Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Female objectification'

The present work aimed to get a better understanding of sexual female objectification (Bartky, 1990; Frederickson & Roberts, 1997). When objectified, a woman is put on a par with her body or body parts resulting in a loss of her personality and individuality. We have examined both the cognitive consequence of the objectification of the self on woman’s self-perception and the possible motivations that lead women to consider sexually objectified female targets as not fully human beings. Chapter 2 tested the hypotheses that applying makeup could be a self-objectifying practice that in turn could have a negative impact on woman’s self-perceived competence. In two studies we have shown that changing one’s facial features trough the use of makeup is linked with a woman’s tendency to self-objectify, increasing worries about her physical (facial) appearance. In addition, we hypothesized that makeup use could have a negative impact on woman’s self-perception according to the normative context in which it is used. In line with this hypothesis, only when women’s competence is expected to be evaluated the intention to wear makeup lead female participants to perceive themselves as less competent. Study 2 replicated the link between makeup use and self-objectification broadening our knowledge about the process of self-objectification itself. Indeed, the results of these studies show that a person’s face instead of his or her body can function as a possible source of self-objectification, and more specifically the use of makeup is a potential self-objectifying practice. In Chapter 3 we examined the possible motivations that could lead women to dehumanize their sexually objectified counterparts. Both target and perceivers’ characteristics were manipulated to get a better understanding on these motivations. In Study 3, we showed that manipulating the social meaning of the target of sexual female objectification that is priming the idea of a woman as a promoter versus a victim of on objectifying culture changed the way female participants perceived them in human terms. Only in the former condition female participants attributed less humanness to sexually objectified targets. Finally, focusing on perceivers’ personality characteristics, Study 4 showed that women when confronted with sexually objectified depictions of their gender category tend to distance themselves from these representations because they perceive these sexy women as potential competitors in their strive to attract the attention of the other sex.
Il presente lavoro di ricerca è volto ad indagare il fenomeno dell’oggettivazione sessuale femminile (Bartky, 1990; Frederickson & Roberts, 1997). Quando oggettivata, una donna è ridotta al proprio corpo o alle sue parti sessuali perdendo la propria individualità e personalità. Il processo di oggettivazione è stato indagato prendendo in considerazione sia le conseguenze cognitive che l’oggettivazione rivolta al sé o auto-oggettivazione può avere sulla percezione che una donna ha di sé, sia le possibili motivazioni che spingono le donne a considerare modelli di donna sessualmente oggettivati come non completamente esseri umani, o de-umanizzarli. Nel Capitolo 2 abbiamo verificato se l’uso di makeup possa essere considerato una pratica auto-oggettivante che in quanto tale può avere un effetto negativo sulla competenza auto percepita di una donna. In una serie di due studi abbiamo mostrato come modificare le caratteristiche del proprio volto attraverso l’uso di makeup è associato ad una tendenza ad auto-oggettivarsi, aumentando le preoccupazioni espresse da partecipanti femminili per il proprio aspetto fisico, in particolare legato al proprio volto. Inoltre, abbiamo ipotizzato che l’effetto negativo derivante dall’uso di makeup possa dipendere dal contesto normativo in cui makeup viene utilizzato. In accordo con quest’ipotesi, è stato mostrato come solamente nel caso in cui partecipanti femminili erano poste in un contesto in cui la competenza veniva resa saliente l’intenzione di usare makeup portava queste stesse partecipanti a percepirsi come meno competenti. Nel loro insieme, questi studi ampliano la nostra conoscenza sul processo di auto-oggettivazione in quanto mostrano per la prima volta che anche il proprio volto oltre al corpo nel suo insieme può essere una fonte di auto-oggettivazione. A dispetto del suo largo uso, questi studi mostrano come l’uso di makeup sia un’abitudine potenzialmente auto-oggettivante. Nel Capitolo 3 sono state indagate le possibili motivazioni che portano le donne a de-umanizzare modelli di donne sessualmente oggettivate. Abbiamo considerato le caratteristiche di chi subisce l’oggettivazione, ovvero della donna oggetto e di chi la pone in essere, ovvero le altre donne separatamente, ipotizzando che questi due aspetti siano importanti nel processo indagato. Nello Studio 3 abbiamo mostrato come cambiando il significato sociale associato ad un modello di oggettivazione sessuale femminile, evidenziando cioè il ruolo di potenziale promotrice oppure di vittima della donna di una cultura che oggettivizza i corpi femminili, cambi anche il modo in cui partecipanti femminili percepiscono questi modelli in termini umani. Solo nella condizione in cui veniva evidenziato il possibile ruolo di promotrici di una cultura che pone l’aspetto fisico come prioritario, le donne non attribuivano loro un grado di umanità diverso da quello attribuito ad un topic di controllo. Infine, nello Studio 4 il fenomeno di de-umanizzazione di modelli di donna oggetto da parte di altre donne, è stato indagato prendendo in considerazione le caratteristiche di personalità di partecipanti femminili considerate significative nel contesto dell’oggettivazione femminile. L’obiettivo era quello di comprendere quale tipologia di donna ha maggiori probabilità di reagire negativamente a questi modelli femminili. Questo studio ha mostrato come sono in particolare le donne motivate ad attrarre membri dell’altro sesso a prendere le distanze da modelli di donna sessualmente oggettivati poiché vedono in questi modelli delle potenziali rivali.

Concerned with the unconscious, embodied experience of heterosexual women affected by female sexual objectification (FSO), this research takes a depth psychological, somatic approach to addressing the Western cultural split between mind and body. This study explores the archetypal, thematic material constellating in the dynamics of FSO, its traumatogenic effects, and women’s internalization of FSO as a psychosocial survival strategy. It asks the question: How can FSO be ameliorated, bringing the rejected body and sacred feminine sexuality out of the shadow and back into consciousness? Using a co-operative inquiry methodology six women explored the inquiry questions using Open Floor movement to access the somatic unconscious followed by journaling, group dialogue, and art production. Findings validated women’s ways of knowing; revealed ways that FSO shapes women’s relationship with their bodies, sexuality, and subjectivity; substantiated FSO as a cultural complex; advanced the critique surrounding the normalization and personal burden associated with FSO as a cultural trauma; and illuminated the archetypal plurality of psyche, evidenced in women’s embodied experience with the transpersonal feminine, the self, others, and world. Findings also illustrated the strength, efficacy, and importance of using a body-oriented approach to inquiry and discovered archetypal energies of the feminine that emerged from the unconscious in and through the women’s bodies, bringing forward previously split-off potential for self-efficacy and agency.

Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology)) --University of Limpopo,2019
Sociocultural pressures, including the thin-ideal internalization, and other aspects of self-objectification, are associated with body dissatisfaction. However, there is limited research regarding the association between self-objectification and engagement in health related behaviours among African females. A quantitative study was conducted with a sample of 411 female African university students from the University of Limpopo, South Africa to investigate the relationship between internalisation of sociocultural beauty standards and body dissatisfaction and engagement in health related behaviours. The study further explored whether cultural identity would moderate the relationship between internalisation of socio-cultural beauty standards and both body dissatisfaction and engagement in health related behaviours. Structural equation modelling (SEM) suggested that internalization of socio-cultural beauty standards significantly predicted students’ body satisfaction. No statistically significant relationship was found between internalization of socio-cultural beauty standards and engagement in health related behaviours. Also, cultural identity did not moderate the relationship between self-objectification and both body dissatisfaction and engagement in health related behaviours. This being a single study, further research is required to determine the relationship between the variables.

Objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) has been used to explain how mechanisms related to socialization, sexual objectification, and psychological variables interact to predict mental health difficulties. Among a sample of 626 undergraduate women (age 18-24), this study empirically tested components of Moradi and Huang’s (2008) model and extended it by including additional socialization experiences (i.e., sexual abuse, societal pressures regarding weight and body size). Structural equation modeling analyses suggested that the model provided a good fit to the data and the model was tested in the confirmatory sample. Across the two samples, high levels of Body Shame and low levels of Internal Bodily Awareness directly led and high levels of Societal Pressures Regarding Weight and Body Size, Internalization of Cultural Standards of Beauty, and Self-objectification indirectly led to increased Bulimic Symptomatology and accounted for 65 to 73% of the variance in Bulimic Symptomatology. A history of sexual abuse and sexual objectification were not consistently supported within the model and do not appear to be as salient as the experience of societal pressures regarding weight and body size in understanding women’s experience of bulimic symptomatology. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

In the traditionally patriarchal Hollywood industry, the heterosexual man’s “male gaze,” as coined by feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey, is the dominant viewing model for cinematic audiences, leaving little room for a negotiated reading of how visual images are created, presented, and internalized by male and female audiences alike. However, as Hollywood’s shifting feminist landscape becomes increasingly prevalent in the mainstream media, content incorporating the oppositional “female gaze” have become the new norm in both the film and television mediums. Through an extended analysis of the gaze as socialized through gendered learning in children, the “safe space” afforded through the formulaic platform of “boy bands,” and the function of romantic comedies and the emerging feminist rhetoric prevalent in such films as “Magic Mike: XXL,” the conceptual “female gaze” is defined and explored through the demographic of young girls as they grow and push their understanding of desire, particularly as they develop into the mature, media-cosuming women that have become increasingly vocal in the Hollywood sphere.

Content analyses indicate that women and girls are gender-stereotyped and negatively portrayed in video games, yet, to date, no research has examined the effects of exposure to these images on consumers. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of sexualized (stereotypical) and non-sexualized (counter-stereotypical) portrayals of female characters in video games on players' self-esteem, gender stereotyping, body esteem, self-objectification, and self-efficacy. Social cognitive theory and presence are utilized to explicate the processes through which individuals are affected by video game play. According to social cognitive theory, the portrayals of women and girls in video games would be expected to influence social perceptions about gender and self-concept in both male and female users. Integrating presence into this theoretical framework aids in explaining the effects of exposure to this uniquely interactive medium. The findings from this study suggest that short-term exposure to a sexualized female video game character predicts lower self-efficacy and negative attitudes toward women in terms of their physical capabilities for female players. Additionally, level of presence experienced by male game players predicted body-related outcomes, such that a higher level of presence was related to greater body satisfaction and lower self-objectification in men. Presence had no significant effect on the relationship between sex, type of character played, and the outcome variables. The results of this study are of consequence not only to media effects researchers but also to parents, legislators, and video game programmers.

Critics of Clarice Lispector often identify feminist themes relating to voice, gender, and the male gaze in her creative work. Lispector’s collection of short stories Laços de família demonstrates the way patriarchal society sets limits on the identity of women. Laura Mulvey’s concept of “the male gaze” provides a useful tool for understanding how men marginalize, objectify, and subordinate women through visual regimes of control, yet Mulvey’s concept does not fully encapsulate the scope of male oppression explored in Laços de família. In fact, Lispector draws upon a variety of senses and metaphors related to consumption through a mode I call food femininities to display how men consume their female counterparts in society. More specifically, Lispector’s collection Laços de família invokes, presents, and uses food, food imagery, food vocabulary, and food metaphors as a central way of defining gender roles determined by society and performed in accordance with the normative standards dictated by said society.

This essay argues that the depiction of women in Seamus Heaney’s poems “Bog Queen” and “Punishment” results from the male gaze in three ways: the narrative viewpoint, stereotypical characterization, and the objectification of the female body. The following essay analyses the poems through an ecofeminist perspective that enables examination of the female characters as personifications of nature – “Bog Queen” as Mother Earth and the victim of “Punishment” as Nerthus, the fertility goddess. The analysis explores three areas; historical context, ‘The Feminine Principle,’ and Nussbaum’s list of ‘Feminist Perspectives on Objectification’ to answer how the male gaze is present in the three aspects. The male gaze is argued to be attributed to an androcentric narrative that presents a man and country’s sense of revenge, stereotypes that are totems of the male fantasy, and dehumanizing sexual objectification that enables appreciation of the dead bodies of women.

In this essay, we examine how three female superheroes in movies are portrayed and how that role has changed over time. We have chosen to examine Wonder woman, Supergirl and Black widow. The time period exanimated was a period between 1974 and 2020. The time period was chosen by availability to material from real feature movies and TV series. The purpose of the essay is to investigate whether there are any general differences in how female superheroes have been portrayed in movies and in TV series during the specified time period. What we examine is whether they have been sexualized, both in appearance and personality. We selected a goal-oriented selection that has been made of the movies and TV series we examined. Our findings indicate that the portrayal of these female super heroes has over time changed by increasing the depth of emotions. Our first analysis showed that the first portrayal did not include emotions but later on in the new movies and TV series we can find that the heroes have a more emotional story line and character. In the first movies and TV series, the superheroes do not encounter any major problems other than having to save the world, in the 2010s the storyline goes in to more depth and they face difficulties in managing their superpowers or having to deal with their past. The category of superpowers has not changed among the characters if we ignore Wonder woman. Clothes are from the beginning something that sexualized the characters and does not change over time, however, the sexualization of the superheroes' clothes is questioned in the later movies and TV series. We can also see a pattern of the female characters having feminine traits. The portrayal of a female as tender and maternal has over time not changed but there is a change over time in giving female characters’ other traits like aggression.

The first aim of this study was to develop a research based, integrated, secondary prevention programme, called the Weight Over-concern and Well-being (WOW) programme, for the reduction of Subclinical Eating Disorder (SED) symptoms, associated traits and negative mood states, and the promotion of psychological well-being (PWB) in female students. Consequently the second aim was to determine the effectiveness of the WOW-programme on its own, in comparison with a combined Tomatis Method of sound stimulation (Tomatis, 1990) and WOW-programme, regarding the reduction of SED-symptoms, associated traits and negative mood states; the promotion of PWB; and outcome maintenance. The last aim was to obtain a deeper understanding and "insiders' perspective" of the lived experience of SED, through an interpretative phenomenological inquiry (Smith & Osborn, 2003). The motivation for the current study is a need for research based, integrated, risk-protective, secondary prevention programmes from a social-developmental perspective for female university students (Garner, 2004; Phelps, Sapia, Nathanson & Nelson, 2000; Polivy & Herman, 2002), given their risk status (Edwards & Moldan, 2004; Senekal, Steyn, Mashego & Nel, 2001; Wassenaar, Le Grange, Winship & Lachenicht, 2000). Concurrently in-depth descriptions from an "insiders' perspective" on the lived experience of SED are non-existent and require interpretative phenomenological study (Brocki & Wearden, 2006). Consequently this thesis consists of three articles, namely: (i) Development of a secondary prevention programme for female university students with Subclinical Eating Disorder, (ii) A secondary prevention programme for female students with Subclinical Eating Disorder: a comparative evaluation; and (iii) Lived experiences of Subclinical Eating Disorder: female students' perceptions. The research context comprised Subclinical Eating Disorder, secondary prevention and Positive Psychology. The first article, Development of a secondary prevention programme for female university students with Subclinical Eating Disorder (Kirsten, Du Plessis & Du Toit, 2007a), is qualitative in nature, and narrates a process of participatory action research followed to develop the WOW-programme. This social process of knowledge construction, embedded in Social Constructivist theory (Koch, Selim & Kralik, 2002), gradually revealed best clinical practice, and in retrospect, evolved over four phases. Phase One comprised experiential learning based on personal experiences with SED as undergraduate student and interaction with "participant researchers" as scientist practitioner (Strieker, 2002), resulting in a provisional risk model of intervention. Phase Two, a formal pilot study (Du Plessis, Vermeulen & Kirsten, 2004), afforded an evaluation of ideas generated in Phase One through a three-group pre-post-test design. Outcomes of Phase Two informed Phase Three, an integration of prior learning with Positive Psychology theory and clinical practice, resulting in a risk-protective model of prevention. Theoretical assumptions previously constructed were integrated and operationalised during Phase Four, into the final 9-session WOW-programme. In conclusion the process of knowledge construction was rigorous, despite the small overall sample size (n=28), since data saturation occurred within that sample. Although the multitude of aims involved in each session of the WOW-programme could be seen as unrealistic, in some direct or indirect way, they were addressed by means of relevant interventions due to the integrative approach. Thus future refinement is essential. Finally, despite aforementioned concerns, the WOW-programme proved to be robust on its own in reducing SED-symptoms and associated traits and enhancing PWB, as described in the second article of this thesis. The second article, A secondary prevention programme for female students with Subclinical Eating Disorder: a comparative evaluation (Kirsten, Du Plessis & Du Toit, 2007b), describes the outcomes of the WOW-programme on its own, evaluated comparatively with a combined Tomatis sound stimulation and WOW-programme. In this article the research aims were to determine: (i) whether participation in the combined sound stimulation and WOW-programme (Group 1); and (ii) participation in a WOW-programme only (Group 2), would lead to statistically significant reductions in SED-symptoms, psychological traits associated with eating disorders and negative mood states, and enhancement of PWB; (iii) whether results of Groups 1 and 2 would exceed results of a non-intervention control group (Group 3) practically significantly; and (iv) whether programme outcomes for Groups 1 and 2 would be retained at four-month follow-up evaluation. A mixed method design (Creswell, 2003; Morse, 2003) was used, including a three-group pre-post-test (n=45) and multiple case study (n=30) design. Various questionnaires measuring SED-symptoms, associated traits, negative mood states and PWB were completed. Qualitative data were obtained by means of metaphor drawings, letters to and from the "SED-problem", focus group interviews, the researchers' reflective field notes and individual semi-structured feedback questionnaires (Morse, 2003). Participation in Groups 1 and 2 proved effective, since decreases in SED-symptoms, associated traits, most negative mood states, and increases in PWB differed practically significantly from the results of Group 3. Outcomes for Groups 1 and 2 were maintained at four-month follow-up evaluation. Qualitative findings provided depth, support and trustworthiness to quantitative findings in light of the small sample size, and highlighted the value of using a mixed method design in prevention programming. It was concluded that the WOW-programme on its own, was an effective secondary prevention programme, since it led to reduced SED-symptoms, associated psychological traits and enhanced PWB, with retention of gains at four-months follow-up evaluation. The combined programme involving Tomatis stimulation and WOW-intervention proved to be even more effective, thus the complimentary role of Tomatis stimulation was demonstrated. However, the cost-effectiveness and comparative brevity of the WOW-programme rendered it the programme of choice regarding individuals with SED. Findings showed that conceptually, pathogenic and salutogenic perspectives can be successfully combined into a risk-protective model of secondary prevention. Lastly, the WOW-programme may even prove useful as an enrichment programme for female students in general. The third article, Lived experiences of Subclinical Eating Disorder: female students' perceptions (Kirsten, Du Plessis & Du Toit, 2007c), provides a qualitative, in-depth perspective on the lived experience of SED of 30 white, undergraduate females, purposively sampled. In this interpretative phenomenological, multiple case study (Brocki & Wearden, 2006), Groups 1 and 2 of the aforementioned primary study in the second article were used, since they fitted the criteria of "good informants" and were able to answer the research question (Morse, 2003). Further sampling was deemed unnecessary since data saturation occurred within their written and verbal responses and no negative cases were found. Rich individual qualitative data, further clarified through focus groups, emerged from graphic colour representations of lived SED, explanatory written records and "correspondence" with and from their "SED problem" (Gilligan, 2000; Loock, Myburgh, & Poggenpoel, 2003; White & Epston, 1990). Four main categories, characterised by serious intra-, interpersonal, existential and body image concerns were subdivided into seven subcategories, namely: Personal Brokenness, Personal Shame, Perceived Personal Inadequacy and Enslavement, Existential Vacuum, Perceived Social Pressure, Perceived Social Isolation and Body-image Dysfunction. Results were indicative of underestimation of SED-severity, its comprehensive detrimental impact on participants' PWB and high risk for escalation into full-blown eating disorders. It was concluded that the lived experiences of SED depicted the severity of SED-symptoms; descriptions resonated well with most of their pre-programme mean scores; and their risk status and need for contextually and developmentally relevant secondary prevention programmes were highlighted by the findings.
Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

In 2008 it was reported that there are approximately 28,258 internet users viewing pornography every second, and that men look at pornography online more than any other subject matter (Eberstadt 2009). Pornography has become a primary tool of sex education for young men (Bowater 2011) with the average age of first exposure being age 11 (Stefan 2012). However, research on viewer understanding and interpretation of the images is scarce. What are boys learning about sexuality as they watch pornography? Do they use pornography as a ‘how-to’ manual expressing a desire to mimic the onscreen act or do they use pornography as a general stimulant expressing a generalized pleasure, interpreting the act in alternative ways? The pro-pornography stance stresses the agency of the viewer, meaning the viewer has the ability to access a broad array of content creating a poly-semiotic or figurative experience. The anti-pornography stance stresses the agency of the industry, meaning the industry pushes a dominant design creating a mono-semiotic or literal experience. The purpose of this study is to look at how viewers of online pornography interpret what they see. By analyzing viewer comments sampled from free pornographic tube sites, this study seeks to understand the extent of viewer agency; do men interpret pornographic images literally or figuratively?

