DOCSLIB.ORG

The Sexual Objectification of Women in Fashion Media: a Contemporary Cultural Perspective

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Sexual Objectification of Women in Fashion Media: a Contemporary Cultural Perspective THE SEXUAL OBJECTIFICATION OF WOMEN IN FASHION MEDIA: A CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE NAMATA SHERINAH Equality between women and men can never be achieved by legal change alone. How our society, our culture, our media, communities and individu- als, view women and women’s equality will make a huge difference. In other words, people – including women ourselves– have to believe in and support the idea that men and women are of equal value and worth. We need to see an end to tapered or downbeat attitudes about women and obsolete stereo- types that maintain inequality and limit both women and men. t ARISE 61 One of the most popular influencers as commodities but also as sex-awes of their personality and existence of such attitudes is media and popu- and its norm. If fashion designers as an individual, and reduced lar culture; to be more specific, the and fashion ads objectified men the to instruments of pleasure for fashion industry. The fashion industry way they do women, it could be a another person. is popular culture because it deals fair game. However, it’s not the case. with trends and vogue. The fashion Moreover mainstream media always Frivolous fashion culture adver- industry through media has forced depicts this objectification of women tises to women and girls a hurtful an unrealistic image of women on at an alarmingly higher rate than it fiction that their value lies in how society, worldwide. Fashion media is does men. sexy they appear to others. Girls constantly widening the gender gap learn at a very young age that through use of sexualised images, Society does not seem to see anything their sexuality is for others. promotion of skimpy clothing, beau- wrong with a half naked woman’s body ty enhancers and publicising flesh as the cover picture for a fashion So if contemporary society is revealing fashions through on vogue magazine. Neither is it bothered when queuing up for a glimpse of the campaigns and as popular designs. all women’s on vogue fashions are glistening thigh, the nipple, the flesh revealing and sexually arousing. sugar candy lips, rosy cheeks and Fashion is a current trend or style or It is cultural and normal. It is part of shimmering bosoms, does it make manner in which something is done everyday life and an acceptable expe- it right? And is it the right or manifested. Fashion is generally dition- that’s what media suggests. portrayal of the woman? Does favoured for its frolicsome manner, the woman in the picture, in the however if this manner is sexist, it This is confirmed by a one Isingoma movie, in that skimpy dress along triggers questions. (not real name) when asked about his the red carpet think so of herself? take on the sexist fashion exploits in Is that her personality? Do media Media on the whole is TV, radio, the style today; ”How else would women and fashion designers and pro- internet, advertisement and broad want to be portrayed and appreci- ducers ever ask themselves these cast. This may also include narrow- ated? Everyone knows that exposing questions? casting medium such as newspapers, a little bit of their flesh will send the magazines, billboards, direct mail, public queuing for just a glimpse and Magazine editors and their adver- telephone and the fax. a little more- and that’s what fashion tisers (fashion designers and pro- producers want.” ducers as well as trend setters) From the upshot of celebrity fashion have adopted a “technology of culture and beauty, to advertising The general fashion paradigm shift enchantment” as a means of exer- on young women’s and girls’ body involves the wear of more revealing cising control over their audience images, to the stereotyped portrayal and permissive clothing. This cul- i.e. society and consequently cul- of rape victims, to a chronic under tural shift has often been presented ture at large. Magazine and adver- representation of female news sub- as being “fashionable “. Arguably, tising language is imbued with jects, society’s attitudes are moulded the cultural shift has led to greater “magical” power, and the struc- by these media and wider cultural rep- emphasis on a physical criterion for ture of beauty advertisements resentations of women. Moreover, the women’s perceived self worth aug- closely parallels that of magical leadership and therefore the shapers menting a marginalized and sexist spells used in healing rituals. of media and cultural industry are still perspective. Sexy is fashion. If it The efficacy of such enchantment predominantly men. is not arousing and sexual, it’s off is borne out by society in many vogue. aspects. When media portrays women in a manner that reveals their sexuality as We should all understand that “Sexual Take for example a perfume ad a display commodity on sale, aren’t objectification is objectification of a with a half naked woman all women right to affirm that it is bigot. person.” It occurs when a person is silky, greasy and sensationally Especially because media at large seen as a sexual object and when their leaning on (not against) a male gives platform for that form of dis- sexual attributes and physical attrac- counterpart, who on the other play that not only objectifies women tiveness are separated from the rest hand is bold and powerful and ARISE 61 t built for strength! As a matter of fact, ability to think independently and ness of sexual exploitation in the woman here is weak and needs take initiative. Fashion media images our society. This is because each redemption from her strong male part- supporting these behaviours include of the on vogue fashions has a ner. The woman is desirable too and the strong, silent man and military sexual allusion to it and society a seduction. It is ultimately saying ads telling young men to be ‘all they knows it. Products like artifi- that when you wear this perfume, the can.’ But, you will rarely come across cial bosoms and burst enhancers, man will like you and remember you. such a manifestation of women. anklets, extremely skimpy outfit Or that the perfume has a sensation and arousal make up shades con- and a scent which could draw a man The excessively coercive nature of note that women are not serious to you. appeal to strong sexual instincts to enough for anything other than sell fashions, products and trends or fronting sex. The entire imagery portrays the wom- promote media downplays the wom- an’s sexuality other than her mind or an’s role and image in society and has Since fashion media is obsessed power or strength. It’s as though her permanent risks on and for women with skinny models, women and mind were detached from her body. in general. For instance, young girls’ girls go to all miles to achieve the understanding of the importance of TV model fashionable size. Girls Other portrayals of women in fashion appearance in society may translate and women internalize all fashion ads for instance normally present a to feelings of apprehension, humili- trends’ messages as what society woman touching self ,caressing an ation, and aversion during the tran- deems beautiful and equate that object, lying on the floor, sitting on sition from girlhood to womanhood with their self worth. The results a bed or chair, eyes closed not alert because they (girl-children) begin to are usually scaremongering. confused, vulnerable, body contort- sense that they are becoming more Among others are psychological ed, dressed like a child, holding an visible to society as sexual objects; It disorders such as body dysmorphic object or a man for support, sexy and is a dreadfully disgusting feeling and ( a mental disorder characterized sexually available, seductive, playful, very shaming for girls in this change- by an obsessive preoccupation careless. These are positions of pow- over to know that they are becoming that some aspect of one’s own erlessness and timidity. This can be more visible to society as sex points appearance is severely flawed and clearly seen when women are shown other than able contributors to their warrants exceptional measures to lying on the floor as men are standing society. hide or fix it ), anorexia (an emo- over them, literally depicting women tional disorder characterized by as being beneath totally at the mercy Sexed-up culture not only objectifies an obsessive desire to lose weight of men. The female body – is always women, but also encourages women by refusing to eat ) and bulimia inevitably controlled by patriarchal to objectify themselves. Women self- (an emotional disorder involving norms and the commoditisation of objectify in terms of body watch by distortion of body image and an the body through industries such adopting a form of self-consciousness obsessive desire to lose weight, as fashion and beauty that exhibit in which they habitually screen their in which bouts of extreme over- ‘femaleness’. own body’s outward appearance and eating are followed by depression spend significant amounts of atten- and self-induced vomiting, purg- Men on the other hand are often tion on how others may perceive their ing, or fasting). portrayed as alert and conscious of physical appearance. These in turn their surroundings: standing upright, shade unrealistic expectations by men Women were not created for that eyes open and looking around, their of how women should look or behave. kind of manifestation and the bodies are controlled, mean expres- The woman’s stand in society then 21st century woman has proved sion on the face, gripping things ceases to be about her herself but that her feminity is stronger and tightly or, hands in pockets, seri- others, as well as pleasing society and has a virtuous and yet impactful ously and physically active.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Shaming and Suppression of Female Sexuality
    THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CLINICAL SEXOLOGY SHAMING AND SUPPRESSION OF FEMALE SEXUALITY AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN SEXUALITY, GENDER ROLES, FEMALE LIBERATION, AND LONG TERM EFFECTS OF SHAMING OF FEMALE SEXUALITY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CLINICAL SEXOLOGY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY INGRID D.THRALL ORLANDO FLORIDA ii Copyright © 2017 by Ingrid D. Thrall All Rights Reserved iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee members; Dr. Claudia Rieman, for her guidance and support, and most of all for inspiring and encouraging me to pursue my doctoral degree at The American Academy of Clinical Sexology; Dr. Julia Breur for her input and for encouraging me to enjoy the process; Dr. William Granzig for his ubiquitous reassurance, sharing of his vast knowledge, and challenging me to think outside the box. I would like to thank my husband Ed for his unwavering love and support of all my endeavors and always believing in me. I would like to thank my son Jonathan for his faith in me in my pursuit of my passion and for allowing me to inspire him to pursue his own journey in the field of Psychology. I would like to thank each and every woman who took the time to participate in the survey. Without these wonderful women this project would not have been possible. iv VITA Ingrid D. Thrall is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University where she earned a Master of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling Psychology. She is a member of AASECT.
