, much less by referring to
revered “authorities” handed down by tradition. Instead, one needs to exercise one’s own
power of reasoning and apply all means available to that end. Descartes demonstrates this in
his famous Meditations on First Philosophy (1641) where he starts with an attempt to doubt
everything in order to know where to start and establish a sure foundation of his ideas. This
methodic doubting of all things led to his famous first principle: Cogito, ergo sum(“I think,
therefore I exist”), which became the basis of his concept of self.

In relation to his concept of self, Descartes argues for the existence of God by our
very idea of His perfection. He remarks that, to those who diligently discern, this is a self-
5
evident truth very much like the basic truths in arithmetic or geometry, for to think that God
does not actually exist diminishes that perfection. He also points out the cause of human
imperfection as the disproportion between a person’s understanding and will. From his
certainty that the self exists, at least as a thinking thing that is aware of itself, and that there
is a perfect God who wills the best for His creation, it follows for Descartes that material
things like the body exist. Thus, Descartes defines the self as a thinking thing that doubts,
understands, wills, forms judgments, imagines and perceives. This last characteristic is
primarily associated with the body, which, although secondary to the mind, plays a role in
self-identity.

John Locke: The self is consciousness

John Locke (1632–1704) was an English thinker and

physician who explored issues dealt with by Descartes, such as
the nature of the self. However, Locke approached these issues
from a very different perspective, that of a physician, which is
his profession. An empiricist, he believed that sense experience
is the primary source of a person’s knowledge while, on the
other hand, reason plays a secondary role of arriving at
intelligent conclusions. He also rejects theories of innate
conceptions, holding that at birth, the mind is a tabula rasa, a
blank tablet upon which experience will be inscribed.
“Consciousness always
accompanies thinking, and Locke identifies two defining features of a person,
it is that which makes namely self-consciousness and the idea of persisting over a
everyone to be what he
calls self, and thereby period of time. These at a first glance seem to conform to
distinguishes himself from Plato’s and Descartes’ views. However, this persistence is
all other thinking things.”
deemed by Locke more in terms of psychological
characteristics and relations rather than its identity as a material
body or as an immaterial soul. Your self, therefore, is not tied to
a body or substance.

Locke claims that it is possible to remain as the same human being and not remain as
the same person. For example, a human being has a different consciousness by day (when he
or she is awake) than by night (when he or she is asleep). Interestingly, recent developments
in science tell of individuals with Dissociative Identity Disorder which feature in popular
films like Split (2016) and TV shows like Rhodora X(2014).This dissociation of persons
within the same human being also applies to experiences in the past that an individual has
forgotten and, therefore, not part of his or her present consciousness. Following Locke, we
may say that, although the same human being is involved, such an individual is not the same
person who experienced those forgotten things in the past. Six-year-old Justin, for example,
is not the same person as sixty-year-old Justin, because different experiences, relations and
desires occupy each one of them.

6
David Hume: There is no self

David Hume(1711-1776) was a Scottish historian,

essayist and one of the most important philosophers to write in
the English language. Following the empiricist approach of
Locke, he became primarily known for his controversial ideas
which influenced other thinkers as diverse as Adam Smith,
Immanuel Kant, Jeremy Bentham and Charles Darwin(Morris
& Brown, 2019).

According to Hume, if we truly examine the contents

“Reason is, and ought only
of our mind, what we would find are only two classes of to be the slave of the
things, namely impressions, which are vivid perceptions like passions.”
pain, pleasure or the color red, and ideas which are copies of
impressions in the memory or fictions in the imagination. True
to his empiricism, Hume writes that only those ideas that arise from impressions have real
existence; all else are fictions. Unfortunately, personal identity or the self is one such fiction,
derived from a succession of impermanent states and events.

Hume acknowledges that, when it comes to putting this

very personal idea to the test, most people are unlikely to
remove bias from their imagination, which has a tendency to
perceive sameness and continuity instead of diversity and
change. This relation (whether by resemblance, succession or
causation) between perceptions is facilitated by the slowness,
imperceptibility or triviality of the change in proportion to the
whole. Thus, it yields to the more popular and comfortable idea
of the persisting self. Still, no matter how related they are, it
remains a mistake to think of diverse things as the same, that is,
diverse perceptions as one unified experience. Thus, for Hume, a
“Space and time are the “person” is no more than a collection or a “bundle” of different
framework within which the
mind is constrained to
perceptions that continually pass and succeed each other, very
construct its experience of much like the scenes or characters in a theater.
reality.”
Immanuel Kant: We construct the self

A central figure in modern philosophy, German

Enlightenment thinker Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)tried to reconcile the opposing
philosophical schools of rationalism and empiricism, and provided a comprehensive
framework that continues to influence philosophical thinking to this day (Rohlf, 2020).

Kant’s notion of self is, in part, a reaction to Hume. He was troubled by the latter’s
view that the mind is only a passive container of random impressions and ideas to which it
conforms. Responding to this, Kant argues that our minds take an active role in synthesizing

7
different sensations to create an organized experience of the world. He affirms that
knowledge begins with sense experience, but he goes on to say that it does not necessarily
follow that all knowledge comes from experience, categorizing between a priori or
knowledge independent of experience and a posteriori or empirical knowledge. According to
Kant, we have fundamental organizing rules or principles built into our minds, which are a
priori and which aidus in making sense of the world. So, instead of perceiving a
disconnected stream of sensations, what we experience is an organized world of objects,
relationships and ideas. We enjoy listening to a musical composition, for example, rather
than to individual notes.

Hume’s mistake, according to Kant, was in looking for the self in the wrong place.
Kant points out that, contrary to Hume’s assumption, the self is not an object of
consciousness, because it transcends consciousness: it is the
dynamic organizing principle that makes consciousness
possible. He coins the phrase “unity of consciousness” to
denote that thoughts and perceptions are bound together in the
consciousness of a human being. It is the self that synthesizes,
unifies or binds together the contents of consciousness, making
the world intelligible. Thus, the individual, at the center of his
or her world, views it from his or her own perspective.
“Unexpressed emotions will
Sigmund Freud : The self is multilayered never die. They are buried
alive and will come forth
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian later in uglier ways.”
neurologist who founded the psychoanalytic school of
psychology. Although not, strictly speaking, a philosopher, his
theory on the nature of the self made a significant impact to philosophers and scientists
alike. A fundamental idea in Freud’s perspective on the human person is the unconscious,
which he describes as the level of human functioning that contains the basic instinctual
drives that seek immediate gratification as well as unfulfilled wishes that have been
repressed. Freud refers to dreams, slips of the tongue and neurotic behavior as evidences to
the existence of this level. Governed by the “pleasure principle”, this, to him, constitutes a
greater chunk of the mind than the conscious level and therefore has the dominant influence
in our personalities. On the other hand, the conscious self takes into account the realistic
demands of the situation and the consequences of various actions, thus regulating the
constant pressures of the unconscious as it continually seeks to be satisfied. A further
division in the unconscious is the preconscious which Freud says contains processes that
easily become conscious before becoming unconscious again, as when something is recalled
and then forgotten.

In addition to this topographical model, Freud later developed a related structural

model that divided the mind into three agencies: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is
the most primitive agency of the mind, which, like the unconscious, contains the basic

8
instinctual drives that motivate the person to seek pleasure. However, the other two agencies
consist of aspects that are both conscious and unconscious. The superego performs an
idealistic, critical and moralizing role, bidding the person to act according to his or her
conscience. Lastly, the ego is the rational and realistic agent that mediates between the id
and the superego.(Lapsley & Stey, 2012, p. 396)

Like Hume’s analysis, Freud’s multilayered notion of the human mind, especially its
emphasis on the unconscious, marks a stark contrast to the popular definition of the self as a
single entity that persists over time. It, therefore, challenges the traditional philosophical
assumption that the self can be explored and understood primarily through rational reflection
and analysis.

Gilbert Ryle: The self is how you behave

An important figure in the field of Linguistic Analysis,

which treats philosophical puzzles by analyzing language,
Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976) was a British philosopher who
adopted a ‘behaviorist’ theory of mind. He is known for
attacking the mind/body dualism endorsed by Descartes,
which is analogous to that of other eminent thinkers such as
Socrates, Plato and Augustine, and which pervades academic,
cultural and religious thinking to this day.

In his best-known work, The Concept of Mind (1949),

Ryles crutinizes the traditional distinction between body and
mind as outlined by Descartes. For him, instances of dualism “In searching for the self,
such as this are logically absurd, being practically one cannot simultaneously
be the hunter and the
misunderstandings of the use of language for which he coins hunted.”
the term “category mistake”, i.e., a type of informal fallacy in
which things that belong to one category are mistakenly placed
in another. Ryle points out that ‘mind’ and ‘matter’ cannot be polar opposites in that, at the
language level, properties considered as mental are merely negations of physical properties,
hence they belong to the same category or logical type.

Ryle further says that, although most people would assume a mind-body dualism as a
general theory, where the mind wills and the body performs while at the same time sending
perceptions to the mind, in reality we have no idea how or why this happens. And yet we act
and speak as if we have direct knowledge of other minds. This “ghost in the machine”
dualism therefore conflicts directly with our everyday
experience, revealing itself to be a defective notion. He ends up
dismissing the Cartesian view, arguing that the mind is really
just the intelligent behavior of the body (R. Watson, n.d.). No
wonder that, in defining the self, he focuses on observable
behavior. For him, the self is best understood as a pattern of
9
 “We do have an organ for
understanding and
recognizing moral facts. It
is called the brain.”

behavior, the tendency or disposition to behave in a particular manner under particular

circumstances. Although this may be contrary to what most people hold true, Ryle’s work as
able to point out the difficulty of a dualistic perspective (especially its failure to account
adequately for mental causation), setting the focus of subsequent thinkers on a more
scientific view of the self.

Paul Churchland: The self is the brain

Paul Churchland (b. 1942) is a contemporary Canadian philosopher who teaches at

the University of California, San Diego, and is currently making an impact in the areas of
neuro-philosophy and the philosophy of mind through his writings which include Matter
and Consciousness (1984),The Engine of Reason, The Seat of the Soul: A Philosophical
Journey into the Brain (1995) and Plato’s Camera: How the Physical Brain Captures a
Landscape of Abstract Universals (2012).

When it comes to viewing the mind and consciousness, Churchland advocates

eliminative materialism, the claim that our common understanding of the human mind,
including concepts of “folk psychology” like belief, desire, fear, sensation, pain and joy, are
deeply wrong and therefore should be eliminated in favor of a better science. For him, to
fully understand the nature of the mind we have to fully understand the nature of the brain.
He recognizes that, with the help of today’s increasingly advanced technology, scientists are
gradually becoming able to relate areas in the brain with mental functioning, such as which
areas are activated when a person is speaking, hearing or reading words, and that it is only a
matter of time before the mental life of consciousness can be fully explainable in terms of
the neurophysiology of the brain.

However, despite his optimism, Churchland acknowledges the radicalism of his

view. Manywould argue for the richness of personal human experience, something that
neuroscientific descriptions of the brain’s operation would, for these people, provide no
clue.

Maurice Merleau-Ponty: The self is an embodied subjectivity

Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961) was a French

thinker who used a philosophical approach known as
phenomenology, which attempts to describe (not to explain)
experience as it is in itself and clarify our understanding of it.

Merleau-Ponty complains about philosophies that

treat the body as second only to the mind, when, in fact, it is
an entity that cannot be reduced to an object. From the
phenomenological standpoint, the division between mind and
body is but a result of confused thinking. Our personal “lived “The world and I are within
experience” of the world tells us that mental and physical are one another.”
seamlessly woven together as to form a unity. The “I” that
10
each of us refers to in candid moments of immediate prereflective experience is a single
integrated entity, a coordination of mental, physical, and emotional structured around a core
identity: the self. Merleau-Ponty suggests that the unified experience that we have of our
self, such as when we are dancing, playing a sport or performing musically, is model we
should use to understand our nature.

Merleau-Ponty writes that although perception is fundamental, it is our

consciousness that enables us to perceive and have knowledge about the world. Everything
that we know is contained within our consciousness. The world around us initially exists
only as objects of our consciousness. However, what usually happens is that we seem to
think of the space-time world as primary and our immediate consciousness as secondary, an
inversion of the way things actually are, resulting to varying theories that in the first place
wouldn’t have been possible if not for the primal reality of lived experience to serve as their
foundation.

Learning Activities

Activity 1. Respond
Directions: Choose a thinker whose concept of self catches your interest and videotape your
5-7-minute live response in a form of audio performance. See Rubrics in Page ______.

Activity 2.Create
Directions: In a 3-5 paragraph essay, describe your own concept of self. Your essay will be
graded based on the rubric that you can find on http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
?screen=ShowRubric&rubric_id=2838298. Consequently, use that rubric as a guide when
writing youressay and check it again before turning in.

Mastery Test

Directions:Complete the sentences in the second column based on what you learned from
this lesson. Then write your own evaluation of these conceptions of self in the third column.

Philosophers Philosopher’s view of the self My personal view or reaction on

the Philosopher’s concept of the
self)
Example: Example: Example:
David Hume The self is the Bundle Theory The self is not all a bundle theory
of mind. of the mind. It is the product of
thinking and doing.
Socrates and Plato The self is

11
 Augustine The self is

Descartes The self is

Locke The self is

Hume The self is

Kant The self is

Freud The self is

Ryle The self is

Churchland The self is

Merleau-Ponty The self is

LESSON
2
THE SELF FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Learning Outcomes

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

a) differentiate two self theories;

b) compare and contrast real self and ideal self, and true self and false self; and
a) assess and examine yourself based on the global and differentiated models of self.

Pretest
Watch the Youtube video on the Pencil Parable through this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KN9MESkY-o and answer these following questions:
12
 1. What are the lessons you have learned about the self?
2. What do you think are the ways to develop yourself?

Learning Content

True Self and False Self

President Duterte has been criticized due to his language that has been affecting both
national and international relations.

Is he showing his true self or false self?

A person is in her/his true self if s/he has a sense of integrity and of connected wholeness.

When the person has to comply with external rules, such as being polite or otherwise
following social codes, then a false self is used. The false self constantly seeks to anticipate
demand of others in order to maintain the relationship.

infancy Parenting

ROOT of the Formation of TRUE SELF

And FALSE SELF

Can be taught

parents teachers

Characteristics
TRUE SELF FALSE SELF

• Like their bodies • Pessimistic

• Appreciate their qualities • Take no risks
• Do not compare yourself with others • Focus on faults
• Speak to yourself kindly • Happy to imitate others
• Proactive • Critical of themselves
• Accept your emotions and know how • Blaming
to express them • Look defeated and depressed
• Optimistic • Repress their emotions

13
 • Welcome the praise of others • Suspicious of praises
• Confident • Compare themselves with others
• Look for challenge and adventure • Narcissistic (feeling you exists
• Live the present moment Only when you enjoy the attention of the
other)
• Think they are important because of
their possessions

Effects: True Self Effects: false self

Healthy false self

When the false self is functional both for the person and for society then it is considered
healthy. The healthy false self feels that it is still being true to the true self.

