2004/03/01 by Lisa R. Rubin, Carol Nemeroff, Nancy Felipe Russo · 1 citation
Psychology · Business, Management and Accounting · Social Sciences · #Eating Disorders and Behaviors #Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification #Media, Gender, and Advertising #Objectification #Psychology #Cognitive reframing #Feeling #Feminism #Beauty #Consciousness #Social psychology #Power (physics) #Gender studies #Gender role #Aesthetics #Sociology
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2004.00120.x
openalex publication_date 2004/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15
In a qualitative investigation of young feminists' experience of body consciousness, 25 feminist women each participated in one of 6 focus groups examining the ways they experienced body image and negotiated cultural messages about women's appearance. Participants described their experience with objectification and its impact on their body image, sense of self, and relationships with other women. Although feminism provided an alternative way to understand cultural messages and reframe negative thoughts, this understanding did not necessarily affect aesthetic reactions. Participants experienced conflict between their feminist beliefs and their feelings about beauty ideals and their own appearance. This conflict is interpreted in terms of a mere exposure effect and existing gender/power relations. Suggestions of ways feminist psychologists can support young women's strategies for resisting negative cultural messages are provided.