Body Image, Sexy, and Sexualization

Abstract

The chapter on body image begins with a review of the literature on the White “thin body ideal” and the work that shows that Black and Latina girls have been shown to have different beauty standards. These latter ideals have been described as more permissive in terms of body size and shape. We explore the various reasons this might be true and describe research that shows that exposure to predominantly White thin ideal media has less of an effect on girls of color. We also discuss the idea that while the body ideals might be different, the idea that they are more “permissive” reflects a White and privileged perspective. We use our focus group discussions to show that there may also be restrictions and shaming in communities of girls of color when a girl does not attain an ideal, even if it is not the thin one. We also explore the way girls understand that fuller figures make them vulnerable and more prone to being seen as sexual and hypersexual by teachers and other adults in their school. We also draw on discourse studies from outside of the United States in which researchers attempted to understand the complexity of what sexiness is with regard to the intersection of race, sex, and sexuality.