M4 Unhealthy

● Inaccurate perceptions
ME, MYSELF, And I: BODY IMAGE, RITES ● focusing on perceived flaws or
OF PASSAGE, And GENDER And imperfections
SEXUALITY ISSUES ● leads to negative feelings

BODY IMAGE AND SELF-CONCEPT Healthy

● accurate perceptions
● feeling positive about these aspects
● acceptance and appreciation

Factors that Influence an Individual’s

Body Image
1. Media
○ Causes body dissatisfaction
○ Causes weight-related and
appearance dissatisfaction
○ Body image concerns
2. Society and Culture
○ Cultural ideals and beliefs are also
Body image reinforced by significant others in
● The term used to refer to our dynamic adolescent’s immediate
perception of our own body environments, including family, peers,
○ How it looks and romantic partners
○ How it feels 3. Puberty
○ How it moves ○ Changes in physical appearance
● The attitudes and feelings about ○ Hormonal changes
○ How we look ○ Becoming more self-conscious
○ How we think others see us 4. Psychological
● Dynamic ○ Adolescence as a period of identity
○ May change based on the people we and development
interact with, our situations, cultural ○ Stronger interpersonal identity =
expectations positive view of how others evaluated
● Influenced strongly by self-esteem and their appearance
self-evaluation ○ Body image may improve as
● Takes place during adolescence adolescent’s sense of self becomes
increasingly stabilized
Weight Status and Body Image
Perceptions in Adolescents Relationship Between Weight Status And
Body Image
Body Mass Index (BMI)
○ Greater BMI = Heightened weight
concerns
● ○ Predicts body dissatisfaction
 Internalization ■ Severe restriction of food intake
○ Degree to which someone adopts a to unhealthy levels that results in
sociocultural body ideal as his or her caloric deprivation
own ○ Bulimia Nervosa
○ Accounted for 45.7% of variance in ■ Binge-eating followed by
body dissatisfaction over and above compensatory purging
BMI ○ Binge-eating disorder
○ Strongest predictor of body ■ Binge-eating without
dissatisfaction for girls accompanying purging method
○ Pressures boys to gain muscularity 3. Dysfunctional Exercise
and girls to lose weight ○ Exercising compulsively and
Social Comparison excessively as purging strategy
○ Tendency to compare one’s body or ○ Includes exercise dependence,
physique to that of the others abuse, addiction, obligatory exercise,
○ Contributed in body dissatisfaction of and overexercise
girls more than BMI ○ Associated with physical and
Fat-talk psychological health consequences
○ Mothers’ scores on a measure of talk ■ Poor concentration
directed toward their daughters, ■ Fatigue
themselves, and others were ■ Mood disturbances
associated with body dissatisfaction ■ Overuse injuries
among their daughters ○ Social isolation/impaired relationships
Weight-related bullying
○ Body dissatisfaction of girls were
often related to school level teasing SOCIAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES
○ Report negative effect - sadness, ON THE BODY IMAGE OF
depressed mood ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS
○ Low self-esteem
Media Representation
Impact on Health Behaviours ● Strong social and cultural forces
1. Physical Inactivity influence body image in young people
○ Individual barriers ● From childhood to adulthood, television,
○ Social barriers billboards, movies, music videos, video
○ Environmental barriers games, computer games, toys, the
○ Socioeconomic status Internet, and magazines convey images
2. Eating Disorders of ideal attractiveness, beauty, shape,
○ In an attempt to sculpt one’s body size, strength and weight
into a perceived ideal and gain a ● portrayal of “ideal body type” that may
sense of control lead to unrealistic standards for body
○ Body image as a central diagnostic image
feature ● Magazine as the strongest cause of
○ Anorexia nervosa body dissatisfaction of Filipino
adolescents
Social Media ○ modeling and discussing appearance
● Constant exposure to idealized images concerns
● Filtering and editing tools ○ Making comparison
● Social comparison ○ Desire to fit in
● Cyberbullying ○ Conversations and understanding
attitudes about body image
○ Fostering positive body image
HOW ABOUT POSITIVE INFLUENCES OF behaviour among peer groups
SOCIAL MEDIA (OR MEDIA, IN
GENERAL)? HOW CAN WE PROMOTE AND SUSTAIN
A POSITIVE BODY IMAGE?
Body Image Positivity 1. Practice self-compassion and body
● Spread of body positivity movements appreciation
● A place of inclusion 2. Reject unrealistic ideas
● Sharing empowering messages 3. Be media literate
4. Engage in healthy behaviours
Education 5. Surround ourselves with positive
● Faster way of providing resources and influences
raising awareness for fostering positive 6. Seek professional help when needed
self-esteem and body image, self-care
and mental health awareness RITES OF PASSAGE
● ritual that marks a change in a person's
Familial Messages — Helicopter social or sexual status
Parenting ● Ceremonies surrounding events such as
● Parents tend to become less positive childbirth, puberty, marriages, or death
and more critical regarding their ● Arnold van Gennep
children’s appearance, eating and ○ Popularized rites of passage
physical activity as they move into and ○ 3 phases of rites of passage
through adolescence. ■ Rite of Separation (Segregation)
● Parental over-concern with children ■ Rite of Transition (Liminality)
being thin or encouragement to avoid ■ Rite of Incorporation
being fat can influence young people to (reintegration)
become constant dieters and use
unhealthy weight control methods Rite of Separation (Segregation)
● Involves withdrawal from status
Familial Messages — Supporting ● Marks the beginning of a significant
Parenting transition in an individual’s life
● Checking with own body image ● represents a symbolic break from the
● Encouraging communication individual’s previous identity and roles
● Examples include birth, military basic
Peers training
● Influence body dissatisfaction through
○ Appearance-based teasing and
criticism
Rite of Transition (Liminality) Gender
● Period where people have left one place ● Cultural attitudes, feelings, and
or state but have not yet entered or behaviors linked to a person's biological
joined the next sex, with norms varying across cultures
● Period or moratorium ● Formed by social experiences (not
● focus on the liminal phase - period of biological)
ambiguity and transformation
● Examples: marriage and debut Gender Expression
● How an individual communicates gender
through appearance, clothing, and
Rite of Incorporation (Reintegration) behavior
● Ceremonial event that signifies the
formal integration of an individual into a Gender Diversity
new social role or status ● the extent to which a person’s gender
● individual is expected to integrate into identity, role, or expression differs from
their new social role and adapt to the the cultural norms prescribed for people
rights, duties, and expectations of a particular sex
associated with it
● examples : graduation and induction into Gender Identity
frats and sorors ● One’s sense of oneself as male, female,
or something else
Cultural Significance of Rites of Passage
● Transition - movement from one life Gender Queer/Gender Fluid
stage to another ● Identities outside the gender binary, not
● Social Cohesion - bring individuals strictly identifying as male or female and
together to celebrate shared cultural often rejecting "transgender" due to its
values and beliefs implication of transitioning
● Cultural Identity - individuals learn about
their cultural heritage and develop a Intersex
sense of pride in their identity in rituals ● Conditions involving a typical
● Symbolism - symbolic actions or objects development of physical sex
that represent key aspects of the characteristics, leading to non-standard
transition being celebrated male or female presentations

