Socio-cultural influences on female sexuality and body image

Socio-Cultural Influences on Sexuality

Sexuality is an integral part of our life and a recurring concept that shapes our growth. The role that sexuality performs in the lives of young people is essential because we see its impact through several resources in life like social culture and media. Throughout the society, sexuality is present; across the shopping center, whether monitoring the family lifestyle or observing teenagers interact socially. What contributes to a healthy sexual relationship? Is it intimacy, attraction, love, or communications with one another? This study focuses on the factors relating to the socio-cultural impacts on sexuality contributing to the wholeness of an individual.

In psychology, it is understood that people are developed and influenced by biological, genetic predispositions, and environmental factors. The environmental factors build schemas, values, and ideas into the way a person believes about the world. Typically, young children notice what it means to be female or male. Young girls put on pink and boys blue. While girls prefer playing with baby dolls and kitchen sets, boys often play with vehicles and imagine weaponry. As children grow, they are flooded with information about their sexes and desires in their lives.

Literature review

Body Image and the Barbie Impact

Notably, girls are filled with information about the significance of their physical appearance. From the early age groups of five years or even younger, girls are often given a Barbie baby doll toy at some point. Barbie baby dolls are the cultural symbol of women beauty. In fact, studies estimate that 99% of three to ten-year-olds in the United States own at least one Barbie baby doll toy. It is exciting that we give five-year-old girls a toy who is not only an older woman, but who has an impractical body shape (Balswick & Balswick, 2008). However, one must consider the diversity of the additional models for women in the younger age groups. Disney films often display princesses who have impractical, voluptuous bodies. These girls often have uncommonly huge chests, small waists, and long, thin feet. Oftentimes, the queen-looking baby appears thin while their heads are huge for their bodies. Their faces display huge, dazzling eyes and long, streaming hair. It is also exciting that models like The Little Mermaid's Ariel from Aladdin display lots of skin and cleavage even though these films are for kids.

Media Influence

It is unfortunate that the parents do not play the critical role of shaping the sexuality of their kids. From journal articles to films, we are surrounded by connections; some are healthy while others not. On the other hand, so the press prefers to tell us "sex sells." They publish beautiful women half nude on every magazine, film and television show. However, men are not the only targets for these advertisements. Young females admire such women; for their popularity and, they believe, what society informs them is wonderful (Gebhard & Pomeroy, 2013).

Even with the arguments about the influence media information on girls' whole body, appearance, and discontentment, other effects of exposure to media through television, film, publications, and music video clips are seen in younger women. Researchers advised us to convert the laboratory results into daily life to recognize the importance that the media have on teenagers and young children. If pre-adolescent and teenage women experience even a little worse in a research after watching thin-ideal models, think about how they feel after several years of being flooded with extremely slim-models on a regular foundation (Greenberg & Conklin, 2011). The exposure to the media made her internalize concepts relating to how the girls interpret themselves. She was exposed to various contents on how she could look like and how her whole body should be formed that she starts to see these values as the only choice for what it means to be beautiful, successful, and worthy.

Conclusion

Often, in the lives of teenagers, their peers are central in their world. Researchers suggest that perhaps peer older groups could be established to bring youngsters together to talk about whole body image issues. If youngsters view their peers as friends rather that critics of the way they look, they may be more open to talking about whole body image and rejecting the ideals presented by the media. Parents, communities, and educators must work together and establish ways of supporting adolescents and pre-adolescents. These efforts must strive to make healthy choices that shape their whole body image, develop their self-confidence, and determine their relationships with others without the negative images in the press.