Advertising is constantly surrounding us in different shapes, meaning that companies need to stand out in order to invoke people's attention. Advertising reflects the society's current norms which means that the media and society's values affect each other (Fagerström & Nilsson, 2008). Women have for a long time been objectified and presented in stereotypical roles since sexism is a common component in advertising (Grau & Zotos, 2016). An industry that is frequently being accused of promoting an asymmetrical image of women's bodies is the fast fashion industry (Fay & Price, 1994). It is crucial in both a societal- and business perspective to take responsibility when it comes to sexism in advertising. This study aims to examine female consumers attitudes towards quality attributes in advertising within the female fast fashion industry. Given the research purpose of this thesis, the research questions are: 1) How can the quality attributes in the female fast fashion industry be used to satisfy women as customers? 2) How does quality attributes contribute to customer (dis-)satisfaction in the female fast fashion industry? A preliminary study was organized to state consumers’ different attributes of sexism to use in the questionnaire. Followed by this was the main study with Kano pair questions that included 201 respondents. The pair questions were formulated by the attributes identified in the preliminary study. This study shows how all the presented attributes (“Size zero”, “White people”, “CIS-person”, “Functional variation”, “Unrealistic ideals”, “High level of nudity”, “Erotic way”, “Sexual desire”, “Body focus”, “Behind or breasts” and “Lips or mouth”) were classified as “Reversed” which is an indication of dissatisfaction and an urge for the attribute to be the opposite. This thesis demonstrates the relationship between the quality attributes and theories regarding objectification and portrayal of women. The customers’ attitudes towards the quality attributes correlate with the consequences as results of advertising in a sexist way. Businesses within the female fast fashion industry can prioritise the customer requirements for their advertisements in all assistance measurement and estimation of customer satisfaction in order to rise above the current way of advertising and become more customer oriented and to take responsibility and participation in the development of a gender equal society.

This thesis offers a reading of GQ South Africa 2000, the first glossy men’s magazine to be launched in South Africa (in 2000). It traces the possible iconographical genealogy of glossy men’s magazines to canonical erotic artworks and examines the aesthetic conventions used by GQ to elevate its contents through an implied association with art. This thesis, furthermore, investigates the commonalities between GQ, a ‘mainstream’ publication, and ‘pornography’ (as defined by the United States Civil Rights Ordinance 1985). In this way, the fluid impermanence of ‘art’, ‘pornography’ and ‘popular culture’ as typologies is highlighted. The new taxonomy of ‘gentlemen’s pornography’ is introduced in order to counter the notion that material that has the gloss of ‘high culture’ and is deemed socially acceptable, cannot be pornographic. This thesis submits that a critical reading of glossy men’s magazines from an interdisciplinary perspective is imperative in order to reveal their ideological assumptions. The ideological position that informs this study is the radical feminist belief that pornography objectifies and subordinates women and is, therefore, harmful. The thesis is simultaneously grounded in the theoretical methodologies of visual culture and art history, and as such assumes the intonation of these disciplines. From a Postmodern point-of-view, popular visual culture not only wields power in terms of generalising (capitalist and sexist) western paradigms, but is also skilful at masking its significant influence in doing so. For this reason, this dissertation endeavours to raise a critical dialogue concerning the ideological ‘message’ of glossy men’s magazines. The sometimes antithetical nature of discourse critically centered on gender representation in visual culture may be attributed to the pervasiveness of familiar (and therefore seemingly harmless) female objectification in the popular media. This thesis examines the iconography of gendered stereotypes against the erotic/pornographic, high culture/low culture object/subject binaries, and, furthermore, situates these types in the wider dialectic of ‘obscene’ (off-scene) versus ‘acceptable’ culture. The glossy men’s magazines that form the interest of this study are a trade situated in the alliance of social elitism and representational control over the female body, and, thus, this thesis marks the point of intersection between consumer culture and the politics of display.
Dissertation (MA (Visual Arts))--University of Pretoria, 2003.
Visual Arts
unrestricted

The purposes of this study were to examine the associations between (a) self-objectification, (b) body shame, (c) appearance anxiety, and (d) exercise dependence. Participants (N = 155) completed a demographic questionnaire and a survey packet including the Body Surveillance subscale and Body Shame subscale of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, Appearance Anxiety Scale, Eating Attitudes Test 26, and the Exercise Dependence Scale. Correlations were conducted revealing associations between self-objectification, body shame, appearance anxiety, and eating attitudes. Associations were also found between body shame and exercise dependence. Partial correlations were conducting revealing body shame and appearance anxiety mediated the relationship between self-objectification and eating attitudes. Body shame also mediated the relationship between self-objectification and exercise dependence.