SEX, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY Pansexual

Asexual
● person with no or little sexual attraction
or interest in sexual activity
Cisgender
● replaces the terms “nontransgender” or
“bio man/bio woman” to refer to
individuals that sticks with their assigned
sex at birth
● attracted beyond the gender binary,
inclusive of trans individuals and aware
of the binary implied by "bisexual
Queer
● Umbrella term for sexual orientations or
gender identities that don’t conform to
societal norms
Sex
● Biological status as male, female, or
intersex, determined by characteristics
like chromosomes and reproductive
organs
Sex Assignment
● Involves emotional and sexual attraction
to others, distinct from sex, gender
identity, expression, and role
Transgender
● gender identity does not match their
assigned sex, not necessarily desiring
surgical or hormonal transition
THE GENDERED SELF: ISSUES
RELATED TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION,
GENDER IDENTITY, AND GENDER
EXPRESSION
Sexual Orientation
● lasting emotional, romantic, and/or
sexual attractions towards men, women,
or both, shaping one’s identity,
behaviors, and community affiliation.
● Categories
○ Heterosexual: attraction to opposite
sex
○ Gay/lesbian: attraction to the same
sex
○ Bisexual: attraction to both sexes
● Separate from biological sex, gender
identity, and social gender role
● Manifested through behaviour with
others
How Do People Know If They Are
Lesbian, Gay, Or Bisexual?
● Emotional, romantic, and sexual
attractions can develop independently of
sexual experience; celibacy does not
obscure knowledge of one's sexual
orientation
● Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals
have varied journeys with their sexual
orientation
○ Identified orientation but postpones
entering relationships
○ Experience diff relationships before
definitely labeling their orientation
● Can be affected by prejudice and
discrimination - prolongs the process of
identification
What causes a person to have a
particular sexual orientation?
● No consensus on specific factors
influencing development of sexual
orientation
● explored genetic, hormonal,
developmental, social, and cultural
influences on sexual orientation
● Prevailing view suggests that sexual
orientation development involves a
complex interplay between genetic
predispositions and environmental
factors
● shaped by both innate and external
forces
Is Homosexuality a Mental Disorder?
● No
● no inherent connection between these
sexual orientations and mental health
issues
● Both heterosexual and homosexual
behaviors are recognized as normal
parts of human sexuality, observed
across different cultures and historical
eras
● Different sexualities are normal
expression of the human experience
What Is “Coming Out” And Why Is It
Important?
● involves multiple stages, including
recognizing one's same-sex attractions,
deciding to disclose these attractions to
others, and identifying with the LGBTQ+
community
● The fear of experiencing prejudice and
discrimination can prevent individuals
from coming out
● crucial for psychological well-being, as it
involves embracing and integrating their
sexual orientation into their identity
○ Better mental health = greater overall
well-being
● can provide essential social support,
benefiting mental health
What About Sexual Orientation and
Coming Out During Adolescence?
● Support from parents and others is
critical, helping individuals with
nonheterosexual orientations navigate
adolescence successfully and lead
satisfying, healthy lives
● Younger people acknowledging a
nonheterosexual identity may face more
challenges due to fewer internal and
external resources, underscoring the
importance of early support
Gender Theory
● explores concepts of masculinity,
femininity, and queer identities across
various contexts and disciplines,
challenging traditional binary views of
gender
● Acknowledges the wide range of
biological differences among humans -
differences do not definitively determine
individual identity
● positions gender as a social construct,
comprised of traits and roles developed
through societal expectations, rather
than strictly biological determinants
● Suggests that perceptions of masculinity
and femininity are not fixed but vary
across time, cultures, and societies,
influencing individuals' lives and societal
dynamics
● Influenced the study of men as historical
subjects alongside women
● Distinction between sex and gender
central to debates within gender theory
Distinction between Sex and Gender
GENDER IS PERFORMATIVE