Abstract
Women in Western cultures are encouraged by society to manipulate their bodies to try to achieve unrealistic ideals associated with thinness, the ‘right’ amount of sexiness, and youth. The feminist perspective posits that the body monitoring and body dissatisfaction associated with this ‘beauty work’ are disempowering. In this article, we trace the history of feminist perspectives about the body. We then examine how feminist theories about the body have informed empirical research. We end by discussing how feminist ideas are used to promote cultural change and individuals’ resistance to oppressive ideals. Thus, feminist perspectives offer a comprehensive explanation of societal forces behind women’s body concerns as well as a plan of action for combating unrealistic ideals.
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