Sexual Objectification Research Articles

Objectification of Women in Alhamad’s Novels: A Question of De-Humanization or Empowerment in a Post-Islamic Awakening Narrative

This paper reviews the work of the Saudi novelist, Turki Alhamad, who published in a post-Islamic Awakening in Saudi Arabia. The paper contextualizes his writing by defining the concept of sexual objectification in various theorizations of the term including several texts that represent the discourse of the Islamic Awakening movement. His work can be perceived to be de-humanizing of women particularly during the time of its publication in the 1990s and early 2000s when the movement was popular. However, a close reading of his work suggests a multiplicity of discourses in his representation of women. His work can be empowering women taking into consideration Alhamad’s non-fictional writings that promote social change in Arab and Muslim countries. Branded as a challenge of social values at the time of its publication, his work can also be interpreted as a precursor to the social shift towards women’s empowerment that took place in Saudi Arabia in recent years.

In search of a new vanguard

This study explores the historical relevance social movement vanguards within the framework of Marxian scientific socialism, while ascertaining the emergence of women as drivers of connective action in digitally enabled movements (DEMs). While the rhizomic structures of social movements have thrived on the spontaneity of emerging cells of social activist leaders, this study contests the claims of contradictions between spontaneity and vanguardism in DEMs. The study adopts the case study methodology to establish how technology affords more visibility to female icons of social movements by drawing examples from Sudan, Lebanon and Nigeria. Data was sourced from primary literature, digital archives and newspaper reports to tease out the history and current dynamics of women’s roles in social movements. It uses vanguardism as the conceptual framework for teasing out the intersections of gender, age, identity and technology as observed in DEMs. The study thus contends that technology plays important roles in restructuring the power dynamics of social action by showcasing how women such as Alaa Salah (Sudan), Malak Alawiye Herz (Lebanon) and Aisha Yesufu (Nigeria) emerged as icons of DEMs. It concludes that the weaponization of female bodies has become a potent form of resistance against the gendered biopolitics of sexual objectification and the necropolitics of state repression. The study thus advocates an all-inclusive approach to understanding the structures of social movements in recentring the iconic roles of women during connective action and physical protests. This is to enable the balance between vanguardism and spontaneity that is requisite for effective social action in the digital age.

Esports events & hegemonic masculinity: Reflections on participant-observation at Evolution Championship Series 2019

Using critical theory and self-embodiment, as well as Bourdieu's concept of habitus and the social field, this ethnographic project documents the various ways that hegemonic masculinity manifested at the 2019 Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the largest fighting video game tournament in the world. Participant-observation was utilized to analyze the embodied experience of attending and participating in the tournament. The findings suggest that EVO's hyper-competitive culture reifies hegemonic masculinity and marginalizes femininity. The findings suggest that esports competitions reclaim masculinity through cyber-rituals and sexual objectification of women's real and digital bodies, in lieu of the absence of physical real-world male athletic bodies.

Self‐quantification and consumer well‐being: A meta‐analytic review

AbstractSelf‐quantification technology is increasingly and irrevocably transforming consumers' relationships with their own minds and bodies. However, existing research findings on the contribution of self‐quantification to consumer well‐being are disparate. Given the popularity of self‐quantification technology among consumers in the post‐pandemic era and its inherent transformative nature, it is surprising that this gap remains unaddressed. To resolve this inconsistency and to examine how and when self‐quantification influences consumer well‐being, we conduct a meta‐analysis of consumer well‐being in the context of self‐quantification technology. Our findings reveal that self‐quantification positively influences consumer well‐being. However, self‐quantification also negatively affects consumer well‐being through body image and self‐esteem. The systematic moderation effects of cultural dimensions (e.g., uncertainty avoidance and individualism), prior experience, data sharing, and sample characteristics on the relationship between self‐quantification and consumer well‐being are also confirmed. While uncertainty avoidance, prior experience, and data sharing accentuate the positive effects of self‐quantification on consumer well‐being, an individualistic culture attenuates this influence. This study contributes to the consumer well‐being literature and extends objectification theory in the context of self‐quantification. These findings will guide practitioners and policymakers in devising strategies and policies to allow self‐quantification technology to be used in a way that enhances consumers' health and well‐being.

