Module 8

The Material/Economic Self

Introduction

“I shop therefore I am”. Shopping has turned into a lifestyle. At what point
does the accumulation of material goods become less fulfilling and more stressful and
overwhelming? People are slowly realizing that the power of consumption is stopping us
from finding true and sincere happiness, and that shopping often works as a substitute
for something that we are missing in life. As a primary consumer, the issue is
about what we buy and what we choose to invest in.

This chapter deals with the description of the material self. It includes the basic
components and the subclasses of the material self. It also covers the role of material
possessions on the sense of self and identity.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this chapter, the student is expected to:

1. develop understanding about the material self;
2. describe the basic components of the material self;
3. appraise one’s self in terms of motives in acquiring material possessions;
4. develop qualities of a wise buyer; and
5. apply critical and reflective thought in integrating the aspects of the
material self.

Learning Content

The Material Self

The American philosopher and psychologist, William James (1979),

considered the self as anything that an individual considers to be his or
hers, not only his or her body and material possessions but also his or her
reputation and beliefs. The self constitutes the material self and the manifestation of
one’s identity through his material possessions.

The material self consists of things that belong to a person or entities that a
person belongs to. Thus, things like the body, family, clothes, money, and such make up
the material self. For James, the core of the material self was the body. Second to
the body, James felt a person's clothes were important to the material self. He believed a
person's clothes were one way they expressed who they felt they were; or clothes were a
way to show status, thus contributing to forming and maintaining one's self-image.
Money and family are critical parts of the material self. James felt that if one lost a
family member, a part of who they are was lost also. Money figured in one's material
self in a similar way. If once a person had significant money then lost it, who they
were as a person changed as well.

The material self entails two subclasses such as the bodily self and the
extracorporeal self or beyond the body self.

1. The bodily component as the term suggests refers to the entities

comprising our bodies. For instance, someone may speak of his/her head,
eyes, and hands which form part of his/her physical body.
2. Rosenberg (1979) regarded the extracorporeal self as the extended self.
The extended self includes other people (e.g. my parents), pets (my
puppy), possessions (my phone), places (my hometown), and the products
of our labor (my recipe). Thus, it is not merely the physical entities which
encompass the material self but the tangible objects, people or places
carrying the designation my or mine.

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 James (1979) added that an entity can be identified as part of the self through
our emotion and/or action towards it. If we pay much attention or work hard
towards that entity, we can conclude that the entity is part of the self. As James wrote:

“A man’s self is the sum total of all that he can call his, not
only his body and his psychic powers, but his clothes and his
house, his wife and children, his ancestors and friends, his
reputation and works, his lands and horses, and yacht and bank
account. All these things give him the same emotions. If they wax and
prosper, he feels triumphant; if they dwindle and die away, he feels cast
down, --not necessarily in the same degree for each thing, but in much the
same way for all.” An equally instinctive impulse drives us to collect
property; and the collections thus become, with different degrees of
intimacy, parts of our empirical selves. The parts of our wealth most
intimately ours are those which are saturated with our labor. ... and
although it is true that a part of our depression at the loss of possessions is
due to our feeling that we must now go without certain goods that we
expected the possessions to bring in their train, yet in every case there
remains, over and above this, a sense of the shrinkage of our
personality, a partial conversion of ourselves to nothingness,
which is a psychological phenomenon by itself. (p. 293)

The Role of Material Possessions on the Sense of Self and Identity

Possessions are considered as the extended versions of oneself; whereas,

material possessions tell something of the personality and social values of those who
own them.

Ø Regardless of how much or how little material possessions people have, they
remain valuable because these possessions are symbolic of one’s social
status. The more expensive they are; the more other people are impressed.

Ø Russel Belk (1988) in his work “Are We What We Own?”, suggests that
material possessions act as an objective manifestation of the self. Material
possessions can be a reflection of hard work and success.

