African-American Adolescent Females Have More

African-American Adolescent Females Have More Positive Self Body Images Due to Positive Media and Closer Family Relationships

Previous studies examining the body image of adolescent girls have established a number of ideas about how perceived body image effects the actions and life choices of those girls. Some report body image as a factor in sexual activity (Rosenthal, Smith, & de Visser 319). Others see the media and advertising as playing a large role in the shaping how girls feel about their bodies (Hylmo; Baker). Finally, healthy attitudes from parents and other factors related to early home life also seem to play a part ("Girls' Body" 51). All of these factors affect girls of different races differently, since their social, family, and media perceptions are all different. These differing perceptions result in African-American adolescent girls having a more positive body image than white adolescent girls.

The self body image of young women is an important issue since adolescents and young women make choices based on how they feel about their bodies. Rosenthal, Smith, and de Visser, for example, find that a girl's body image based on social context may make her more likely to have sex earlier (319). This puts girls with poor self body image at higher risk or pregnancy, STD transmission, and sexual abuse. Poor body image is also related to poor self-esteem and can affect grades, job performance, and interpersonal relationships (Rosenthal, Smith, & de Visser 319). If African-American adolescent girls really do have a more positive body image than white adolescent girls, they will be more likely to succeed in school, on the job, and in relationships, barring other obstacles. White adolescent girls, conversely, may be more likely to have poor body images that lead to self-esteem problems, depression, early sexual activity, and poor performance in school and jobs.

In a 1998-1999 study, "body satisfaction was significantly higher among African-American girls" than white, Asian, and Hispanic girls in the study ("Girls' Body" 51). There are a variety of reasons why African-American adolescent girls are more likely to be comfortable with their bodies. Media, including film and advertising, portray African-American women differently than white women (Baker 13-15). Also, African-American girls may have closer family structures and better relationships with their mothers. According to a recent study, this may positively affect a girl's view of her own body ("Girls' Body" 51).

Self-esteem and body image in young girls are "hot button" issues in the media. People are concerned by the issues because their children are at risk. Who hasn't seen a music video or movie where a young girl was dressed in a way that made her look like a supermodel or prostitute? Many young girls compare themselves to these media images and continue to do so into adulthood. The women of television, film, and advertising are looked at as an "ideal" that girls of all races aspire to (Baker 13). However, this trend is pictured differently and may even be responded to differently by African-American girls than white girls. This is likely because girls identify with women and girls in the media who look like them; in other words, African-American girls are more likely to look to African-American women in the media when trying to identify how they should act and look (Hylmo 167).

In the media, is appears that African-American girls can be sexy but strong. This is different from white girls, who advertising portrays as sexy and submissive (Baker 13-20). This difference may be because of the additional use of strong family ties portrayed in African-American families in film and television, particularly with female relatives. Hylmo uses the example of Bring it on, a movie about an African-American cheerleading team (167). In the movie, the African-American girls find strength and support in their grandmothers. Their relationship helps them to overcome adversity, despite the fact that they are still sexualized by the movie (Hylmo 167). In films that portrayed a young white woman -- whether strong willed or not -- the strong female family member is absent. For example, Reese Witherspoon's character in Legally Blonde is supported by a potential boyfriend character and has no family member support whatsoever.

Some might argue that the movies and television depicting African-American and white adolescent girls reinforces stereotypes and can only negatively affect body image. This argument is supported by the fact that the vast majority of media and film sexualizes young women, African-American or white (Baker 13-15). It is true that women are held to a higher ideal because of advertising and media. However, the difference in the advertising of African-American and white women is the submissive sexiness of white women opposed to the independent sexiness of African-American women (Baker 13-15). It is true that both back and white girls feel compelled to emulate sexiness. However, African-American girls are also given an ideal that includes the tools for self-acceptance. That is, the independence and assertiveness found in the advertising depicting African-American women helps girls to feel confident and self-assured.

Close family relationships may be another factor in positive body image in young African-American girls. No matter how many differing opinions and views of women they see in the media, a girl who has a strong role model who encourages healthy behavior is more likely to feel good about herself ("Girls' Body" 51). Healthy behavior might include good personal habits, self-assuredness, and not responding to peer pressure. It also might involve eating right and being healthy in general, something that is rarely portrayed as "sexy" in the media.

Rosenthal, Smith, and de Visser point out that girls often become sexually active to make themselves feel like they are good looking or confirm that they are "okay" (319). This need for self-assuredness is more likely where girls feel bad about themselves. Logically, this would make it seem like girls with poor self body image and low self-esteem are more likely to have sex to reassure themselves that they are good and attractive to others. That may explain why girls who have strong family support, specifically a strong female relative, are less likely to have sex at an early age (Rosenthal, Smith, and de Visser (319). Other factors listed by Rosenthal, Smith, and de Visser are friendship/support networks and religious ties (319). Both of these home-life factors may stem from family relationships, since religion and community are family issues.