Becoming pornographic, being ethnographic: exploring the heteroerotic, hierarchies of desire and affective atmospheres in swinger clubs

ABSTRACT The relationship between pornography and ethnography has a long history. It is a history that has often been characterized by ethnographers treating their research participants as sexual objects, to be pornographically used and consumed by ethnographers and their audiences. Drawing upon 18 ethnographies of swinger clubs in the UK, this article, in contrast, explores how the ethnographer, through their experience of pornographic affects, is productive in capturing the erotic dynamics of swinger communities. The article does this by exploring the voyeuristic nature of ethnography and how such voyeurism enables a better understanding of the hetero-erotic in swinger club spaces. It then develops this fusion of ethnography and pornography further by discussing how the ethnographer, in many ways, experiences their research practice as a pornographic practice. Finally, the article then suggests that the ethnographic writing up process can in many ways be pornographic writing. Importantly, the article concludes that rather than viewing the relationship between pornography and ethnography as problematic, the relationship has a queering potential that can provide insights and understandings that ‘straight’ ethnographies may overlook.

A mixed‐method exploratory study of weight‐based mistreatment at work

AbstractAcross two studies, this exploratory research examines stigma faced by larger‐bodied people by exploring the phenomenon of weight‐based mistreatment (WBM), defined as interpersonal disrespect levied on a person explicitly due to their larger body size, at work. Through qualitative research we first describe distinct forms of WBM experienced by 175 self‐defined overweight US employees, as well as consequences of WBM for bullied targets and their organizations. Next, through a quantitative survey distributed to a separate sample of larger‐bodied workers, our exploratory evaluation of WBM found that it is all‐too common in many forms, including overt and covert aggression, microaggression, incivility, and benevolent, yet disrespectful comments oriented around a person's weight. One or more forms of these behaviours were experienced by 75% of our 1008‐person sample, with overt and covert aggression being most common, and coworkers most often perpetrating WBM. Drawing on objectification theory, we observe a host of harmful consequences ranging from diminished engagement, worsened professional interactions, and a lack of self‐care. Altogether, results reveal WBM is a substantial problem, and thus they serve as a call to action for HR professionals, managers, and inclusion advocates to better understand the experiences of this vulnerable population.

Psychoanalytic Interpretation of the Killings by Javed Iqbal Mughal aka Kukri

The current case study article is an attempt to interpret the killings by notorious serial killer of Pakistan, Javed Iqbal Mughal aka “Kukri” via a psychoanalytic prism. For this purpose, facts about the case were collected from authentic secondary sources (like international news reports, books and encyclopaedic works) and analyzed. It utilized case study method. The analysis reveals that he was a homosexual paedophile sex offender who was a psychopath and megalomaniac. He had a high need for dominance and control. Before the precipitating event, he was dominated by his sexual drive and was using his ability to fulfil it by creating opportunities of encounter with his preferred sex objects. But in response to the attack, he developed a very strong vengeance fantasy and due to a lack of superego, he was dominated by death instinct and executed his vengeance fantasy. It appears that what forced him to complete this process was his desire of fame that was present even before he was attacked by a masseur but was intensified as it glorified his revenge. This article revels the psychological process that manifested in the killings by Javed Iqbal and explains the phenomenon in context of the thinking and behaviors of a psychopath.

Cheapest Way to Europe: Illegal Migration and Women Objectification in African Film

This paper explores the dynamics of irregular migration and the objectification of women in Boris Lojkine’s film Hope, highlighting the increasing prominence of these themes in African films. Through an analysis grounded in Martha Nussbaum’s feminist perspectives on objectification, the article examines how the film director portrays the female body as a commodity. The paper posits that sexual objectification is a gendered phenomenon and that the objectified body is almost always the female body. The findings reveal a gendered survival strategy employed by migrants facing insurmountable challenges in their attempts to leave Africa. It concludes that the commodification of female migrants becomes an unavoidable consequence for those who successfully navigate the dangerous and unlawful routes to Europe.