Ø Normally, people tend to measure success through the amount of

their material possessions. Owning material possessions becomes a
driving force in urging an individual to seek a high level of achievement in
order to be able to acquire more possessions.

Ø However, the lack or loss of material possessions can be disruptive to one’s

mental health.

Ø People tend to judge others through their material possessions.

Ø Materialism – refers to giving more importance to material possessions than

intangible values.

Ø Materialistic person – one who is excessively concerned with the

acquisition of material possessions.

Ø The strong desire for material possessions could lead to psychological

dysfunction or impairment in functioning such as compulsive buying

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 disorder (CBD) which is characterized by an obsession with shopping and
buying behaviors that can cause adverse consequences.

Ø Lack or loss of these material possessions could lead to anxiety, insecurity, and
depression in people who are overly materialistic.

In relation to the Theory of Meaning of Material Possessions, Dittmar

(1992, 2004) suggested that material goods can fulfill a range of instrumental, social,
symbolic and affective functions. Individuals buy and use material goods depending on
their specific functions.

1. Instrumental functions relate to the functional properties of a product.

e.g. Jake bought a four-wheeler closed van for the delivery of their merchandise

2. Social symbolic functions signify personal qualities, social standing, group

affiliation and gender roles.

e.g. Using branded bags and shoes

3. Categorical functions refer to the extent to which material possessions may

be used to communicate group membership and status.

e.g. Wearing organizational shirt

4. Self-expressive functions reflect a person’s unique qualities, values or

attitudes.

e.g. Collecting items with Panda designs

In terms of the economic self, people buy goods not only because they need
them but also because of the joy and happiness the goods given by merely
having of acquiring them. The emotion that an individual expects to feel when
doing or buying something is called the anticipated affect. The anticipated positive
effect like excitement, pride, and happiness as well as the negative affect such as anger,
sadness, and frustration are important predicates of whether to buy or not to buy the
product. In other words, these emotions can be a strong motivator or barrier for the
buying behavior of people.

The Role of Consumer Culture on our Sense of Self and Identity

It is a social system in which consumption is dominated by the consumption of

commercial products.

Consumer culture denotes a social arrangement in which the relations

between lived culture and social resources, and between meaningful ways of life
and the symbolic and material resources on which they depend on, are mediated
through markets.

The consumption of market-made commodities and desire-inducing marketing

symbols is central to consumer culture.

A consumerist society is one in which people spend a great deal of time, money,
and energy to “consume” commercial products, goods, and services.

Consumerism is the consumption of material goods and services in

excess of one’s basic needs. It is closely tied to materialism. Both heavily
influence the way individuals view the self.

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 The state of needs and wants tends to be endless, and thus could cause negative
effects such as dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and depression.

Karl Marx’s theory of the alienation of workers within a capitalist system

stresses that consumerist urges become a social force separate from the
individual and operating independently.

Products and brands become the force that propels and reproduces norms, social
relations, and the general structure of society.

The dominant worldview, values, and culture are inspired by disposable

and empty consumption.

The decisions that go into the purchase of items and certain services is dependent
on a number of factors, including financial constraints, availability of
items and services, and the influence of family and friends.

However, the most important factor is determining whether these items and
services fall under:
1. Wants. Synonymous with luxuries. People buy them for reasons that
do not warrant necessity.
2. Needs. These are important for survival. Food, clothing, and shelter are
basic needs so people purchase them out of necessity.

Regardless of your intention in purchasing, keep these things in mind when

acquiring goods:

 Exercise intellectual independence. Be aware of how consumerism controls

your life. Try to defend yourself from unwanted external pressures. Ignore
advertising. Think for yourself. Question all information given to you and start
looking for information yourself.

 Consume less, live more. Strive to live the life you want, not how others think
you ought to live.

 Be practical and aware. Consider its utility to ensure that the product serves a
practical purpose; and, remember its significance and be aware of how the
objects become powerful symbols or icons of habit ritual.

Supplementary Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OiaAMKXcxI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsUCenBXQcE