Unpacking

the Self -
Physical Self

Rubi R. Orbeta
 Objectives:
• Explore the different aspects of self and identity
• Demonstrate critical, reflective thought in integrating
the various aspects of self and identity
• Identify the different forces and institutions that
impact the development of various aspects of self
and identity
• Examine one’s self against the different aspects of
self discussed in class
 THE BIOLOGICAL BLUEPRINT
A crucial aspect of the self is one’s physical
features including the face, bodily structure,
height and weight. However, people should also
consider their physical competencies, valuation
of physical worth, and perception of beauty.
AM I BEAUTIFUL?
DO PEOPLE FIND ME ATTRACTIVE?
WHAT CAN I DO TO ENHANCE MY FEATURES?
However, the physical self is not only limited to
what can be seen by the naked eye; underneath
the skin is a dynamic system of biological and
chemical processes that contribute to one’s
physical features. Body structure, weight,
height, skin color, hair color, and other physical
characteristics do not just develop at random.
These are triggered by genetic transformations
and biological development through heredity.
• HEREDITY – is defined as the transmission of
traits from parents to offspring. The traits are
made up of specific information embedded
within one’s gene, the basic unit of heredity.
• GENOTYPE – refers to specific information
embedded within one’s genes; not all
genotypes translate to an observed physical
characteristic. It can be determined by blood
testing.
• PHENOTYPE – is the physical expression of a
particular trait. It can be directly observed.
• Each individual carries 23 pairs of
chromosomes. The 23rd pair is the sex
chromosomes, determines the sex of an
individual.
• MATURATION is known as the completion of
growth of a genetic character within an
organism. It enables man to walk, run and talk
which are evident in the adolescent stage.
Hunk Pietro Boselli
 Jare Ijalana
Nigerian tot
dubbed ‘most
beautiful girl
in the world’
Beauty by numbers
•Our attraction to another
person’s body increases if
that body is symmetrical
and in proportion
•If a face is in proportion,
we are more likely to
notice it and find it
beautiful.
•We perceive proportional
bodies to be more healthy
 Key points
• The self as impacted by the body
• The impact of culture on body image and self
esteem
• The importance of beauty
• A self image problem happens when your
looks doesn't match your beauty standards. For
example if you believed that attractive people
are slim ones and if you were not slim (but not
obese) then you might believe that you are
unattractive even though others might believe
that you are attractive.
• The problem here is with your own beauty
standards and not with your looks. In order to
like your looks in such a case you must fix your
false beliefs about physical attractiveness.
•
 Body image, self-esteem and the
influence of society
• Society shapes us in many ways, possibly more than
we realize – from our interactions, to our personal
development through to others’ perception of our
bodies as a reflection of self worth.
• We are social beings. Genetically, we rely on one
another for the survival of humanity. That primal
connection makes our interactions physiologically
and psychologically important. So it’s not surprising
that how society perceives us affect us on many
levels.
• And it’s partly how society perceives our
bodies that is of concern; we’re talking body
image. So what does that involve?
 Body image is both internal
(personal) and external (society)
This includes:
• How we perceive our bodies visually
• How we feel about our physical appearance
• How we think and talk to ourselves about our bodies
• Our sense of how other people view our bodies
How we look has possibly never held as much
societal importance or reflected so
significantly on our perceived self worth.
Stretching for health
 The media in particular, has increasingly become a
platform that reinforces cultural beliefs and projects strong
views on how we should look, that we as individuals often
unknowingly or knowingly validate and perpetuate.
The more we look at perfect images of others and then
look to find those same idealized characteristics in ourselves
and don’t find them, the worse we feel about ourselves.
It’s a cycle that breeds discontent.
With such strong societal scrutiny it’s easy to see how
the focus on how we look can slide into the dark side –
negative body image.
Woman with food choices
 The greater our discontent with how we
measure up when compared to the societal or
media supported norms, the more negative
our body image, and the greater the risk for
extreme weight or body control behaviours
occurs. We’re talking…
• Extreme dieting
• Extreme exercise compulsion
• Eating disorders
• Extreme or unnecessary plastic surgery
• Using steroids for muscle building
 Who’s to blame for our body
perceptions, be it good or bad?
• Society gives us a number of reference points
that shape our perceptions whether positive
or negative. When it comes to our bodies
there are a number of sources that affect us
more than others.
 TODAY’S EMBEDDED IDEALS – THE
PHYSICAL
• Life today sees image upon image of fashionably clad women,
perfect skin, tiny waists, ample breasts, fashionably
protruding behinds (of Kardashian and Beyonce fame) all with
a weight of no greater than 59kg.
• They are unrealistic images of beauty, genetically impossible
for many of us to emulate. The same thing applies to the 6-
pack or ripped abs shoved in the face of men via famous
sportsmen and male fitness models, which for many is
impossible to achieve without illegal steroids.
• Yet we are told that these unattainable bodies are normal,
desirable, and achievable. When we don’t measure up we
develop a strong sense of dissatisfaction and the way that
manifests can be ugly.
 PREJUDICE – SIZE
• Intolerance of body diversity has a lot to do with prejudice of
size and shape in our culture. Being thin, toned and muscular
has become associated with the hard-working, successful,
popular, beautiful, strong, and the disciplined.
• Being fat is associated with the lazy, ugly, weak, and lacking in
will-power.
• With this prejudice, fat isn’t a description like tall or redhead
– it’s an indication of moral character and we are conditioned
to think that fat is bad.
 THE MEDIA

