To Buy or Not To Buy? That is the Question!

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TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY? THAT IS THE QUESTION!

MODULE 6

OVERVIEW

We are living in a world of sale and shopping spree. We are given a wide array of products to
purchase from a simple set of spoon and fork to owning a restaurant. Almost everywhere, including the
digital space, we can find promotions of product purchase. Product advertisements are suggestive of making
us feel better or look good. Part of us wants to have that product. What makes us want to have those products
are connected with who we are. What we want to have and already possess is related to our self. Belk
(1988) stated that "we regard our possessions as parts of our selves. We are what we have and what we
possess." There is a direct link between self- identity with what we have and possess. Our wanting to have
and possess has a connection with another aspect of the self, the material self. Let us try to examine
ourselves further in the lens of material self.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

✓ explain the association of self and possessions;

✓ identify the role of consumer culture to self and identity; and
✓ appraise one's self based on the description of material self

LEARNING EXPERIENCES & SELF-ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES (SAA)

ACTIVITY:
Debit Card Challenge
A very wealthy person gave you a debit card and told you to use it as much as you want to make
yourself happy. What are you going to do with it? Make a list of what you want to have. Write as many as
you want.
ANALYSIS:
Answer the following questions:
1. How do you feel as you do the Debit Card Challenge?
2. Which among the items in your list you like the most? Why?
3. If ever you were given the chance in real life to have one among the list, which would you
choose? Why?
4. Does your choices different from what you answer in question number 2? Why or why not?

ABSTRACTION

Material Self
A Harvard psychologist in the late nineteenth century, William James, wrote in his book, The Principles
of Psychology in 1890 that understanding the self can be examined through its different components. He
described these components as: (1) its constituents; (2) the feelings and emotions they arouse—self-
feelings; (3) the actions to which they prompt—self-seeking and self-preservation. The constituents of
self are composed of the material self, the social self, the spiritual self and the pure ego. (Trentmann 2016;
Green 1997)

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The material self, according to James primarily is about our bodies, clothes, immediately family,
and home. We are deeply affected by these things because we have put much investment of our self to them.

SELF
Body
Clothes
Immediate family
Home

Material Self Investment Diagram

(First) The innermost part of our material self is our body. Intentionally, we are investing in our
body. We are directly attached to this commodity that we cannot live without. We strive hard to make sure
that this body functions well and good. Any ailment or disorder directly affects us. We do have certain
preferential attachment or intimate closeness to certain body parts because of its value to us.
There were people who get their certain body parts insured. Celebrities, like Mariah Carey who
was reported to have placed a huge amount for the insurance of her vocal cords and legs (Sukman 2016).
(Second) Next to our body are the clothes we use. Influenced by the "Philosophy of Dress" by
Herman Lotze, James believed that clothing is an essential part of the material self. Lotze in his book,
Microcosmus, stipulates that "any time we bring an object into the surface of our body, we invest that object
into the consciousness of our personal existence taking in its contours to be our own and making it part of
the self." (Watson 2014) The fabric and style of the clothes we wear bring sensations to the body to which
directly affect our attitudes and behavior. Thus, clothes are placed in the second hierarchy of material self.
Clothing is a form of self-expression. We choose and wear clothes that reflect our self (Watson 2014).
Third in the hierarchy is our immediate family. Our parents and siblings hold another great
important part of our self. What they do or become affects us. When an immediate family member dies,
part of our self-dies, too. When their lives are in success, we feel their victories as if we are the one holding
the trophy. In their failures, we are put to shame or guilt. When they are in disadvantage situation, there is
an urgent urge to help like a voluntary instinct of saving one's self from danger. We place huge investment
in our immediate family when we see them as the nearest replica of our self.
The fourth component of material self is our home. Home is where our heart is. It is the earliest
nest of our selfhood. Our experiences inside the home were recorded and marked on particular parts and
things in our home. There was an old cliché about rooms: "if only walls can speak." The home thus is an
extension of self, because in it, we can directly connect our self. Having investment of self to things, made
us attached to those things. The more investment of self-given to the particular thing, the more we identify
ourselves to it. We also tended to collect and possess properties. The collections in different degree of
investment of self, becomes part of the self. As James (1890) described self: "a man's self is the sum total
of all what he CAN call his." Possessions then become a part or an extension of the self.

