Premium Essay

African American Women And Body Image Summary

Submitted By
Words 1493
Pages 6
Gordon, Maya K. “Media Contributions to African American Girls Focus on Beauty and Appearance: Exploring the Consequences of Sexual Objectification.” Psychology of Women Quarterly, vol. 32, no. 3, 1 Sept. 2008, pp. 245–256. Sage Journals, doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2008.00433.x. Accessed 15 Sept. 2017. In this article, Maya Gordon explores how sexual objectification can hinder and influence girls’ beliefs about their appearance. She specifically focuses on young African American girls whose ideals have been affected by the media’s distortion of beauty. To study this, Gordon took a survey of 176 young African American girls to understand the correlations between media and their need to focus on their appearance. The measures used within this study …show more content…
Recent studies have shown that African American women have more positive views on body image and the authors want to look at the reasons and the range of why their views differ. To do this, they want to get a more in-depth analysis by obtaining a sample of 89 European Americans and 80 African Americans from a University. The measures they used within this study was BMI, Body image, internalization of societal standards of beauty, and social comparisons. The results of this research gathered similar ideas as other research but it offered reasons why. Racial differences appeared when there was differences importance placed upon weight related ideals, however, when it came to using features to determine overall appearance there was little difference between the two groups. European American women were more likely to make media comparisons on body ideal than African American …show more content…
She studies the effects of media exposure with negative body ideals and she does this by setting three conditions for the experiment: appearance comparison, peer norms, and control. The only thing that has been studied in the past to prevent negative body image beliefs is body appreciation. Mclean wanted to delve into this further and consider exposure to the thin-ideal and its effects. She predicted that body satisfaction would be lower after viewing media images of thin women and that it would have more effects if they were asked to compare their appearance to the image. The study used a sample of young girls from four different schools and each one had to have parental and informed consent to participate. The final sample included 246 girls. Once the girls were given a picture of the ad, they were asked questions about comparing themselves to the image and questions about how their peers would respond. The independent variables in this study were media literacy, internalization of the thin-ideal, and upward appearance comparison tendencies. The dependent variables were distractor questions and manipulation check. The results showed that body satisfaction decreased when comparing their own bodies to the pictures, but not when dealing with their peers or during experimental conditions. What she didn’t expect was to find out that subjects that had a high risk

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

My Summary Of Age And Beauty

...1. My summary of age and beauty; Blacks and Caucasian women of all ages examines their bodies. To recognize and be willing to get cosmetic surgery to reshape their bodies to their expectations of healthy. 2. Thesis and purpose of this Article was that white and black women examines their body image but, colorism plays a part of black women body image. 3. The author studied gender studies with that background to able to inform the article. 4. Primary point the author used to support his thesis was the actual quotes. The research included a variety of women with a wide range of age and different cultures, with real quotes from women that consider healthy bodies in different ways. 5. Body image, healthy body and self-presentation are ambiguous...

Words: 396 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Scholar Paper

...consider to be as an equal? The binary stereotyping and mixed cultural signals of African American and Latino females are identified in Mammies, Matriarch and Other Controlling Images and The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria examines the race, class, gender, and sexuality and how these representations speak to the African American and Latino women .Race, Class, and Gender are constructed categories that causes controlling images such as Mammy, Hot Tamale, Bad Black Woman, and Jezebels to become a natural way of thinking leading women to act and believe that is who they are and eventually they who will become. Patricia Collins article (Chap 4), “Mammies, Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images” (2000), defines the oppression, objectification, and controlling images of African American women in the society, as well as the social acceptance of African American women. Collins supports her theories and hypothetical thinking with supporting statements from other black feminist that illustrate similar beliefs and theories that she asserts in her article. Collins purpose and objective is to point out the stereotypical condition of African American women in the society and also the binary of stereotyping. Given the content and source of this publication, Collins intended audience is people who have a unique interest in knowing the condition of stereotypes of African American women. Judith Ortz Cofer’s article “The Myth of the Latino Woman: I Just Met...

Words: 1374 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Hip Hop And Gender Analysis

...Summary Reflection This chapter began with it was summertime 1999 in New York City platform. He didn't how to start conversation with this young, dreadlocked, in a baggy, charcoal gray jean suit. Somehow they stared conversation with gay people and god. Then he accused lesbianism and devil. He spoke in a assertively, artistically, and hurtfully, weaving language. There was was a young man in hip hop as hip hop artist, a feminist man and also lyrics composed. There is usually a man who is interested in hip hop but here was was a black woman who was also interested in hip-hop. On the subway platform this woman saw a bad side of hip-hop. Gender hip-hop has termed “femiphobia”. Hip-Hop is a masculine music. In this chapter it discuss about...