    [Show full text]
  • From Sexual Objectification to Sexual Subjectification? Pornography Consumption and Italian Women’S Sexual Empowerment
    https://riviste.unige.it/aboutgender DOI: 10.15167/2279-5057/AG2019.8.16.1074 Vol. 8 N° 16 anno 2019 pp. 129-157 From Sexual Objectification to Sexual Subjectification? Pornography Consumption and Italian Women’s Sexual Empowerment Raffaella Ferrero Camoletto University of Turin, Italy Lorenzo Todesco University of Turin, Italy Abstract Much quantitative research has been devoted to the correlates of pornography consump- tion, often emphasizing its association with socially undesirable outcomes in the sexual domain. However, much of this research focuses on men, with women pushed into the background if not entirely ignored. The present study aims to fill this gap by exploring whether and to what extent pornography consumption among Italian women is related to two indicators of sexual empowerment: the experience of solitary sex without feelings of 129 guilt and the idea that sexuality is a way to express oneself freely and authentically. To this end, two multivariate logistic regression models were developed. The large random sample survey used here ensures that the findings are more generalizable than those of much quantitative research on pornography carried out to date, which is often based on small convenience samples. The empirical evidence indicates that pornography consump- tion is associated with higher levels of both indicators of sexual empowerment. Pornog- raphy seems to be related to an increased sexual awareness as sexual subjects and to a sense of full entitlement to seek one’s own pleasure. However, some of these results are affected by an interpretative ambiguity in terms of the actual meaning of sexual empow- erment shown by our indicators.
    [Show full text]
  • Slut Pride: the Reappropriation Attempt by Slutwalk
    Quercus: Linfield Journal of Undergraduate Research Volume 2 Article 3 2016 Slut Pride: The Reappropriation Attempt by SlutWalk Siena C. Noe Linfield College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/quercus Recommended Citation Noe, Siena C. (2016) "Slut Pride: The Reappropriation Attempt by SlutWalk," Quercus: Linfield Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2 , Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/quercus/vol2/iss1/3 This Article is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It is brought to you for free via open access, courtesy of DigitalCommons@Linfield, with permission from the rights-holder(s). Your use of this Article must comply with the Terms of Use for material posted in DigitalCommons@Linfield, or with other stated terms (such as a Creative Commons license) indicated in the record and/or on the work itself. For more information, or if you have questions about permitted uses, please contact [email protected]. Slut Pride: The Reappropriation Attempt by SlutWalk Acknowledgements Thanks to Brenda DeVore Marshall for her perpetual patience, guidance, and enthusiasm. This article is available in Quercus: Linfield Journal of Undergraduate Research: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/ quercus/vol2/iss1/3 Noe: Slut Pride SLUT PRIDE: THE REAPPROPRIATION ATTEMPT BY SLUTWALK A slew of scantily clad women marching through the streets shouting obscenities like “Slut, slut! Ho, ho! Yes means yes! No means no!” may seem a little unusual especially if the women are known to hold “respectable” positions and lead otherwise “respectable” lives. So what exactly is going on? The first SlutWalk took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2011, its idea conceived from feminist ideology and ignited by a comment made by Toronto Police officer, Constable Michael Sanguinetti.
    [Show full text]
  • An Extension of Objectification Theory: Examining the Roles of Racial and Cultural Factors On
    An Extension of Objectification Theory: Examining the Roles of Racial and Cultural Factors on Self-Objectification and Depression Among Asian American Women Suah Kim Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2014 ! 2014 Suah Kim All rights reserved ABSTRACT An Extension of Objectification Theory: Examining the Roles of Racial and Cultural Factors on Self-Objectification and Depression Among Asian American Women Suah Kim Objectification theory proposed the idea that U.S. culture positions women to be viewed as physical entities foremost, typically to the fulfillment of men’s sexual desires. The most damaging aspect of this experience is women’s internalization of this perspective into their own sense of self, which has been shown to predict body image issues, eating disturbances, depression, sexual dysfunction, reduced psychological flow, and substance abuse. More recently, there have been efforts to examine how multiple layers of oppression may impact the experiences of sexual objectification and its psychological consequences. This study tested an extension of objectification theory on a sample of 618 Asian American women with the inclusion of race-related experiences, Asian American cultural values, and their relationships with the self- objectification process and depression. Findings indicate that the more participants endorsed Asian American cultural values, the more they engaged in a self-objectification process that involved internalizing mainstream ideals of beauty, monitoring their body appearance, and feeling shame and less satisfaction with race-related features and their bodies in general, which then predicted depression.
    [Show full text]
  • Female Self-Objectification: Causes, Consequences and Prevention Tanjare' Mckay Eastern Michigan University, [email protected]
    McNair Scholars Research Journal Volume 6 | Issue 1 Article 7 9-30-2013 Female Self-Objectification: Causes, Consequences and Prevention Tanjare' McKay Eastern Michigan University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://commons.emich.edu/mcnair Recommended Citation McKay, Tanjare' (2013) "Female Self-Objectification: Causes, Consequences and Prevention," McNair Scholars Research Journal: Vol. 6: Iss. 1, Article 7. Available at: http://commons.emich.edu/mcnair/vol6/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at DigitalCommons@EMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in McNair Scholars Research Journal by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@EMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. McKay: Female Self-Objectification FEMALE SELF-OBJECTIFICATION: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND PREVENTION Tanjaré McKay Dr. Karen Saules, Mentor ABSTRACT Traditionally, social norms have dictated certain gender roles for men and women. Men have generally been regarded as dominant, masculine, and independent, whereas women are of- ten depicted as weak, sensitive and dependent (Basow, 1986). In contemporary society, however, women are free to adopt more flexible gender roles, ranging from those traditionally regarded as “masculine,” to those considered more “androgynous,” to the more stereotypical female gender roles. Some women, nonethe- less, continue to adopt traditional gender roles in which self-ob- jectification may persist. According to Calogero (2013), “self-ob- jectification occurs when the objectifying gaze is turned inward, such that women view themselves through the perspective of an observer and engage in chronic self-surveillance” (p. 312). The literature suggests that certain factors may support women’s abil- ity to adopt more varied gender roles and avoid self-objectifica- tion.
    [Show full text]
  • RUNNING HEAD: Objectification and Sexual Assault
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Kent Academic Repository Running head: OBJECTIFICATION INCREASES BLAME 1 Sexual Objectification Increases Rape Victim Blame and Decreases Perceived Suffering Steve Loughnan,Afroditi Pina, Eduardo A. Vasquez, & Elisa Puvia Author Note Steve Loughnan, Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne; Afroditi Pina, Department of Psychology, University of Kent; Eduardo A. Vasquez, Department of Psychology, University of Kent; Elisa Puvia, Department of Psychology, University of Padova. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Steve Loughnan, School of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Australia, 3010. Email: [email protected]. OBJECTIFICATION INCREASES BLAME 2 Abstract Sexual objectification changes the way people view women by reducing them to sexual objects—denied humanity and an internal mental life, as well as deemed unworthy of moral concern. However, the subsequent consequences of sexually objectifying others remain under- researched. In the current study, we examined the impact of objectification in the domain of sexual assault. Sixty British undergraduate students were recruited to complete an impression formation task. We manipulated objectification by presenting participants with either a sexualized or non-sexualized woman. Participants rated the woman’s mind and the extent to which they felt moral concern for her. They then learned that she was the victim of an acquaintance rape and reported victim blame and both blatant and subtle perceptions of her suffering. Consistent with prior research, sexualized women were objectified through a denial of mental states and moral concern. Further, compared with non-objectified women, the objectified were perceived to be more responsible for being raped.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects of Sexually Objectifying Media on Self-Objectification and Body