Unhealthy false self

A self that fits in but through a feeling of forced compliance rather than loving adaptation is
unhealthy.

When the false self wins debates against the true self, the person finds that they are unable to
be guided by their true self and so has to adapt to the social situation rather than assert its
self.

How to love and develop your true self?

1. God loves you.
 God created you in a very special way.
 He shaped you, fashioned you, and molded you.
 God designed every part of your being.
 You cannot love others if you don’t love your self
 You can’t be successful and happy if you don’t love your self
2. Accept yourself as you are
 In life, the most stressful thing for you to do is to be someone else. And the
easiest thing to do in the world is to be yourself.
And there lies your greatest success.
And your greatest happiness.
 When you become yourself, you discover that success and happiness becomes
almost effortless.
3. Forgive Yourself
 Don’t be imprisoned by your own weaknesses or ugliness
4. Nurture Yourself
 Be sensitive to your need
 Feel good about yourself
 Think of your blessings
14
  Read the Scriptures
 Enjoy yourself, pamper yourself
5. Set Boundaries
 Avoid Emotional Vampires
6. Affirm Yourself
 I am a great person
 I am beautiful
 I am loved by God
 This will change your life!

Personality Domains: Real Self VS Ideal Self

 The ideal self is how we want to be
 It is an idealized image that we have developed over time, based on what we
have learned and experienced.
 It may include components of what our parents have taught us, what we admire
in others, what our society promotes, and what we think is in our best interest.

Real Self Ideal Self Public Self

Activist Approachable Loud
Intelligent Friendly Peculiar
Short hair Talented Sens of fashion
Short hair

Importance of Allignment
 If the way that I am( the real self) is allgined with the way that I want to be (the
ideal self), then I will feel a sense of mental well-being or peace of mind.
 If the way that I am is not alligned with how I want to be, the incongruence, or
lack of allignment, will result in mental distress or anxiety.
 The greater the level of incongruence between the ideal self and the real self, the
greater the level of resulting distress.

Carl Roger’s Self-Actualization Theory

Rogers believed people are motivated by an innate tendency to actualize, maintain, and
enhance the self.

Our environment depends on our perception of it, which may not always coincide with
reality.

Your own opinion of what you consider to be the acceptable behavior of college students
will be different by the time you are 70.

The Development of the Self in Childhood

 As infants gradually develop a more complex experiential field from widening social
encounters, one part of their experience becomes differentiated from the rest.
 This separate part, defined by the words I, me, and myself, is the self or self-concept.
15
  The formation of the self-concept involves distinguishing what is directly and
immediately a part of the self from the people, objects, and events that are external to
the self.
 The self concept is also our image of what we are, what we should be, and what we
would like to be.
 All aspects of the self strive for consistency. (E.g., aggressive behavior)

Positive Regard
 As the self emerges, infants develop a need for what Rogers called positive regard.
 The need for positive regard is universal and persistent. It includes acceptance, love,
and approval from other people, most notably from the mother during infancy.
 Positive regard is crucial to personality development, infant behavior is guided by
the amount of affection and love bestowed.

Incongruence
 We come to evaluate experiences, and accept or reject them, not in terms of how they
contribute to the overall actualization tendency, but in terms of whether they bring
positive regard from others.
 This leads to incongruence between the self-concept and the experiential world, the
environment as we perceive it.
 Experiences that are incongruent or incompatible with our self-concept become
threatening and are manifested as anxiety.
 For example, if our self-concept includes the belief that we love all humanity, once
we meet someone toward whom we feel hatred, we are likely to develop anxiety.
 Hating is not congruent with our image of us as loving persons. To maintain our self-
concept, we must deny the hatred.

Characteristics of Fully Functioning Persons

 Awareness of all experience; open to positive as well as negative feelings
 Freshness of appreciation for all experiences
 Trust in one’s own behavior and feelings
 Freedom of choice, without inhibitions
 Creativity and spontaneity
 Continual need to grow, to strive to maximize one’s potential

16
Learning Activities

Activity No. 1: Compare and Contrast

Use the Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the real self and ideal self, and true self and
false self. Submit your work in our Google class.

Activity No. 2: Self-Assessment

Using the Table, assess and examine yourself. Based from the global and differentiated
models of the self and Carl Roger’s theory of self-actualization, what are the characteristics
that you want to become? Submit your output in our Google class.

My True Self My False Self What are the characteristics that

I want to become?

17
 Activity No. 3: Know the Difference
Differentiate the two theories of the self. Write your answer on the space provided. Submit
your output through Google class.

Real Self and Ideal Self True Self and False Self

Mastery Test

Essay. Direction: Answer the questions briefly and concisely. See the Rubric on
page______. Submit your output through our Google Class.
1. How can a person resolve incongruence of the self?
2. Why is it possible to do self-actualization?
3. How can you relate yourself with the pencil in the Pencil Parable?
4. Discuss how to love and develop your true self.

LESSON
3

THE SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE

18
SELF
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you will be able to:

a) explain the relationship between and among the self, society and culture;
b) identify the different ways by which society and culture shape the self; and
c) compare and contrast how the self can be influenced by the different
institutions in the society.

Pretest
True or False

Direction: Write True, if the statement is TRUE. Write False it is false. Write your answer
on the space provided.

1. Sociology and Social Psychology are really one and the same fields since they both
focus on social influencers on individual and group behavior.
2. Socialization appears to be a process only occurring in childhood.
3. The story of Genie, the girl given to the Department of Public Social Services after
being with abusive parents, supported the conclusion that feral children can become
part of mainstream society.
4. Social differentiation explains not only age norms, but also the general differences
between people of different social classes or genders.
5. Adolescent youth cultures exist in all societies.

Multiple Choice

Direction: Write the letter of the correct answer on the space provided.

6. Which of the following is a characteristic of anthropology?

a. It is concerned with both human biology and culture.
b. It is concerned with human variation, evolution, and adaptation.
c. It focuses only on prehistoric societies.
d. A and B
19
7. Which of the following is true about anthropology?
a. It usually is preferable to do anthropological research alone rather than with a
team of researchers.
b. Anthropology as an academic discipline is comparatively young. Its roots go
back to the intellectual Enlightenment of the 18th and early 19th centuries in
Europe and North America.
c. Most anthropologists today are generalists—they master all of the fields of
anthropology.
d. All professional anthropologists now work in colleges, universities, or museums.
8. Inherent in the holistic approach to learning about humans is the realization that;
a. All people are fully and equally human.
b. Ethnocentric beliefs are biologically inherited.
c. People cannot be understood by studying either their biological makeup or their
cultural background alone. It is necessary to take into consideration both
genetically inherited and learned traits in trying to explain how we have become
the people we are.
d. All of the above.
9. What do anthropologists mean when they refer to the concept of “integration” in
regards to cultures?
a. Different kinds of people should learn to live together in peace.
b. Any successful behavior, strategy, or technique for obtaining food and surviving
in a new environment provides a selective advantage in the competition for
survival with other creatures.
c. The best way to study another culture is by the working with a teamof
researchers from different academic disciplines.
d. All aspects of a culture are interrelated.
10. Culture is:
a. Entirely learned during our lifetimes.
b. The full range of learned behavior patterns and knowledge acquired by people as
members of a society.

20
 c. What made it possible for humans to transform themselves from relatively
insignificant plant and dead animal scavengers in Africa to a truly global species
capable of controlling the fate of all species.
d. All of the above.

Learning Contents

Definition of Sociology & Anthropology

 WHAT ARE SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY?

(https://education.seattlepi.com)

They are both distinct areas of study, with separate histories and different ways of
looking at the world.

SOCIOLOGY. It is the study of social life and the social causes and consequences
of the human behavior. In the words of C. Wright Mills, sociology looks for the “public
issues” that underlie “private troubles”. Sociology differs from popular notions of human
behavior in that it uses systematic, scientific methods of investigation and questions many of
the common sense and taken-for-granted views of our social world. Sociological thinking
involves taking a closer look at our social world. Sociological thinking involves taking a
closer look at our social world and recognizing that most often things are not necessarily
what they seem. A sociologist understands unemployment for example, not as the problem
of one person who can’t find job, but as the interaction of economic, political, and social
forces that determine the number of jobs and who has access to them.

ANTHROPOLOGY. It is a broad, holistic study of human beings and includes the

subfields of archaeology, physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistic
anthropology. Anthropologists study human beings from a very broad and comparative
perspective. We are interested in human experience around the world, past and present.
Cultural anthropologists study cultures—from our own culture to those different from our
owns—by living in the culture and gaining the insiders’ point of view.

COMMONALITIES

21
 Notice that while sociology and anthropology have different emphases—one
examines social structures, the other focuses on culture—there is much that they have in
common.

Both look at the “big picture”, are interested in the way society influences peoples’ lives,
and strive to promote understanding. Recognizing these similarities our major blends the
two areas of study. For those with a strong interest in one discipline or the other, it is
possible to select courses with a primary focus in either, but encourage our majors to explore
and draw on the insights from both disciplines.

Having two disciplines in one department allows us to offer unique learning situations.
Our curriculum includes a number of courses that combine sociological and anthropological
thinking, including courses on social movements, health and healing, global
interdependence, religion, family, and social justice.

Four Branches of Anthropology

1. Archeology
-examines peoples and culture of the past
2. Biological Anthropology
- specializes in evolution, genetics, and health
3. Cultural Anthropology
- studies societies and elements of cultural life
4. Linguistic Anthropology
- is a concentration of cultural anthropology that focuses on language in society
 WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF SOCIETY AND
CULTURE?(https://www.quora.com,2020)

Society is the overt action of people in a culture to regulate actions and expressed in
a culture to regulate actions and expressed ideas, both by rewarding and penalizing them.
“Self” is the highly individual, irreducible unit actor – a person. Person who spring from a
culture / society generally understand what to do, and why.

22
  WHAT IS CULTURE IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF?
(https://www.paypervids.com,2020)

According to Warder, Culture refers to the behavior and belief characteristics of a

particular society, community or ethnic group. The components of self concepts include:
psychological, physical and social attitudes, ideas and beliefs that one has.

 HOW DOES SOCIETY AFFECT CULTURE?

(https://www.quora.com,2020)

Different societies and their attitudes can affect the culture of a country or region,
and its consequent practices and norms. For example, a more open society has a culture,
adopting passing practices and interesting trends picked up from foreigners and / or
minorities.

Understanding the self is a key to happiness, joy and peace.

(AK Arun Krish, Emotional Intelligence Coach/Consultant www.socl.space, 2018)

Understanding emotions and desires is knowing yourself.

What is Desire:

Knowing your desire gives understanding about yourself.

Deep desire is something you will do whatever it takes to achieve and you get immense
pleasure in achieving the results. The process of working on your desire gives you happiness
and joy. You are not 100% affected by the result but the focus is on the process.

Nature of Desire:

Desire is not measured in terms of good or bad. Good is determined by culture, religion and
region. Desire should be measured in terms of personal happiness and by achieving your
desire you are contributing to the overall welfare of the society and human race.

23
Relationship between desire and goal:

A strong desire which takes lifetime to achieve becomes purpose of life. A desire can be as
simple as want to eat an ice cream. Desire could be to travel around the world. Desire could
be to help a nation by becoming a president of the country. When you set a timeline and
metrics to measure the progress of your desire the it becomes a goal.

Difference between Need and Desire:

Need—is a want or must and usually has no flexibility. I need a job so that I can commute to
work; I need a job so that I can pay my bills. I have a desire to work in this field. Need has a
reason and desire does not have a reason. Need must happen within a specific timeframe. On
the other hand, desire is timeless. For example, desire of travelling around the world—I am
not putting a timeline. I can do whenever I have time and money.

Society:

Relationship with other human beings outside your family. If you have a healthy
relationship with yourself which in most case will be reflected when you have relationship
with others. For example, if you are person who sets very high standards for yourself you
generally set a high standard for society. If you are person who is forgiving, then you also
forgive the mistakes or atrocities that are happening in the society is one liner—relationship
with society is extension of relationship with youritself.

Culture:

Culture which consist of food, clothes, and manners in my view is set of routines, acts,
interactions and behavior which are practiced over a period of time (could be years or
decades or centuries). When you wanted to survive in a society which is determined by the
majority of the people who agree or follow the culture. If your internal relationship is not in
tune with culture of the society you will feel miserable to live in that society/city/country.

Learning Activities
Activity 1: Reflection

Make a reflection paper about yourself in the development of the social world.
Submit your work on our Google class.
24
Activity 2: Essay

Discuss the involvement of yourself in the society and culture. Submit your work on
our Google class.

Activity 3: Essay

In your own assessment, how society and culture shape yourself? Submit your work
on our Google class.

25
Mastery Test

Direction: Read the following statements and fill in the blanks with words which best
completes the sentences.

1. Social Science disciplines that focus on studying the behavior of human within their
societies are _____________________________.
2. The study of social life and the social causes and consequences of human behavior is
______________________________________.
3. A holistic study of human beings and includes the subfields of archaeology, physical
anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistic anthropology is
_______________________________.
4. _________________________ is the overt action of people in a culture to regulate
actions and expressed ideas, both by resulting and penalizing them.
.
5. Is the highly individual, irreducible unit actor—a person is
______________________________.
6. _______________________ refers to the behavior and belief characteristics of a
particular society, community or ethnic group.
7. Archaeology examining people and cultures of the past is
_____________________________________.
8. ___________________specializes in evolution, genetics, and health.
9. ____________________studies human societies and elements of cultural life.
10. _____________________is a concentration of cultural anthropology that focuses on
language in society.
.

LESSON
LESSON
44

THE SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN THOUGHTS

26
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you will be able to:

d) evaluate how the self is shaped and influenced by the different factors and
forces;
e) compare and contrast the Western perspectives and Eastern thoughts of the
self;
f) identify various manifestations of individualistic and collectivistic cultures
among Filipinos; and
g) explain the concept of self according to the Asian perspectives.

Pretest
Direction. Write IC on the blank space if a country is known to be practicing
Individualistic Cultures, and CC if it is practicing Collective Cultures.

No. Countries Your No. Countries Your

Answer Answer
1 United States 11 Australia
2 Canada 12 China
3 Philippines 13 Germany
4 Sweden 14 Indonesia
5 Bangladesh 15 Italy
6 Pakistan 16 Belgium
7 United Kingdom 17 Netherlands
8 Malaysia 18 Taiwan
9 India 19 Afghanistan
10 Ireland 20 Norway

Learning Content

Definition of terms

 Individualism is a quality of Western thinking where self-expression and self-

actualization are more important to satisfy oneself (Johnson, 1985).
 Individualistic cultures are those that give high regard on the needs of an individual
person over the group’s needs (Kendra, 2020). In these cultures, people are
considered independent, self-reliant, and autonomous (Kendra & Morin, 2020).
 Individualistic self tends to alienate himself/herself both socially and psychologically
from the others in order to take care of himself/herself (Estoque, 2018).
 Individualistic people can make decisions for the self regardless of its impact to the
community.

