Week 11 : readings Flashcards
1
Q
Texbook Physical appearance
is body weight voluntary or involuntary?
A
- both
- voluntary = ppl choose how much to eat & exercise
- involuntary = psychological, social & biological factors influence the outcomes
2
Q
Texbook Physical appearance
‘body projects’
A
- Shilling
- refers to the ways each of us adapts, changes or controls characteristics of out bodies & whether those characteristics are voluntary or involuntary
- too short = wear heels, too tall = slouch
3
Q
Texbook Physical appearance
4 categories of body projects
A
- camoflaging projects… we control apperance of bodies to adhere to norms through makeup, clothes, hair, etc.
- extending projects… attempt to overcome a physical limitation, e.g. using contacts or a cane
- adapting projects… alter appearance of the body in more effortful ways, e.g. bodybuilding/weightloss
- redesigning projects… create permamnent changes in body through invasive methods like cosmetic surgery & tattooing
4
Q
Texbook Physical appearance
School dress codes
A
- hidden curiculum reflecting middle class, white, heteronormative values & reproduces social inequality
- policies emphasize female clothing & this is problematic cuz… reflects victim-blaming, body shames girls & reproduces elite discourses of gender
- female body is constructed as inherently unprofessional
- targets low income & racialized students
5
Q
Texbook Physical appearance
Body modification history…
A
- 5300 year old mummy found w/ tats
- early christians had cross
- durkheim - before industrialization body modification had important function for membership but as colonization happened the tattooed & peirced ppl were brought to europe to be in carnivals and shit
- 20th century… tattooing entered society (not rly privilleged class)
- 21st century… pop culture, tattoos advertised to children
- body modification more common among uni students
6
Q
Texbook Physical appearance
the extent to which body modification is associated with other risky behaviour varies based on several factors…
A
- number of body modifications an individual has (threshold 4)
- age… risks greater for adolescence
7
Q
Subjectivist view…
A
- body projects are part of ppls understanding of themselves, others & the world around them
- through our interactions with others, we attribute certain meanings to body modification & understandings of the role body modification will play in our own lives
- body art are part of constructing out front & back-stage selves & have to deal w/ impression management
- form of ‘public storytelling’
8
Q
Gender & body art
A
- some women use tatoos in the construction of their gender identities
- established femininity… embodies the dominant cultural constructions of what a female body should look like (using tattooing to enhance femininity)
- resistant femininity… opposes dominant gender ideals & thereby serves as a form of resistance to existing structures of power in society (tattooing is part of this resistance)
9
Q
work & body art
A
- body art may signify membership in a specific occupational group… or may reflect an individuals identity as a worker
- certain workplaces may accept body art, while others do not
- depends on the location of the tattoo, the organization type, the proximity of worker to customers/clients & the design of the tattoo
10
Q
Ideal body according to science…
A
- BMI… 18.5-24.9 is ‘normal’, 25-29.9 is ‘overweight’, 30+ is ‘obese’ & 18.4 or lower is ‘underweight’
- 39% of adults are overweight/obese worldwide & been increasing in Canada & fewer than 10% underweight
- Anorexia is a mental disorder w/ the highest mortality rate & more common among female young ppl
- muscle dysmorphia 7-22% of males
- this is more objective with genetic psychological,f amily & larger sociocultural factors being researched
11
Q
ideal body according to social standards…
A
- a small range of bodies is considered ‘ideal’
- ideal body for men & women leans towards ‘thin’ side of the continuum & a body outside this range is unattractive & in need of fixing
- ppls perceptions of the ideal body are intertwined with their views of the ‘average’ body
12
Q
Ideals of atractiveness stem from media protrayls like… (3)
A
- fictions… only a select few can realistically achieve them
- fashions… they become the standards fot attractiveness in society
- functions… they dictate gender-specific functions of women’s and men’s bodies… women = thin, busty, sexuality passivity & men = ‘ripped’, physical action, dominance
13
Q
‘too fat’
perceptions of overweight ppl
A
- face stigmatization (even tho its legit common)
- stereotyped in negative ways like lazy, unfriendly, boring, incompetent & related to negative emotions when ppl look at them
- reflected in the media
