In the Margins: The Impact of Sexualised Images on the Mental Health of Ageing Women

Abstract

This paper describes key findings of a study exploring how a cohort of 16 rural Australian women aged over 60 years think, feel and respond to the prevalence of sexualised imagery in the media. The qualitative research framework was informed by Feminist Standpoint Theory. Participants in three focus groups responded to semi-structured questions and prompts, interspersed with viewing examples of sexualised images. Five strong thematic categories emerged: concern for the harmful impacts of sexualised images on the vulnerable, the media’s portrayal of sexual content with a focus on physical appearance and youth, descriptions of the impact of viewing sexualised images, moderators of the impact of sexualised images on well-being, and marginalisation of women in the media. Findings from this research indicate that sexualised images in the media do have an impact on older women’s self image and mental health in numerous ways and in a range of situations. Emotional impacts included sadness, anger, concern, envy, desensitisation, marginalisation, and discomfort that their appearance was being judged by others. A strong sense of self apart from appearance, feeling valued by family and community, ignoring or overlooking media content, and being aware that media images are not real and attainable helped buffer the link between sexualised images and well-being. Another important finding is that the impact is variable: women may experience different responses to similar sexualised content depending on a range of social, health and lifestyle factors affecting them at any given time.

Fiction, Fashion, and Function Finale: An Introduction and Conclusion to the Special Issue on Gendered Body Image, Part III

“…The sexually objectified male body is muscular which suggests power, while the sexually objectified female body is thin and easily overpowered (Jhally 2009). In this issue, media portrayals of women's bodies, as well as the diminished power and heightened sexuality associated with these portrayals, shape how women are viewed in the media by U.S. boys (Daniels and Wartena 2011) and older-age Australian women (Hine 2011). U.S. women also are socialized more than men to connect their self-worth to their body shape and size, making gendered body ideals particularly deleterious for women's well-being (Oney et al 2011).…”

“…These articles discuss how these gendered body ideals restrict the following: women's ability to have deep connections with their friends and partners as they talk about their bodies in disparaging ways (Payne et al 2010), men's perceptions of female athletes based on their attire and body positioning (Daniels and Wartena 2011), same-sex individuals' perceptions of themselves as parents (Pacilli et al 2011), pregnant women's freedoms (Sutton et al 2010) and perceptions of their bodies during pregnancy (Rubin and Steinberg 2011), African Americans' body image and self-esteem (Oney et al 2011), and older adult women's self-image and presence in the media (Hine 2011).…”

“…Confronted with these images, they felt disempowered, but many attempted to distract themselves by turning the television off or finding things to do around the house. They felt marginalized by the fact that women have a "used by date" in the media and discouraged by the media's persistently negative messages about older women (Hine 2011). They were also disturbed by the narrow portrayals of young women as sex objects primarily for men's gratification and distressed that marketing techniques are portraying children as sexually available and knowledgeable.…”

“…Hine (2011) revealed that many older women experienced lower well-being and distress when exposed to this ideal. In working with an older female audience, professionals could encourage them to (a) develop and maintain a strong sense of self apart from their appearance as well as strong social bonds with friends, family, and community; (b) be aware and remind themselves that media images are neither real nor attainable; and (c) distance themselves from exposure to this content, as older women have suggested that these strategies helped protect their well-being when bombarded with these images (Hine 2011).…”

Kult ciała a starość. Refleksje psychologiczne

“…Wprawdzie cytowane przez autorkę badania pochodzą z lat osiemdziesiątych, ale wydaje się, że niewiele zmieniło się w tym zakresie w ciągu ostatnich lat. Nadal -szczególnie kobiety w starszym wieku -rzadko są obecne w mediach, a jeśli już -to są one często przedstawiane w sposób nie tylko aseksualny, ale i bardzo negatywny (Hine, 2011).…”