Words: 622 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Ethical Dilemma in Reproduction

...Summary * During the early 1970s, women of color were subjected to a sterilization abuse where social workers and the government would sterilize them without their consent. * Tubal ligation was formerly the most prevalent form of sterilization in the United States. * With technological advances, new forms of contraceptives have been developed and marketed by pharmaceutical companies. * Two temporary forms of sterilization were introduced and approved in the 1990s, which include Norplant and Depo-Provera. Norplant is a contraceptive that can sterilize a woman for up to five years. * The policy makers in U.S passed a bill that made Norplant contraceptive to be mandatory for women on public aid and mostly targeted women of color. * This raised a concern, as many believed that the government was using Norplant as a punitive racially targeted population control measure. * Such move was similar to the forceful sterilization that was popular in the 1960s and 1970s within the southern states. * Depo-Provera was introduced as a substitute for Norplant after the late was proven to have several side effects, and research shows that black and Hispanic women use the drug more than the white women do. * Slide 1 * Depo-Provera (DP) refers to an injection aimed at preventing ovulation for a period of three months, and it was introduced because of the many benefits it has to other contraceptives. * A single DP injection prevents conception for...

Words: 1490 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Female Genital Mutilation Theoretical Analysis

...past 60 years, Female genital mutilation (FGM), the process of altering female genitalia, has been condemned by the Western world for a being an inhuman and oppressive tradition in need of abolishment. At the age of puberty, women living in communities that practice FGM are subject to a forced circumcision procedure that often leads to lifelong physical and psychological implications. As such, anti-FGM discourse universalises the image of the ‘normal” female body by framing female circumcision as a barbaric human rights violation. In doing so, the Western world often fails to acknowledge the practice’s deep rooted cultural significance that have made women “prisoners of ritual”. It will be argued that in order to adequately resolve...

Words: 1215 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Gender Identity

...beautiful people. The list typically includes movie and television stars, musicians, British royalty, models, and television personalities. Every year the magazine crowns the year’s “most beautiful” and features them on the cover. Of the 22 most beautiful 19 have been women and out of the 19 women 16 have been White. This signals to People’s readers that beautiful means White and everything else does not equate beauty. However, this is not unique to People or even magazines like it, but instead represents a larger trend that is present in all forms of Western popular culture. In the various mediums of popular culture, ideologies about female beauty are exceedingly prevalent and constantly managed and reproduced. These ideologies carry with them the notion that in order to obtain ideal female beauty one must be very thin, young, have long hair, and wear expensive or revealing clothing (Stern, 2004). In addition to this there is also a raced definition of beauty, which predominates Western popular culture and dictates that White women with light hair and eye color can only attain true beauty. By looking closely at fashion magazines, television shows, movies and advertisements it is easy to see how Asian, Black and Latina women are underrepresented and misrepresented; and more importantly beauty is not typically associated with these and other nonwhite races. The power and importance of popular culture in today’s society has further supported beauty ideologies that are racialized. Feminist...

Words: 3876 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Pop Culture

...movement each day. I am Feminism, the advocacy aiming to define and defend equal rights for women. In addition, I am seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. Over decades, there have been movements for women to have the same rights as men. Many advocates say feminism is important, because it is equal across all spectrums of race, class, sex, and sexuality. It will always be a movement for particularly women, but it seems to expand across time. In this present day in age, society has evolved across time, and media has made some differences in advertisements, TV shows and films. On the contrary, there are events that still appear on the web, social media and within music, specifically. For example, I was surfing the web, and ran across different artist. Some statements made were about women empowerment, body image/politics and sexual objectification, specifically the artist Beyoncé. The purpose of this essay is to discuss how Beyoncé’s song Flawless depicts feminism as well as redefining beauty. To accomplish this purpose, first I will discuss Beyoncé’s song flawless. Second, I will compare feminism to Beyoncé’s lyrics of the song flawless. Finally, I will summarize and give scholarly insight and implications on future pop culture. Beyoncé is a multi-talented performer and a superstar to millions of fans across the world. She is an African American, female and feminist. Across time, Beyoncé has been on a movement to find a neutral base...

