COURSE TITLE : UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
COURSE CODE : GEC
COURSE CREDIT : 3 UNITS
PROGRAM : BSHM & BSTM
YEAR LEVEL/SEM : 1ST YEAR, 1ST SEM
INSTRUCTOR : BRYAN A. CASTILLO
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course deals with the nature of identity, as well as the factors and forces that affect the
development and maintenance of personal identity.
The directive to Know Oneself has inspired countless varied ways to comply. Among the
questions that everyone has had to grapple with one time or other is “Who am I?” at no other period
is this question asked more urgently than in adolescence – traditionally believed to be a time of
vulnerability and great possibilities. Issues of self and identity are among the most critical for the
young.
This course is intended to facilitate exploration of the issues and concerns regarding self
and identity to achieve a better understanding of oneself. It strives to meet this goal by stressing
the integration of the personal with the academic – contextualizing matters discussed in the
classroom and in the everyday experiences of students – making for better learning, generating a
new appreciation for the learning process, and developing a more critical and reflective attitude
while enabling them to manage and improve their selves to attain a better quality of life.
This course is divided into three major parts: The first part seeks to understand the construct
of the self from various disciplinal perspectives: philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and
psychology – as well as the more traditional division between the East and West – each seeking to
provide answers to the difficult but essential question of “What is the self?” And raising, among
others, the question: “Is there even such a construct as the self?”
The second part explores some of the various aspects that make up the self, such as the
biological and material up to and including the more recent Digital Self. The third and final part
identifies three areas of concern for young students: learning, goal setting, and managing stress. It
also provides for the more practical application of the concepts discussed in this course and enables
them the hands-on experience of developing self-help plans for self-regulated learning, goal
setting, and self-care.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from various
disciplinal perspectives;
2. Compare and contrast how the self has been represented across different disciplines and
perspectives;
3. Examine the different influences, factors, and forces that shape the self;
4. Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the development of one’s self and
identity by developing a theory of the self;
5. Explore the different aspects of self and identity;
6. Demonstrate critical, reflective thought in integrating the various aspects of self and
identity;
7. Identify the different forces and institutions that impact the development of various aspects
of self and identity;
8. Examine one’s self against the different aspects of self-discussed in class;
9. Understand the theoretical underpinnings for how to manage and care for different aspects
of the self;
10. Acquire and hone new skills and learnings for better managing of one’s self and behaviors;
11. Apply these new skills to one’s self and functioning for a better quality of life.
WEEKLY COURSE OUTLINE
Week 1: Course Orientation, IDSC VMG
• IDSC VMG presentation
• Syllabus walkthrough
Week 2: Philosophy
• Socrates, Plato, and Augustine to Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Freud, Churchland, and
Merleau-Ponty, all try to answer the question Who are you?
Week 3: Sociology
● Mead and the Social Self
Week 4: Anthropology
● The Self and person in contemporary anthropology
● The self-embedded in culture
Week 5: Psychology
● The Self as a Cognitive Construction
● The Self as Proactive and Agentic
● The Social Construction of the Self in Western thought
Week 6: The Physical Self
● The impact of culture on body image and self-esteem: The importance of beauty
Week 7: Sexual Self
● The basic biology of sexual behavior.
● The diversity of sexual behavior: solitary heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual,
transsexual
Week 8: Midterm Exam
● Written Midterm Exam
Week 9: The consumer self and sense of identity
● Nature of consumer personality
● Personality style and consumer behavior
Week 10: Different functions of Religion
• Different techniques of religion
• Logotherapy: Finding and Creating Meaning (Three ways of discovering meaning in life)
Week 11: Self and Politics
• The political system and types of government
• Citizen Rights and Responsibility
Week 12: The Digital Self
• Self and others in cyberspace
Week 13: Digital Self
• Impact of Online Interactions on the self
Week 14: Learning to be a better student
• Managing your own learning: Self-regulated learning
Week 15: Setting goals for Success
• Locke’s goal-setting theory
Week 16: Taking charge of One’s Health
● Taking care of the self: The need for self-care and compassion
Week 17: Filipino Beliefs
• Filipino Identity
Week 18: Final Exam and Course Wrap-Up
● Written Final Exam
● Course Reflection
GRADING SYSTEM:
The School follows a cumulative grading system:
(Preliminary rating x 0.30) + (Midterm rating x 0.70) = Midterm Grade
(Midterm Grade x 0.30) + (Semi-final rating x 0.70) = Semi-final Grade
(Semi-final Grade x 0.30) + (Final rating x 0.70) = Final Grade
Grade Components
Periodic Examination 30%
Quizzes 25%
Class Standing (Class
Participation,
45%
Assignment/Project and
Deportment)
FINAL GRADE 100%
Prepared by:
BRYAN A. CASTILLO, LPT
Instructor