• The images of perfection we see in print, film and television

project an unrealistic version of reality that we are continually
told is attainable – if we work out, eat less and lather our
bodies in transformative, firming and tightening creams.
• The media is a powerful tool that reinforces cultural beliefs
and values, and while it may not be fully responsible for
determining the standards for physical attractiveness, it
makes escaping the barrage of images and attitudes almost
impossible.
 Those closest to us – family and
friends
• We learn from other people, particularly
those closest to us about the things that are
considered important.
• Friendships are particularly important in body
image development because we place high
value on them, spend lots of time with our
friends and develop shared experiences,
values and beliefs.
Close friends
• Classrooms, University dorms and common
rooms are often filled with negative body talk:
“I wish I had her stomach” “I hate my thighs”
“I feel fat.” Listening to this tends to reinforce
the need to focus on appearance and make
comparisons between us and other people’s
bodies.
So how can we build a strong and
positive body image?
• Positive body image involves understanding
that healthy attractive bodies come in many
shapes and sizes, and that physical
appearance says very little about our
character or value as a person.
Women of different size
 How we get to this point of acceptance often depends on our
individual development and self acceptance. To get to that all
important point of balance there are a few steps we can take:
• Talk back to the media. All media and messages are
developed or constructed and are not reflections of reality. So
shout back. Speak our dissatisfaction with the focus on
appearance and lack of size acceptance
• De-emphasize numbers. Kilograms on a scale don’t tell us
anything meaningful about the body as a whole or our health.
Eating habits and activity patterns are much more important
• Realize that we cannot change our body type: thin, large,
short or tall, we need to appreciate the uniqueness of what
we have – and work with it
• Stop comparing ourselves to others. We are unique and we
can’t get a sense of our own body’s needs and abilities by
comparing it to someone else
• We need to move and enjoy our bodies not because we
have to, but because it makes us feel good. Walking,
swimming, biking, dancing – there is something for everyone
• Spend time with people who have a healthy relationship
with food, activity, and their bodies
• Question the degree to which self-esteem depends on our
appearance. If we base our happiness on how we look it is
likely to lead to failure and frustration, and may prevent us
from finding true happiness
• Broaden our perspective about health and beauty by reading about
body image, cultural variances, or media influence. Check out a local art
gallery paying particular attention to fine art collections that show a
variety of body types throughout the ages and in different cultures
• Recognize that size prejudice is a form of discrimination similar to other
forms of discrimination. Shape and size are not indicators of character,
morality, intelligence, or success
• Each of us will have a positive body image when we have a realistic
perception of our bodies, when we enjoy, accept and celebrate how we
are and let go of negative societal or media perpetuated conditioning.
But the media and society in general, are not all bad.
As with most things, with the bad comes the potential for good
and increasingly, people the world over are waking up to the
negativity and conditioning that we are bombarded with
daily.
“If you project a positive self-
image, people will be more likely
to see you as a positive, capable
person.”
 Defining Beauty
Complete the sentences below.
1.For me, beauty means______________.
2.A beautiful person is ________________.
3.I am beautiful because _______________.
4.Mention names of people you know who are
beautiful.
 Assignment:
Update your journal with insights about what
you learned today about the physical self.
1.Define your self-image. What’s your internal
voice saying?
2.Considering how you look now, is there
anything you wish to change? Why or why
not?
Thank you!!!!