27
  Individualistic cultures expect the people to solve problems by themselves and work
on their personal goals without relying from the assistance of the others (Kendra &
Morin, 2020)
 Collective cultures are those that prefer to work with others as a team rather than
being alone.
 Collectivism views the group as the primary element and individuals are considered
as interdependent (Estoque, 2018).
 The survival and success of the group ensures the well-being of the individual, so
that by considering the needs and feelings of others, one protects oneself (Estoque,
2018).
 Collective cultures stress the importance of the group and social cooperation as the
keys to success (Kendra & Morin, 2020).

Eastern (Asian) Philosophy

A. Confucianism:
 It Is a system of beliefs devised by Confucius, a Chinese scholar also known as
“Kung Fu-Tzu” in China during the 6th B.C.E.
 The identity and self-concept of an individual is interwoven with the identity and
status of his/her community or culture, sharing its prides as well as its failures
(Magoanbayan, 2018).
 Self-cultivation or Self-realization is the ultimate purpose of life.

Concept of Jen as loving relationship.

Jen is a proper relationship between two parties, a loving and caring
relationship to reach humanity. Meditation strengthens spiritual development. It is
considered a cornerstone to search for self, find truth, and achieve individual and
collective goals.
I am serious in taking care of the environment because I consider it as an
integral part of me.

Concept of harmony.
A central feature of Confucianism is harmony between people and their
environment, Nature, or Tao. The Tao Chi (Yin-Yang diagram) is an example of the
value of harmony with the environment. It is also applied to the concept of health for
energy (qi/chi), balance for disease prevention, healing, and the development of
human potential.
Family problems are resolved through silence. Only time can heal.

Family conflict resolution.

In the model, any systems' solutions to conflict resolutions and goals for
development aim to integrate love (Jen), justice, freedom, and fidelity (the image of
Tao) in the dynamics.
The approach aims to fulfill human needs (love). Justice is seen by the end of
the cycle under perfectly equal treatment. Freedom is practiced by volunteer choice
28
 and participation in negotiation and compromise—the flexibility of mean line and
possibility of forming new systems. Faithfulness is reached by the stability,
repeatability, and accountability of leadership and/or revealed by the natural laws.
Role equity and role change, therefore, are the core implication of the Yin-Yang
Theory.

B. Taoism:
 Taoism is a religious and philosophical tradition originated in China that emphasizes
living in harmony with the Tao or the Way.
 The self is not just an extension of the family or the community; it is part of the
universe, one of the forms and manifestations of the Tao.
 Some Taoist thinking portrays the person as composed of the same five elements
(fire, wood, metal, earth and water) that make up the rest of the cosmos
 The perfect man has no self; the spiritual man has no achievement; the true sage has
no name. The ideal is thus selflessness.
 The selfless person leads a balanced life, in harmony with both nature and society.
When selflessness is attained, the distinction between “I” and “others” disappears.

C. Buddhism:
 Buddha taught that an individual is a combination of five aggregates of existence,
also called the Five Skandhas or the Five Heaps.
a) Form – our physical form
b) Sensation – made up of our feelings – both emotional and physical – and our
senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling.
c) Perception – means thinking-- conceptualization, cognition, reasoning
d) Mental Formation – includes habits, prejudices, and predispositions, and
volition or willfulness.
e) Consciousness – awareness of or sensitivity of an object, but without
conceptualization.
 The self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of trying to hold and control
things, or human-centered needs, thus the self is also the source of all these
sufferings.
- Buddhist doctrines propose the opposite of atman, i.e. “anatman” to describe the
nature of the human person: there is no permanent, separate self
- The ultimate goal is Nirvana or enlightenment, which refers to heightened
intellect and reason.

Traits of Individualism
a) It has an "I" identity.
b) It promotes individual goals, initiative and achievement.
c) Individual rights are seen as being the most important. Rules attempt to ensure self-
importance and individualism.
d) Independence is valued; there is much less of a drive to help other citizens or
communities than in collectivism.
e) Relying or being dependent on others is frequently seen as shameful.
f) People are encouraged to do things on their own; to rely on themselves people strive
for their own successes.

29
Traits of Collectivism
a) Each person is encouraged to be an active player in society, to do what is best for
society as a whole rather than themselves.
b) The rights of families, communities, and the collective supersede those of the
individual.
c) Rules promote unity, brotherhood, and selflessness.
d) Working with others and cooperating is the norm; everyone supports each other.
e) As a community, family or nation more than as an individual

Both collectivist and individualistic cultures have their failings. People in individualist
cultures are susceptible to loneliness, and people in collectivist cultures can have a strong
fear of rejection (Estoque, 2018).

Examples of Countries with Generally Individualistic Cultures (Estoque, 2018)

United States Australia United Kingdom
Canada Netherlands Belgium
New Zealand Italy Norway
Sweden Ireland Hungary(post-communist
Switzerland Germany generation)

Examples of Countries with Generally Collectivistic Cultures (Estoque, 2018)

China Taiwan India
Pakistan Bangladesh Indonesia
Afghanistan Malaysia Egypt
Cyprus Ghana Nepal
Argentina Armenia

Filipino’s Concept of Self:

The Philippines is a collectivist society and individuals tend to understand
themselves as part of a group. For Filipinos, the interests of the collective often override the
interests of the individual. Filipinos generally feel a strong sense of pride towards their
group and will celebrate their pride through sharing stories about their family, barangay, or
town.

How Filipino people’s concept of self is influenced by these perspectives of the Self?
 The contrasting blend of Eastern and Western cultures has shaped the unique
Filipino concept of self.
 Filipinos are communal and love to share any food or materials they have.
 Filipinos love fiestas and family gathering.
 Under the guidance of the parents, the family structure makes every individual
dependent with each other.
 Each is expected to show respect, courtesy, and humility to the other.
 Hospitality and “hiya” are valued by an individual to maintain harmony with the
others.

30
  “Utang na loob”and Bayanihan System are their expressions of being collectivistic.
 Loob and Kapwa: Filipino Philosphy (Magante, 2016)
- Non-individualistic, tied with group called “Sakop”
- Tayo-tayo (ato-ato) is a place where fellowship prevails
- Sakop can either be one’s relatives (or clan), fraternity members, barkada, and
the like.
- For indigenous Filipinos, their concept of Sakop is tribe (katribo)
- Kapwa is “a recognition of shared identity, an inner self shared with others”
Virgilio Enriquez, 1992).
- Kapwa – the unity of the one-of-us-and-the-other – the Filipino Core value
(Enriquez, 1992).
- Kapwa, meaning “togetherness”, is the core construct of Filipino Psychology
- Loob is defined as an inner being which is associated with the ideas of
leadership, power, nationalism, and revolution.
- A purified kalooban requires a special knowledge which was given more to the
leaders and less to the members.
- Loob must be continually purified and strengthened through sacrifice: prayer and
abstinence.
- Through sacrifice a “new man will emerge.

Learning Activities

Activity No. 1: Comparing and Contrasting

Watch the live interview of the following personalities in YouTube. Use a Venn Diagram to
compare and contrast the characteristics (in words only)of Jackie Chan (Asian) and Chris
Tucker (Western). Write at least five similarities and differences of the two characters.
Submit your work in our Google class.Use these links:https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=folvVXothDo; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUd8kGFlWp8&t=117s.

31
Activity No. 2: Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses
Using the table below, evaluate the Strengths and Weaknesses of the local practices or
factors and forces that shape the self of the Filipino. Submit your output in our Google class.

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

Activity No. 3: Role Playing

In your group, make an online five-minute drama presentation about the various
characteristics of the Filipinos. See the Rubric in page ________. Upload your output in
your YouTube Channel.

Mastery Test

Multiple Choice. Directions: On the blank space, write the letter that best corresponds to
your answer.
____ 1. . Which of the following is a characteristic of the Western culture?
a) Collective c) Cooperative
b) Interdependent d) Self-reliant
____ 2. Which of the following is a characteristic of the Eastern culture?
a) Individualistic c) Collective
b) Interdependent d) Self-reliant
____ 3. The individual as the primary element of which of the following
culture?
a) Chinese c) American
b) Filipino d) Korean
____ 4. The group as the primary element of which of the following
culture?
a) Western c) Chinese
b) Eastern d) Japanese
____ 5. Which of the following is the failing of Eastern culture?
a) Fear of rejection c) Boredom
32
 b) Loneliness d) Stressful life

_____ 6. Which of the following is an indicator of an individualistic self?

a) Arwana asserts that her classmates are very important in
doing the group activity.
b) Conchita believes that team working makes the task easier
to perform.
c) Ed believes that the self is more important than of others.
d) Jorna argues that the group value should always be given
important above the individual interest.
_____ 7. Which of the following is NOT an indicator of a collective self?
a) Chayna believes that each one should value group effort in
implementing the mission of the school.
b) Indya agrees to the theory that collaborative effort is the best
in achieving a common goal.
c) Japar believes that his friends are equally important to his life
as a student.
d) Korya believes that the assistance of her classmates is not
important to perform the group task given.
_____ 8. Which of the following is NOT a trait of a Filipino culture?
a) “Ato-ato” b) Bayanihan System
b) Pakikipagkapwa d) Individualistic
_____ 9. Which of the following is true statement about the Filipino
people?
a) Their concept of the self is solely influenced by the Western Culture.
b) Their concept of the self is purely influenced by the Eastern Culture.
c) Their sense of “kapwa” makes them think of the importance of other
people.
d) Western culture’s sense of hospitality has influenced the Filipinos.
_____ 10. Which of the following is a FALSE statement about the Filipino
people?
a) The theme, “We heal as One”, speaks about the collectivistic attitude of
the Filipinos.
b) Filipinos celebrate fiestas and other social gatherings because of their
sense of community.
c) Filipinos are individualistic in resolving this pandemic that is why many
are infected by the COVID 19.
d) Filipinos love to meet other people from other countries.

33
 UNIT 2

UNPACKING THE SELF

Learning Outcomes

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

a) explore the different aspects of self and identity;

b) demonstrate critical, reflective thought in integrating the various aspects of self and
identity;
c) identify the different forces and institutions that impact the development of various
aspects of self and identity; and
d) examine one's self against the different aspects of self discussed in class.

34
 LESSON
5
THE PHYSICAL SELF

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

a) make their own composition of song or poem entitled “I am Beautiful”;

b) demonstrate through a vlog on how to improve your physical self; and
c) write a reflection paper through an interview on how to improve their body
image and self-esteem.

Pretest

Multiple Choice. Direction: Encircle the correct letter that corresponds to your answer.
1. It refers to the sex chromosomes.
a. Autosomes
b. Gonosomes
c. Zygote
d. Sperm
2. This refers to how individual perceive,think,and feel about their body.
a. Self-concept
b. Body image
c. Self-esteem
d. Beauty
3. It is the basic carrier of hereditary traits.
a. Heredity
b. Genes
c. Autosomes
d. Chromosomes
4. It is the inheritance of traits from parents to offspring.
a. Disease
b. Environment
c. Heredity
d. Heterosexual
5. It is an eating disorder in which the person refuses to eat for fear of gaining weight.
a. Bulimia
b. Anorexia nervosa
c. Obesity
d. Self- conscious
6. This stage is considered to extend from ages 40 to 60.
a. Early adulthood
35
 b. Middle adulthood
c. Late adulthood
d. Puberty
7. It is a form of body modification in which a decorative design is made on the skin.
a. Tattooing
b. Make up
c. Cosmetic surgery
d. Piercing
8. Physical efficiency generally peaks during ______.
a. Puberty
b. Adolescence
c. Early adulthood
d. Babyhood
9. It is a condition in which a person has accumulated so much body fat.
a. Bulimia
b. Cosmetic surgery
c. Anorexia nervosa
d. Obesity
10. The greatest concern that girls express about their bodies is they are
a. Too fat
b. Too drink
c. Too small
d. Too dark

Learning Content
1. What is Physical Self?

The physical self refers to the body. It is the tangible aspect of the person that can be directly
observed and examined.(Singh,2017).Both physical extremities and internal organs work
together for the body to perform many of its functions such as breathing, walking, eating, and
sleeping, among others (Monilla&Ramirez,2018).

Dehlnutrition.com

36
 2. What is beauty?
According to Merriam dictionary beauty is the
quality of being physically attractive and the
qualities in a person or a thing that give
pleasure to the senses or the mind.
When is a person considered to be beautiful? What is
Girlaskguys.com the socially accepted standard of beauty?One is
considered to be beautiful if she has light and glowing
skin,kissable red lips,rosy cheeks, sharp and pointed nose, white and healthy teeth and
tantalizing eyes.(Corpuz,et.al,2019).

3. What is Body Image, Appearance & Self-

Esteem?
According to (DeLamater&
Myers,2012) body image refers to how
individuals perceive, think, and feel
about their body and physical
appearance.
Appearance refers to everything about a person that
others can observe such as height,weight,skin color,clothes, and
Dehlnutrition.com
hairstyle(Monilla&Ramirez,2018).
Self-esteem is related to body image which is a person’s overall evaluation of his or her own
worth (Feldman, 2010).
4. Is Beauty Important?
Different cultures have different definitions and perceptions of beauty. People often say
that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The fact that a number of Filipinas have won international
beauty contests shows that Filipinas are among the women who are perceived to be most beautiful in
the world (Monilla&Ramirez,2018). Some people desperately change their physical appearance
through body modification. One form of body modification is:

 Tattooing- injects ink onto the skin to draw a design.

 Body piercing – let’s people wear jewelry through different piercings in their body
Fashionministry.lovetoknow.com
such as the ears, nose, and tongue among others.
 Cosmetic Surgery- it is a surgical and non-surgical procedures to restore,
reconstruct,or alter body parts. Examples are breast enhancement, nose lift, liposuction
and Botox.

5. How can we improve our body image and

inner self?
People tend to judge others based on
physical appearance. However, physical
appearance alone is not enough to know a

37
 person’s true character. Above all things physical, it is more important to be
beautiful on the inside (Monilla&Ramirez,2018).

www.stockphoto.com

Here are some ways to improve your body image and inner self:
 Smile a lot.
 Take good care of your health.
 Live a well-balanced life.
 Dress well and be neat.
 Spend some time alone to reflect
 Be creative and do something new all the time.
 Develop a wholesome attitude towards sex.
 Avoid temptations.
 Respect individuality.
 Make friends.
 Face your fears.
 Be independent.
 Accept things as they are.
 Ask and listen.
 Think positive.
 Pray.
 Count your blessings.
 Be Thankful.

Learning Activities
Activity No. 1. Interview

Instruction: Interview a selected personality (beautyqueen,politicians,professional,etc.) on

how they improve their body image and self-esteem. Gather all their answer and make a
reflection paper based on their answer.

