When asked what can critically affect a teenage girl’s perception on body image, many would quickly answer “social media.” Arguing that the overuse of social media may result in psychological damage leading to low self-esteem and depression. However, one must consider the huge role culture plays in body stereotyping among adolescent girls due to cultural body ideals and women's role in the media. Culture molds the concept in which body image is developed and results in fluctuation within body ideals. Being that culture is the beliefs, art, and way of life of a particular society, it is bound to be different in other regions of the world.
Cultural body ideals relates to a particular body appearance that most women within that specific culture …show more content…
A study performed by the Eating and Body Image Disturbances Across Cultures reviewed that “the stereotypical [anorexia nervosa] patient is depicted as young, North-European Caucasian, female, well educated and from the upper socioeconomic class.” In fact, studies shows that African Americans predominantly have a higher body satisfaction than people of a Latino or European-American origin. This is due to African Americans generally desiring a curvy physique rather than a thinner body type. On the other hand, Asian Americans primarily report a more negative body image than people of Latino or European-American descent. African Americans are reported to have a higher body satisfaction due to ancestral origin that having a heavier body type was a sign of good health and this belief was passed down to future generations. On the contrary, people that are from an Asian descent come from a culture with people that usually have thin body frames. Possibly that would influence them to advocate a thinner physique because its apart of their cultural norm which may be the cause of self-esteem issues. Therefore, these results illustrate that cultures differs in the way they view themselves, which demonstrates that cultural identity plays a vital factor whether someone would have a positive or negative body
Cultural body ideals relates to a particular body appearance that most women within that specific culture …show more content…
A study performed by the Eating and Body Image Disturbances Across Cultures reviewed that “the stereotypical [anorexia nervosa] patient is depicted as young, North-European Caucasian, female, well educated and from the upper socioeconomic class.” In fact, studies shows that African Americans predominantly have a higher body satisfaction than people of a Latino or European-American origin. This is due to African Americans generally desiring a curvy physique rather than a thinner body type. On the other hand, Asian Americans primarily report a more negative body image than people of Latino or European-American descent. African Americans are reported to have a higher body satisfaction due to ancestral origin that having a heavier body type was a sign of good health and this belief was passed down to future generations. On the contrary, people that are from an Asian descent come from a culture with people that usually have thin body frames. Possibly that would influence them to advocate a thinner physique because its apart of their cultural norm which may be the cause of self-esteem issues. Therefore, these results illustrate that cultures differs in the way they view themselves, which demonstrates that cultural identity plays a vital factor whether someone would have a positive or negative body