We Are What We Have

Russel Belk (1988) posits that "...we regard our possessions as part of ourselves. We are what we have and
what we possess." The identification of the self to things started in our infancy stage when we make a
distinction among self and environment and others who may desire our possessions. As we grow older,
putting importance to material possession decreases. However, material possession gains higher value in
our lifetime if we use material possession to find happiness, associate these things with significant events,
accomplishments, and people in our lives. There are even times, when material possession of a person that
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 To Buy or Not To Buy? That is the Question! |3

is closely identified to the person, gains acknowledgment with high regard even if the person already passed
away. Examples of these are the chair in the dining room on which the person is always seated, the chair
will be the constant reminder of the person seated there; a well-loved and kept vehicle of the person, which
some of the bereaved family members have a difficulty to sell or let go of because that vehicle is very much
identified with the owner who passed away; the favorite pet or book, among others that the owner placed a
high value, these favorite things are symbols of the owner. The possessions that we dearly have tell
something about who we are, our self-concept, our past, and even our future.

APPLICATION:

Debit Card Challenge List

• Go back to your Debit Card Challenge List. Put a mark on the left side of each item with the following
categories:
B --- if the item is related with your body
C — if the item is related with clothes
F — if the item is related or intended to your family
H — if the item is related with home
2. Answer the following questions:
• Which among the categories you have the most in your list?
• What do you think these things tell you about yourself?

SELF-ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES (SAA) SHEET

ACTIVITY

ANALYSIS
1. _________________________________________________________________________________
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2. _________________________________________________________________________________
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3. _________________________________________________________________________________
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 To Buy or Not To Buy? That is the Question! |4

4. _________________________________________________________________________________
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APPLICATION
1.

2.
• _________________________________________________________________________________
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• _________________________________________________________________________________
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REFERENCES
Glietman, Henry, James Gross, and Daniel Reisberg. 2011. Psychology. 8 th Ed. Canada:W.W. Norton and
Company
Qingxue, Liu. 2003. “Understanding Different Patterns or Orientations Between East and West.”
Investigationes Linguisticae. Vol. IX. April 2003. Accessed October 14, 2017.
https://www.staff.amu.edu.pl/~inveling/pgf/liu
-quingxue_inve9.pdf.

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 To Buy or Not To Buy? That is the Question! |5

END OF MODULE ASSESSMENT

(Please do not forget to provide information on this part)

Name: _____________________________________________ Course& Year:_____________
Module Number and Title: ______________________________________________________
Contact number & email (if any):_______________________________
Date accomplished: ________________________
Now that you have finished the review of the various concepts outlined above, it is now time for an
assessment to see how far you have improved. Write your answers on the blank space provided for
each question.
A. True or False.
Write the TRUE if the statement is correct, and write FALSE if the statement is incorrect. Write
your answers on the space provided. (These items include the whole Chapter)
_____________ 1. The material self, according to James primarily is about our bodies, clothes,
immediately family, and home.
_____________ 2. The innermost part of our material self is our clothes we wear.
_____________ 3. The constituents of self are composed of the material self, the social self, the
spiritual self and the pure ego.
_____________ 4. A Harvard psychologist in the late nineteenth century, William James, wrote
in his book, The Principles of Psychology in 1990.
_____________ 5. The third in the hierarchy of material self is our immediate family.
_____________ 6. According to James that understanding the self cannot be examined through
its different components.
_____________ 7. Clothing is a form of self-expression.
_____________ 8. The second innermost part of our material self is our body.
_____________ 9. The fourth component of material self is our home.
_____________ 10.School is where our heart is. It is the earliest nest of our selfhood.
B. Describe these lines “We Are What We Have” in your own understanding not less than 100 words.
(5 points)
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 To Buy or Not To Buy? That is the Question! |6

LOOKING AHEAD

Congratulations for making it till the end of this module! If you aced the assessments, I am happy
for you. If you have not reached your desired level of competence, just keep going! Remember that an
expert was once a beginner. The next topic will deal on the “SUPERNATURALS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT”
Happy learning!

SELF AND MODULE EVALUATION

This part requires you to rate the quality of the module to help you continuously improve the
development of this learning module. This also asks you to rate your learning experience for each of the
modules. Rate the module using the following:

1 - Strongly disagree
2 - Disagree
3 - Agree
4 - Strongly agree

The learning module 1 2 3 4

Please check the appropriate column.

was engaging
allowed for self-checking (SAAs)
developed in gradual, manageable steps
provided independent, self-paced learning
contained relevant information I needed
SELF-EVALUATION
Rate the extent of your learning in this module using the scale below. Check the column
corresponding to your rating in the space provided. Do not hesitate to contact me if you need further
assistance.

4 - I’m an expert. I understand and can teach a friend about it.

3 - I’m a Practioner. I understand and can cite examples on the topics given.
2 - I’m an apprentice. I understand if I get help or look at more examples.
1 - I’m a novice. I do not understand the topic.
My Learning: 1 2 3 4
I can now

Please check the appropriate column.

explain the association of self and possessions;
identify the role of consumer culture to self and identity; and
appraise one's self based on the description of material self

OSMEÑA COLLEGES College of Teacher Education

Aspire…Achieve…Advance!