In our society, men overall control the images that are portrayed in the media.
Women are overall more concerned with their body image, but why? Women are evaluated in their daily lives based on their attractiveness. Women are viewed as attractive because of their physical appearance, but men on the other hand are viewed as attractive from their accomplishments. Society will judge women based on their body image and this is the main reason that we find more women with body image issues than men. Women have a strong desire feel and look attractive because they have been socialized to believe that this is a dominant trait in their gender.
When comparing images of women and men in the media, women generally have much higher standards. Pictures of the perfect body for women are generally much more unrealistic and harder to obtain than a man’s perfect body. The combination of women being socialized to believe that body image is so important in their life and how hard it is to obtain this image leads to many problems for women in our society.
Socioeconomic Status and Body Image
An individuals socioeconomic standing is also a factor that affects if a person is affected by the body images seen in the mass media everyday.
In the past, our society has viewed issues with body image as mainly an upper-class phenomenon, but recent research shows that this is a problem that occurs through out all socioeconomic standings (Raimondo). The research supporting this is still developing, but the negative effects of body images in the media usually affect those who are more inclined to follow mainstream norms in our society.
The negative affects from the ‘ideal’ body type that is show throughout the media can occur within all class standings, but studies support that it is more prevalent in individuals with high socioeconomic standing. This occurs because individuals with high socioeconomic standing are more likely to strictly follow the norms of society and view that images that the media portrays as what the norm should be for a person body image. Individuals with high socioeconomic standing also have the resources to fund any problems they may have with their body image.
Individuals with lower socioeconomic standing are not as affected by the images show in the media and are less concerned with issues of body image. Studies show that individuals with lower socioeconomic standing tend to be more overweight, less concerned with losing weight, and even perceived themselves as being too thin (O’Deal and Caputi). These individual are less concerned with monetary values and personal image in their community because they do not have the resources to support these interest.
Women are overall more concerned with their body image, but why? Women are evaluated in their daily lives based on their attractiveness. Women are viewed as attractive because of their physical appearance, but men on the other hand are viewed as attractive from their accomplishments. Society will judge women based on their body image and this is the main reason that we find more women with body image issues than men. Women have a strong desire feel and look attractive because they have been socialized to believe that this is a dominant trait in their gender.
When comparing images of women and men in the media, women generally have much higher standards. Pictures of the perfect body for women are generally much more unrealistic and harder to obtain than a man’s perfect body. The combination of women being socialized to believe that body image is so important in their life and how hard it is to obtain this image leads to many problems for women in our society.
Socioeconomic Status and Body Image
An individuals socioeconomic standing is also a factor that affects if a person is affected by the body images seen in the mass media everyday.
In the past, our society has viewed issues with body image as mainly an upper-class phenomenon, but recent research shows that this is a problem that occurs through out all socioeconomic standings (Raimondo). The research supporting this is still developing, but the negative effects of body images in the media usually affect those who are more inclined to follow mainstream norms in our society.
The negative affects from the ‘ideal’ body type that is show throughout the media can occur within all class standings, but studies support that it is more prevalent in individuals with high socioeconomic standing. This occurs because individuals with high socioeconomic standing are more likely to strictly follow the norms of society and view that images that the media portrays as what the norm should be for a person body image. Individuals with high socioeconomic standing also have the resources to fund any problems they may have with their body image.
Individuals with lower socioeconomic standing are not as affected by the images show in the media and are less concerned with issues of body image. Studies show that individuals with lower socioeconomic standing tend to be more overweight, less concerned with losing weight, and even perceived themselves as being too thin (O’Deal and Caputi). These individual are less concerned with monetary values and personal image in their community because they do not have the resources to support these interest.
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Learning Theory
Learning theory provides one explanation for why some people can be affected negatively by body images in the media. People try to imitate the body images they see in the media, which many times results in negative problems for the individual. From a young age people are shown images of the ‘ideal’ body type and these images are consistently reinforced throughout their life. Individuals learn what the ‘ideal’ body type should be through their family, peers and the media. Unfortunately, the body images that people learn are attractive or the norm are unrealistically achievable the majority of the time.
Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic interactionism also gives us another explanation for why people may be affected negatively by the body images in the media. Our society has given a certain body type positive meaning though symbolic interactionism. People view thin, tall and slender good physical characteristics in a person. This has occurred because people have attached a positive stigma to this body type and a negative stigma to all other body types. So, in our society, individuals will go to extremes in an attempt to achieve this ‘ideal’ body type. Many people believe if you are thin and beautiful, then you will have more opportunities to advance in society. This may happen though education, employment, or even socially. A positive and very strong meaning has been attached to this ‘ideal’ body type and that is why individuals have and will continue to try and achieve this image.