Words: 1453 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

African American Studies

...14 1.) In chapter 1, Black women slaves were defined as either a “jezebel” or “mammy”. In detail define the characteristics of a “jezebel” and “mammy”. Why were black women defined in these two extreme ways? By contrast, how were Southern white women characterized? * One of the most standout images of black women in white slavery America was of a woman who ran entirely off of her sex drive, a Jezebel. A jezebel was considered to be the complete opposite of a proper white woman. She was thought to have little to none religious affiliation. A jezebel took no instances to cover her body, and showed no signs of prudery. The idea that black women were over-sexualized first gained credence when Englishmen went to Africa to buy slaves. Not being accustomed to the traditional wear, Europeans mistook semi-nudity for lewdness. They also misinterpreted African cultural tradition of polygamy and claimed to be the Africans' uncontrolled lust, tribal dances were considered to be an orgy. The travel accounts of Europeans spurred inaccurate analysis of black women livelihood. Perhaps it was the warm climate of Africa that prompted William Bosman to describe the women he saw on the coast of Guinea as "fiery" and "warm" and "so much hotter than the men."' William Smith must have fallen under the same influence, since he wrote of "hot constitution'd Ladies" who "are continually contriving stratagems how to gain a lover."' The conditions under which women worked, were sold and were punished...

Words: 4189 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Humanities 370 Notes

...news” • Fisk = HBCU in 1866 Video: the history of gospel music 02 • In the African heritage it had to be the music, the preacher and the religious. o Had to be the preacher and the response • Music was to be free but then brought Christianity which was pulled out from that they say. • Involving percussion tones • Melees tone – not singing the tone right to but to shape it. We wear the mask poem: Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 – 1906) • Mask – façade, disguises you, hides you, masquerade, protection, performers. Performance v. rituals • Ritual o Gospel • Performance o For others/benefits o Entertainment o Image Video: Education on Minstrel – goes into the Images topic • Developed in 1820. • T.D. Rice • Jim crow presents himself as an African (black face) by performing how the Africans perform. Performance within a performance. • Compromise of 4, etc. o Paid performances • Call and response Images: • Co-opted • Corruption of the history image • Massive available – were everywhere. • The images like the lips exaggerated, clothing, hair. • Looked more animalistic in the pictures • Children in images that they were alligator bait • Food that they ate – watermelon and chickens. Watermelons grow in Africa so they eat it a lot which people didn’t know that.. o Letter from home – is food that you recognize (watermelons) • Clown – dressing them as that in images and plays. • Sheet...

Words: 3558 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Black Women Research Paper

...Why he not she? : The Exclusion of Black Women in places of authority in the black church Black women’s vocalization in the Black Christian church is facing retrenchment. Black women are prevented from obtaining high positions in the pulpit, they are persecuted due to patriarchal roots, and the women with existing positons in the church are mocked. Black women preachers and Black women pastors . Preachers can preach the gospel while Pastors are allowed to lead the denomination. The church has its own rules and its own language. Some church terms are misinterpreted and used interchangeable, It is popular vernacular to refer to a Black Christian church as just a Black church. During the Transatlantic slave trade Christianity was used to enslave Africans. The descendant of those Africans also known as African Americans adopted Christianity and turned it into their motivation. Modern day African Americans are also known as Black Americans or the shortened term Black, the reasoning for that belongs in another scholarly paper....

Words: 2065 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Report

...in sports” this article was taken from the week 8b seminar, the second article is “'Race', sport, and British society” this article was retrieved from a literature search on nelson. The final article is “Why Black People Are Good at Sports” this article was from a web search. * A brief description of how you found the article and why you selected it * A summary of the key content of each article, related to your chosen topic – ‘race’, class or gender (main arguments, key concepts used, sporting examples used, etc.) * A quote taken directly from the article highlighting one of the main arguments (correctly referenced) * Show how the historical knowledge from the article can help us understand contemporary sport * An evaluation of the quality of the source for academic studies of sport (how credible is it? How do you know this? What are you judging its credibility on?) The Myth of Racial Superiority in Sports Abstract Sports hold a special place in the hearts of many Americans. Indeed, athletic competition has come to define and shape our understanding in many ways of what it means to be American....

