Role of Culture in our

Understanding of “Body
Image” and “Self-
Esteem”
Understanding the Self (UTS)
Bicol University CSSP
B.S. Social Work 1B (Group 1)
Cash & Smolak, 2011

 Body image is generally defined as how one thinks

and feels towards one’s body.
 Having a healthy body image is an important part of
having a good life.
 For example, many studies show that a negative
body image is related to destructive behaviours.
Gendebien & Smith, 1992

▪ Body image is defined as one’s perceptions of our

own or others’ bodies, and one’s feelings towards
those perceptions. It is a multidimensional
construct that consists of both cognitive and
affective components.
 Body image is both
INTERNAL (personal)
and EXTERNAL (society)
▪ Ideal standards of body sizes are culturally specific. Since the
1960s, ideal body sizes for American women have emphasized
thinness (Fallon, 1990; Wiseman, Gray, Mosimann, & Ahrens,
1992).
▪ For example, American models, exemplars of idealized bodies,
are typically a size 2, much thinner than an average American
woman at size 12-14 (Halliwell & Dittmar, 2004; Halliwell,
Dittmar, & Howe, 2005).
▪ Women who identify highly with being American have been
shown to endorse these values of thinness (Devos & Banaji,
2005).
▪ The evidence showing cultural variances in body image
primarily consists of studies that asked participants about
their membership in cultural, ethnic, or racial groups, and then
14 compared body image between these groups (Altabe,
1998; Barnett et al., 2001; Chen & Swalm 1998; Frederick,
Forbes, Grigorian, & Jarcho, 2007; Mintz & Kashubeck, 1999;
Sussman, Troung, & Lim, 2007).
▪ Culture has also been assessed by measuring the degree of
acculturation or identification with one’s ethnic or cultural
group (Lau, Lum, Chronister, & Forrest, 2006; Tsai, Curbow, &
Heineberg, 2003).
Cultural Traditions Can Help or Hurt
▪ The culture in which we are surrounded by has a significant impact
on how we feel about ourselves and the manner in which we think
about our body. Many cultural traditions also contribute to body
image and can influence either negative or positive body image and
self-esteem.
▪ Depending on the culture and overall emphasis of traditions
involved, a person may find their surroundings either conducive
to or resistant to the building of a healthy body image and self-
esteem.
 The Impact of Western Culture
▪ The Western culture in general for example, is one that tends to
hyper-focus on dieting and body appearance. Digitally retouched
photos are the norm in which are society is saturated in, and 
this mentality can negatively influence an individual’s body image.
▪ Other cultures that celebrate and uphold a person’s body and
whose traditions uphold what a person is capable of doing rather
than their appearance may more effectively support the building of
a positive body image.
Culture Is Just One Factor

▪ While culture alone is not responsible for a poor or

negative body image, the influence and potential in
which it can impact how a person feels about
themselves and their body is substantial. Being
aware of your surroundings and understanding how
culture and traditions may effect and impact how
you think and feel about your body can be helpful, 
especially in a conscious effort to build a positive bo
dy image and increase self-esteem
.
Understanding each of the components
that contribute to your body image is an
important step towards making a
difference in how you see and feel about
yourself.