WJEC

1. Body & Self Image

2. Key Terms

3. Task: Definition builder
• How would you define self
esteem?
• In pairs come up with a
definition of self esteem.
• “A feeling of pride in yourself.”
• “How you feel about yourself:
How you feel about who you
are, how you act.”

4. Positive self esteem starts with you
recognizing your own strengths.
Create a list for each of the
topics below:
– 5 favourite things about yourself
– Top 5 achievements so far this
year

5. Self-esteem
• How worthy or valuable a
person considers himself or
herself to be.
• Subsequently has links to
body image and self-image

6. Body Image
• Combination of the picture that
an individual has of their own
body, how others see us and
the values that society links to
body shape and size
• Personal to individuals – links
to self-esteem and self-
confidence

7. Body Image

9. Self-image
• What you see in yourself
• Not necessarily reality e.g. a
person with anorexia who is thin
may have a self image that they
are fat
• Affected by: parental influences,
friends, the media for example
• Who Am I? Physical Traits,
Social Roles, Personal Traits,
Existential Statements (I am a
human being)

10. Constructionists view of the body
• How we see ourselves is
culturally constructed
• Early 1600s - voluptuous
women
• Nowadays –thin is beau
Rubens –
Venus in front
of a mirror

11. Effect of the media

12. What are the
images we see?

20. Does being physically attractive
make you happier/a good person ?
Kate Moss:
The
coarsening
effect of drink,
drugs and non-
stop partying
Lindsey Lohan
Goes to Jail
Katy
Perry falls
out with
her Mom
Jude
Law
admits
affair
with
nanny.
Brad Pitt
is
‘proud,’
of his
‘respectf
ul,’ affair
with
Angelina
Jolie

21. Photoshop
• Can we ever aspire to reach
the media images or are they
all unobtainable?

22. Dove - Evolution Commercial (higher
quality) - YouTube
Dove Evolution Video

23. How do these women look different?

24. Can you spot the airbrushing mistakes in these
images?

25. Can you spot the airbrushing mistakes in
this image?

26. Can you spot the airbrushing mistakes in
these images?

27. Do you recognise these celebrities?

28. What has been changed in
the image on the left?

29. Why has Rihanna’s skin
been lightened?

30. Can you spot the airbrushing mistakes in
these images?

31. Why would
Britney prefer the
image on the
right to be shown
in the media?

32. Effects of the media
• Women (and in more recent
times men) struggle to live up
to media image
• This can lead to dissatisfaction
with their own body and may
result in eating disorders e.g.
anorexia or bulimia

33. Effects of the media
• Many individuals adjust their
lifestyle in order to improve
their body image (and their
self-esteem)
• E.g. training for appearance or
weight control purposes,
dieting
• Or ‘protective changes’ –
make-up or clothes that mask
body shape
• Increases in cosmetic surgery

34. Not just being thin!

35. Images of women

36. Who is the model?

37. This lady isn’t
really a model.
She is a
teacher. This
photo is from a
photo shoot with
a professional
photographer.
Task: What is it
that makes this
image looks
good? How
does it differ
form ‘normal’
pictures?

38. This lady is a
professional
model. This
photo is from a
photo shoot with
a professional
photographer.
Task: What is it
that makes this
image looks
good? Do you
think there has
been any editing
to this image?

40. This lady isn’t
really a model.
She is a friend
of the
photographer.
Task: Do you
think on an
average day this
is her
appearance?
Why or why
not?

41. The following quotes are by a
photographer. What do you
think?
“They are actually considering
passing a law that requires any
photo that has been retouched to
have a disclaimer on it letting the
viewer know it's been
manipulated.
Unfortunately, that will mean just
about every single image printed
will come with a disclaimer.
Especially because it's such a
thin line - is it okay to remove a
pimple? What about fixing a
wrinkle in a shirt? How much can
you slim a waist before it's
considered manipulated?”
Discussion: what do you think?

42. “Images have been retouched way longer than PhotoShop has been
around, it's just easier now. What used to be done only by very talented
photographers with paints and chemicals in dark rooms are now done by the
masses with computers. And it's being done to an extreme.”

43. “What you see in
magazines is not real.
Start off with a model who
is naturally stunning - then
add a complete hair,
makeup and wardrobe
team.
Then get her in a studio
with lighting that flatters
her and minimizes any
potential bad shadow.
Then take that image and
spend anywhere from 1-8
hours retouching it (on
average.
I've seen some photos that
the retoucher have spent
over 12 hours or more
working on).”

44. “I remember working
on a photo and Steph,
my old roommate,
came over to see what
I was doing. I showed
her the before and
after and she was
shocked. "Do they do
that for magazines and
stuff, too? I mean, I
know they airbrush
pimple or wrinkles or
bags under the eyes...
but they actually
reshape the body!?!“
Discussion: Does the
final product have any
resemblance to the
original?

47. “I told her that's
(Photoshop) a
major part of any
professional photo
shoot she looked
at me and said
"Well, shoot. I'm
suddenly way less
self-conscious now
that I know even
models aren't
perfect!"

48. Positive Body Image
Combating the Media’s
Beauty Myth