- formally & informally controlled
14
Q
‘too fat’
controlling ‘too fat’
A
- kids get teased = lower academic performance
- education, healthcare & employment discrimination
- self regulation
15
Q
‘too fat’
media & commercialization
A
- media socially controls the ideals
- ‘right’ body, fitness level & eating habits are indicators of strong morality in media
- media is a tool used by other agents of social control
- commercial industry provides a massive range of products for controlling body size
16
Q
‘too fat’
Medicalization & communities
A
- being overweight is obviously a health risk but the medical control of ppl who are ‘too fat; sometimes step sourside realm of health & into physical appearance
- communities have developed many measures to encourage physical fitness health & wellbeing
17
Q
‘too fat’
governments…
A
- world population is negatively impacted so nations experience economic drains from things like healthcare costs
- globally ecnomic costs of healthcare more than 1 trillion per year so governments have tried to reduce proportion of overweight ppl
- government policies & programs fall into 4 categories… (1) focus on public info & education, (2) those that increase availability of healthy food choices, (3) modify costs of food based on health-related things, (4) those that restrict unealthy food choices
18
Q
‘too fat’
consequences of social control
A
- everyone is affected
- body dissatisfaction varies across cultures (higher in more consumerist cultures & warm climates)
- youth & media intense (social media)
19
Q
‘too fat’
resisting the label
A
- many individual & various organizations are taking steps to curb this social typing process (body positivity movement)
- fitness websites may include articles abt dangers of fab diets
- celebreties fight it
- areas of emphasis for these resistance activities are twofold… (1) to promote the sound nutrition & physical fitness in pursuit of good health, (2) to remove social stigma from ppl who are overweight, broadening the standards of physical attractiveness in our culture
20
Q
‘too thin’
perceptions of ppl who are underweight
A
- less than 10% of the world
- proportions lower in hich-income countries like Canada
- ppl place value on underweight females as beautiful (even w/ eating disorders)
21
Q
‘too thin’
medicalization & governments
A
- medical community makes ppl at most extreme end of thinnes subject to control
- Canadian Eating Disorders Strategy developed cuz of significant gaps in the existing health care system (6 pillars - prevention, public education & awareness, improving access, caregiver support, training of health professions & ppl who work with youth & research)
- governments models with BMI under 18 permitted from working in some countries or have to present health certificates
22
Q
‘too thin’
Media & interpersonal interactions
A
- thin-shaming on media
- ppl who are super thin find themselves on the recieving end of 3 types of comments… (1) related to attractiveness [negative & positive], (2) comments relayed to levels of concern, (3) comments indicative of resentment
- labelling friends or family members as anorexia leads to the types of trestment from above
- an anorexia identity forms & a lifestyle becomes entrenched
23
Q
‘too thin’
resisting the label
A
- ppl who are thin use different strategies to come with the comments they recieve from others
- soe are problem focused & others are emotion focused
24
Q
Body image of veterans
Introduction
A
- Military combat activities result in appearance-altering injuries (e.g., amputations, scars).
- Substantial numbers of US and UK military personnel affected.
- Psychological impact rarely studied; focus on medical care, rehabilitation, and psychological trauma.
- Civilians with altered appearance face challenges (e.g., body image, self-esteem, relationships).
25
Q
Body image of veterans
Nature of combat veterans experience
A
- Limited exploration of combat veterans’ experiences with changed appearance post-injury
- Two papers indicate an association between appearance-altering injuries, symptoms of depression, and body image distress.
- Common psychosocial challenges reported: self-consciousness, social isolation, concern about others’ perceptions, anger, sleep problems, and relationship difficulties
- Lack of specific research on support needs and interventions for combat-injured veterans with appearance concerns.
26
Q
Body image of veterans
Implications and Future Directions:
A
- Need for research on military context’s role in appearance adjustment
- Investigate prosthetic use, pain, and appearance concerns in military populations
- Specific research needed with UK combat-injured personnel
- Evaluate existing support and develop military-specific interventions.
