Womens Studies-Effect of Representation and Visual Culture on the Female Body
Effect of representation and visual culture on the female body
Introduction
Body image is a construct that has applications in several areas of psychology and medicine, including patients with neurological disorders leading to inaccurate perceptions of personal appearance, patients with noticeable physical deformities, individuals with pathological misperceptions about certain aspects of their appearance, as well as in eating disorder patients (Fulkerson, McGuire, Neumark Sztainer, Story, French and Perry 2002). In fact, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) requires the presence of body image disturbance for the diagnosis of both Anorexia Nervosa (AN), marked by food refusal due to fear of weight gain, and Bulimia Nervosa (BN), in which patients binge and purge in order to prevent weight gain (Fulkerson, McGuire, Neumark Sztainer, Story, French and Perry 2002).
Body image can be described as a combination of a person’s perceptions, feelings and thoughts about his/her body and their general physical appearance (Ogden 2010). It is usually conceptualized as an individual’s body size estimation, evaluation of body attractiveness and emotions associated with their body shape and size (Ogden 2010). Representation and visual culture play a significant part in determining the “ideal” female body.
Factors Affecting Body Image Concern
Body image concern is thought to be influenced by a large number of factors including age, gender, family environment and the media. Halliwell and Harvey (2006) have devised a categorization of these factors into four key areas: biological, psychological, interpersonal and environmental and cultural factors. The following section uses this categorization to describe the evidence from the literature concerning these influences on body image (Halliwell and Harvey 2006).
Environmental and cultural factors
Environmental and cultural factors are those relating to
Introduction
Body image is a construct that has applications in several areas of psychology and medicine, including patients with neurological disorders leading to inaccurate perceptions of personal appearance, patients with noticeable physical deformities, individuals with pathological misperceptions about certain aspects of their appearance, as well as in eating disorder patients (Fulkerson, McGuire, Neumark Sztainer, Story, French and Perry 2002). In fact, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) requires the presence of body image disturbance for the diagnosis of both Anorexia Nervosa (AN), marked by food refusal due to fear of weight gain, and Bulimia Nervosa (BN), in which patients binge and purge in order to prevent weight gain (Fulkerson, McGuire, Neumark Sztainer, Story, French and Perry 2002).
Body image can be described as a combination of a person’s perceptions, feelings and thoughts about his/her body and their general physical appearance (Ogden 2010). It is usually conceptualized as an individual’s body size estimation, evaluation of body attractiveness and emotions associated with their body shape and size (Ogden 2010). Representation and visual culture play a significant part in determining the “ideal” female body.
Factors Affecting Body Image Concern
Body image concern is thought to be influenced by a large number of factors including age, gender, family environment and the media. Halliwell and Harvey (2006) have devised a categorization of these factors into four key areas: biological, psychological, interpersonal and environmental and cultural factors. The following section uses this categorization to describe the evidence from the literature concerning these influences on body image (Halliwell and Harvey 2006).
Environmental and cultural factors
Environmental and cultural factors are those relating to
References: Fulkerson, J.A., French, S.A., Story, M., Hannan, P.J., Neumark Sztainer, D., & Himes, J.H. (2004). Weight bearing physical activity among girls and mothers: relationships to girls’ weight status. Obesity Research, 12(2). Fulkerson, J.A., McGuire, M.T., Neumark Sztainer, D., Story, M. French, S.A., & Perry, C.L. (2002). Weight related attitudes and behaviors of adolescent boys and girls who are encouraged to diet by their mothers. International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 26(12). Halliwell E, Harvey M. (2006). Examination of a socio-cultural model of disordered eating among male and female adolescents. Br J Health Psychology 11. Hausenblaus, H.A., & Fallon, E.A. (2001). Relationship among Body Image, Exercise Behavior, and Exercise Dependence Symptoms. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 32. McKinley, N.M. (1999). Women and objectified body consciousness: Mothers’ and daughters’ body experience in cultural, development, and familial context. Developmental Psychology, 35 (3). Mendelson B.K., Mendelson, M.J. & White, D.R. (2001). Body Esteem scale for adolescents and adults. Journal of Personality Assessment, 76(1). NewmarkSztainer, D., Goeden, C., Story, M., & Wall, M. (2004). Associations between body satisfaction and physical activity in adolescents: Implications for programs aimed at preventing a broad spectrum of weight related disorders. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 12(2).