    Journal of Communication ISSN 0021-9916 RESEARCH ARTICLE Effects of Sexually Objectifying Media on Self-Objectification and Body Surveillance in Undergraduates: Results of a 2-Year Panel Study Jennifer Stevens Aubrey Department of Communication, The University of Missouri at Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211-2310 This study used objectification theory (B. L. Fredrickson & T.-A. Roberts, 1997) to pre- dict that the media’s insidious practice of objectifying bodies socializes individuals to take an outsider’s perspective on the physical self (i.e., self-objectify) and to habitually monitor their appearance (i.e., engage in body surveillance). To test these hypotheses, a 2-year panel study using an undergraduate sample was conducted. Cross-lagged path models showed that exposure to sexually objectifying television measured during Year 1 increased trait self-objectification (trait SO) during Year 2 for both women and men. At the same time, trait SO during Year 1 decreased exposure to sexually objectifying television during Year 2, suggesting that both male and female participants selectively avoided sexually objectifying television based on antecedent trait SO. Moreover, expo- sure to sexually objectifying television and magazines increased body surveillance for men only. The discussion focuses on the process by which the media create body-focused perceptions. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00024.x The relationship between the body and sex is unambiguously portrayed in contem- porary media. Conforming to a thin body ideal is crucial to sexual attractiveness. We see this message in a variety of ways and in a variety of media, especially in popular magazines and television programs.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effects of Sexually Objectifying Music Videos on College Men's
    Check That Body! The Effects of Sexually Objectifying Music Videos on College Men’s Sexual Beliefs Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, K. Megan Hopper, and Wanjiru G. Mbure The present study examined the effects of sexual objectification of female artists in music videos on male undergraduates’ sexual beliefs. Findings showed that participants who viewed music videos of highly objectified female artists reported more adversarial sexual beliefs, more acceptance of interpersonal violence,and, at a level of marginal significance,more negative attitudes about sexual harassment than participants assigned to low-sexual objectifying music videos by the same female artists. Path models indicated that adversarial sexual beliefs mediated the relationship between condition, and (1) acceptance of interpersonal violence and (2) negative attitudes regarding sexual harassment. Critics maintain that the dominant discourse in music videos reproduces distorted ideologies of women’s sexuality (Arnett, 2002; Oware, 2009). Content analyses consistently observed that music videos place a great deal of emphasis on women’s sexual appeal and reinforce the stereotype of women as sex objects, existing pri- marily for the pleasure of male spectators (Aubrey & Frisby, 2011; Seidman, 1992; Sommers-Flanagan, Sommers-Flanagan, & Davis, 1993; Vincent, 1989; Vincent, Davis, & Boruszkowsi, 1987). As Jhally (2007) argued, music videos are often constructed around the ‘‘pornographic imagination,’’ in which women are seen as sex symbols that simply must have sex and will submit to any fantasy that a man may have. Cultural and industry expectations motivate female artists to participate readily in their own sexual objectification. A recent content analysis showed that female artists were even more likely to objectify themselves than male artists were to objectify female characters in their music videos (Aubrey & Frisby, 2011).
    [Show full text]
  • Pornography As a Representation of Sexual Objectification
    Academic Services Journal Prince of Songkla University (2017), 28(1), 199-206 Pornography as a Representation of Sexual Objectification: The Analysis from Radical Feminist Perspective(1) Aree Tamkrong Department of Philosophy and Religion, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus Corresponding author [email protected] Received 10 February 2016 | Revised 29 March 2016 | Accepted 19 April 2016 | Published 28 March 2017 Abstract This article had the primary purpose of analyzing a problem of pornography and women sexual objectification through radical feminist perspective. According to radical feminists, such as Andrea Dworkin and Catharine MacKinnon, pornography was a main interest of feminists. This was related to concept of treating women as sexual objectification in three aspects: 1) pornography caused women sexual instruments; 2) pornography devalued women; 3) pornography degraded women. However, I realized that there were two other interesting causes that can best describe this problem. The first cause of treating women a sexual object was male gaze under patriarchal society. Another cause was women’s narcissism. In addition, it was found that pornography was, as seen by radical feminist, merely a medium used to transmit the presentation of human sexual expression. Or it can be interpreted and defended differently by other feminists. Keywords: feminist, instrumentality, narcissism, representative, objectification, patriarchy, pornography(2) (1) It is my great pressure to acknowledge and to extend my heartfelt thanks to my advisor Dr. John Jiodano at Assumption University for his invaluable advice throughout my writing of this article. (2) Books, magazines, films, etc. with no artistic value that describe or show sexual acts or naked people in a way that is intended to be sexually exciting (Cambridge University, 2016).