Representation Of Women In The Writing And Pictures Of The Back Of The Truck: An Analysis Of Sexist Language

Communication media has an essential role in shaping public perception of women. However, the representation of women in the media often has a negative impact. For example, the writing and pictures behind the truck often contain messages that demean women through objectifying diction and visuals. This study aims to analyze the representation of women in truck visual media and shows that the media reinforces gender stereotypes and limits women's potential in society. A qualitative research approach is applied to explore natural phenomena through triangulation techniques and inductive and descriptive data analysis. Identifying key informants is crucial in this method, with selection based on their level of involvement in the social situation being studied. The researcher conducted direct interviews with five informants who have relevant knowledge and experience, using the Critical Discourse Analysis theory that underlies this study to explore how women are represented in the tailgate of trucks in the form of writing and drawings. The findings of this study reveal that the sexist language in the tailgate of a car reflects the view that women are (1) sexual objects, (2) inanimate objects, (3) vulnerable figures who need sexual attention, and (4) weak figures. The representation of women in the writings and images on the back of the truck not only strengthens the patriarchal power structure in Indonesian society but also highlights the complexity of the interaction between language, culture, and power.

Examining How Sex Appeal Cues and Strength Cues Influence Impressions of Female Video Game Characters

Sexualization is a prominently studied dimension of how media content contributes to problematic outcomes for women (e.g., self-objectification). In video game contexts, scholars have debated whether portrayals of powerful characters may disrupt undesirable outcomes of sexual objectification. In two studies, we experimentally manipulated sex appeal cues and strength cues in female characters. Participants reported their impressions in terms of key person perception outcomes and liking of the characters. We also aimed to understand how interactivity shapes impression formation by comparing viewing (Study 1) to playing (Study 2) contexts. Results indicated that sex appeal cues and strength cues interacted to shape character impressions but did so differently depending on the type of interaction participants had with the character. In both studies, sexual appeal cues produced greater disliking of the characters. Our discussion considers the findings with respect to character design in video games and other media entertainment.

Hijab is Women’s Shield and Fortress

Hijab has been applied in different forms in different civilizations and traditions since the era of first man and prophet Adam (Alayhi As-Salam). So, hijab and seclusion were practiced in many cultures long before Islam. Hijab is compulsory for women to save their modesty and chastity of all periods and times in Islam. Hijab themselves is natural for women and their innate dispositions demand it. Hijab frees women from being thought of as sexual objects of desire, or from being evaluated by their looks, or body shape rather than their minds and intellect. Studies indicate that girls and women may encounter sexual violence in their day-to-day social life in all cultures and societies. Hijab protects adolescent girls and women from sexual harassment. Hijab is women’s shield and fortress. The obvious fact is this, that the house is a protecting and secure place for a woman in a society. Islam does not like to go outside from the house without the essential needs. If the woman goes outside because of the essential requirement, then she should cover her whole body with a long cloth and should keep her gaze down. Allah says “And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms.

Beyond Grid Girls and Checkered Flags: Exploring Sexual Objectification at Motorsport Events

Motorsport has long been a very male-oriented sport, its events synonymous with conventionally attractive, provocatively dressed “grid girls.” This research note examines the issue of sexual objectification in the male-dominated motorsport industry, shedding light on its prevalence and impact through findings from an online survey. While previous studies have focused on objectification in service industries, such as airlines, sports and events environments remain underexplored. The study highlights the mental health implications of employees’ objectification, emphasizing the harmful effects of stereotyping individuals, reducing them to objects of desire, and perpetuating gender inequality. Our exploratory study advocates for promoting inclusivity, respect, and empowerment within the industry to combat sexism and objectification, calling for increased awareness and understanding in the broader events sector and specifically in motorsports.

Female sexual Objectification Among Gay Men: Neural and Cultural Insights

Research on sexual objectification has mostly taken a heterosexual perspective and has studied gay men to understand when they become victims rather than agents of this phenomenon. In three studies we investigated gay men as agents of sexual objectification and the underlying motives that guide their biased perceptions. In Study 1, using electroencephalography, gay men showed to objectify women more than men. In Study 2a and Study 2b, results confirmed this tendency and demonstrated that exposure to sexually objectified depictions of women on content-rather than relational-based (social) media was positively related to the sexual objectification of women. Media exposure to female sexualization can increase and explain why women remain the target of sexual objectification regardless of one’s sexual orientation.

