Body Image A Sociological Analysis Sociology Essay

Body Image A Sociological Analysis Sociology Essay The everyday lives of people living in the 21st century are pervaded by the media. Due to the huge rise in modern technology the pressure on individuals to conform to a certain body type is more intense than ever. Tiggemann (2002) claimed that the media puts severe pressure on woman of all ages to be a certain size, `Repeated exposure to such images may lead a woman to internalize the thin ideal such that it becomes accepted by them as the reference point against which to judge themselves (Tiggemann, 2002, P92)`. Unrealistic standards of what is considered â€Å"normal† in reference to body weight and appearance are constantly shown in the media. This portrayal of what is considered â€Å"normal† continues to become thinner and thinner. There is no surprise that the ongoing exposure to unrealistic ideas on what is said to be the ideal body shape for women within this media-driven culture has contributed to the current high levels of body dissatisfaction in females toda y. As schools include ‘healthy eating’ on the school curriculum and media images continue to reinforce the ideal of the slender women, young girls are becoming increasingly aware of the pressure to be slim (Fulcher & Scott, 2007:307). In The Sociological Imagination, C Wright Mills argues that ‘neither the life on an individual nor the history of society can be understood without understanding both’ (Mills, 1959:3). Throughout, keeping C. Wright Mills statement in mind, a sociological outlook on the everyday issue of body weight will be a central focus, examining how specific eating habits and behaviors came to be constructed. From this, social and cultural concepts will also contribute to a better understanding of how bodily processes and social structures are in many ways contributing to the development of disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. In modernity, the media represent a key cultural structure which influences eating behavior and in turn, what c onstitutes normal eating. According to Durkheim (1970), both cultural and social structures are external factors in society which have a constraining effect on the individual. In western society the media are responsible for spreading female body type ideals through the ‘glamorization of slenderness’ (Bordo, 1993: 103). In the 1950s the ideal female body type was a curvaceous, fuller figure (Fulcher & Scott, 2007: 307) as represented by Marilyn Monroe, one of the most photographed women of her time. As cultural ideals have changed, images of women portrayed in the media have become increasingly thinner. Furthermore, female body shape ideals are reinforced by advertisers who use slim models to sell products (Fulcher & Scott, 2007: 307). This leads to women comparing themselves with the cultural ideal and internalizing modern conceptions of femininity (Fulcher & Scott, 2007: 307). Therefore, women are becoming increasingly accustomed to altering their eating habits in ord er 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 emphasise the importance of dieting and healthy eating (Fulcher & Scott, 2007: 306). Furthermore, the media have a vital influence on the individual’s food choices (Ogden, 2010: 283). For example, in the summer of 1990 UK beef sales fell by 20% in response to widespread publicity about the health risks of beef (Ogden, 2010: 38). This demonstrates that the media can have a major effect on the food consumers buy. The combination of images in the media, publicity around the benefits and risks of certain foods, and the emphasis on dieting and healthy eating in today’s society contribute to what constitutes normal eating in t oday. Young girls begin controlling their weight from an early age (Bordo, 1993: 99) as a result of media images, and the normalization of dieting means that young girls view dieting as a good tool for weight loss (Fulcher & Scott, 2007: 307). Therefore, we can argue that images of femininity in the media and the emphasis on maintaining a slim figure contribute to the eating habits of the general public, especially women. In addition to this, negative publicity surrounding particular food produce can result in reduced consumption of certain products which highlights the media’s influence on an individual’s food choices.

Comparison of two past dissertations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Comparison of two past dissertations - Essay Example The partnership dissertation dwells much in the research carried out by the Nuffield Institute in an effort to find a partnership assessment tool for assessing strategic partnership. This partnership assessment tool has been acclimatized by different institutions such as the local government and health partnerships. The purpose of the Partnership Assessment Tool is to offer cost effective, quick and simple way of assessing efficiency of partnership working. This enables quick identification of areas with a problem and thus avoiding costly, exhaustive, and lengthy investigations. The tool would also be referred to by people interested in setting up partnerships. They would know the matters to be included or to be avoided in the agreements. The institutions have mostly focused on strategic partnership since it has proved effective in understanding many complex relationships and issues between partners. Project managers, senior officers and others have used it as a practical way for imp lementing essential partnerships that make differences to the lives of the general public (Hardy, 2003). On the other hand, a case study of Chichester New Park Cinema was carried out to identify the efficiency of social media in increasing customer turnout. Chichester Cinema is a single screened cinema located in the heart of the city. Most of the films shown are of small-budget, cultural values and are collections of foreign and older language films. It has comfortable and comfy bar area with passionate, knowledgeable and friendly staff largely made up of volunteers. The research would help Chichester New Park Cinema in making conversant decisions. It would identify ways of improving the customer retention and experience as well gaining insight into the demographic of the customers. It is from this research that they would know whether to continue engaging with their audiences online or to maintain their conventional advertisements. In order to gather essential information that wou ld be successfully implemented, the Nuffield Institute used the West Sussex Joint Commissioning Unit to assess the degree of partnership. The institute also wanted to evaluate the perceptions of the West Sussex Joint Commissioning Unit on the barriers hindering improvement of partnership working. After the assessment and evaluation, the institute would recommend to the commissioning unit on how to perk up partnership working unit. The institute decided to use different partners within the internal management team in order to achieve the objectives of the research. The partners used were; six principle managers, sixteen commissioning managers and the interim director. In order to gain views from a wide range of staff, a purposive stratified sample was proposed. The staffs proposed for completions of the tool were; four of the twelve West Sussex County council commissioning managers and two of the four NHS Sussex Commissioning Managers. The six principle managers composed of three NHS Sussex and three WSCC as well as the Director of the Interim. From this research, the institute would identify the effectiveness of partnership working in achieving the objectives and the aims of the Unit. In addition, the objective of the research also focused on the wider organizational partnership of the Joint Commissioning Unit. These partners are derived from North West Sussex GP Commissioning Association, Coastal West Sussex Federation and West Sussex County

Fitness Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fitness - Assignment Example Chad may be having. This initial formality is quite crucial for any trainer and their client. For Mr. Chad, a medical form was sent to his doctor and later returned with all the necessary medical questions and requirements filled out. It turned out that Mr. Chad is quite healthy, with no chronic illnesses. For a personal trainer, it is always important to familiarize with a patient’s medical history. This familiarity ensures that one is fully aware of the client they are dealing with and whether they are fit enough for some of the exercise routines being made ready for them (Graves, 2000). Once the decision to begin exercising is reached, cardiac anomalies are usually tested. This examination is done through a graded exercise test. This test was recommended to Mr. Chad because of his age. It is generally not performed on people under the age of 40 years. The test was done with utmost care, under the supervision of three highly trained medical personnel, who had brought with them emergency response medical equipment. A treadmill was used for running and walking exercises, after which his heart rate and blood pressure were measured and compared to the standard range. To determine how hard Mr. Chad should train, a level of exercise intensity that would reasonably overload his cardiovascular system was identified. This identification was through the THR, which relates increasing exercise intensity to a faster heartbeat. The increasing pulse is caused by the muscles demanding for more blood and oxygen. After this test, the next exercise was to assess Mr. Chad’s cardiovascular endurance. This examination was done through the 12-minute run-walk test. The test was used to verify aerobic fitness levels before and after training. In this exercise, Mr. Chad covered a distance of 1.3 miles in 12 minutes, indicating that he had good cardiovascular endurance (Graves, 2000). Having tested Mr. Chad’s cardiovascular endurance, a