Understanding, The

Self

C. The Material /
Economic Self

HERMES
LOVT
 Salvatore
Foragamo
Understanding The Self

DISCUSSION/READINGS

INTRODUCTION

Upon reaching an item in the display shelf of chocolates at a

convenience store, a woman intends of buying a bar with a statement, "It's
cheat day. I'm just not myself now. If she is not just herself now, maybe she'll
have another self later, or tomorrow perhaps. Many scholar's conclude that
people have a core set of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values that
constitute their selves. It is the sum total of who they are. However, their concepts of
self can and does change, depending on circumstances and influences.

1. The Material Self

People had a "material self," in the words of William James, the Harvard
psychologist and giant of the American intellectual scene in the late nineteenth century. A
"man's self is the sum total of all that he can call his," James wrote in 1890. This included his body, family
and reputation but also his "clothes and his house... his lands and horses, and yacht and
bank-account." If they grew, their owners felt triumphant. If they faded, people felt a part of
themselves was dying (Trentman, 2016).
All the physical elements that reflect who a person is, maybe possessions,
cars, home, body, clothes, are part of the material self. Think of your material self as that of what
you are clothed of, what interests you or are passionate about, what you spend for. The
material self craves for clothes not only to cover the essential parts of the body, but also to
decorate the self. People opt for extra clothing unnecessary for the weather, yet may find it
fashionable. Women wear jacket, cardigan, blazer, and there's the shawl, too. There are the
jeans, then the leggings, and the jeggings, underneath the skirt of all lengths. Men also have
their own share of fashion for a cardigan, sweater with shawl-collar, or maybe a stylish
cravat to match long sleeves.

Moreover, the material self is constituted by our bodies, clothes, immediate

family, and home. It is to these things, according to James, that we are most deeply
affected because of our investments of self within these things. The more we invest of
ourselves in these objects, the more attached we inevitably are to them. (http://mills-
socl16.wikidot.com/notes:james- self-and-its-selves).
For the "material self," objects help make the person but they also
show what that person is made of. It means the use and display of wealth remains
powerful and controversial, and nowhere more so than for the super rich. Private wealth
find different outlets, changing with generations and
has continued to
shaped by national cultures and value systems. Luxury goods are also
about belonging, especially to the many millions in Asia for whom
branded handbags and accessories are physical signs that one belongs
to a global class of stylish consumers up://mills-soct 16 wikidot commotes james-
self-and-its-selves)
Psychologists who study the impact of wealth and inequality
have found that money can powerfully
on human behavior
influence our thoughts and actions in ways that we're often
not aware of, no matter what our economic circumstances are (Greogoire,
2014).

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Understanding, The
Self
Curtis (2017) manifested that cash can have serious bearing on one's belief
regarding the way a person views himself/herself. The following are evidences
behind the idea that money truly can change people:
 a. Social and Business Value
Heyman and Ariely (2004) surmised that there are two motivations for
completing a given task. The first is social. By recognizing a task's social value, a
person sees it as a worthy investment of time and a part of his/her social duty, and
he/she is usually happy to help out. When money is offered as the motivation, however,
people then start thinking less of the social aspect and more about the business value.

As a matter of fact, even relatives who ask for favor nursing the dependent senior
citizens require compensation to equate the effort done. The more money received the more
frequent visits and more tasks done. If less money is paid, the lesser the chances of
coming back, with many alibis and excuses given.

b. Self-Sufficiency and Service

Those who are conscious of money typically strive to be more self-sufficient than
those for whom money isn't a priority. When given a very difficult and even impossible
task, with instructions that help was available, it was the money-related group that seemed
the most intent on getting the job done alone, even when it was not possible to finish the task
solo. It only means that money-conscious individuals are more self-sufficient than their
peers, particularly when money is made the focus.

c. Self-View

The amount one earns could have an effect on how he/she views both himself/herself and
others. The wealthiest people are those with the deepest sense of class essentialism the
idea that differences between classes are based upon identity and genetics, rather than
circumstance. Poor people tend to believe that social class was not related to genes, that
essentially, anyone can be rich and anyone can be poor. Rich people were more likely to
believe that wealth was part of genes and identity, that they were entitled to wealth based
upon their personal circumstances and actions. Wealthy people also believe that,
more or less, life is fair and people mostly get what they deserve.

d. Ethics
Those who perceive themselves to be in a higher class were the most likely
to engage in unethical behavior, particularly when a symbol of wealth was
introduced, such as cutting off a pedestrian when in a luxury car, for example.
 Piff, in his study labelled the behavior, "self-interest maximization," an idea
that suggests those who have the most money or occupy higher classes are
more likely to take a "what's in it for me?" attitude.. They actively work toward the
most benefit for themselves (Piff, 2012).

e. Addiction
Many addictions begin because a person gets a positive
response from a certain type of behavior. Whether it's a happy feeling
that one gets from shopping or a thrill that comes from gambling,
actively seeking out that behavior again and again for the same
outcome can trigger an addiction. This is called "behavioral or
process addiction" a compulsive

behavior not motivated by dependency on

an addictive substance, but rather by a
process
Understanding, The Self-
D
that leads to a seemingly
positive outcome.

