This study examines gender and class differences in young people's beliefs about sexuality and HIV/AIDS risk-taking behaviours in Thailand. Sixty young people aged 15-19, divided equally by gender and socioeconomic background, participated in focus groups and in-depth interviews. Four topics were explored: the differences between 'good' and 'bad' girls/boys; young people's perceptions of sexuality; social class variations in young people's knowledge of HIV/AIDS and perceptions of risk; and the most influential institutions shaping young people's sexual attitudes. Results showed that young people screened potential sexual partners utilizing an image of 'good girls/boys' as potential HIV/AIDS-free partners; young people defined sexuality in terms of love/sexual relationships, premarital sex, promiscuity, and virginity; and HIV/AIDS awareness varied according to class. Young people of all classes failed to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of how they can contract AIDS. They neither viewed themselves as being in an at-risk group, nor considered their sexual behaviours to be at-risk behaviours. Finally, family, friends, and mass media were reported to be among the most influential institutions shaping young people's sexual attitudes. In the struggle against HIV/AIDS, these institutions together with health education not only protect but also can empower young people in Thailand.
Purpose: (1) To learn how female and male adolescents view their dissatisfaction toward body parts, and (2) learn how gender-related dissatisfaction toward body parts in Thai adolescents differs from those studied in Western countries. Methods: The researcher recruited 400 Thai male and female adolescents in Bangkok, attending high school to freshmen level, and ranging from 16-19 years, to participate in this study. Survey questionnaires containing questions related to the research objectives were distributed to each student. In addition, the researcher conducted in-depth follow-up interviews with 40 students to gain insightful data, which were beneficial for the content and percentage result analysis. Results: The findings show that Thai female and male adolescents viewed their dissatisfaction toward body parts differently. Whereas Thai female adolescents viewed their dissatisfied body parts individually and looked at their bodies in detail, Thai male adolescents tended to view their bodies as a whole and describe their dissatisfied body parts as problematic area(s). Moreover, some of the results in this study showed similarity with research conducted in the West. However, there were also differences that can be seen in detail showing a variation on the gender-related dissatisfied body parts names, percentage to each body part/area, and its beautified meanings. Like studies conducted in the West, female adolescents showed greater dissatisfaction toward their bodies and felt more pressure to fix problematic parts than did men. Conclusions: How females and males view their bodies differently can be linked to greater incidence of dieting and eating disorders in females than in males.
The study of body image-related problems in non-Western countries is still very limited. Thus, this study aims to identify the main influential sources and show how they affect the body image perceptions of Bangkok adolescents. The researcher recruited 400 Thai male and female adolescents in Bangkok, attending high school to freshmen level, ranging from 16-19 years, to participate in this study. Survey questionnaires were distributed to every student and follow-up interviews conducted with 40 students. The findings showed that there are eight main influential sources respectively ranked from the most influential to the least influential: magazines, television, peer group, familial, fashion trend, the opposite gender, self-realization and health knowledge. Similar to those studies conducted in Western countries, more than half of the total percentage was the influence of mass media and peer groups. Bangkok adolescents also internalized Western ideal beauty through these mass media channels. Alike studies conducted in the West, there was similarities in the process of how these influential sources affect Bangkok adolescent body image perception, with the exception of familial source. In conclusion, taking the approach of identifying the main influential sources and understanding how they affect adolescent body image perceptions can help prevent adolescents from having unhealthy views and taking risky measures toward their bodies. More studies conducted in non-Western countries are needed in order to build a cultural sensitive program, catered to the body image problems occurring in adolescents within that particular society.
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