Transcript Objectification and Dismemberment of women

Objectification and
Dismemberment of women
Presented by Hannah Scheffler
Disclaimer:
Due to the nature of this topic there
may be some more explicit images and
pictures shown in an effort to present
the extent to which women are
objectified and dismembered
Objectification
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Defined as when “a woman’s body, body parts, or sexual
functions are separated out from her person, reduced to
the status of mere instruments, or regarded as if they
were capable of representing her” (Fredrickson 175)
When does objectification take place?
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Advertisements
Magazines
Billboards
Music videos
Television
Women in the Advertisements
White, young, thin
 No blemishes
 Perfect hair
 Big breasts
 Curvy hips
 Flat stomachs
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Perfection
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Airbrushing
– “the process of manipulating a photograph to hide
flaws and create a better image” (Tartkovsky)
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Photoshop
– Typically, replacing a part or parts
of a woman’s body with other than
her own
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Magazines defend retouching stating
that the edited photos are
“just images or fantasy”
Effects of Objectification
Depression, low self-esteem, body shame
 Eating disorders
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– 1 in 4 college women uses method of weight control
– Models today weigh 23% less
than average woman,
20 yrs. ago weighed 8% less
– 10x more ads and articles in
women’s magazines c
compared to men’s
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Body Dissatisfaction
– “experience of negative thoughts and esteem
about one’s body” (Dittmar 1)
– Connected to negative self-perception,
emotional states, and body-related behaviors
– Study found that girls who read women’s
magazines more frequently were more likely
to think about the “perfect” body and be
dissatisfied with their own (“Media’s”)
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Self-objectification
– When women and girls view themselves from
an observer’s perspective and “learn to be
more concerned with observable body
attributes rather than focusing on nonobservable body attributes such as feelings
and internal bodily states” (Greening)
– Fredrickson & Roberts identify 4 psychological
consequences
 Emotion of Shame
 Emotion of Anxiety
 Peak Motivational States
 Internal Bodily States
Dismemberment
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Focus on one part of woman’s body while
ignoring all the other parts
(Greening)
Effects of Dismemberment
Woman trained to view her body in parts,
not as whole
 Appearance anxiety
 Depression
 Sexual dysfunction
 Eating disorders
 Damage self-respect
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Conclusion
Objectification and Dismemberment
prevalent in advertising and magazines
 Both detrimental to women’s well-being
 Not all implications known
 Offers understanding
 Effects women to varying degrees
 Awareness leading to end of
objectification and dismemberment
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Works Cited
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"Beauty and Body Image in the Media." Media Awareness Network. 2009. Media
Awareness Network. 22 Apr 2009 <http://www.mediaawareness.ca/
english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm>.
“Body Image.” Our Bodies Ourselves Health Resource Center. 2005. Boston Women’s
Health Book Collective. 22 Apr 2009 <http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/
book/excerpt.asp?id=2>.
Dittmar, Helga. “How Do ‘Body Perfect’ Ideals In The Media Have A Negative Impact
On Body Image and Behaviors? Factors and Processes Related To Self And Identity.” Journal of Social & Clinical
Psychology 28.1 (Jan. 2009): 1-8. EBSCO MegaFILE. EBSCO. Berntsen Library, St. Paul, MN. 22 Apr. 2009
<http://0-search.ebscohost.com.clicnet4.clic.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=keh&AN=36604149&site=ehostlive>.
Fredrickson, Barbara L. and Tomi-Ann Roberts. “Objectification Theory: Toward
Understanding Women’s Lived Experiences and Mental Health Risks.” Psychology of Women Quarterly 21(1997):
173-206. 22 Apr 2009 <http://www.sanchezlab.com/pdfs/FredricksonRoberts.pdf>.
Greening, Kacey D. "The Objectification and Dismemberment of Women in the Media."
Capital University. Undergraduate Research Community. 22 Apr 2009
<http://www.kon.org/urc/v5/greening.html>.
Katele, Stephanie. "Violence Against Women in Mass Media." Ezine Articles.com. 27
Jan 2005. Ezine Articles. 22 Apr 2009 <http://ezinearticles.com/?Violence-Against-Women-in-MassMedia&id=11391>.
Kilbourne, Jean. "Beauty...and the Beast of Advertising." Center for Media Literacy.
2007. Center for Media Literacy. 22 Apr 2009 <http://www.medialit.org/
reading_room/article40.html>.
“Media’s Effect On Girls: Body Image And Gender Identity.” National Institute on
Media and the Family. 3 Apr 2009. National Institute on Media and the Family. 22 Apr 2009
<http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_mediaeffect.shtml>.
Tartakovsky, Margarita. "The Art of Airbrushing." PsychCentral. 9 Dec 2008. 22 Apr
2009 <http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/12/09/the-art-of-airbrushing/>.