Sexual objectification has become a pervasive problem, negatively affecting the mental and physical health of many women. Understanding the influence of visual media, social-support networks and social interactions on young women's health is essential to addressing issues related to objectification. We do not have an in-depth understanding of how Black and White young adult women make meaning of objectification. Further, the existing literature suggests that experiences of objectification are likely different for Black and White women. The current research employed two studies, one qualitative and one quantitative, to address these particular gaps. Study 1 used focus groups to assess young Black and White women’s attitudes and experiences related to objectification. Four focus groups were conducted with university students, two with White women (N=11) and two with Black women (N=17). Results indicated that sexual objectification is a complex and unfortunate reality in the women’s daily lives; driven by the media, men and even other women. Participants’ immediate responses to objectifying experiences are multi-faceted and the potential consequences of long-term exposure can be detrimental to a woman’s well-being. Racial differences arose in relation to standards of beauty as well as examples of and reactions to objectifying experiences. Study 2 study assessed two different models of sexual objectification for White and Black women. Female, undergraduate and graduate students completed an online questionnaire about sources of objectification; 155 White women and 173 Black women were included in the analyses. The results suggest there are significant relationships between certain sociocultural sources of objectification, body image preoccupation and the associated consequences of depression, eating disturbances. Skin color dissatisfaction was an additional negative outcome for Black participants. The models for Black and White participants were not equivalent. Understanding how women experience sexual objectification and racial differences has implications for how objectification and related outcomes are measured. This information also has implications for developing appropriately tailored programming related to the objectification and psychological well-being of women. The information from these studies can hopefully be used to inform individuals of the risks associated with sexual objectification, as well as develop educational programs on college campuses.

Dans notre société les femmes sont souvent réduites à leur apparence physique (i.e. elles sont objectivées) et sont la cible de différentes conduites sexistes. Le sexisme et l’objectivation de la femme sont fortement véhiculés par les médias et plus particulièrement par les jeux vidéo. Nous savons que les jeux vidéo peuvent influencer les conduites des joueurs, mais l’influence des jeux vidéo sur la vision négative de la femme est assez mal connue. Dans cette thèse nous étudions une possible relation entre l’utilisation des jeux vidéo sexistes et la vision négative de la femme, et nous nous intéressons aux processus psychologiques impliqués dans cette relation. Notre hypothèse est que les jeux vidéo sexistes puissent avoir la fonction d’amorce et rendre accessible en mémoire du joueur des représentations liées au soi, ou à la femme, qui peuvent par la suite influencer ses conduites. Nous proposons également que les hommes, ou les personnes qui s’identifient davantage avec le personnage principal du jeu soient les plus influencés par le contenu sexiste des jeux vidéo. Dans trois études, nous montrons qu’une utilisation habituelle des jeux vidéo est associée à une vision stéréotypique, ou moins humaine de la femme, cependant nous ne montrons pas que les hommes soient plus influencés que les femmes. Ainsi, dans les études qui suivent nous testons le rôle modérateur de l’identification avec le personnage principal. Nous montrons que les joueurs qui s’identifient le plus avec le personnage principal associent davantage leur concept de soi à la masculinité et donnent une plus grande importance à l’apparence de la femme plutôt qu’à ses compétences. Nous mettons en évidence que jouer avec un extrait du jeu vidéo sexiste amène les joueurs à plus associer le concept de la femme à celui d’objet (et cela d’autant plus qu’ils s’identifient au personnage principal), cependant lors de la dernière étude nous ne parvenons pas à répliquer ces résultats. Dans leur ensemble, ces travaux montrent qu’une utilisation habituelle des jeux vidéo influence négativement la vision de la femme. Ces études nous montrent également l’importance de s’intéresser à l’identification au personnage principal comme variable modératrice et nous encouragent à considérer le contenu des jeux vidéo sexistes comme une amorce qui rend accessibles des représentations mentales liées au soi ou à la femme
In our society, women are sexually objectified and are the target of sexist behaviors. Media and video games are a main channel of sexism and objectification of women. Several studies show that video game can impact players’ behavior. However the influence of sexist video games on negative perception of women is rather indefinite. In this thesis, we study the possible relationship between video games and the negative perception of women, to focus on its psychological mechanism. We argue that video games can work as a prime, activating in players’ memory some association between women and object, or some association between self-concept and masculinity, which in turn can increase negative perception of women. We also hypothesize that men, or players who highly identified with sexist game characters, are most impacted by sexist content of video games.In three studies we showed that there is an association between playing sexist video games and sexist attitudes, or women objectification. However we do not find that men are most impacted than women. Thus in other studies we test the moderating role of identification with sexist game character. In one study we show that players who highly identified with sexist game character associated more their self-concept with masculinity and gave more importance to women appearance rather than to her competence. In two other studies, we show that playing with sexist video game increases implicit associations of women with objects (especially for participants who highly identified with sexist game characters); however in the last study we do not replicate this result. Taken together, these studies show that regular video game playing is related to negative perception of women. Our results also suggest that identification plays a role in the impact of sexist video games and they encourage us to consider sexist content of video games as a prime that can make accessible some mental representations about one self or about women

碩士
國立屏東教育大學
視覺藝術學系碩士班
101
This research studies the photography of Taiwanese male and female artists, analyzing the “objectified” female body image and uncovering its implications. First, the researcher attempts to clarify the definition of “objectification” through literature review, to explain how men see women as objects or commodities when they look at female body image. Second, theories of feminism, psychoanalysis and sociology are used to analyze the subjectivity and identity of female photographers toward their own bodies. Finally, the researcher discusses the psychological differences between male and female photographers when they are taking photos of female bodies. Finally, the researcher further analyzes the “anti-objectification” implications of female image in the works by female photographers. Based on literature review and discussions on photographic works, the research findings are as follows: 1. Men’s fetish deprives women of their autonomy. 2. Women construct their self-identity through being seen. 3. Men have always regarded female body as object. 4. Female photographers attempt to subvert men’s objectification of females.