Earning money can be very addictive

for some individuals. That 'high' of a big check or
a well-padded savings account can become the sole
purpose of a wealth-searcher's life. The
 positive feeling that follows obtaining
money can cause a chemical reaction in the
brain that feels good. In turn, it can result in a severe
preoccupation with money and put a strain on
relationships outside of those that relate to earning more.
2. Shaping the Way We See Ourselves: The Roles of
Consumer Culture on Our Sense of Te Self and Identity
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=
n.

2.1' Possessions and the Extended

Self
The premise that people regard their possessions as parts of themselves
is not new.If possessions are viewed as part of self, it follows that an
unintentional loss of possessions should be regarded as a loss or lessening of self.
Goffman (1961) provides a thorough review of the evidence of deliberate lessening of
self manifested in such institutions as mental hospitals, homes for the aged, prisons,
concentration camps, military training camps, boarding schools, and monasteries.
One of the first steps in receiving new members into these institutions is to
systematically deprive them of all personal possessions including clothing, money, and
even names. Their bodies may be standardized to some degree, as with military
haircuts, and their behaviors and conversations may be severely restricted. They are
reissued standard wardrobes and minimal possessions to aid in rebuilding a new
standardized identity. The result of this systematic substitution of standardized "identity
kits" for former possessions is an elimination of uniqueness (Snyder and Fromkin,
1981). and a corresponding and often traumatic lessening of the individual's sense
of self. Although the new, more standardized possessions that are
substituted may eventually restore some sense of self, the new self should
necessarily be less unique and involve more of a shared group identity.

Another instance in which nonvoluntary loss of possessions may bring about a

diminished sense of self is when possessions are lost due to
theft or casualty. In the case of burglary victims, Rosenblatt,
Walsh, and Jackson (1976) suggest that a process of grief
and mourning may follow the discovery of theft, just as one might
grieve and mourn the death of loved one who had been a part of
one's life. What is lost in both cases may be a part of
self.

lerm effect on victims. Similarly, losing

photographs of loved ones that are often
carried in a Handbag snatching can produce not only a
may cause
financial but also an emotional, long- purse,
the victims' sense of security impaired; they
 tend to distrust and feel Suspicious towards
other people, and develop a fear of
walking in public and even in familiar
environments. Research has also found that
victims sometimes describe possession as
having high sentimental value and being
much more than functional. Victims
perceive their belongings as an
extension of themselves, so they
feel the loss as a threat to their self-
identity, which elicits strong negative
emotional reactions (Dinisman, 2017).
Understanding The Self
There are also reports on feelings of loss of a part of self among victims
of natural disasters. McLeod (1984) found that those who lost
possessions to a mudslide went through moving from denial to anger, to a
process of grief similar to that of losing a loved one depression, and finally to acceptance.

Our immediate family is a part of ourselves. Our father and mother, our
wife and babies, are bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. When they die, a part
of our very selves is gone. Clearly what is mourned is loss of self, as material
property is an extension of the ego, and any interference with our property is, for this
reason, felt to be a violation of the
person.

If they do anything wrong, it is our shame. If they are insulted, our anger
flashes forth as readily as if we stood in their place. Our home comes next. Its
scenes are part of Our life; its aspects awaken the tenderest feelings of affection;
and we do not easily forgive the stranger who, in visiting it, finds fault with its
arrangements or treats it with contempt. All these different things are the objects of
instinctive preferences coupled with the most important practical interests of life. We all
have a blind impulse to watch over our body, to deck it with clothing of an ornamental
sort, to cherish parents, wife and babes, and to find for ourselves a home of our own
which we may live in and 'improve.'

There is a connection between wealth and well-being. a belief that feeds what Juliet
Schor (1998) calls the "cycle of work and spend” – work more to buy more. The level of
consumption is set mainly by people's choices about how much to work, and therefore how
much income to earn. The individual chooses between hours at work (which yield income) and
leisure (a "good" in itself, but a costly one because it entails foregoing income).

The income earned then determines the level of consumption. Thus,

individual workers/consumers choose the level of working hours and the quantity of
consumption. There is no possibility of "too much" or "too little" consumption. Those terms
make no sense. Here, it is individuals' preferences that determine the quantity of consuming
and free time. And whatever quantity is chosen must be optimal.

After working so hard, they feel deserving of their consumer comforts and luxuries.
Indeed, consumption is the major form of reward for long hours and a
harried pace of work And consumer expenditures have become a means by
which people with frenetic lives keep it all going whether it's stress-busters like
vacations, massages, or restaurant meals; the contracting out of household
services; or the purchase of time-saving commodities.

