Murnen, S. K., & Don, B. P. (2012).Task 1 Article 1 Body Image and Gender Roles Flashcards
Body Image
The image of oneself one has in his mind.
Positive body image
Positive image of oneself
Negative body image
Negative image of oneself. Dissatisfaction. May cause the development of eating disorders or other mental disorders.
Gender Role:
Behaviors and traits that are associated with a specific gender. Distinction into femininity and masculinity.
Who is more influenced by ideal body images?
Men and women that are concerned about others opinion of them and need to be accepted. Although women are more vulnerable due to their subordinate societal position.
Body image ideals for girls and women
In western cultures we find an increasingly thin image of women, which can be associated with increased body dissatisfaction and the desire to be thinner.
Media and the body ideal for women
Media constantly reminds woman of the importance to be thin, let alone the cultural products around us, such a “ special K cereal”, fitness shakes, scales, mirrors, skinny jeans, size zero…
Pornography and the body ideal for women
Women have increasingly been depicted as sexual objects, i.e large breasts, long legs, thin hips, full lips… this has gotten even worse since pornography is so easily accesible in the internet
Ideal body and cultures
It differs
Ideal body image for man
The ideal body image for man is the muscular one. The drive for muscularity has been associated with some behavioral and psychological outcomes like depression, eating disorders, steroid use,…
Although less concerned wisth thinnees man can experience body dissatisfaction. The male body is when looking at this ideal, a projection of masculine aspects such as dopamine, aggression, power…
Men body ideal and job
Men are not as dependent on their bodies appearance because they can compensate with a good job. They rather focus in their bodies functionality than on their appearance.
Social role theory
Gender roles have their origins in biologicql differences between man and woman. So woman relate to caretaking and domestic roles while men are more responsible for the strength part. When people are assigned to different roles, they develop skills to improve their assigned roles.( women develop empathy and emotionality)
Gender role congruity theory
Both genders are motivated to fulfil their ideal and if they dont theyll feel rejected from society
Heterosexual Script
Men want sex and women want relationships. LMen are dominant sexual actors that cannot help but to objectify women. The womans power lies in her ideal body with which she might attract them.
Polarization
We tend to emphasize gender differences as much as possible
Patriarchal structure
Women are subordinated to the dominant man
Biological explanations
Men prefer physical attractive women which may be a sign that they have a better reproductive health
Body project
Girls start to define their self worth more by their appearance than by their character when the border between adolescence and adulthood loosens become more vulnerable to focus on appearance
other factors that affect body image are
Experiences such as sexual harrasment or even abuse can increase body dissatisfaction.
Differences between ethnic groups like african americans who have a wider and more flexible ideal
Socioeconomic status since those with low SES cannot afford the cultural products that facilitate the ideal
Masculinity and the body ideal Metrosexuals and Gay
Usually man wont care but if they do theyll be called gay
Metrosexuals man now came out
Gay people experience more body dissatisfaction
Man and women comparison
Women report double the issue of dieting behavior but both manipulate their body appearance through exercising.
In women it has become normal to be dissatisfied with their bodies and their self esteem is closely tied to their body esteem.
Solutions to ideals and gender roles
More man need to take on caretaking roles to de-emphasize the traditional muscularity.
cultural products need to be changed and commercialization needs to be addressed. We should move towards more flexible gender roles to promote equality and decrease the focus on body as a source of self definition and gate to success.
