The Physical Self

• Erving Goffman (1971): 'People are concerned with the way others perceive them, and such concern serves as a motivation to manage their behavior in order to present favorable and appropriate images to others. Such self-presentation includes not only the individual's social behaviors but also his/her physical body.'
• Physical self


  • An important component in the study of the person's self and identity
  • The concrete or tangible aspect or dimension of the person which is primarily observed and examined through the body
• Plastic surgery remains most popular among women, maintaining beautiful bodies through plastic surgery procedure.
• Male ideals


  • Muscular wash-board abs
  • Powerful legs
  • Chiseled features
• Female ideals


  • Slim, toned body
• Body Image


  • Refers to the person's perception of the level of attractiveness of his/her body looks
  • Can be seen both internal (personal) and external (social)
• Types of Beauty


  • Inner beauty
  • External beauty
• Inner beauty


  Refers to the inner qualities of the person
• External beauty


  Refers to physical characteristics of the person
• Body Adornment


  Refers to the practice of physically enhancing the body by styling and decorating the hair, painting and embellishing the fingernails, wearing makeup etc.
• Body modification


  Refers to the physical alteration of the body through the use of surgery, tattooing, piercing and so on.
• Body Shame


  A culturally conditioned reaction to commercially-fabricated fantasy of physical perfection.
• Pop Culture


  A culture widely accepted and patronized by the public as in pop music which is very appealing to the youth.
• Self-definition


  • Refers to the way a person sees himself/herself
  • Intrinsically tied into self-esteem and confidence
• Boys' body image is generally more positive than girls, and boys are much more likely to welcome weight gain.
• If body shape is far from dominant cultural ideal of slimness, teens are more likely to develop low self-esteem and negative body image.
• Self-esteem


  Referred to as self-worth or self-respect
• Importance of self-esteem


  • Can play a significant role in one's motivation and success throughout life
  • Low self-esteem may hold you back from succeeding at school or at work because you don't believe yourself to be capable of success
  • Healthy self-esteem can help you achieve because you navigate life with a positive, assertive attitude and believe you can accomplish your goals
• Too much self-love on the other hand, result in an irritating sense of entitlement and an inability to learn from failures. Can be a sign of clinical narcissism which is a personality disorder.
• Developing self-esteem


  1. Understand that healthy, attractive bodies come in many shapes and sizes

  2. Understand that physical appearance says very little about our character or value as a person

  3. Develop a positive body image through individual development and self-acceptance