Activity No. 2. Song/Poem Composition

Instructions: Write a song or poem that will describe your attitudes or self-image towards
yourself with the title, “I am Beautiful”. The song or poem must contain at least 4
38
paragraphs. Language of the lyrics is at the student’s choice. Please see the Rubric on page
_________.

I am Beautiful

_____________________________________
____________________________________________
________________________________________
_______________________________.

_________________________________
____________________________________
_______________________________________
________________________________________________.

______________________________________
________________________________
__________________________________
___________________________________.

_____________________________________
____________________________________
__________________________________________
_______________________________.

Activity No. 3. Posting a Self Care Vlog

Instructions: Make a video presentation informing your viewers about how to improve one’s
physical self and post it in your Youtube channel. See the Rubrics on page _________.

Mastery Test
Direction: If you think the statement is correct, write agree, otherwise write disagree.

_______________1. The physical self goes through changes in one’s lifetime.

_______________2. Ones parents and relatives are the sole sources of his or
her genetic make-up.
_______________3. The physical development of adolescents varies.
39
_______________4. There are relative standards of beauty.
_______________5. Each individual has a unique DNA.
_______________6. Chromosomes are thread-like tissues that carry the genes
and usually found in pairs.
_______________7. Body image is related to self-esteem.
_______________8. Life span is the development from baby to death.
_______________9. Environment does not include learning and experiences.
______________10. Cosmetic surgery is a form of body modification.
______________11. Self-esteem is a person’s overall evaluation of his or her
own worth.
______________12. Beauty denotes something that is not appealing to the
eye, ear,and mind.
______________13. As you grow older, you get exposed to a larger social
group with new practices and standards.
______________14. The DNA is considered the blueprint of life.
______________15. Maturation results in physical changes that are evident in
the adolescent stage.

LESSON
6
THE SEXUAL SELF

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

a) examine the different changes the goes into in adolescence,

b) explore the nature of sexual orientation and the contribution of biological and
psychosocial factors and
c) demonstrate ability to integrate knowledge on the risks and responsibilities that
contribute to adolescents’ sexual health, paying particular attention to
contraception for sexually active adolescents, the prevalence of STDs, and what
information is most helpful in sex education classes.

Introduction

Developing a sexual self-concept is an essential developmental process of

adolescence; conversely, little empirical research explains this development, or 40
how these changes relates to the development of sexual behavior.
Learning Content

Development of Secondary Sex Characteristics and Human

Reproductive System

Puberty has been the period of greatest sex

differentiation since the early intrauterine months. The
specific steps in the maturation process, the milestones
reached, remain the same before the puberty for boys and
girls. And adolescent sexual development is also organized in
the same order of sequence along the way, but the interval
between some of them is different in the sexes according to
Tanner (1990).

In females, pubertal changes typically occur as follows:

Growth spurt
↑ transverse diameter of the pelvis
Breast development
Growth of pubic hair
Onset of menstruation
Vaginal secretion

 The average age at which menarche occurs is 12.4 years (Ledger, 2012). However, it
can occur as early as 9 years of age or as late as 17 years of age and may still be
within the usual range of age. Menstrual cycle does not become normal until
ovulation happens regularly and this does not appear to happen until 1-2 years after
menarche and the development of ova ceases at menopause.
Secondary gender characteristics of boys typically exist in the order of:

↑ in weight
Growth of testes
Growth of face, axillary, and pubic hair
Voice changes
Penile growth
↑ in height
Spermatogenesis

41
  In contrast to the development of ova in girls, sperm in boys does not begin in
intrauterine life and is not produced in a cyclic pattern; rather, it is produced in a
continuous cycle. The development of sperm continues from puberty throughout the
life of the male.

The Male Reproductive System

Male External Structure

1. The scrotum – is a rugated, skin-covered, muscular pouch suspended from the

perineum. Its roles are to protect the testes and help to control the temperature of the
sperm.

2. The penis – consist of the cylindrical mass of erectile tissue in the shaft of the penis.
The urethra passes through these layers of tissue, allowing the penis to serve both the
urinary and reproductive tract outlet in men. During sexual arousal, nitric acid is

42
 released from the blood vessels. This causes dilation and an increase in blood flow to
the penis arteries (engorgement).

3. The testes - are two ovoid glands, 2-3 cm long, which rest in the scrotum. Each testis
is covered with a protective white fibrous capsule and consists of a number of
lobules. The   lobule contains interstitial cells (Leydig cells) that produce
testosterone and seminiferous tubules that generate spermatozoa.

Male Internal Structure

1. The Epididymis - The seminiferous tubule of each testis leads to a tightly coiled channel,
called epididymis, which is responsible for sperm transfer from the tubule to the vas
deferens, the next stage in the passage to the outside. Since each epididymis is so tightly
coiled; in fact, its length is misleading. Incredibly, it's over 20 ft long.

2. The Vas Deferens (Ductus Deferens)- It is an external hollow tube, surrounded by arteries
and veins and protected by a thick fibrous tissue covering. This carries the sperm from the
epididymis through the inguinal canal to the abdominal cavity, where it ends in the seminal
vesicles and the ejaculatory duct below the bladder. The sperm maturation is achieved as it
passes through the vas deferens.

3. The Ejaculatory ducts - They are formed by the fusion of vas deferens and seminal
vesicles. The ejaculatory ducts empty into the urethra.

4. The Seminal Vesicles - There are two convoluted pouches located in the lower part of the
bladder. These glands secrete viscous alkaline liquids rich in sugar, protein and
prostaglandin content. The sperm has become increasingly mobile because the added fluid
provides them with a favorable PH setting.

5. The Prostate Gland - A chestnut-sized gland located just below the bladder and allowing
the urethra to move through the middle of the gland, like a doughnut hole. The purpose of
the gland is to produce a thin, alkaline fluid that, when applied to the secretion of seminal
vesicles, further protects sperm by increasing the normal low PH level of the urethra.

6. The Bulbourethral Glands - Two bulbourethral or Cowper's gland lie beside the prostate
gland and drain into the urethra by short ducts. They provide one more source of alkaline
fluid to help ensure the safe passage of sperm. Semen is therefore derived from the prostate
gland (60 percent), the seminal vesicle (30 percent), the epididymis (5 percent) and the
bulbourethral gland (5 percent).

7. The Urethra - Is a hollow tube emerging from the base of the bladder, which, after passing
through the prostate gland, continues to the outside through the shaft and the glands of the
penis. It's around 8 in. (18-20 cm) long. Unlike other components of the urinary tract, it is
covered with mucus membranes.
43
The purpose of the male reproductive system organs is to perform the following functions:

Producing, storing and transmitting sperm (male reproductive cells) and protective
fluid (semen)
Discharge of sperm in the female reproductive tract during sexual contact. 
Producing and secreting male sex hormones responsible for controlling the male
reproductive system

The Female Reproductive System

Female External Structure

1. Mons veneris - a tissue pad located above the pubic symphysis, the pubic bone joint.
Covered by a triangular patch of curly hair, the purpose of the mons veneris is to
cover the junction of the pubic bone from trauma.
2. Labia minora – directly posterior to the mons pubis, spread two hairless folds of
connective tissue. Normally, the labia minora folds are pink in color; the inner
surface is lined with mucus membranes and the outer surface is lined with skin. The
region is abundant with sebaceous gland.
3. The Labia majora – a two-fold of tissue fused anteriorly but separated posteriorly,
which is situated sideways to the labia minora and consisting of loose connective
tissue surrounded by epithelium and pubic hair. Labia majora is used as protection
for the external genitalia; it protects the urethra and the vagina.
4. Other External Organs
o Vestibule – the flattened, smooth surface between the labia. Both the opening
of the bladder (urethra) and the uterus (vagina) emerge from this area.

44
 o Clitoris – a tiny, rounded organ of erectile tissue at the forward junction of
the labia minora (approximately 1-2 cm). It is protected by a fold of skin, a
prepuce; it is sensitive to touch and temperature; and it is the source of sexual
pleasure and orgasm in a woman.
o Two Skene glands – located on both sides of the meatus; their ducts open into
the urethra. Bartholin glands (vulvovaginal glands) are situated on either side
of the vaginal opening with ducts reaching into the proximal vagina between
the labia minora and the hymen. The secretion of each of these glands helps
to lubricate the external genitalia of the sexual encounter.
o Fourchette – a ridge of tissue developed by the posterior joining of the labia
minora and the labia majora. It is the tissue that often breaks (laceration) or is
cut (episiotomy) during childbirth to enlarge the vaginal opening.
o Perineal Muscle (Perineal Body) – posterior to the fourchette. It is a muscular
region that expands during childbirth to allow the vagina to widen and the
fetal head to pass.
o Hymen – a strong yet elastic semicircle of tissue that protects the opening of
the vagina during childhood. It is often torn away at the time of the first
sexual intercourse.
5. Vulvar blood supply – the blood supply of female external genitalia is primarily from
the pudendal artery and a section is from the inferior rectal artery. Venous return is
through the pudendal artery. The disadvantage of this vein rich in blood supply is
that trauma to the area, such as pressure during childbirth or bicycle seat injuries,
which can cause large hematomas. The advantage is that it leads to the quick healing
of any tears in the region following childbirth or other injuries.
6. Vulvar nerve supply – the anterior portion of the vulva receives its nerve supply
from the ilioinguinal and genitofemoral nerve (L1 level). The posterior portion of the
vulva and the vaginal nerves are supplied by the pudendal nerve (S3 level). Such a
rich supply of nerves makes the area highly sensitive to touch, pressure, pain and
temperature. Fortunately, at birth, normal stretching of the perineum causes a
temporary loss of sensation in the area, reducing the amount of local pain
experienced.

Female Internal Structures

The Ovaries

The ovaries are about 3 cm long by 2 cm in diameter and 1.5 cm thick, or the size
and shape of the almonds. They are grayish-white and tend to be pitted, with minute
indentations on the surface.
Ovaries are found in the lower abdomen near to and on both sides of the uterus. It is
difficult to find them with abdominal palpation since they are too deep in the
abdomen. The role of the two ovaries (the female gonads) is to develop, mature and
release ova (the egg cells). In this process, ovaries produce estrogen and
progesterone and start and manage menstrual cycles.

45
Fallopian Tube

The fallopian tubes emerge from each of the upper corners of the uterine body and
stretch outward and backward until each of them is opened at its distal end, next to
the ovary. Fallopian tubes are around 10 cm long in a mature woman. The purpose is
to move the ovum from the ovaries to the uterus and to provide a place for the
fertilization of the ovum by sperm.
The fallopian tube is a smooth, hollow pipe, anatomically divided into four separate
sections:
a. The interstitial section
b. The isthmus segments
c. The ampulla
d. The infundibular segment
Uterus

The uterus is a hollow, muscular, pear-shaped organ in the lower pelvis, posterior to
the bladder, and anterior to the rectum. This is about the size of an olive in
childhood, and its proportions are reversed from what they are later on.
At maturity, the uterus is approximately 5 to 7 cm long, 5 cm wide and 2.5 cm deep
in the widest upper section. It weighs approximately 60 g in a non-pregnant
condition. The purpose of the uterus is to receive the ovum from the fallopian tube;
to provide a place for implantation and nourishment; to provide protection for the
developing fetus; and, at the maturity of the baby, to expel it from the body of a
woman.

Vagina

The vagina is an empty, musculomembranous canal placed at the rear of the bladder
and at the front of the rectum. It stretches from the cervix of the uterus to the outer
vulva. Its purpose is to serve as an organ of intercourse and to carry sperm to the
cervix so that the sperm can enter the ova in the fallopian tube. It extends with
childbirth to act as the birth canal.
Breast

The mammary glands or breasts

develop early in the uterus from
the ectodermal tissue. They
remain in a stopped stage of
development until the rise of
testosterone of puberty causes a
noticeable increase in their size.

46
 The increase in size is primarily due to an increase in connective tissue plus fat
deposition.

The Erogenous Zones

When we talk about sexuality, it includes the discussion of the different erogenous zones of
the body. These zones are considered as the road map to increase pleasure during sexual
activity.

Erogenous zones are those areas of the body that arouse sexual desire. Erogenous has
two general meanings. The first refers to the genitals or breasts, which when stimulated
produce pleasurable sensations in their owner. The phrase ‘erogenous zones’ was coined
near the end of the nineteenth century and used in the early twentieth century by some
psychologists to describe how simple pressure to these parts of the body could arouse
complete orgasm in what were defined as ‘hysterical persons’ (generally understood to be
women). The second general meaning of the phrase, to be dealt with at some length here,
refers to a visual phenomenon associated with clothing and body adornment. (Erogenous
Zones | Encyclopedia.Com, n.d.)

1. The Inner Wrist

2. The Nape of the neck
3. The Buttocks
4. The Scalp
5. Behind the knee
6. The Earlobe
7. The Feet

Sexual Behavior Among Adolescence

 Hormones bring about a dramatic increase in

sexual interest
 Masturbation becomes more frequent.
 Adolescence is a time of self-discovery and
physical, as well as cognitive, development.
It is within this context that adolescent
sexual development and sexual behavior
47
 occur. While curiosity and experimentation are normal, sexual behaviors, both coital
and non-coital, place adolescents at risk for undesired consequences including
sexually transmitted disease acquisition and pregnancy. Trends in adolescent sexual
behavior are changing, and health care professionals must be aware of these trends to
provide necessary medical care and education to this population. With recent finding
the sexual activity of teenagers garners much attention, attention must also be
directed at non-coital activities such as masturbation, mutual masturbation and oral
sex, as the riskier of these behaviors appear to be increasing. (Feldmann & Middleman,
2002)

Chemistry of Lust, Love and Attachment

According to WU(2017) that a team of scientists led by Dr. Helen Fisher at

Rutgers,says romantic love can be broken
down into three categories: lust, attraction,
and attachment.

Lust
 This is motivated by a need for
sexual pleasure. The evolutionary
justification for this derives from
our desire to reproduce, a need
shared by all living beings. By way
of reproduction, organisms pass on their genes and thereby lead to the perpetuation
of their genus.
 The brain’s hypothalamus plays a major role in this, promoting the development of
testosterone sex hormones and estrogen and ovaries. As it turns out, testosterone
enhances increasing the libido of just about everybody. Effects are less pronounced
with estrogen, but some women report being more sexually excited around the time
they ovulate, when estrogen levels are higher.
Love/Attraction

 Attraction tends to be a unique, though

closely related, phenomenon with Lust.
Although we can definitely desire for
someone, we 're drawn to, and vice
versa, one can happen without the
other. Attraction includes brain circuits
that regulate "reward" actions, which

48
 partially explains why the first few weeks or months of a relationship can be so
thrilling and sometimes all-consuming.
 Dopamine, released by the hypothalamus, is a highly well-publicized brain
rewarding player – it's released when we do things that feel good for us. For this
scenario, that involves spending time with loved ones and having sex. High levels of
dopamine and associated hormone, norepinephrine, are released during attraction.
Such hormones make us dizzy, excited and euphoric, also contributing to decreased
appetite and insomnia – which means that you can really be so "in love" that you
can't eat and can't sleep.
 Finally, attraction seems to lead to a reduction in serotonin, a hormone that’s known
to be involved in appetite and mood.
Attachment

 Attachment is the primary element in

long-term relationships. Oxytocin is
also referred to as a "cuddle drug" for
this reason. Unlike dopamine, oxytocin
is produced by hypothalamus and
released in large amounts during sex,
breast-feeding, and childbirth.
Sexual Identity

Sexuality is about how you view and express

yourself sexually-like who you crush on, who you want to go out with, and who you want to
have sexual experiences with.