SPEAKING BODIES, VISIBLE VOICES: NARRATIVE TENSION IN COPPOLA’S APOCALYPSE NOW: REDUX (2001)

Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now: Redux (2001), a 2001 re-release of his 1979 Vietnam War epic, sparked significant discussions among both academic scholars and mainstream media. The extended version, which features almost an hour-long addition of new scenes, challenged the question of the film’s continued relevance within the evolving Hollywood industry. While the original version may have highlighted the horror and dehumanization of the Vietnam War, it was also criticized for depicting women as one-dimensional sexual objects and effectively silencing their voices. However, by utilizing Verstraten’s notion of filmic narrative, Mulvey’s visual pleasure, and Stark’s narrative voicelessness, this research aims to show how narrative tension is displayed in Apocalypse Now: Redux and how it highlights the representation of the female characters’ subjectivity. We argue that the Redux version offers a notable difference from the stereotypical portrayal of women in war film. By incorporating the newly added scenes, Apocalypse Now: Redux provides the female characters with more agency and individuality, allowing them to move beyond the limitation of being mere decorations.

Sexual Harassment and Binge Eating Among Chinese Female Undergraduates: A Mediation Model of Self-Objectification and Self-Control.

Sexual harassment is a serious health issue prevalent on campuses worldwide, with significant implications for individuals' well-being. Past research has highlighted the close association between sexual harassment and eating disorders, yet little is known about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. This study aimed to investigate the potential mediating roles of self-objectification and self-control in linking sexual harassment to binge eating, drawing upon objectification theory and self-control resource theory. A sample of 801 Chinese female undergraduates, with a mean age of 19.60 years (SD = 1.42), participated in the study by completing questionnaires on sexual harassment experience, self-objectification, self-control, and binge eating. The results indicated that sexual harassment experience exhibited a significant positive correlation with binge eating and self-objectification, while showing a negative correlation with self-control. And an increased frequency of sexual harassment experiences and self-objectification were associated with lower levels of self-control. Furthermore, mediation analyses utilizing Hayes' PROCESS macro (2013) for SPSS (Model 6) demonstrated that both self-objectification and self-control independently and sequentially mediated the relationship between sexual harassment and young women's binge eating. In other words, young women who had experienced sexual harassment were more likely to exhibit increased self-objectification, leading to decreased self-control and ultimately culminating in binge eating behaviors. This study provides valuable insights into how sexual harassment affects young women's binge eating by elucidating the mediating roles of self-objectification and self-control, thus enhancing our understanding of developing strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of experiencing sexual harassment.

Self-objectification of bodies in social networking sites: Mental and behavioral health problems of young female adults

Social network sites (SNS) are becoming a popular means of “digital leisure” among young adults. Several problematic consequences of extensive SNS use have been reported including objectifying bodies on SNS. Thus, in this study, we aimed to understand the specific pathway between young female adults’ SNS use and mental and behavioral problems using the objectification theory framework. We conducted structural equation modeling of data from 507 Korean female undergraduates to elucidate the relationships between SNS use and self-esteem, depression, abnormal eating, and exercise dependence, and the mediation effects of body surveillance and body shame. A significant direct relationship between SNS use and problematic consequences was found only between SNS use and exercise dependence. Mediation effects of body surveillance and body shame were confirmed in all four relationships. In this study, the researchers expand the objectification theory’s applicability to SNS platforms and identify a potential mechanism of consequent adverse outcomes, providing useful empirical evidence for preventive educational measures.

Politik Representasi Identitas Perempuan dalam Media: Wacana Kritis Pemberitaan KDRT di suara.com

Domestic violence (DV) is a complex problem with significant implications for the lives of women and children. Women's identities are often portrayed negatively and stereotypically as housewives, caregivers, weak, helpless, and submissive. Men's views tend to see women as sexual objects, sex symbols, objects that reinforce patriarchal patterns, and vulnerable to harassment and violence. This study aims to uncover the politics of women's representation in reporting domestic violence on suara.com. The politics of representation in this context refers to the way the media presents and constructs narratives about violence against women. The focus of this study is to understand how the media depicts cases of domestic violence, especially in the context of women's representation. The research method used is qualitative research with Sara Mills' critical discourse approach. Data were obtained through reading, understanding, recording, and identification using this approach. The results of the analysis show that the media still often depict women in a stereotypical framework that shows them as weak, causing problems, and emotional, for the benefit of the media company itself.