Stephen Sondheim’s 1979 award-winning musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was produced during a time of great political and economic uncertainty in New York City. Although not overtly political, the themes of urban crisis and class inequality that birthed the original legend of Sweeney Todd in Industrial Revolution London continued to play a large role within the modern musical, reflecting leftist political concerns at large. The main political argument within the work is the critique of class hierarchies created by capitalism and how the upper classes abuse the lower classes, ie. how Judge Turpin uses his power to abuse Sweeney Todd and the grave consequences of such actions. Less obvious, however, are the importance of gender hierarchy and the objectification of women within this anti-capitalist critique. This paper focuses on the character of Johanna and the three songs sung about her by the three main male leads. These songs provide a case study of how gendered objectification and commodification play a significant role in the overall Marxist critique intrinsic to the musical and the Sweeney Todd legend overall. The work’s rootedness in the anti-capitalist critique of the New Left in the 1970s and the concurrent rise of Marxist and socialist feminism provide clues to understanding the context and meaning behind the violent treatment of women within the musical as an extension of the anti-capitalist critique that is fundamental to the work.
text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--York University, 2007. Graduate Programme in Psychology.
Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-148). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004 & res_dat=xri:pqdiss & rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation & rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR32054.

Attractiveness, and associated thinness, continues to be the determinant of social acceptance and desirability for most women in Westernised societies. The way in which females are objectified through social attitudes and gender ideals, highlights the importance of attractiveness in through which women gain social status, acceptance and power. Failure to achieve this ideal has been linked to increased body surveillance, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating behaviour(s). While many women express body dissatisfaction and negative self-talk, fewer women actually engage in disordered eating practices. This study aimed to explore women‟s views about their bodies and to identify predictors of body objectification, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating behaviour in a non-clinical population. It was hypothesised that women, who have strongly based their identity according to societal values and gender role expectations, would be more likely to experience higher levels of body dissatisfaction and be at greater risk of manifesting disordered eating behaviour(s). Two-hundred-and-nine women, aged between 18-65 years were recruited via convenience sampling and completed the following battery of questionnaires: Socio-cultural Attitude Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ), Body Image Ideals Questionnaire (BIQ), Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBC), Silencing the Self Scale (STSS), Sense of Belonging Instrument-Psychological (SOBI-P), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory (CFNI). Predictors of body objectification, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating were determined using multiple linear regression and analyses of variance were used to make comparisons between groups based on developmental age, disturbed eating, disordered eating, and body mass index. Consistent with previous research findings, the current study found that body dissatisfaction, objectified body consciousness, and disturbed eating behaviour were prevalent within women aged 18-65 years.

The ultimate objective of this study was to establish whether female celebrities portray the beauty ideal and have influence over young females today. The literature review presents an analysis of feminism, beauty ideals, self-­‐ objectification, and the influence of media and celebrities, in an attempt to establish whether celebrity images are of a ‘self-­‐made’ hypersexual nature and whether these images influence young females’ self-­‐concept and role in society. The literature was further triangulated with a combination of primary and secondary data. Images of females within the famous Kardashian/Jenner family were studied in an attempt to understand how female celebrities portray themselves today. Furthermore, a focus group was conducted in an attempt to understand whether female youths are to some extent influenced by female celebrities. Through the research conducted it was evident that female role stereotypes still prevail in contemporary media. Furthermore, two themes prevailed throughout the study, which was that women can use their bodies for profit and as a means of power, and the conflicting nature of femininity versus feminism today.
Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
zkgibs2014
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
MBA
Unrestricted

This paper is concerned with how surf brands display females who surf through the companies’ visual narrative, which has been repeatedly linked to issues of gender discrimination and objectification, and how such a narrative is perceived by active female surfers. In particular, the paper explores the visual language published on the most relevant surf brands’ websites and focusses not on fashion, but rather on the section of surf gear. The brands Billabong, RipCurl, and Quiksilver/Roxy were chosen based on an analysis of their size and influence on the surf scene. The paper continues to compare the brands' vision and mission with the online content through visual diagrams, and also includes an analysis of an advertisement video released by ROXY, the first brand in the industry to design specifically and only for women, in 2013. The video was chosen due to the remarkable number of responses it caused throughout the online female surfing communities and other media channels. The analysis was established with knowledge from visual culture, image analysis and feminist issues and is based on qualitative aspects taking into consideration the technical and visual grammar of moving images. It was found that the video, which advertises a surf competition for women by depicting Stephanie Gilmore, seven times world surfing champion, showed strong heteronormative bias in the visual narrative construction as well as in the depiction of the surfer. A similar heteronormative bias and objectification of women has been identified in the visual diagrams of the surf brands websites afterwards. The following literature review aimed to investigate the impact of such a visual narrative on female surfers’ self-perception as well as the rationale behind it. It was discovered, that despite an increasing conversation about a more positive gender portrayal in advertising and action sports, a trend towards hyper-sexualized images and the impression that “sex sells” has led to a higher media coverage of women who comply with a heterosexist image. Active female surfers who are exposed to this kind of visual media find it increasingly disempowering and have taken a stance against gender inequality in the sport. A following in-depth field research containing interviews with industry experts and a survey demonstrated that gender-related power relations in surfing remain contradicting and impugned. Therefore, this paper encourages a radical dialogue regarding the role that visual representation plays in addressing this societal issue of gender portrayal in sports, particularly in surfing, and displays a powerful and potentially feminist way of interpreting the female surfer.