It's just not clear that some people are 'straight,' and others are gay, lesbian , bisexual,
asexual, or queer. but still some researchers suggest that there could be events that happen in
our bodies from a very early age in life that form our sexuality.

Gender Stereotypes

Gender expectations and stereotypes are so deeply rooted in our culture that adults are still
shocked to see how early children internalize these concepts. Furthermore, when young
children are caught up in stereotypic conceptions of gender, their self-images and the
manner in which they communicate with peer may become a harm to their self image.

Sexual Self-esteem

Gila Shipiro (a psychotherapist and licensed sex therapist) describes sexual self-esteem as
"feelings about your body and your level of confidence in how you respond sexually to
someone else. It's what you bring from yourself, both emotionally and physically, to sex and
relationships — what you do with it, and how you share it with someone else. Sexual self-
esteem affects any sexual choice that you make.

49
Five Sexual Styles

A sexual style of a teenager is another factor on both adolescent belief and behavior vis-à - v
is sex in a committed relationship. According to Furman (2010), Buzwell and Rosenthal
(1996) have developed a sexualmstyle categorization scheme focused on the development of
a sexual identity or sexual self.

Sexually naïve: have little confidence in sexual attractiveness, feel no control over
sexual situations
Sexually unassured: low self-esteem and little sense of control in sexual encounters,
but interested in exploring their sexuality
Sexually competent: confident of sex appeal and ability to control sexual situations,
interested in exploring sexuality and were sexually experienced
Sexually adventurous-similar to competent, high level of confidence and comfort;
high level of exploration but lower level of commitment as a pre-requisite to sex.
Sexually driven: similar to above style, unable to say no to sex, mostly boys
Sexual scripts

- are concepts about how males and females should connect with each other, such as
how each gender must behave in sexual or romantic situations. L ike a script for a
TV show or a film, a sexual script is a mental tale that outlines actual events and
assigns certain roles (parts that each actor plays in the tale).
Sexual Decision Making

According to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
(SIECUS), a sexually healthy teen will show or have the following qualities within
their relationships with themselves, parents and family members, peers and
intimate partners.

Relationship with Self

 Appreciates their own body:

 Takes responsibility for their own behaviours:
 Knows about sexual health issues:

Relationships with Parents and Family Members

 Communicates effectively with family members about issues, including sexuality

50
Relationships with Peers

 Interacts with all people (including those with different sexual orientation and gender
identity different from their own) in proper and respectful ways
 Acts on one’s own values and beliefs when they aren’t the same as their peers
Relationships with Intimate Partners

 Shows love and intimacy in a way that’s appropriate for their age:
 Has the skills to decide how ready they are for mature sexual relationships

 Avoidance and denial of sexual perceptions can lead to sexual involvement without
preparation with no responsibility and Sexual attitudes that are not usually discussed
with parents.
 Teens who speak to their parents appear to become sexually active later and responsible.

Sexual orientation

- is a term used to describe your emotional, romantic or sexual attraction pattern.

Sexual preference can involve an attraction to the same sex (homosexuality), a
gender different from your own (heterosexuality), both male and female
(bisexuality), both genders (pansexuality), or neither (asexuality).
- Sexual orientation means how you are attracted romantically and sexually to other
people. There are different kinds of sexual orientation. For example, a person may
be:
 Heterosexual (straight) - describes a person who is attracted only or almost
only to the "other" gender. 
 Homosexual (gay, lesbian, queer) - describes a person attracted only or
almost only to those of the same gender.
 Bisexual - describes a person attracted to both men and women, though not
necessarily equally or at the same time. 
 Pansexual (or omnisexual) - describes a person attracted to those of any
gender. 
 Asexual - describes someone not sexually attracted to any gender. This is
different from deciding not to have sex with anyone (abstinence or celibacy).
- Most people have learned more of their sexual identity over time. Many girls date
boys to high school , for example, and later find that they are more attracted,
romantically and sexually, to members of their own gender.(Sexual Orientation, 2011)
Human Sexual Response Cycle

According to Wenzel (2017), the two of the earliest researchers of human sexual
response were William Masters and Virginia Johnson. They published their work in 1966,
which they described the human sexual response as a cycle with four stages namely
excitement; plateau; orgasm; and resolution.
51
Excitement

 Excitement arises with physical and psychological stimulus (e.g., sight, sound,
emotion, or thought) that causes parasympathetic nervous stimulation. This causes
arterial dilation and venous constriction in the genital region.
 The subsequent increase in blood flow contributes to vasocongestion and increased
muscle tension. For women, this vasocongestion causes the clitoris to increase in size
and mucoid fluid to act as lubrication on vaginal walls. Vagina is expanding in
diameter and growing in length.
 The nipples are becoming erect. For males, penile erection occurs, as well as scrotal
thickening and raising of the testicles. There is an increase in heart and respiratory
rates and blood pressure in both men and women.[ CITATION Fla18 \l 1033 ]
Plateau

 The stage of the plateau is reached shortly before the orgasm. In a woman, the
clitoris is pulled forward and retracts under the clitoral prepuce; the lower part of the
vagina become highly congested (formation of the orgasmic platform) and the
elevation of the nipple is increased.
 Vasocongestion contributes to distension of the penis in men. The heart rate rises to
100 to 175 beats per minute and the respiratory rate increases to about 40 breaths per
minute. (Pillitteri, 2015)

Orgasm

 Orgasm occurs when stimulation proceeds through the plateau stage to a point at
which the body suddenly discharges accumulated sexual tension. A vigorous
contraction of muscles in the pelvic area expels or dissipates blood and fluid from the
area of congestion. The average number of contractions for a woman is 8 to 15
contractions at intervals of 1 every 0.8 seconds.
 In men, the muscle contractions around the semen vessels and the prostate project
semen into the proximal urethra. These contractions are immediately followed by
three to seven propulsive ejaculatory contractions occurring at the same time interval
as in a woman, that forces the semen out of the penis. (Pillitteri, 2015)
 Being the shortest stage in the sexual response process, orgasm is usually felt as an
intense pleasure involving the entire body, not just the pelvic region. This is also a
rather personal experience: definitions of orgasms differ widely from person to
person. (Pillitteri, 2015)
Resolution

 Resolution is a 30-minute period in which the external and internal genital organs
return to an unaroused condition. For the male, there is a refractory phase during
which further orgasm is unlikely. Women do not go through this refractory phase,

52
 and it is possible for women who are active and well stimulated to have multiple
orgasms immediately after the first. (Pillitteri, 2015)
Masturbation

 Masturbation is self-stimulation for enjoyment; it can also be mutually enjoyable for

sexual partners. It offers sexual release, which can be interpreted by a person as an
overall relief of tension or anxiety. Women may find the most satisfying sexual
expression of orgasm through masturbation and use it more frequently than men do.
(Masters, 2001).

Sexually Transmitted Disease

The word sexually transmitted disease (STD) is used to refer to a infection that is
transferred from one person to another through sexual contact. You may have STD
contracted by having unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has STD.

STD can also be referred to as a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or a venereal

disease (VD).

That doesn't mean that sex is the only way that STDs are transmitted. Infections can
also be spread by sharing the needles and breastfeeding, depending on the specific STD.

Symptoms of STDs in men

It’s possible to contract an STD without developing symptoms. But some STDs cause
obvious symptoms. In men, common symptoms include:

 pain or discomfort during sex or urination

 sores, bumps, or rashes on or around the penis, testicles, anus, buttocks, thighs, or
mouth
 unusual discharge or bleeding from the penis
 painful or swollen testicles
Symptoms of STDs in women

In many cases, STDs don’t cause noticeable symptoms. When they do, common STD
symptoms in women include:

 pain or discomfort during sex or urination

 sores, bumps, or rashes on or around the vagina, anus, buttocks, thighs, or mouth
 unusual discharge or bleeding from the vagina
 itchiness in or around the vagina
Types of Sexually Transmitted Disease

Chlamydia
53
  A certain type of bacteria causes chlamydia. It’s the most commonly reported STD
among Americans, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC)Trusted Source.
 Many people with chlamydia have no noticeable symptoms. When symptoms do
develop, they often include:
 pain or discomfort during sex or urination
 green or yellow discharge from the penis or vagina
 pain in the lower abdomen
HPV (human papillomavirus)

 Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that can be passed from one person to
another through intimate skin-to-skin or sexual contact. There are many different
strains of the virus. Some are more dangerous than others.
 The most common symptom of HPV is warts on the genitals, mouth, or throat.
 Some strains of HPV infection can lead to cancer, including:
 oral cancer
 cervical cancer
 vulvar cancer
 penile cancer
 rectal cancer
 While most cases of HPV don’t become cancerous, some strains of the virus are
more likely to cause cancer than others.
Syphilis

 Syphilis is another bacterial infection. It often goes unnoticed in its early stages.
 The first symptom to appear is a small round sore, known as a chancre. It can
develop on your genitals, anus, or mouth. It’s painless but very infectious.
 Later symptoms of syphilis can include:
 rash
 fatigue
 fever
 headaches
 joint pain
 weight loss
 hair loss
HIV

 HIV can damage the immune system and raise the risk of contracting other viruses or
bacteria and certain cancers. If left untreated, it can lead to stage 3 HIV, known
as AIDS. But with today’s treatment, many people living with HIV don’t ever
develop AIDS.
 In the early or acute stages, it’s easy to mistake the symptoms of HIV with those of
the flu. For example, the early symptoms can include:
 fever
54
  chills
 aches and pains
 swollen lymph nodes
 sore throat
 headache
 nausea
 rashes
 These initial symptoms typically clear within a month or so. From that point onward,
a person can carry HIV without developing serious or persistent symptoms for many
years. Other people may develop nonspecific symptoms, such as:
 recurrent fatigue
 fevers
 headaches
 stomach issues
 There’s no cure for HIV yet, but treatment options are available to manage it. Early
and effective treatment can help people with HIV live as long as those without HIV.
 With recent advancements in testing and treatment, it’s possible to live a long and
healthy life with HIV.
Gonorrhea

 Gonorrhea is another common bacterial STD. It’s also known as “the clap.”
 Many people with gonorrhea develop no symptoms. But when present, symptoms
may include:
 a white, yellow, beige, or green-colored discharge from the penis or vagina
 pain or discomfort during sex or urination
 more frequent urination than usual
 itching around the genitals
 sore throat
 It’s possible for a mother to pass gonorrhea onto a newborn during childbirth. When
that happens, gonorrhea can cause serious health problems in the baby. That’s why
many doctors encourage pregnant women to get tested and treated for potential
STDs.
Pubic lice (‘crabs’)

 “Crabs” is another name for pubic lice. They’re tiny insects that can take up
residence on your pubic hair. Like head lice and body lice, they feed on human
blood.
 Common symptoms of pubic lice include:
 itching around the genitals or anus
 small pink or red bumps around the genitals or anus
 low-grade fever
 lack of energy
 irritability
Trichomoniasis
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  Trichomoniasis is also known as “trich.” It’s caused by a tiny protozoan organism
that can be passed from one person to another through genital contact.
 According to the CDCTrusted Source, less than one-third of people with trich
develop symptoms. When symptoms do develop, they may include:
 discharge from the vagina or penis
 burning or itching around the vagina or penis
 pain or discomfort during urination or sex
 frequent urination
 In women, trich-related discharge often has an unpleasant or “fishy” smell.
Herpes

 Herpes is the shortened name for the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two
main strains of the virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both can be transmitted sexually. It’s a
very common STD.
 HSV-1 primarily causes oral herpes, which is responsible for cold sores.
However, HSV-1 can also be passed from one person’s mouth to another
person’s genitals during oral sex. When this happens, HSV-1 can cause
genital herpes.
 HSV-2 primarily causes genital herpes.
 The most common symptom of herpes is blistery sores. In the case of genital herpes,
these sores develop on or around the genitals. In oral herpes, they develop on or
around the mouth.
 Herpes sores generally crust over and heal within a few weeks. The first outbreak is
usually the most painful. Outbreaks typically become less painful and frequent over
time.
Other, less common STDs include:

 chancroid
 lymphogranuloma venereum
 granuloma inguinale
 molluscum contagiosum
 scabies

Methods of Contraception

Many factors need to be taken into account by women , men, or couples at any point
in their lifetime when selecting the most appropriate method of contraception. Those include
safety , efficiency,, availability (including accessibility and affordability) and acceptability.

56
Reversible Methods of Birth Control

Intrauterine Contraception

Levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG IUD)—The LNG IUD

is a small T-shaped device like the Copper T IUD. It is placed
inside the uterus by a doctor. It releases a small amount of progestin
each day to keep you from getting pregnant. The LNG IUD stays in
your uterus for up to 3 to 6 years, depending on the device. Typical
use failure rate: 0.1-0.4%.1

Copper T intrauterine device (IUD)—This IUD is a small device

that is shaped in the form of a “T.” Your doctor places it inside the
uterus to prevent pregnancy. It can stay in your uterus for up to 10
years. Typical use failure rate: 0.8%.1

Hormonal Methods

Implant—The implant is a single, thin rod that is inserted under

the skin of a women’s upper arm. The rod contains a progestin that
is released into the body over 3 years. Typical use failure rate:
0.1%.1

Injection or “shot”— Women get shots of the hormone

progestin in the buttocks or arm every three months from their
doctor. Typical use failure rate: 4%.1

Combined oral contraceptives—Also

called “the pill,” combined oral
contraceptives contain the hormones estrogen and progestin. It is
prescribed by a doctor. A pill is taken at the same time each day. If
you are older than 35 years and smoke, have a history of blood clots
or breast cancer, your doctor may advise you not to take the pill.
Typical use failure rate: 7%.1

Progestin only pill—Unlike the combined pill, the progestin-only

pill (sometimes called the mini-pill) only has one hormone,
57
progestin, instead of both estrogen and progestin. It is prescribed by a doctor. It is taken at
the same time each day. It may be a good option for women who can’t take estrogen.
Typical use failure rate: 7%.1

Patch—This skin patch is worn on the lower abdomen, buttocks, or

upper body (but not on the breasts). This method is prescribed by a
doctor. It releases hormones progestin and estrogen into the
bloodstream. You put on a new patch once a week for three weeks.
During the fourth week, you do not wear a patch, so you can have a
menstrual period. Typical use failure rate: 7%.1

Hormonal vaginal contraceptive ring—

The ring releases the hormones progestin and estrogen. You
place the ring inside your vagina. You wear the ring for three
weeks, take it out for the week you have your period, and then put
in a new ring. Typical use failure rate: 7%.1

Barrier Methods
Diaphragm or cervical cap—Each of these barrier methods are
placed inside the vagina to cover the cervix to block sperm. The
diaphragm is shaped like a shallow cup. The cervical cap is a
thimble-shaped cup. Before sexual intercourse, you insert them
with spermicide to block or kill sperm. Visit your doctor for a
proper fitting because diaphragms and cervical caps come in
different sizes. Typical use failure rate for the diaphragm: 17%.1

Sponge—The contraceptive sponge contains spermicide and is

placed in the vagina where it fits over the cervix. The sponge
works for up to 24 hours, and must be left in the vagina for at least 6 hours after the last act
of intercourse, at which time it is removed and discarded. Typical use failure rate: 14% for
women who have never had a baby and 27% for women who have had a baby.1

Male condom—Worn by the man, a male condom keeps sperm

from getting into a woman’s body. Latex condoms, the most
common type, help prevent pregnancy, and HIV and other STDs, as
do the newer synthetic condoms. “Natural” or “lambskin” condoms
also help prevent pregnancy, but may not provide protection
against STDs, including HIV. Typical use failure rate:
13%.1 Condoms can only be used once. You can buy condoms, KY
jelly, or water-based lubricants at a drug store. Do not use oil-based
lubricants such as massage oils, baby oil, lotions, or petroleum
jelly with latex condoms. They will weaken the condom, causing it
to tear or break.

