The Benefits of Pornography

This chapter reviews the evidence that pornography can have a positive influence on individual’s sexual wellness, mental health, relationships, body acceptance, self-esteem, sexual knowledge, increase safer sex behavior, and self-acceptance in gay, lesbian, bisexual and other sexual minority individuals. For some people there are undoubtedly benefits of having access to erotic material, viewing pornography, and using pornography in the context of their relationship or for masturbation. And yet: this should not be misconstrued as conclusive evidence that “porn is good” or that we have no reason for continuing to investigate its potential harms. The research that finds that there are selected benefits of some pornography use by some people highlights the need for public health, public policy and other professionals to resist the tendency to oversimplify.

Positive Body Image of Female Students: A Predictive Study of the Integrative Body Image Model

This paper focuses on testing hypothesized psychosocial predictors factors (general unconditional acceptance, body acceptance by others, body function appreciation) for positive body image among 812 female students aged between 18 and 35 years. Path analysis procedures contained in the Mplus Version 7 program were used to evaluate the positive body image model. The positive body image model indicated that greater perceived body acceptance by others was linked to greater body function appreciation which in turn was linked to higher positive body image. Perceived body image acceptance by others was directly related to higher positive body image. General unconditional acceptance did not lead to female students greater body function appreciation. The findings revealed some important positive body image predicting factors, and these results can be used to improve positive body image interventions.

Ciało w Sieci – (cyber)świat osób z zaburzeniami odżywiania w kontekście dyskursu somatycznego

Przedmiotem omówienia jest językowy obraz ciała u osób z zaburzeniami odżywiania, które komunikują się za pośrednictwem internetu. Analiza dotyczy języka i stylu blogów i mikroblogów prowadzonych w latach 2012–2020 przez osoby (najczęściej młode kobiety) utożsamiające się z ruchem pro-Ana i pro-Mia. Wskazano najistotniejsze przemiany zachodzące w tej cyberwspólnocie, m.in. przechodzenie od somatycznego wykluczenia, poprzez neutralizację ciała (body neutrality), po jego akceptację (body acceptance). Szczupłość, nawet nadmierna, jest dziś w tym kontekście często interpretowana nie jako zaburzenie (choroba), ale jako synonim zdrowego, odpowiedzialnego stylu życia. Celem analiz, oprócz uaktualnienia ustaleń językoznawców oraz badaczy reprezentujących inne dyscypliny (zwłaszcza psychologów i socjologów piszących o zaburzeniach odżywiania) są odtworzenie relacji między medialnym (konstruowanym) i odczuwanym (będącym efektem praktyk samowykluczających) obrazem ciała oraz obserwacja mechanizmów językowych, które budują i pozwalają utrzymać poczucie wspólnoty osób ze spektrum ED. Autorka, omawiająca podejmowane zagadnienia, łączy podejście językoznawcze z ustaleniami z zakresu kulturoznawstwa i socjologii, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem badań z zakresu socjologii ciała. Przedmiotem obserwacji są leksykalne i onimiczne konteksty, w których uwidacznia się stosunek osób z zaburzeniami odżywiania do ciała, zwłaszcza w aspekcie jego fragmentaryzacji i przekształcania. Te ustalenia wpisują się w szerszy kontekst związany z przenikaniem się (sprzecznych) dyskursów: dyskursu diety oraz tzw. ciałopozytywności (anty-body shaming), czyli zaakceptowania swojego naturalnego ciała.

#BodyProudMums: Promoting Body Positivity through Brand Storytelling on Social Media

Previous researches showed that there is relation between body image satisfaction and depression in perinatal period. Given this fact, it is important to educate and find ways to enhance mothers’ postpartum self-esteem and body satisfaction. For the last decade body image literature has risen and brought to new discussion about body positivity. This research focuses on women’s body positivity campaign presented by Mothercare called #BodyProudMums. The objective of this research is to identify the storytelling elements used to promote women’s body positivity campaign and whether the issue creates good brand story for Mothercare. The concepts used are body positivity, postpartum, brand storytelling, and social media with qualitative content analysis as research method. The unit of analysis are ten posts of #BodyProudMums campaign on @mothercareuk, while the samples are three randomly chosen posts. This research notes that the body positivity messages of body appreciation, body acceptance, and love, as well as broad conceptualization of beauty are carried out by the elements of storytelling namely: basic plots (the quest), archetype (the change master) with the following story objectives: communicating who they are, fostering collaboration, transmitting values and sparking action. There are only three out of four elements of good brand story present on the campaign. However, the absence of humor element is justified because of the nature of the postpartum story in which it shares mothers’ hardship and how they finally cope with it. Therefore, it can be said that the issue of mothers’ body positivity creates good brand story for Mothercare. Key words: positive body image, postpartum, brand storytelling, social media

Blossoming for Whom? Social Approval and Body Image

Body image is a multidimensional construct that reflects the way we perceive and feel about our physical appearance. This inside view of our body heavily influences our self-esteem, mental health, and overall well-being. Under the influence of mass media, peers and family, individuals, especially women, may feel pressured to conform to the societal standards of beauty, engage in upward social comparison, and consequently experience negative body image. While our sociocultural surroundings plays a role in the internalization process, other intrapersonal factors, such as appearance-based rejection sensitivity and lack of self-concept clarity, may heighten the risk for some individuals. Body image disturbances can be manifested in forms of avoidance behaviors, monitoring, eating restraints, and body modification. In order to promote body acceptance, we ought to gain insights into the formation of our body image and challenge the commonly held belief on who defines beauty.