2.2 Special Cases of Extended Self

1. Collections ("I Shop, Therefore I Am")

As Belk (1982) notes, humans and animals

once primarily assembled collections of necessities for
future security, but today humans more often assemble collections
of non necessities for distinction and self-definition.
Collections of this sort may be initiated by gifts or
other unintended acquisitions, but the cultivation of a
collection is a purposeful self- defining act.
Collecting has become a significant activity in
our consumer society as it has
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Self-
become more widely affordable through
the discretionary time and money
available to the general population rather
than just to the wealthy elite (Mason,
1981).
Goldberg and Lewis (1978, p. 64) go further in suggesting that
"Many collectors
who are inhibited and uncomfortable in
social interaction, surround themselves with
favored objects upon which they project human-like
qualities. They practically talk to these objects, find
comfort in being with them and regard them as friends." In this sense,
collections be seen as transition objects or security blankets for adults.
they
may

To some extent, a compulsive tendency urges them the increasing desire

as much as they could which gives them a greater feeling of
to collect
security, and therefore becoming a basis of the sense of self and
identity - "I shop, therefore I am; I have, therefore,
I am".

2. Pets as Extended Self

Pets are regarded commonly as representative of self and studies show that we
attempt to infer characteristics of people from their pets (Foote 1956; Heiman
1967). Some relationship between personality and choice of pets does, in fact, exist
(Kidd and Kidd 1980). Others have observed that, like people, pets are regarded as
family members (e.g., Cain 1985; Friedmann and Thomas 1985; Hickrod and Schmitt 1982;
Rochberg-Halton 1985; Wallendorfand Belk 1987).

In this regard, it is significant that we name our pets, feed and care for them,
photograph them, spend money on them, groom them, talk to them, protect them, sleep
and play with them, and mourn their death (Hickrod and Schmitt 1982; Meer 1984).
Carmack (1985), Cowles (1985), and Keddie (1977) found that in some cases of pet death the
mourning is similar to that which occurs due to the loss of a home or the loss of a limb.

Levinson (1972) and Robin and Bensel (1985) found that pets are so instrumental
to self-identity that they are often useful as transition objects (surrogate
parents) for children and as surrogate children for adults. These
observations and popular treatments suggest that pets can be therapeutic in
expanding the self of children, hospital patients, and the elderly.

3. Body Parts
Body parts are among the most central parts of the extended self. In
psychoanalytic terms, such self-extension is called cathexis. Cathexis involves
the charging of an object, activity,
or idea with emotional energy by the individual. The concept most commonly
hasbeen applied to body parts and it is known, for instance, that
women generally tend to cathect body parts to a greater degree
than men and that such cathexis reflects self- acceptance. When a
body part is more highly cathected, there is greater use of grooming
products to care for this part of the body.
Csikszentimihalyi and Rochberg-Halton (1981) proposed the
seemingly identical Concept of psychic energy investment to
describe the process of identification with Possessions of any
type. Since we are permanently attached to our body parts, these
body parts are expected to be more strongly cathected than
material possessions that can be more easily acquired and
discarded. And since body parts are normally central
to conceptions of self, the loss of body parts is
tantamount to losing one's identity and one's very being.
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Self-
Indeed, the loss of a limb is often viewed by those from whom it
has been severed in just this way (e.g., Parker 1982;
Schilder 1950). One is literally and symbolically afraid of
being
less of a person following an amputation.

From the discussions, we can say; the material self refers to

all of the physical elements that reflect who a person is which includes his/her
body, possessions and home. The body is the innermost part of the
material self. The family, home and clothes also form a person's
material self. Furthermore, practical interests of a person is part of his/her material
self which includes the instinctive impulse of collecting property. Luxury and materialism
are by-products of the material self. Materialism refers to the theory or belief that
nothing exists except matter, its movements and its modifications; the theory or
belief that consciousness and will are wholly due to material agency; a tendency to
consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual
values.

Think and react on this:

I Shop, Therefore I Am
A person is defined not by what he thinks, but by what he owns.

Shopping is an expressive and constitutive existential act. (Kruger)

Understanding shopping is important in determining race and culture,

gender, class, family, and community. (Belk, 2016)
 therefore
In the future luxury goods will be methods that bring us back the power
of our own attention: the power
to choose ourselves what we want to
notice or not. And there lies the true
luxury of the future, to be able
to resist shopping and still be
happy!"

DO YOU SHOP ACCORDING TO YOUR MEANS; OR DO

YOU SHOP BEYOND YOUR MEANS?

Finally, as we shape the way we see ourselves and

develop our sense of self and identity, reflecting on this familiar
statement might help; "People were created to be loved, and things
were created to be used; the reason why the world is in so much chaos right
now is because people are being used, and things are being loved".
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