58
Female condom—Worn by the woman, the female condom helps keeps sperm from getting
into her body. It is packaged with a lubricant and is available at drug stores. It can be
inserted up to eight hours before sexual intercourse. Typical use failure rate: 21%, 1 and also
may help prevent STDs.

Spermicides—These products work by killing sperm and come in

several forms—foam, gel, cream, film, suppository, or tablet. They
are placed in the vagina no more than one hour before intercourse.
You leave them in place at least six to eight hours after intercourse.
You can use a spermicide in addition to a male condom,
diaphragm, or cervical cap. They can be purchased at drug stores.
Typical use failure rate: 21%.1

Fertility Awareness-Based Methods

Fertility awareness-based methods—Understanding

your monthly fertility patternexternaliconexternal icon can help
you plan to get pregnant or avoid getting pregnant. Your fertility
pattern is the number of days in the month when you are fertile
(able to get pregnant), days when you are infertile, and days when
fertility is unlikely, but possible. If you have a regular menstrual
cycle, you have about nine or more fertile days each month. If you
do not want to get pregnant, you do not have sex on the days you
are fertile, or you use a barrier method of birth control on those days. Failure rates vary
across these methods.1-2 Range of typical use failure rates: 2-23%.1
Lactational Amenorrhea Method
For women who have recently had a baby and are breastfeeding,
the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) can be used as birth
control when three conditions are met: 1) amenorrhea (not having
any menstrual periods after delivering a baby), 2) fully or nearly
fully breastfeeding, and 3) less than 6 months after delivering a
baby. LAM is a temporary method of birth control, and another
birth control method must be used when any of the three conditions
are not met.

Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception is NOT a regular method of birth control. Emergency
contraception can be used after no birth control was used during sex, or if the birth control
method failed, such as if a condom broke.

Copper IUD—Women can have the copper T IUD inserted within

five days of unprotected sex.

59
Emergency contraceptive pills—Women can take emergency contraceptive pills up to 5
days after unprotected sex, but the sooner the pills are taken, the better they will work. There
are three different types of emergency contraceptive pills available in the United States.
Some emergency contraceptive pills are available over the counter.

Permanent Methods of Birth Control

Female Sterilization—Tubal ligation or “tying tubes”— A

woman can have her fallopian tubes tied (or closed) so that sperm
and eggs cannot meet for fertilization. The procedure can be done
in a hospital or in an outpatient surgical center. You can go home
the same day of the surgery and resume your normal activities
within a few days. This method is effective immediately. Typical
use failure rate: 0.5%.1

Male Sterilization–Vasectomy—This operation is done to keep a

man’s sperm from going to his penis, so his ejaculate never has any
sperm in it that can fertilize an egg. The procedure is typically done at an outpatient surgical
center. The man can go home the same day. Recovery time is less than one week. After the
operation, a man visits his doctor for tests to count his sperm and to make sure the sperm
count has dropped to zero; this takes about 12 weeks. Another form of birth control should
be used until the man’s sperm count has dropped to zero. Typical use failure rate: 0.15%.1

Learning Activities

Activity 1: Body Mapping

Directions: draw the outline of a body, mark on the body all the changes that happen to you
during puberty, then Answer the following questions.

1. What are the good things about growing up?

2. What are the bad things about growing up?

3. Why do those changes happen?

60
4. How do people feel about them?

5. What questions do we have about growing up?

6. What problems do we have with the changes?

Activity 2:
Directions: For each of the following people, identify whether the person is
heterosexual (H), gay (G), lesbian (L), or bisexual (B), based on the information
provided. For each person, briefly make note of your reasons for your decision.
_____1. A man who has self-identified as gay since his teens, who has had two brief
sexual relationships with women, and who has been involved with his current (male)
partner for 3 years.

_____2. A woman who has had a number of intimate sexual relationships with
women and expresses little interest in pursuing relationships with men.

61
_____3. A man who has had several intimate sexual relationships with both women
and men, though he generally prefers the company of men.

_____4. A man who is strongly attracted to both men and women although all of his
sexual relationships have been with women.

_____5. A woman who has self-identified as heterosexual throughout her life and
finds herself strongly attracted to a new female co-worker.

_____6. A man whose male partner died of AIDS 10 years ago and is currently
married to a bisexual woman.

_____7. A woman who self-identified as a lesbian, is active in the women’s

movement and gay rights groups, and is happily married to a man.

_____8. A woman who had a brief sexual relationship with her college roommate 20
years ago but since then has had several intimate relationships with men.

_____9. A woman who psychologically, emotionally, and socially prefers the

company of women over men but whose sexual experiences have been exclusively
with men.

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 _____10. A recently divorced woman who had been married to a man for 19 years
and is now living with her female partner.

LESSON
7
THE MATERIAL AND ECONOMIC SELF

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson,you will be able to:
63
  Explain the association of self and possession;
 Identify the role of consumer culture to self and identity and
 Appraise ones self-based on the description of material self.

Pretest

Directions: On the space provided before each item, write TRUE when the
statement is factual, and FALSE when it is erroneous.
__________1.A person is defined not by what they think, but what they
own.
__________2.Shopping is not an expressive and constitutive existential act.
___________3.Understanding shopping is important in determining race,
culture, gender, class, family, and community.
___________4.Possessions are an important component of sense of self.
___________5.Material possession signifies aspects of one’s sense of self
and identity.

Learning Content
The Material/ Economic Self

There are many authors who give different views about material and economic self.

The material self consists of things that belong to a person or entities that a person
belongs to. Thus, things like the body, family, clothes, money, and such make up the
material self.The core of the material self is the body. Second to the body, is clothes were
important to the material self. It is believed a person's clothes were one way they expressed
who they felt they were; or clothes were a way to show status, thus contributing to forming
and maintaining one's self-image. Money and family are critical parts of the material self.

The material self refers to tangible objects, people, or places that carry the designation my or
mine. There are two subclasses of the material self can be distinguished: the bodily self and
the extracorporeal beyond the body) self. Rosemberg (1979) has referred to the
extracorporeal self as the extended self. The bodily component of the material self requires
little explanation. A person speaks of my arms or my legs. These entities are clearly an
intimate part of who we are. But our sense of self is not limited to our bodies. It includes
other people, pets, and possessions like car, places and the products of our labor.

The economic self or economic self-sufficiency, therefore, is asurplus of economic

resources to meet physical needs. Conversely, the person who cannot meet physical needs is

64
in a state of economic dependency or, to put it differently, is experiencing economic
hardship.

The Material Self

The philosophical usage of the term materialism” is generally considered to be

distinct from the popular usage, materialistic consumers do rely on physical (material)
possessions to manifest and perceive otherwise invisible personal characteristics such as
happiness, status, and social competence. Three important elements of materialism discussed
below:

 First, materialist person place possession and their acquisition at the center of
their lives. Daun (1980)describes material describes materialism as a way of
life in which a high level of material consumption functions as a goal and
serves as a set of plans. The positive roles that possessions play in
individuals’ lives, such as providing meaning and enabling a fuller unfolding
of human life.
 Second, acquiring of material things is essential to satisfaction and well-being
in life. According to Belk (1985) that for materialistic individuals
“possessions are believed to provide the greatest sources of satisfaction and
dissatisfaction’ in life. Materialist people believe that expanded levels of
consumption lead to increases pleasure obtained.
 The third element material self or materialism involves the tendency to of
materialist to judge their and others’ by the number and quality of
possessions acquired.

Possessions and the Economic Self

A key to understanding what possessions mean is reorganizing that, knowingly or

unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, we regard our possessions as parts of
ourselves, According to Tuan (1980) argues, “ Our fragile sense of self needs support, and
this we get by having and possessing things because, to a large degree, we are what we have
and possess. The old premise that we regard our possessions as parts of ourselves is not new.
William James (1890) who laid the foundations for modern conception of self, held that:

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 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 feel cast down, not necessarily in the same degree for each thing, but in
much the same way for all.

65
 Self-extension to possessions is defined as “the contributions of possessions to
identity,” (Sivadas&Machleit, 1994, p. 143). Russell J. Belk first linked self-extension with
possessions in 1988, introducing the concept to consumer behavior. Belk asserted that the
self could extend to possessions, which could then influence behavior surrounding
possessions, such as buying, selling, caring for and discarding. While self-extension to
physical possessions has been previously studied, self-extension to digital possessions has
yet to be explored until recently. Siddiqui and Turley (2006) studied the role of “virtual
possessions” as replacements for physical possessions and found that some participants were
hesitant to relinquish a physical possession for a purely digital one. According to Odom,
Zimmerman and Forlizzi (2011), teenagers can form attachments to their digital possessions,
which has implications for human computer interaction research. Odom et. al draws on
attachment as it is defined by consumer behaviorists, who consider self-extension a
necessary characteristic of attachment to possessions.

Learning Activities

Think Ahead!

Activity 1: The T Chart!

Directions: Using the T-chart, write the positive and negative effects of material/economic
self.See Rubric click this link C:/Users/Jay%20Rey/Downloads/criteria.pdf. Submit your
work on our goggle class.

Positive Effects Negative Effects

Activity 2. Compare and Contrast

Directions: Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast material self and economic self.
Then compose five (5) to ten (10) sentences discussing the similarities and differences of
material self and economic self.See Rubric click this linkC:/Users/Jay
%20Rey/Downloads/criteria.pdf. Submit your work on our goggle class.

66
 Read and Ponder!

Activity 3. Do this!

Directions: Click this link https://www.coursehero.com/file/35211471/The-Material-

Selfpptx/ (Our Consumption Anecdoteby Heinrich Böll) and read it carefully after reading,
compose a reflection about the anecdote with the question below. See Rubric click this link
C:/Users/Jay%20Rey/Downloads/criteria.pdf. Submit your work on our goggle class.

If you were a fisherman, would you agree the ideas of American businessman?
Why?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

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 Mastery Test

See if you can do this!

Directions: Read the following statements and fill in the blanks with word/s which best
complete/s the sentences.

1. Is it wrong to have wealth? Why?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

2. Do you shop according to your means; or do you shop beyond your means?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

3. How does material possessions tell one’s self identity?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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 LESSON
8
THE DIGITAL SELF

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

c) Define online identity or digital self;

d) Discuss the influence of social media to one’s self;
e) Evaluate the congruence of Offline Self versus Online Self;
f) Discuss the proper way of presenting the Digital Self;
1. Explain the role of the government, school, and church in the prevention of identify
theft, false information, and fake news
2. Able to write an essay about being a responsible netizen.

Pre-Test

Complete your online (Facebook) identity checklist. Tick the box that corresponds to your
answer.
ITEM Yes No
1. Is your profile picture your picture?
2. Do you include your place of residence in your profile?
3. Do you include your relationship status in your profile?
4. Do you include the name of your hometown in your profile?
5. Do you share information about health and wellness?
6. Do you use social media for business purposes?
7. Do you post picture of your pet?
8. Do you upload pictures of the food you eat?
9. Do you upload pictures because you are bored?
10. Do you share prayers and religious stories?
11. Do you post the movies that you have just watched or plan to watch?
12. Do you post the picture of the book or novel that you have just read or plan to
buy?
13. Do you express your stand on particular political issues by writing posts?
14. Do you post upload pictures of your newly purchased gadgets or toys?
15. Do you upload pictures of you with respectable people including celebrities?
Learning Content
Definition
Digital self is the persona you
use when you're online. Some people
maintain one or more online identifies
69
that are distinct from their “real world” selves; others have a single online self that's more or
less the same as the one they inhabit in the real world. 
Images can be manipulated through skills in photography or Photoshop. Through
photo manipulation, one can be teller, shorter, thinner, fairer, and can even have different
eye color almost anything is possible, anything can be altered. While technology can
manipulated one’s physical appearances, what it manages simply serve as representations of
one’s ideal self, what one wants to be.
This era, the self adapts to the environment that is dominated by digital technology.
To satisfy individual dreams and desires outside of one’s inner self, things, products, or
service allow people to believe that they can change, enhance, or improve their self. And so,
if someone wants to be a celebrity, it is easy to get a picture of a celebrity and use it as his or
her profile picture. One’s digital self consist of how one expresses himself or himself in
various inline platform.
This sharing of personal information on social networking sites may be related to the
strong desire of adolescents for social approval and acceptance.
Self-Presentation and Impression Management
Self-presentation refers to an individual’s attempts both conscious and unconscious,
to control how he or she project himself or herself in social interactions. Some forms self-
presentation may be authentic, but some may be tactical or selective.
Self-presentation is inherent in all situations. The widespread use of online
interactions has increased the opportunities to engage in sell-presentation and impression
management. Most people strive to create images that are positive. Thus, individual use
several methods to create positive impressions of them. The desire to create positive
impressions and to be “liked” by others may lead to consequences that can be risky to one’s
security and mental health, such as identity theft, cyberbullying, gossiping as well as anxiety
and depression. People should still be mindful of their privacy using social networking sites.