This report examines the sexualization and objectification of women in print advertising, and the consequences of these depictions. The major themes found in advertising are discussed, and their role in reinforcing sexism and female stereotypes. Advertising’s impact on society’s attitudes, beliefs, and behavior in relation to social comparison theory and cultivation theory are examined. The report examines historical implications of women’s role in advertising and the gradual shift to new trends in advertising that seek to empower women. Through content analysis of the 2005 Nike Real Women campaign, implications and recommendations for future advertising are discussed.
text

This creative research project consists of a thesis and neo-noir film script entitled The Lonely Drive which explores the representation of women in neo-noir – a largely patriarchal genre that continues to perpetuate the male gaze and endorses female objectification. It aims to challenge neo-noir’s stereotypical gender roles through (re)presenting female (the femme fatale) and male (the detective) character archetypes. The Lonely Drive specifically explores some of the ways in which we can (re)present the femme fatale to promote her agency, activity, rationality and logic. It engages with the subversion of the male gaze to create a space in which to consider the concept of a female gaze in neo-noir. This thesis will use Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory (1975) in conjunction with Judith Butler’s theory of performative acts (1988) as a lens through which to explore ways that we can step away from the male gaze and consider a way that affords the femme fatale of neo-noir a representation that is active, intelligent, logical and rational, rather than their current representation as passive, psychotic, hysterical and violent. Additionally, given that neo-noir is a genre, and bound by all the conventions of the genre, this thesis will look at whether it is possible to elevate the femme fatale from being an object without altering the genre so much that it is no longer considered a neo-noir. Moreover, if, as a result of elevating the femme fatale to driving and owning the narrative, meaning that she is not merely there to be looked at or to manipulate the hero toward his own demise, we stumble across what could potentially be described as a female gaze. Butler’s theory of gender performativity argues that gender identities are socially constructed, and that people are influenced by patriarchy to act out their gender identity in the way they have been socialised to. Butler argues that gender is not a stable identity, but that it is formed through the ‘stylised repetition’ of certain acts over time (reactions, gestures, movements, enactments) and that these acts are what constitutes the meaning of masculine and feminine identities. This repetition results in what Butler deems a ‘performative accomplishment’. By this, Butler is suggesting that gender is constructed and not an essentialized part of identity. Further, Butler argues that the repetitive acts are often ‘internally discontinuous’ – if examined, the acts in relation to one another are not coherent. Therefore, Butler suggests that by taking advantage of the gaps and discovering ‘the possibility of a different sort of repeating’ there is a possibility for subverting gender. Given that neo-noir is an inherently patriarchal genre, its representation of femininity is also patriarchal and helps to subconsciously inform society on how women should behave and what will happen if they transgress their traditional boundaries. This is problematic as it not only denies the chance for us to subvert traditional femininity and realize a ‘different sort of repeating’, but as the femme fatale is associated with negative character traits – passivity, irrationality, illogicality, hysteria – the preservation of this representation perpetuates the belief that these traits are inherently female. By using examples from film noir, classic and neo-noir, popular culture, and gender theory, this thesis argues for the need to investigate ways to (re)present the femme fatale in neo-noir to push the boundary further toward creating an active femme fatale empowered by her logic, intelligence, and rationality. This thesis acknowledges that problematic gender representations exist across all genres, yet this thesis will specifically focus on film noir due to its use of the male gaze and its patriarchal and exaggerated gender roles. This research is an original contribution to knowledge as it aims to conceptualise what an active, intelligent, rational, and logical femme fatale could look like theoretically and practically in a neo-noir script. Moreover, as The Lonely Drive’s femme fatales drive the narrative and control the gaze, and we are no longer looking through a male gaze, it provides us with an idea of what a female gaze in neo-noir might resemble.

Master thesis The Czech Women's view on representation of women in advertisement focuses on the way advertisement reproduces gender stereotypes and sexism in the society. The analysis examines the view of female audience on this matters. The role of advertisement, gender roles and gender stereotypes, sexism and feminism are introduced in the beginning of this thesis. Main traits of sexism in advertisement are described. Possible impact of stereotyped and sexist advertisement on its viewers is demonstrated by introducing results of field related analyses. Based on interviews' analysis with selected group of women it was discovered that women view the representation of women in advertisement to be heavily stereotyped. Women in advertisement are reduced to the following categories: physically attractive and carefree, homemaker, naive and dull, and last but not least sex object. Even though female responders are able to identify some negative impacts of this stereotyped representation of women on both women's and men's lives, their concerns are undermined by their attitude towards advetisement which they do not consider to be capable of changing public attitudes and values. Female responders are convinced that gender discrimination against women is still present in the Czech Republic and advertisement...