    [Show full text]
  • The Full Range of the Objectification of Women
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Scholarship@Western Western University Scholarship@Western Philosophy Publications Philosophy Department 2003 Mere and Partial Means: The ulF l Range of the Objectification of Women Carolyn McLeod The University of Western Ontario, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/philosophypub Part of the Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, and the Philosophy Commons Citation of this paper: McLeod, Carolyn, "Mere and Partial Means: The ulF l Range of the Objectification of Women" (2003). Philosophy Publications. 346. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/philosophypub/346 Mere and Partial Means: The Full Range of the Objectification of Women Carolyn McLeod Kant discussed the moral wrong of treating people as mere means or as a means only.1 To treat people as means is to treat them as objects for our use. It is to objectify them. To treat people as a mere means is to treat them wholly as objects, rather than partially so. It is to have an objectifying manner that is absolute or unmitigated. Whether Kant meant to suggest that we commit a moral wrong only when we treat people as means absolutely, rather than partially, is debatable.2 My concern is with how feminist theorists writing on the objectification of women have followed Kant in emphasizing the extreme case of the mere means. These feminists have implied that the moral wrong of objectification occurs only with absolute objectification, as though between it and respecting someone’s autonomy, there were no degrees of objectification that are morally suspect.
    [Show full text]
  • Objectification Versus Empowerment in Women's Photos on Social Media Amber L
    Bridgewater State University Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University Honors Program Theses and Projects Undergraduate Honors Program 5-5-2016 Picture This! Objectification Versus Empowerment in Women's Photos on Social Media Amber L. Horan Follow this and additional works at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/honors_proj Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Horan, Amber L.. (2016). Picture This! Objectification Versus Empowerment in Women's Photos on Social Media. In BSU Honors Program Theses and Projects. Item 155. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/honors_proj/155 Copyright © 2016 Amber L. Horan This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. OBJECTIFICATION VERSUS EMPOWERMENT IN WOMEN’S PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 1 Picture This! Objectification Versus Empowerment in Women’s Photos on Social Media Amber L. Horan Bridgewater State University Submitted in Partial Completion of the Requirements for Commonwealth Honors in Psychology Bridgewater State University May 5, 2016 Dr. Laura Ramsey, Thesis Director Dr. Jonathan Holmes, Committee Member Dr. Brendan Morse, Committee Member Dr. Nesa Wasarhaley, Committee Member OBJECTIFICATION VERSUS EMPOWERMENT IN WOMEN’S PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 2 Author Note Special thanks to Larissa Barbosa and Nicole Hathaway for assisting with the data collection and to Heather Thompson for assisting with the coding of the photographs. OBJECTIFICATION VERSUS EMPOWERMENT IN WOMEN’S PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 3 Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine women’s motivations for posting sexualized photos of themselves on social media sites. In Western society, women are objectified through many forms of media, such as magazines and television.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sanctified Life: Modesty Is Not the Best Policy
    Luther Seminary Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers Student Papers 2014 The aS nctified Life: Modesty is Not the Best Policy Ali C. Ferin Luther Seminary Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/cyf_papers Part of the Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Ferin, Ali C., "The aS nctified Life: Modesty is Not the Best Policy" (2014). Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers. Paper 8. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Papers at Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE SANCTIFIED LIFE: MODESTY IS NOT THE BEST POLICY by ALI C. FERIN A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Luther Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF DIVINITY: CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILY CONCENTRATION THESIS ADVISER: DR. ANDREW ROOT ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 2014 Trigger Warning: rape, assault, sexual harassment TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Table of Contents i 2. Dedication ii 3. “No Collarbones” 1 4. The Objectification of Girls and Women: What is it? 3 5. The Objectification of Girls and Women: What does it do? 4 6. The Danger for Girls and Women 6 7. The Danger for Boys and Men 9 8. The Response 10 9. An Alternative 14 10. Appendix 1: Leader Assessment 18 11. Appendix III: A Confession 19 12. Appendix III: A Confession 20 13.
    [Show full text]