GEUS Midterm

• Unpacking the self is a gradual unfolding, a growth process, in which the aspects that surround the self and identity develop in an integrated in a healthy way
• Aspects that make up the self

  • Physical
  • Sexual
  • Material
  • Spiritual
  • Political
  • Digital

  
• Physical self

  The body
• Adolescence


  Begins with the onset of puberty, characterized by rapid physical changes including the maturation of the reproductive system
• Stages in the life span

  • Prenatal -- fertilization to birth
  • Infancy -- birth to 2 weeks of life
  • Babyhood -- 2 weeks of life to 2nd year
  • Early Childhood -- 2 to 6 years old
  • Late Childhood -- 6 to 10 or 12 years old
  • Puberty -- 10 or 12 to 14 years old
  • Adolescence -- 14 to 18 years old
  • Early Adulthood -- 18 to 40 years old
  • Middle Adulthood -- 40 to 60 years old
  • Late Adulthood or Senescence -- 60 to death
• Factors affecting physical growth and development

  • Heredity - the biological process of the inheritance of traits from parents to offspring
  • Environment - the factors an individual is exposed to throughout life which includes learning and experiences
• Environmental factors affecting physical development

  • Diet
  • Nutrition
  • Diseases
• Chromosomes


  Threadlike tissues that carries the genes, and are usually found in pairs
• Genes


  The basic carrier of hereditary traits, classified as dominant (strong genes) and recessive (weak genes)
• Theories of physical self

  • Theory of Physiognomy
  • Five Element Theory
  • Theory Based on the Prominence of Bodily Fluids
  • Body-Type Theory
  • The Wisdom of your Face
• Theory of Physiognomy


  Suggests that a person's physical characteristics such as facial features and expressions and body structures could be related to a person's character or personality
• Five Element Theory


  Makes use of the elements of water, wood, fire, earth, and metal as archetypes for everything occurring in the natural world. According to ancient Chinese practice of face reading, the face is a three-dimensional reflection of "who we are and how life has affected us."
• Theory based on the prominence of body fluids


  Developed by Hippocrates which suggests that an excess of or deficiency in any of the four bodily fluids or humors in a person influences their personality, temperament, and well-being
• Four bodily fluids or humors

  • Sanguine
  • Melancholic
  • Choleric
  • Phlegmatic
• Body-type Theory


  Developed by William Sheldon in the 1940s which are based on physical characteristics. The three body types are: Endomorphic, Mesomorphic, Ectomorphic
• Three body types

  • Endomorphic - Soft and plump; perceived to be easy going and sociable
  • Mesomorphic - Strong muscular body; perceived to be energetic, adventurous, assertive, and courageous; competitive and tend to be dominant
  • Ectomorphic - Tall and thin; tend to be restrained, quiet, introverted, and artistic
• The Wisdom of Your Face


  Jean Haner (2008) suggests that people's facial features and shapes are related to their personality and character traits
• Facial features and associated personality traits

  • Oval-shaped faces - generally hospitable and tactful
  • Round-shaped faces - friendly, kindhearted, and selfless
  • Square faces - witty, analytical, and great leaders
  • Heart-shaped faces - patient and intuitive by nature
  • Long-shaped faces - perfectionists and tend to be aggressive
  • Triangle-shaped faces - creative, artistic, sensitive, and determined
  • Diamond faces - very detail-oriented and like to be in control
  • Full and thick eyebrows - confident, assertive, and goal-oriented
  • Large or highly-defined jaws - strong values and firm beliefs
• Body Image


  How individuals perceived, think, and feel about their body and physical appearance

  
• Appearance


  Everything about a person that others can observe such as height, weight, skin color, clothes, and hairstyle
• Self-esteem


  A person's overall evaluation of his or her own worth
• Body image can affect both the adolescent's physical and psychological well-being
• Adolescents worry about different parts of their bodies
• The way adolescents react to their physical appearance depends in part on sociocultural factors
• The emphasis that peers, parents, or the media put on ideal body types which is slim or thin leads girls to experience body dissatisfaction
• Historical perceptions of beauty

  • In Egyptian art, beauty is perceived in women with slim, high waist, narrow hips, and long black hair
  • During the Renaissance period, women with a full figure and rounded hips were considered beautiful
  • Some tribes (e.g., Africa) during the Medieval Age considered chubby, fat, or plump women beautiful
  • People in Malaysia, Philippines, and Indonesia used to consider flat noses to be attractive
• Humans who have clean and unblemished skin, thick shiny hair, well-proportioned bodies, and symmetrical faces, are traditionally considered the most beautiful
• Advertisements, magazines, and televisions are filled with good-looking faces which emphasize the value of physical attractiveness
• Types of body modification

  • Tattooing
  • Makeup tattooing
  • Body piercing
  • Cosmetic surgery
• Studies have shown that men and women who are physically attractive have more opportunities in finding jobs, getting promotions, and having higher income
• Buddha: 'To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear'
• Uterus


  A hollow organ where the fertilized embryo grows to become a fetus
• Cervix


  The lower part of the uterus; a passageway between the uterus and the vagina that expands during childbirth
• Fallopian Tubes


  Carry the fertilized egg from the ovary to the uterus
• Pregnancy


  Starts from fertilization and end at birth, for an approximate duration of 260 days
• Male Reproductive System

  • Penis
  • Testes or Testicles
  • Vas Deferens
  • Epididymis
  • Prostate Gland and Seminal Vesicles
  • Ejaculation

  
• Penis


  The organ through which males urinate and deliver the sperm cells into the vagina during sexual intercourse; made up sensitive tissues and nerve endings
• Testes or Testicles


  Located in a loose pouch-like sac of skin called the scrotum are responsible for the production of sperm cells and male sex hormones
• Vas Deferens


  Transports the sperm-containing fluid called semen
• Epididymis


  A set of coiled ducts connected to the vans deferens where the sperm cells are stored