The importance of Digital

Technology
Technology has changed the
social features of people’s lives. It has
altered the way people view the social
dimension of relationships and dictated
new ways for people to relate with one
another.
Digital technology has enabled volumes
of information to be compressed in
compact storage devices, so as to be
easily contained and delivered,
70
minimizing the time it takes for data to be transmitted. Digital technology has immensely
changed the pattern of working as well as the learning of new concepts, including
communication.
Impact of Online Interactions on the Self
According to Iqbal, Khan and Malik (2017) suggest that mobile phones are ever
more becoming a very valuable part of the daily life of today’s youth. However, the use of
digital technology and online interactions limit face-to-face interaction with others and has
drawn people away from meaningful and intimate communication with families and friends.
It changes the social behavior of individual, families, and societies as a whole.

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Are you a responsible Netizen?

With the rampant use of the internet, specifically social media, there are issues that need to
be recognized and thus be addressed. Here are some of the issues that one needs t address if
one wants to be seen as a responsible netizen.

Sharing Fake News

As the famous saying goes, “think before you click”. Social media has been
teeming with fake news, malicious content that tends to speak ill of certain people or issues.

Cyberbullying

People bully other people online because the fell that they can do so as online
interactions is different from face-to-face or personal interaction. One form of cyberbullying
is bashing which can do damage to an individuals psychological well-being.

Sharing Viruses

Some social media users share viruses for fun. This inappropriate behavior
online for its aim, which may appear direct or not, is to damage one’s reputation.

Learning Activities
Activity No. 1. Learning Log

What pieces of information, activities, thoughts, opinions, or feelings should be kept private
and should never be divulged on social media? Write your answer on the tale provided.

Information, Activities, Thoughts, Opinions Explanation

72
 and feelings
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Activity No. 2. Essay Writing

Are you a responsible netizen? Justify your answer.

73
Activity No. 3. Watch and Learn

Watch the movie entitled Jumanji (2017) starring Dwayne Johnson. Identify the main
characters and discuss their “digital self” projected by the movie.

1.

2.

3.

4.

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Mastery Test

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 LESSON
9
THE POLITICAL SELF AND BEING A FILIPINO

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

L.O.1: Develop a Filipino identity;

L.O.2. Identify different Filipino values and traits; and

L.O.3. Reflect on your selfhood in relation to your national identity;

ACTIVITY
Who is a Filipino?

Cut out pictures or illustration from magazines and newspapers that show what being
a Filipino is about? Paste them below.

Answer the questions below in relation to what you have posted in the previous activity.

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 1. How do the pictures remind you of you being a Filipino?

2. Are you proud of being a Filipino? Why or why not?

3. Imagine that you were of a different nationality. What would change in you aside
from your citizenship and origin?

4. How extensive is the effect of being a Filipino in your selfhood?

Pretest

Learning Content
The Philippines as we know it today has only emerged in the 1890’s after over three
centuries of colonization of the Spaniards. Meanwhile, literation from the last colonizers, the
Japanese, only occurred in 1946. Foreign culture, beliefs, language and religion have made a
huge dent on our own by setting a foundation to the contemporary Filipino identity and
culture. To date, colonial mentality remains an issue. Given the wide discrepancy the
liberation period and today’s time, would it be safe that Filipinos have truly developed the
identity of their own? Or we still live in the shadow of our colonial friends?

In this chapter, you will learn that an individual’s race ethnicity, and physical
characters are not the only that makes a person national identity. Values and traits are also
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important indicators that set apart one nationality from the other. These values and traits
may not always be a positive thing, but being able to identify one’s self apart from other
nationalities and point out weaknesses and mistakes, paired with unity and commitment,
make progress a possibility. Through common goals, principles, and values of its people, a
nation empowers itself.

Who is a Filipino?

Filipinos are often referenced to globally renowned personalities like Manny

Pacquiao, Lea Salonga and Micheal Cinco who have made Filipinos recognized around the
world through their expertise. However , being a Filipino is far more than just being related
to these notable figures. Independence day and Buwan ng Wika celebrations prompt us to go
back to our roots and reflect on the question: Who is a Filipino?

Technically according to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino citizens are*…

those whose fathers and mothers are citizens of the Philippines, those born before January
17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of
majority, and those who are naturalized in accordance with law.” However, citizenship is
not only the marker of being a Filipino. Culture and history have greatly influence the
manner Filipinos learn, live and behave to date. People who were born and grew up in the
same culture develop and share common personality traits and values have been passed on
that the Filipino of today still embody.

Filipino Values and Traits

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 The Philippine is a lush island paradise famous for its grandiose mountain views,
pristine beaches, and rich and diverse culture changing from province to province. While the
Philippines may be well known for its awe-inspiring beauty, perhaps the Filipino’s unique
traits, reputable values, and laudable talents make the country a place to be.

Tourist who have visited the Philippines can never forget the big and bright smiles
that greeted them, the colorful and loud jeepney’sthe common Filipino Phrases such as
“Mabuhay!” and “Salamat!” and habits such as saying “po” and “opo” to the elders, leaving
shoes or slippers at the front door before entering a house, and the importunate asking of
“Kumainka nan a?” meaning”have you eaten yet?” Indeed, it ia marvel to experience these
unique traits of the Filipinos firsthand. Few of these traits areas follows.

The Filipino Hospitality

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 A Filipino trait that is known everywhere is the Filipinos brand of hospitality.
Filipinos welcome their guests’ tourists as if they are their own brothers and sisters; they
always make the guest feel at home, offering them something to eat, or even a place to stay.
They will bring out their best sets of plates and chinaware for their honored guests and even
go as far as spending a lot of money and going into debt just so they can satisfy them. In
most local shops, Filipino salesperson will great their customers with warm welcome and
say thank you when they leave even without buying anything. Filipinos also anticipate
giving tours to friends who will visit their hometown and treating them to the best
restaurants and delicacies for free. During festivals or fiestas, Filipinos serve heaps of festive
foods an invite the whole barangay over. They are also fond of giving pasalubong or tokens
from their travels and pabaon or farewell gifts to their visitors.

Respect for Elders

Filipino greet their elders by kissing their hands

and saying “Mano po!” andconstantly using “po” and
“opo” in conversations. Forgetting to address older
people properly will regard them as rude and impolite.
There is also a wide array of references to older people
such as ate for older sister; kuya for older brother; Tito
and Tita for uncle and aunt, respectively; Lolo and Lola
for grandmother and grandfather, and Manong and Aling
for older people outside the family.

Close family Ties

Filipinos maintain a tight

relationship with their families regardless if
the children are old enough and already have
families of their own. They are also fond of

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family reunions during birthdays, holidays, or fiestas year round. Some Filipino families
even opt to live I big house where everyone can stay together. Nursing homes are almost
always not an option for family members and choose to take care of their elders themselves.

Cheerful Personality

Filipinos have a habit of smiling and laughing a lot. They smile when they are
happy, or sometimes even when they are sad or angry. Smiling has been a coping strategy
for many Filipinos especially during trying times and calamities. For instance, Filipinos
smile and wave at the camera while being interviewed even after a fire or flooding incident.
They always try to maintain a positive outlook in life which make them resilient and able to
manage almost everything with a simple smile.

Self-sacrifice

The self-sacrificing attitude of Filipinos can be seen in an extension of the

Filipino hospitality. Filipinos go out of their way to extend help to their friends, families and
loved ones. They wish comfort and better lives for their loved ones and would even go to the
extent of working abroadhundreds of miles away to earn more money and save up for them.
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sacrifice a lot; that is why they are regarded as the
modern day Filipino heroes. Thereare also times whenthe eldest among the children of the
family would give up school to work and provide for the rest of the family and educate his
or her siblings.

Bayanihan

Bayanihan is the spirit of communal

unity and cooperation of Filipinos. It is also
about giving without expecting something in
return. Filipinos are always ready to share and
help their friends and loved ones who are in
need. It may not always be in monetary form,
but the time and effort they give also count as a
form of help for them. This trait is particularly
manifested in how Filipinos rally themselves to
send aid to those who are severely affected by
natural calamities.

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“Bahala Na” Attitude

“Bahalana” is the Filipino version of the famous line “HakunaMatata” meaning

no worries. The phrase is said to have originated from “Bathala Na” where Bathala means
God, and the phrase meaning leaving everything into God’s hands. It can also be viewed as
something similar to cheerful and positive attitude of Filipinos and allowing situations take
care of themselves instead of worrying about them.

Colonial Mentality

Colonial mentality is regarded as a lack of patriotism and the attitude where

Filipinos favor foreign products more than their own. This does not only concern goods, but
also the desire to look more foreign than local and keep up with foreign beauty trends. It is
attributed to the centuries of colonization Filipinos had under the Spanish, American, and
Japanese rule.

“Mañana” Habit

This is the Filipino term for procrastination. It was derived from a longer Filipino
phrase called “Mamayana” meaning dawdling things, which could have been done at an
earlier time. It is a poor habit of laziness that results in heavier workloads.

“NingasKugon”

“Ningas” is a Filipino term for flame and “kugon” is a Filippino term for Cogon
grass that easily burns out after It is put into flame. Ningaskugon refers to the attitude of
eagerly starting things but quickly losing eagerness soon after experiencing difficulty, just
like how fast the fire of a Cogon grass burn out moments after being ignited. Laziness is a
common problem among Filipinos; that is why Filipinis are regarded as “Juan Tamad” or
Lazy Juan.

Pride

Most Filipinos hold onto their pride as if they are more precious than keeping a
good relationship with family and loved ones. When two parties are not in good terms, they
find it also hard to apologize and wait until the other asks for an apology first.

Crab mentality

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 This is a toxic trait among Filipinos where one resents the achievement of
another, instead of feeling happy for that person. Just like crabs in a container, they pull each
other down and ruin each other’s reputation rather than bringing them up, resulting to no
progress. Filipinos should change this troublesome attitude and focus more on their own
inadequacies to improve one’s self.

Filipino Time

Filipinos have these common attitude of arriving late at commitments, dinner, or

parties specially if they are meeting someone close to them. They tend to not observe
punctuality altogether. The 7:00 pm call time becomes adjusted to 7:30 pm and almost
everyone arrives at the same time because everyone is using Filipino time.

Filipino Markers
What then are the hallmarks of our being a Filipino? What makes us truly relish in
our being a Filipino? The following are constant reminders of nationality.

1. Proverbs or Salawikain
Filipino proverbs, just like any other proverbs, are saying that conveys lesson and
reflections or Filipino practices, beliefs and traditions. Damiana Eugenio, regardedas
the mother of Philippine Folklore, classified proverbs into six categories (Eugenio,
2000):

a. Proverbs expressing a general attitude towards life and the laws that govern
life;
b. Ethical proverbs recommending certain virtues and condemning certain
vices;
c. Proverbs expressing a system of values;
d. Proverbs expressing general truths and observation about life and human
nature;
e. Humorous proverbs; and miscellaneous proverbs.
An example of a Filipino proverbs is the saying “Kung may Tiyaga, may nilaga”
which means that hard work will be rewarded if one is persistent.

2. Superstitions
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 Filipinos also subscribe to their own set of superstitions passed down fron
generation to generation. Some of these may be influenced by beliefs from other
cultures, but Filipinos have retold these superstitions according to their own
experiences and they sometimes end up even more interesting.

According to a Filipino superstition, a woman singing while cooking will end up a

spinster so parents remind their daughters to avoid singing while preparing their
meals. Filipinos also avoid taking pictures in threes as the one in the center is said to
die, according to another superstition.

3. Myths and Legends

Due to the Philippines rich culture and history, numerous myths and legends have
sprung about thing that are beyond one’s imagination. These stories are aimed to explain the
origin of things, at the same time, teach a valuable lesson. Some of these stories stemmed in
pre-Christianity period, but have evolved to the stories we know today.

A famous Filipino legend is about the origin of the pine apple fruit. It is a story
about a young and lazy girl named Pina who always asked where her mother kept the things
she needed without looking for them first. When Pina’s mother got tired of being asked
where she hid her things, her mother wished that eyes be planted on Pina’s face so she
would start using them. To her mother’s surprise the next morning, Pina was gone and a
fruit sprung in the yard, implanted with “eyes” all around its body which was later called
“pinya” the Filipino term for “pineapple.”

4. Heroes and Icons

Heroes serve as a reminder of true

patriotism and nationalism as they have sacrificed their lives for the sake of their country’s
freedom and progress. Every year we lend a whole day to celebrate our heroes, usually the

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last Monday of August to remember their greatness, bravery and resilience that has led to
the freedom we know today.

Famous Filipino icons such as Lea Salonga, Manny Pacquiao, and the very own
national hero, Jose Rizal, also serve as important Filipino markers as they have made the
Filipino name more pronounced worldwide through their own expertise.

How to Be a Good Filipino

Now you know that your traits and values are important indicators of being a
Filipino. The problem now is to truly become one and how you can be useful to the
development and progress of our country. The following are a few ways on hoe to be a good
Filipino:

1. Be an active Filipino Citizen.

A good Filipino citizen is aware of the current events and participates in
government programs that aim for the country’s progression and development. By
simple exercising your right to vote, you also become an active citizen. When it
comes to voting, the rich and the poor have equal voting rights- every Filipino citizen
of legal age have a chance in choosing the right leaders for the Philippines who are
genuine in helping and caring for the Filipino people.
2. Study the Philippine history.
Theroad of the Philippine history is long and bloody, and by learning and fully
understanding the events of the Philippine history, you will learn so much as to why
it is so important for you to love your country with your life, extend help to your
fellow Filipinos in need, and recognize abuse of political power.

3. Support local products.

When you buy local products, you do not only support local manufacturers and
businessmen, but you also help strengthen the local economy. How is it so? There will
be more demand of local products, thus, local businesses will be in need of more
employees, which will open new job opportunities. The business owners will also invest
within the country and are less likely to leave, supporting our local products also
displays our creativity, innovativeness and resourcefulness.

4. Speak the Filipino language

The history of the Filipino language was as long and hard as the Philippine
history. Jose Rizal highlighted the importance of speaking a national language as the
way of displaying the love one’s country. Speaking Filipino also serves as a unique
identifier of being a Filipino. It has been a decade-long debates whether to use Filipino
as the instructional language in school and translate textbook into Filipino, however, this
is still not strictly imposed.

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 5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with dissent.
This period in the history of the Philippines has seen how the internet has
spawned tons of possibilities for people, both good and bad. For instance, it is easier for
Filipinos working abroad to communicate with their loved ones left in the Philippines
through the internet. Despite this, the internet has also made the spread of fake news very
common. Likewise, the internet has also made us engage in intense arguments with people
across the globe about our political positions, for example, it is a part of being a good
Filipino to understand and verify what you read online, especially in social media, before
actually believing in it, and spreading it like wild fire. It is also the responsibility of every
Filipino to recognize the disagreement in political views, be tolerant, and argue intelligently
without having to resort into name calling people.

APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

1. Make an acrostic below which will describe you, in relation to you being a Filipino:

2. Discuss how being a Filipino affects your “self.” How can becoming a better Filipino
influence your duty to becoming a better version of yourself?

