جامعه شناسی کاربردی (Dec 2017)
A Qualitative Study of Women's Attitudes and Perceptions towards their Body
Abstract
Introduction: The body is not a mere biological and psychosocial entity. It is a phenomenon that is socially constructed. Therefore, with today's consumer society, media and reflections of identity, people begin to reflect on their own body as something which can be constructed. The aim of this study is to understand women's perception of their body and body image. Material & Method: the method of this study is qualitative and based on grounded theory. Data collection technique was semi-structured interviews with 18 young women in Tehran that had gone through any form of cosmetic surgery. In this study, theoretical sampling was used based on theoretical saturation, namely, the sampling process was stopped when new data didn’t emerge. A coding system was used for data analysis based on three steps: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The result of the encoding process is 167 concepts, 16 main categories and 25 sub-categories. Discussion of Results & Conclusion: Women perceive their bodies as a capital, a mask, something on which they can develop an independent identity and by which they can experience enjoyment and relaxation. Although body as capital is the main perception, some women understand their body as mask. Women build their own identity and present it in their own ways to others. The enjoyment and relaxation of the body include perceptions that offset the negative views of women about their bodies. This study shows that perceptions of women are affected by values and norms of the society in which they live, including masculine norms that prevail in society. Other influencing norms include those related to gender socialization, low self-esteem, low prestige and mass media. However, masculine norms are the most important factors that influence the body image of women. Women's lower prestige than men shape their perception of body image negatively. Women face employment barriers more often than men. Assessments of women’s quality of work is also lower in comparison with men. For example, women are evaluated lower than men in similar positions. As a result, women use their body to gain good jobs and status. Media is also one of the main factors affecting women's body image. As various studies have shown, the importance of the media in this regard is undeniable. It works in two ways: (1) direct influence on women, and (2) by shaping men's priorities. Women internalize norms of the society in the process of gender socialization based. They constantly redefine themselves through the internalization of these societal norms. Four sub-categories of gender socialization include: differences based on gender, distinction based on gender, gender discrimination, and stereotypes. Women differentiate themselves with their body. They also use their body to distinguish themselves. Furthermore, discriminations that women have encountered during their life shape their conceptions of their body. Finally, the stereotypical thoughts also affect women's body image. These stereotypes exist in all societies. Since social and cultural factors greatly influence women's perceptions of their body, policy makers should pay attention to them. Otherwise, tendencies to negative body image, cosmetic surgery, use of cosmetics and spending more time and energy to build an ideal body will be on the rise. Policymakers need to change the structure of social norms by, for example, educating women, men and parents. It seems low self-esteem is an individual, psychological factor. However, this is not the case because it self-esteem has its roots in cultural and social contexts. Women's confidence is built in social relationships. Pejorative epithets are one of the sub-categories of this factor. Women receive disparaging epithets that affect their self-esteem. This had an important impact on women's body image. As a result, women are forced to try to put their bodies in “the ideal form” that society requires.
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