Sociological Imagination Paper

Personal issues are impacted by public issues. The ‘Sociological Imagination” was coined by Charles Wright Mills with the intent to advertise how personal troubles and public issues are separate aspects of a single process (Mills, 2000). For instance, if multiple individuals purchase gym memberships to achieve a similar body image, it is obvious that this a public phenomenon rather than simply a private matter. Society plays a major role in how individuals view their body. Through television shows, movies or fashion magazines actresses and models are perceived by society as having the perfect body. Constant exposure to the ‘ideal’ body can lead individuals with feelings of dissatisfaction, and the need to make drastic to changes …show more content…
Firstly, certain factors influence the susceptibility of women to the effects of media manipulation. For example, it has been determined that prior experiences of body dissatisfaction can dampen the adverse effects associated with media exposure compared to women who are initially dissatisfied with their body (Grabe, et al., 2008). Further, other studies have found little to no immediate effect of thin-ideal media portrayals on women’s body image or related concerns (Grabe, et al., 2008). Similarly, null effects have been reported “for exposure to thin-ideal ads and adolescent girls’ self-reported physical attractiveness (Martin & Kennedy, 1993), adult women’s body satisfaction (Irving, 1990), and endorsement of dieting attitudes and behaviors (Thornton & Maurice, 1997)” (Grabe, et al., 2008). Although some null or conditional results surfaced, the majority of evidence from these experiments indicates that even momentary exposure to media images illustrating the thin-ideal body often causes adverse outcomes in women’s body image (Grabe, et al., 2008). It is apparent that through mass media, society portrays its socially constructed standards of beauty, putting pressure on how women should …show more content…
Female body shape ideals are reinforced by advertisers who use slim models to sell products (Fulcher & Scott, 2007: 307). It seems women are becoming increasingly accustomed to altering their eating habits in order to achieve the cultural ideal of slenderness. One way women control their eating habits is through dieting, which involves the restriction of the amount and type of food consumed (Fulcher & Scott, 2007: 307), the steady increase in dieting over the past few decades is undoubtedly influenced by the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and fashion industries that emphasize the importance of dieting and healthy eating. In one study, 44% of adolescent girls believed they were overweight and 60% were actively trying to lose weight even though the majority of these young girls were within normal weight ranges. Further, another study measured indicators of disordered eating in a group of Fijian schoolgirls after the introduction of Western television (Becker, Burwell, Gilman, Herzog, & Hamburg, 2002). The key indicators of disordered eating were found to be significantly more prevalent following prolonged television exposure, suggesting a negative impact of this media. It is quite apparent that media has a profound effect on how individuals view themselves, and influences them to take steps in order to alter their

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