Words: 1130 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Business Management Diversity

...Group C An Analysis of “Peer Pressures and Accusation of Acting like Others” Table of Contents Introduction………………………………...............………....................4 Media’s Role in Stereotyping……………………………………….…..….4 Origin of “Acting White”……………………………...………………...…6 Accusations of “Acting White” in the Caribbean…………………………..8 Combating Accusations of “Acting White”…….…………………………10 “Acting White” and its affects on Identity”……………………………….11 Peer Pressure and Physical Appearance…………………………………..12 Coping with Peer Pressure……………………..……......................….…13 Summary ………………………………..................................................14 References ………………………………................................................15 Introduction In the article “Peer Pressures and Accusation of Acting like others” Author Dr. Bahaudin Mujtaba investigates the pressures students face to conform to what their peers consider acceptable. Due to media exposure and lack of understanding diversity, stereotyping minorities has become more prevalent and those who step out of the box are accused of acting like others. The article references the accusations of acting white that black students face when striving for good grades and aiming for professional careers. The article also references the spread of these accusations in the Caribbean. Students face peer pressure of acceptance not only in racial and ethnic identity but in appearance as well. These accusations can lead to...

Words: 2960 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Students’ Construction of the Body in Physical Education

...STUDENTS’ CONSTRUCTION OF THE BODY IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Kinesiology by Laura Azzarito B.S., Universita’ di Scienze Motorie di Torino, Italy, 1994 M.S., University of Maryland, College Park, 2000 December 2004 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I’m very grateful to all the students and teachers who are the subjects of this work. I greatly appreciate their willingness to participate in this research and the time they dedicated to all of the interviews and member checks. I also thank the principals who gave me permission to conduct this study. I especially acknowledge and thank physical education teachers Celeste Alfred, for welcoming me to her school, and Vickie Braud for her great help in making contacts necessary to complete my data collection. Both Vickie and Celeste were wonderful throughout my research process, helping me to observe classes and arrange student interviews at the schools. I greatly appreciate all the suggestions, insights and comments of my committee members. Thank you to all of them: Dr. Kuttruff, my external committee member, for her interest in following the steps of my dissertation; Dr. Magill, for bringing a very challenging and valuable perspective to my research; Dr. Lee, for her deep knowledge and expertise in the field of physical education;...

Words: 64949 - Pages: 260

Premium Essay

Journal of Macromarketing

...years of Sports Illustrated magazine and (2) an experiment involving age-based differences in consumer ad perceptions. Both investigate changing ad values and the ethnic diversity of ad models. Results indicate that the male market is becoming increasingly self-oriented in its values orientation as a result of broad societal changes and changing gender roles. Increasing use of black or African American models in key positions indicates a growing acceptance of minorities as representations of the ideal self among younger men, who express a preference for black or African American models. This finding speaks to the increasingly multicultural nature of society and the impact of minority celebrities on American culture. The results are indicative of the power of advertising in both reflecting and facilitating societal change. Keywords advertising, male market, societal change, ethnicity, gender, culture, macromarketing Introduction American men, as a cultural entity and market force, are undergoing rapid change. This metamorphosis is reflected in men’s increasing focus on their bodies (Alexander 2003; Pope, Phillips, and Olivardia 2000) and manifest in their shopping patterns (Salzman, Matathia, and O’Reilly 2006). Their approaches to specific product categories, including personal grooming and fashion products, have been undergoing...

Words: 10179 - Pages: 41

Premium Essay

Alice Walker

...Alexita Professor Jamie ENC 1102 August 4, 2013 Alice Walker Section 1 Biography According to Michael Mayer, Alice Walker, one of the best-known and most highly respected writers in the United States, was born in Eatonton, Georgia. She was the eighth and last child of Willie Lee and Minnie Lou Grant Walker. Her parents were sharecroppers, and money was not always available as needed. At the tender age of eight, Walker lost sight of one eye when one of her older brothers shot her with a BB gun by accident. This left her in somewhat a depression, and she secluded herself from the other children. Walker felt like she was no longer a little girl because of the traumatic experience she had undergone, and she was filled with shame because she thought she was unpleasant to look at. During this seclusion from other kids of her age, Walker began to write poems. Hence, her career as a writer began. Walker found the love of her life in 1967, a white activist civil rights lawyer named Mel Leventhal, and they married him in 1967. A year later she gave birth to their daughter, Rebecca. It was not until she began teaching that her writing career really took off. She began teaching at Jackson State, then Tougaloo, and finally at Wellesley College. Walker was involved in the Civil Rights Movement and spoke for the women’s movement, the anti-apartheid movement, for the anti-nuclear movement, and against female genital mutilation. She also started her own publishing company:...

Words: 2381 - Pages: 10