Women in the Media

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Women in the Media

• Psychology of Women
• Catalina Woldarsky
• May 9th, 2007

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Outline

• Natural beauty?
• The Western ideal of beauty
• Depictions of women in print media
• The psychological impact of thin media
• Women in music

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Western Beauty the Media

• All images portrayed in the mass media are
  constructions serve as a form of
  communication
• Images shown in mass media act as socializing
  agents that influence our attitudes, beliefs,
  values behaviours (Kang, 1997).
• The ideal woman has been described by adolescent
  girls as being 57 tall, 100 lbs., a size 5,
  with long blonde hair and blue eyes (Nichter
  Nichter, 1991)

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The Objectification of Women

• Objectification refers to portrayals of women
  that suggest their major function or purpose is
  to be looked at (Fredrickson Roberts, 1997
  Linder, 2004)
• Women are decorative objects
• men watch women women watch men watching women
  
• Males are socialized to use their bodies as a
  means to master their space, whereas females are
  socialized to use their bodies to attract others
  (Stephens, Hill, Hanson, 1994)

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The Sexualization of Women

• Women are not just objects they are sexual
  objects that exist for the satisfaction of mens
  sexual pleasure
• The message being conveyed is that women should
  always be sexually available, have sex on their
  minds, be willing to be dominated even sexually
  agressed against (Merskin, 2004).

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The Fragility of Women

• Women in ads are often depicted as vulnerable and
  in need of protection
• They are often shown as being uninvolved or
  withdrawn from the social situation by covering
  their mouths, faces or gazing at some
  unidentifiable object outside the picture frame
  (Linder, 2004).
• This is also apparent in images that include
  feminine touch, ritualization of subordination,
  licensed withdrawal (Kang, 1997).

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Psychological Impact?

• In order to understand the impact that media has
  on us, we must first consider the message(s)
  being conveyed
• Now what is the conclusion?

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Psychological Impact of Thin Media

• There must be something wrong with you!
• Feelings of shame inadequacy triggered
• Heightened self-monitoring objectification
• Shift between being a subject to being an object
  
• linked to poor interoceptive awareness
• Social Comparison Theory (Festinger, 1954)

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Psychological Impact of Thin Media

• Contrast effect that includes body
  dissatisfaction, lowered self-esteem mood, as
  well as eating disorder symptomatology
• (Stice et al., 1994 Thorton Maurice, 1997
  Groesz, Levine, Murner, 2002 Huon Munro,
  2006).
• Exposure to TV programs glamorize thin ideal
  (i.e., music videos soap operas) has also been
  correlated with body dissatisfaction, perceptions
  of overweight dieting (Schupak-Neuberg et
  al., 2000 Tiggemann, 2005)
• BUT positive effects have been documented for
  thin women who are dieting (Henderson-King
  Henderson-King ,1997 2001 Mills et al.,
  (2000)).

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The internalization of the thin ideal
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Take-Home Assignment Women in Music

• How are women portrayed in popular music?
• Find the lyrics of a popular song (any genre)
  
• Discuss the song by identifying main themes
• Whats the song about?
• Whats the message about women? Men?
• How does this impact you?
• Using the lyrics of the song re-write the song
  so that it critiques the message about women
  offers an alternative view