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Mastery Test

LESSON
10

THE SPIRITUAL SELF

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

L.O.1: Discuss the meaning of Spiritual Self;

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L.O.2. Discuss the meaning of spirituality in one’s life;

L.O.3. Identify various religious practices and beliefs; and

Introduction
Spiritual self is one of the four constituent of the “self” according to William James
in his book. The Principles of Psychology in 1890. The Spiritual self is the most intimate,
inner subjective part of self. It is the most intimate version of the self because of the
satisfaction experienced when thinking of one’s ability to argue and discriminate, of one’s
moral sensibility and conscience, and of our unconquerable will (James 1890) is purer than
all other sentiments of satisfaction. (Green 1997)

The ability to use moral sensibility and conscience may be seen through the
expressions of religion, its beliefs and practices. In the same manner, cultural rituals and
ceremonies are some manifestations what people believe in. Moreover, seeking the meaning
of life is a journey that the spiritual self is on.

ACTIVITY
Art Recall

Recall:

`When was the first time you realized that there is a higher being than yourself? How
old were you then? What made you believed that there is a higher being?

Graphic Presentation:

Make a poster about the instance or situation that made you believe in the existence
of higher being.

Show:

During our virtual class you are going to showcase the posters that you have made.
Observe similarities and differences in each other’s experiences, expressed in the artworks.
Initiate discussions about beliefs on higher being based on the showcased posters.

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Pretest
1. From the posters you see, what commonalities and differences did you observe?
2. How these experiences affect your belief on higher being?
3. How is the belief on higher being related to you?
4. Do you consider having a spiritual self? Why or Why not?

Learning Content

Religion

Rebecca Stein (Stein 2011) works on the definition of religion “as a set of cultural
beliefs and practices that usually includes some or all of basic characteristics. These
characteristics are:

1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being, such as spirit and gods.

2. A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of reverence
and awe.
3. The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on supernatural
beings as well as physical beings and objects.
4. The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred
object to communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence or control
events.
5. The articulation of worldwide and moral codes through narratives and other
means
6. Provide the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social
control within community; provide explanation for unknown and sense of control
for individuals.

An individual lives in a society where there are many practices of religion. The
choice of religious belief lies within the spiritual self. Although the choice maybe influenced
by the society and its culture.

Ritual

Ritual is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred law

(Britannica 2017). Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by all known
societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing humans.

There are three fundamental characteristics of rituals according to Penner (Britannica

2017). Ritual has the characteristics of:

1. a feeling of emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dreadin relation to the sacred.

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 2. dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the language of myth.
3. is symbolic in relation to its reference

The self can be described as a ritual being who exhibits a striking parallel between their
ritual and verbal behavior. Just as language is a system of symbols that is based upon
arbitrary rules, ritual may be viewed as a system of symbolic acts that is based upon
arbitrary rules. Participation to rituals is rituals is expressions of religious beliefs.

Some World Religious Beliefs

There are different religions with different beliefs and practices. Some of the major
world religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Excerpt of some
religious beliefs and practices are found in the University of London’s Religion and Belief
Guide 2017.

Image of Buddha

Buddhist Temple Buddhist Monk

Beliefs

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 The basic doctrines of early Buddhism, which remain common to all Buddhism,
include the  four noble truths : existence is suffering ( dukhka ); suffering has a cause,
namely craving and attachment ( trishna ); there is a cessation of suffering, which
is nirvana ; and there is a path to the cessation of suffering, the  eightfold path  of right
views, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, and right concentration. Buddhism characteristically describes reality in terms
of process and relation rather than entity or substance.

Customs and Practices

There are two types of meditation practices: samathaand vipassana. Samatha is

practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of loving-kindness (MettaBhavana).
Vipassana practices aim at developing insight into reality. Acquiring wisdom is by studying
Buddha’s teaching, the Dharma. Through the reflection of Dharma, Buddhist can achieve a
deeper understanding of life. Buddhists believe in non-violence principle.

Samatha Meditation ”Finding Buddha”

Benefits of Samatha Meditation

 Calms the mind

 Increases concentration
 Stops monkey mind
 Promote joy
 Increases inner peace
 Helps to balance emotion
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  Makes you more productive
 Helps you to see reality outside of mental delusions
 Reduces prejudices
 Reduces stress
 Boosts immune system
 Promotes positive feeling

Dharma Wheel

Some of the major Buddhist celebrations areParinirvana Day in February;

Buddha Day (Wesak) in May; Dharma Day in July; Padmasambhava Day in
October; and Sangha Day in November.

Wesak Day Parinirvana Day

Christianity

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Portrait of Jesus Christ Protestant Church Catholic Church

Beliefs

Christians believe in Trinitarian God. One God in three personas: God the Father
(Creator), God the Son (Savior), and God the Holy Spirit (Sustainer).Eternal life after death
will be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is, God the Son, who came to
flesh, to spread the Good News of Salvation. He died on the Cross for the sin of the
humanity but resurrected from the death, so that anyone who believes in Him will be saved
and have eternal life. The Holy Bible is a selection of books, which is divided into two, The
Old Testament and The New Testament.

Customs and Practices

Sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of Communion are practiced by Christian

churches. The Sacrament of Baptism symbolizes the birth in Christian World, while the
Sacrament of Communion is an act of remembrance of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial love. Jesus
Christ teaching in unconditional love that is expressed in loving the poor, oppressed, and
outcast of the society.

Christmas and Resurrection (Easter) are the two major celebrations in

Christianity. Christmas, usually on December 25, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ
while Resurrection Sunday (depends on the lunar calendar, sometimes in March or April)
celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the death.

Christmas Celebration Easter Sunday Symbol Easter Egg Hunting

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Hinduism

Portrait of Vishu Portrait of ShriRadha- Krishna Mariamman Hindu

Beliefs

Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional beliefs and religious groups; thus,
there is no single founder or leader. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth,
death and rebirth, governed by Karma. Karma is a concept where the reincarnated life
will depend on how the past life was spent. Hindus believe that the soul passes through a
cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the
previous life was lived. Vedas are sacred scriptures of Hindus. Mahabharata and
Ramayana are two other important texts of the Hindus.

Customs and Practices

Diwali and Navrati are the most celebrated festivals of the Hindus. Diwali is the Festival
of Lights while Navratiis the festival of nine nights, which celebrate the triumph of good
over evil. Hindus have set dates to honor particular manifestations of God.

Islam

Mosque Mohammad

Beliefs

Muslims believe in Allah, who is their “One God.” They believe in the unity and
universality of God. Muslims also have strong sense of community or “ummah” and an
awareness of their solidarity with all Muslims worldwide.Islam means “willing submission
to God.”

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 Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God.
Mohammed was born in Mecca in 570 CE and received revelations from God through the
Angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years. The Holy Book of Islam is called the Quran, which
was thought to recited in Arabic because any translation is seen as inadequate.

Quran Hajj, Pilgrimage to Mecca

Customs and Practices

Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of Muslim
life:

1. Shahadah– statement of faith: “There is no God but the one true God and
Mohammed is his messenger.”
2. Salat-the prayer thatis practices five times a day.
3. Zakat- the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It comprises the 2.5% of a
Muslim’s assets.
4. Hajj- the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are asked to do the
pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
5. Sawn- the fasting. Muslims do fasting, from food, drink, and sexual act, during the
celebration of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
The fast is from dawn to sunset.
Two of the major festivals in Islam are Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha. Eidul-Fitr is
the celebration at the end of Ramadan, while Eidul-Adha is celebrated within the completion
of the Pilgrimage, the Hajj.

Eidul-Fitr Eidul-Adha

Judaism

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 Abraham Jewish Temple Inside Jewish Temple

Beliefs
The Jews believe in the God of Abraham, the same God that liberated the Hebrew
slaves from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land through the leadership of Moses and later,
Joshua.
The Jews believe in the coming of Messiah, the Savior. The sacred scripture of
the Jews is called the Torah or the Law. The Torah is the guide of the Jewish living. The
study and interpretation of Torah is part of the Jewish culture.

Image of Moses with the Ten Torah

Commandments in stone tablets

Customs and Practices

There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:
1. Rosh Hashanah- the New Year
2. Yom Kippur- the Day of Atonement
3. Pesach- Passover
4. Shavuot- Pentecost
5. Sukkot- Tabernacles. The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset and is
an important time when families gather for the Shabbat meal.

Shabbat Meal Rosh Hashanah Pesach

Religious beliefs, rituals, practices, and customs are all part of the expression of
the spiritual self. What to believe and how to manifest the belief is entirely dependent on the
individual, to the self. A person might believe that there is higher being, a supernatural
being, usually termed as God, but not necessarily wants to be affiliated or identified with a
certain religious group. Others may have religious practices which are perceived to be
contrary to the practices of other groups. Religious beliefs and practices, are formed relative
to its context and culture.

Finding and Creating Meaning of Life

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 Another extensive study of the self can be found in the works of Dr. Viktor E.
Frankl. The Viktor Frankl Institute in Vienna was created in 1992. The Institute has a
website where there is a synopsis of his life and works and present programs
(https://viktorfranklinstitute.org/About_Viktor_Frankl.html). The following excerpts from
the website:

The Psychiatrist

Dr. Viktor E. Frankl was born on March 26, 1905 in Vienna, Austria, where
famous psychiatrists Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler lived. At a young age, he wrote a
short paper to Freud which was published after three years. Dr. Frankl graduated with a
medical degree from the University of Vienna in 1930.He was assigned in Vienna Hospital
suicide ward and headed the Rothschild Hospital, eight years later.

A survivor of the Holocaust, Dr. Frankl published a book about logotherapy. In

1959, the book was translated to English and was revised in 1963 as The Doctor and the
Soul: An Introduction to Logotherapy. His book, Man’s Search for Meaning, has been used
as a textbook in high school and college courses. Dr. Frankl died in 1997.

Logotherapy

Logotherapy is a psychotherapy introduced by Dr. Viktor E. Frankl, who is

considered the Father of Logotherapy. The main belief of Logotherapy is that “man’s
primary motivational force is search for meaning.” Logotherapy aids individuals to find
personal meaning of life, whatever life situation they may be.

In logotherapy, meaning can be discovered by creating a work or doing a deed,

experiencing something or encountering someone and the attitude toward unavoidable
suffering. According to the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy (n.d.), it uses the
philosophy of optimism in the face of tragedy, where people are capable of “turning
suffering into human achievement and accomplishment; deriving from guilt the opportunity
to change oneself for the better; and deriving from life’s transitoriness an incentive to take
responsible action.”

Basic Concept of Franklian Psychology

The Franklian Psychology has the basic concepts. These are the following:

 Life has meaning under all circumstances.

 Main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
 Freedom to find meaning.
Furthermore, Franklian Psychology aims to: (1) become aware of spiritual resources, (2)
make conscious spiritual resources, and (3) use “defiant power of the human spirit” and
stands up against adversity.

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Logotherapy Assumptions

All psychotherapies make philosophical assumptions about the human persons

that cannot be proved with certainty. Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy (n.d.) states the
assumptions of logotherapy, which include the following:

1. The human being is an entity consisting of body, mind, and spirit. This first
assumption deals with the body (soma), mind (psyche), and spirit (noos). According
to Frankl, the body and mind are what we have and the spirit is what we are.

2. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable. Assumption two
is “ultimate meaning.” This is difficult to grasp but it is something everyone
experiences and it represents an order in a world with laws that go beyond human
laws.
3. People have a will to meaning. The third assumption is seen as our main motivation
for living and acting. When we see meaning, we are ready for any type of suffering.
This is considered to be different than our will to achieve power and pleasure.

4. People have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find meaning.
Assumption four is that we are free to activate our will to find meaning, and this can
be done under any circumstances. This deals with change of attitudes about
unavoidable fate. Frankl was able to test the first four assumptions when he was
confined in the concentration camps.

5. Life has demand quality to which people must respond if decisions are to be
meaningful. The fifth assumption, the meaning of the moment, is more practical in
daily living than ultimate meaning. Unlike ultimate meaning this meaning can be
found and fulfilled. This can be done by following the values of society or by
following the voice of our conscience.

6. The individual is unique. The sixth assumption deals with one’s sense of meaning.
This is enhanced by the realization that we are irreplaceable.
In essence, all humans are unique with an entity of body, mind, and spirit. We all
go through unique situations and are constantly looking to find meaning. We are free to do
these at all times in response to certain demands.

Frankl’s Sources of Meaning

Popova (2017) discussed Viktor Frankl’s work. These are three possible sources
of the meaning of life: purposeful work, courage in the face of difficulty, and love.

1. Purposeful Work. To find the meaning of life starts with holding a future goal. Each
individual has each own future goal to achieve or a task to perform. That task or goal
to fulfill becomes the meaning of their life. Therefore, meaning of life is unique to
every individual.

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 2. Courage in the Face of Difficulty. A meaningful life is a life with suffering.
Suffering is inevitable part of life. To find meaning of life is to recognize suffering,
pain, and death as part of life and to have the courage to face these life difficulties.

3. Love. Popova (2017) quoted Dr. Frankl’s notes about his experience in the Nazi
Camp: “Four hours I stood hacking at the icy ground. The guard pass by, insulting
me, and once again I communed with my beloved. More and more I felt that she was
present, that she was with me; I had the feeling that I was able to touch her, able to
stretch out my hand and grasp hers. The feeling was very strong: she was there.
Then, at the very moment, a bird flew down silently and perched just in front of me,
on the heap of soil which I had dug up from the ditch, and look steadily at me,”

Dr. Frankl’swife, parents, and some relatives were victims of gas chambers. His
love for his wife kept him fight for his life. Popova (2017) also quoted Dr. Frankl’s
definition of love: “Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the
innermost core of his personality. No one can become fully aware of the very
essence of another human being unless he loves him. By his love, he is enabled to
see the essential traits and features in the beloved person; and even more, he sees that
which is potential in him. Furthermore, by his love, the loving person enables the
beloved person to actualize these potentialities come true.”

Costello (2015) captured Viktor Frankl’s message: “The ultimate secret on the
spiritual foundation of life is that love is salvation and joy eternity.” The ultimate
factor to find the meaning of life is love.

Learning Activities

Activity No. 1: Video Clip

Make a video clip with reflection on any of the following topics:

a. Filipino rituals and ceremonies covering all regions of the Philippines

b. Filipino indigenous religious practices featuring five tribes from Luzon, Visayas, or
Mindanao
c. Modern day expression of spiritual being
Make sure to showcase the origin, meaning of each ritual and ceremony, and your personal
reflection.

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Activity No. 2. Documentary

Make a documentary of the Pandemic around the globe the Corona virus novel (Covid-19)
that is currently happening now. Feature the following

- Life story during the pandemic

- How he/she survived the pandemic
- Description of his/her meaning of life
- Compare to Viktor Frankl’s sources of meaning
- Test logotherapy assumptions

Activity No. 3: Reflection Paper

Reflect on Viktor Frankl’s sources of the meaning of life.

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