Sexual Violence, Disclosure Pattern, and Abortion and Post-Abortion Care Services in Displaced People's Camps in Africa: A Scoping Review.

Violent social and political conflicts have caused several challenges to internally displaced persons (IDPs), especially girls and young women, among which is sexual violence (SV). Despite extensive records on SV in humanitarian contexts, studies to assess the level, examine the disclosure pattern (DP) and evaluate the availability of abortion care in these settings have received inadequate attention. This scoping review sought to synthesise the current African-based research on SV, DP, and abortion and post-abortion care (APAC) in humanitarian contexts. We conducted a systematic search of five databases: MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Google Scholar, where the articles retrieved met the criteria for inclusion. The review adhered to PRISMA guidelines and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP), containing ten questions to help confirm the validity of the research design and the originality of the results in comparison with similar studies. A series of inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied after the search, and 35 eligible articles from ten African countries with evidence of sexual violence, disclosure patterns, and APAC in camp settings were included in the study. Results described situations of SV in humanitarian settings in Africa as "terrible", "bad", "an epidemic", and "severe" as girls were used as sex objects, for profile enhancement and as a weapon of war. We also found that the illegality of APAC in Africa is causing a high occurrence of clandestine abortions in conflict contexts. Disclosing SV among IDPs in Africa did not follow a clear-cut pattern but was generally determined by socio-demographic characteristics. Sexual health is a fundamental right of all, as enshrined in SDG 3, which makes this topic a major public health issue. We therefore conclude that although disclosure may aggravate stigmatisation in some instances due to adverse reactions, it is still crucial to the healing processes.

Evidence That Pervasive Body Gaze Behavior in Heterosexual Men Is a Social Marker for Implicit, Physiological, and Explicit Sexual Assault Propensities.

Deliberate and effortful attempts to gaze at the bodies of women is emerging as a valuable marker of sexual objectification in men. Some preliminary evidence suggests that pervasive body gaze behavior may also accompany insidious attitudes which can facilitate sexual assault. The present study aimed to further explore this potential by examining pervasive body gaze associations with explicit, implicit, and physiological sexual assault propensity measures. We presented 110 heterosexual male participants with images of fully and partially dressed women with and without injuries while measuring their skin conductance responses. We also captured implicit and explicit sexual assault measures in addition to self-reported pervasive body gaze behavior. Pervasive body gaze behavior was significantly correlated with rape myth acceptance attitudes, prior perpetration of sexual assault, a stronger implicit association between erotica and aggression, and lower physiological reactivity during exposure to partially dressed injured women. These findings suggest that body gaze towards women could be a behavioral marker for inclinations to victim blame, preferences for rough sexual conduct, and a physiological desensitization towards female victims. This study further validates a five item self-reported body gaze measure as a valuable tool for detecting deviant sexual objectification attitudes and affective states. As such, measurement and observation of body gaze behavior could be useful for developing risk assessments, estimating intervention efficacy, and enhancing public awareness.

Changes in ageing women’s sexual subjectivity as seen from a life course perspective: security, caring, and desire

This article explores the sexual subjectivity of women of post-reproductive age who seek partners on dating apps. The existing literature highlights the sexual subjectivity and agency of older women as contested and not sufficiently investigated. Even less research has been conducted on changes in the sexual subjectivity of women born in the USSR in the 1960s, with the liberalisation of sexual behaviour. The study is based on 45 interviews with women aged 55 years and over, who were born in the USSR and who now live in Israel, Finland and Russia. In the article, we examine sexual subjectivity as presented in the interviews from a life course perspective. We explain theoretically and empirically how changes in sexual subjectivity are expressed in the light of age and socio-cultural context constraints. Three life stories highlight the accumulation of experience and turning points, such as divorce and migration. They illustrate very different pathways in changing sexual subjectivity, yet all contain three Leitmotifs: desire, security and caring. The expression of post-reproductive female desire can be related to the need to feel secure and enjoy mutual care in sexual relationships. We show that these Leitmotifs shape and are shaped by women’s identifications as both sexual objects and subjects, and explore how they relate to different sexual cultures and variations in the socio-sexual positioning of women in Israel, Finland, and Russia.