1. The Beast of Beauty Culture: An Analysis of the Political Effects of Self-Objectification
Sarah Oliver

2. Primary Question
How does self-objectification affect internal and external political efficacy?

3. Objectification
“Whenever a woman’s body, body parts, or sexual functions are separated out from her person, reduced to the status of mere instruments, or regarded as if they were capable of representing her.” (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997).

4. Examples

5. New Objectification Culture
Normalization of female objectification in popular culture
The new vogue of “consensual” objectification
Idea that objectification is empowering
Appropriation of female agency and power for male pleasure (the FFT)

6. BloodRayne

7. Self-Objectification
“a key process whereby girls [and women] learn to think and treat their bodies as objects of others’ desires” (Zubriggen et al., 2007:2)
When a woman integrates the image of herself as an object into her own value system.

8. Examples
“The boys wear funny outfits to attract girls, and the girls wear risqué outfits to be attractive… A girl is walking down DP with her posse, all of whom are wearing scraps of fabric that cover their nipples and their genitals and nothing else - I know you’re supposed to be an Indian, but I can only tell from the feather on your head.”
Dana Olson, October 31, 2007

9. Negative Effects of Self-Objectification
Unipolar depression
Habitual body monitoring
Eating disorders
Body shame
Social physique anxiety
Depressed cognitive functioning
Sexual dysfunction
Lower self-esteem
Political efficacy?

10. Political Efficacy
Internal Political Efficacy: An individual’s confidence to understand and participate effectively in politics.
External Political efficacy: An individual’s beliefs about whether the government will respond effectively to the demands of its citizens.

11. Data and Measures Survey of 162 college students at Whittier College
26 different randomly-selected classes
Sample was roughly representative of the respective college populations

12. Self-Objectification Measure
Now we would like to know how much importance you place on different aspects of your body. Please rank each of these characteristics in ascending order in terms of importance, from most important (rank = 1) to least importance (rank = 12). Please use each number from 1 through 12 only once.
a. Physical attractiveness _______
b. Muscular strength _______
c. Coloring _______
d. Physical coordination _______
e. Weight _______
f. Stamina _______
g. Sex appeal _______
h. Health _______
i. Measurements _______
j. Physical fitness _______
k. Muscle tone _______
l. Physical energy level _______

13. Political Efficacy Questions
Please check the box that fits best for each response.

14. Levels of Self-Objectification
Level of Self-Objectification
Percentage
(n=71)
Low
30%
Medium
49%
High
21%

15. Levels of Internal Efficacy
Level of Internal Political Efficacy
Percentage
(n=71)
Low
45%
Medium
44%
High
11%

16. Levels of External Efficacy
Level of External Political Efficacy
Percentage
(n=71)
Low
32%
Medium
49%
High
19%

17. Self-Objectification and Internal Political Efficacy for Women
Low
Medium & High
38%
48%
Medium
43%
44%
High
19% 8%
Gamma= -.242, p=.289

18. Self-Objectification and External Political Efficacy for Women
Low
Medium & High
25%
36%
Medium
55%
47%
High
20%
18%
Gamma= -.145, p=.511

19. Self-Objectification and Internal Political Efficacy for Men
Low & Medium
High
Low
43% 0%
Medium
35%
78%
22%
Gamma= .484, p=.034