Vikten av att vara vacker - En kvalitativ studie om unga kvinnors inställning till "den verkliga kroppen".
(2015) SOPA63 20142School of Social Work
- Abstract
- The aim of this study was to examine young women’s attitudes towards the ”real bodies” exposed in the media as a protest towards the current slim body-ideal. The slim female body ideal has been criticized by both researchers as well as in the general public debate. Recently, though, a new trend seems to have emerged; ”the real bodies” are now taking place in the media in order counteract the unilateral and slim body-ideals. The ”trend” is relatively new and has therefore been largely ignored by researchers, and the studies that addresses the phenomenon tends to be of an quantitative approach. Given the medias influence on women’s body-image, we believe that a qualitative study regarding ”the real bodies-phenomenon” and its impact on young... (More)
- The aim of this study was to examine young women’s attitudes towards the ”real bodies” exposed in the media as a protest towards the current slim body-ideal. The slim female body ideal has been criticized by both researchers as well as in the general public debate. Recently, though, a new trend seems to have emerged; ”the real bodies” are now taking place in the media in order counteract the unilateral and slim body-ideals. The ”trend” is relatively new and has therefore been largely ignored by researchers, and the studies that addresses the phenomenon tends to be of an quantitative approach. Given the medias influence on women’s body-image, we believe that a qualitative study regarding ”the real bodies-phenomenon” and its impact on young women is both relevant and necessary. In order to study the phenomenon we conducted six interviews. Using the Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) we examined the respondent’s different definitions of ”real bodies” both in itself and in relation to the more dominant body-ideals, such as the slim-ideal and the fit-ideal. Further, we examined the different attitudes towards and usage of real bodies as a reference point in the respondent’s definition of themselves. We found that the real body is defined mostly by its flaws; real bodies tended to deviate from the dominating beauty ideals in this aspect. Further, we found that the real body was often put in relation to the slim and the fit body, which was a cause for shame. We could also discern a ”change-centric approach” towards the flaws that seemed to be characteristic of the real bodies, which indicated tendencies of self-objectification. The respondent’s usage of the real bodies as a reference point regarding the definition of themselves and their own bodies varied. Some of the informants used pictures of real bodies as a ”quick-fix” to increase their self-feeling regarding their own bodies. Other respondents used ”real bodies” in their search for inspiration for ”the perfect body”, which once again indicates a change-centric thinking regarding the body and its flaws. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/4936614
- author
- Wallentin, Alexander LU and Glädt, Linnea LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOPA63 20142
- year
- 2015
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Real bodies, Body-ideal, Self-objectification, Shame
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 4936614
- date added to LUP
- 2015-01-19 13:15:37
- date last changed
- 2015-01-19 13:15:37
@misc{4936614,
abstract = {{The aim of this study was to examine young women’s attitudes towards the ”real bodies” exposed in the media as a protest towards the current slim body-ideal. The slim female body ideal has been criticized by both researchers as well as in the general public debate. Recently, though, a new trend seems to have emerged; ”the real bodies” are now taking place in the media in order counteract the unilateral and slim body-ideals. The ”trend” is relatively new and has therefore been largely ignored by researchers, and the studies that addresses the phenomenon tends to be of an quantitative approach. Given the medias influence on women’s body-image, we believe that a qualitative study regarding ”the real bodies-phenomenon” and its impact on young women is both relevant and necessary. In order to study the phenomenon we conducted six interviews. Using the Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) we examined the respondent’s different definitions of ”real bodies” both in itself and in relation to the more dominant body-ideals, such as the slim-ideal and the fit-ideal. Further, we examined the different attitudes towards and usage of real bodies as a reference point in the respondent’s definition of themselves. We found that the real body is defined mostly by its flaws; real bodies tended to deviate from the dominating beauty ideals in this aspect. Further, we found that the real body was often put in relation to the slim and the fit body, which was a cause for shame. We could also discern a ”change-centric approach” towards the flaws that seemed to be characteristic of the real bodies, which indicated tendencies of self-objectification. The respondent’s usage of the real bodies as a reference point regarding the definition of themselves and their own bodies varied. Some of the informants used pictures of real bodies as a ”quick-fix” to increase their self-feeling regarding their own bodies. Other respondents used ”real bodies” in their search for inspiration for ”the perfect body”, which once again indicates a change-centric thinking regarding the body and its flaws.}},
author = {{Wallentin, Alexander and Glädt, Linnea}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Vikten av att vara vacker - En kvalitativ studie om unga kvinnors inställning till "den verkliga kroppen".}},
year = {{2015}},
}