Unit 2: Site A Looking Good, Feeling Fit
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Unit 2: Site A Looking Good, Feeling Fit |
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Site A Language and Personal Identity
Body Image - what is it? Coursework Resources |
Looking good, feeling fit: the relationship between body image and self-esteem This is a coursework site which you can investigate yourself but before you do, you need to be clear about some of the ideas around this topic. Some good links in left-hand margin, to help with the research for your coursework and hints for fieldwork here.
Self image - some exercises and suggestions for fieldwork, for your coursework Try the exercises below and keep your notes for your coursework. In order to gain an idea of your own self image, ask yourself the following questions: What do you do well? You will find that the responses to these questions fall into certain categories or aspects – emotional, physical and intellectual attributes (qualities or characteristics). These are the things that make up our self image. Ideal Self Look at your answers to the questions again. Depending on how truthfully you have answered, you may have a picture of your self which is realistic or possibly, your ideal self. Your ideal self is the perfect version of you, physically, intellectually and emotionally. We usually have three versions of ourselves in our heads at any one time, a realistic view of ourselves, an ideal version which we try to live up to and a looking glass self (Cooley) – this is a version of ourselves that we have reflected back at us by other people, in the way they react to us. For example, we could have an ideal self where we are very kind people but the way people react to us suggests that that is not how other people see us. ACTIVITY
Sources range from our parents, our peers and the media. Here are some possible role models for males and females. Males Collect some images of different people with different body shapes - both male and female. Show them to an equal number of males and females, in three different age brackets.
Self esteem is how we value ourselves or judge ourselves. Try this exercise to see how you rate yourself. Give yourself a score out of 10 for the following qualities: Patience Add up your scores and work out the average by dividing your total by 10. Compare your average score with other people in the group. Any surprises? Try this Internet on-line self esteem quiz Can we recognise people with high or low self-esteem? Make a table of possible outward signs or characteristics of levels of self esteem e.g not making eye-contact etc. Make a role play in a small group and have people take on characters with various levels of self esteem. Use the table of characteristics you have gathered to help you. Let other people in the class watch your role play and guess which characters in your role play have high and low self esteem. Feedback from others Our self esteem can be affected in various ways by other people. Some groups of people have more effect on us than others. Three groups who are especially important are:
Read this article about role models/heroes and listen to the radio programme/podcast. Our self image and level of self esteem will affect the way we present ourselves to others. Erving Goffman, in his book "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life" discusses how we play 'roles' to manage the impression other people have of us. He uses the analogy of the theatre, 'roles' are like a series of parts we play in life. Think of some of the parts you play - I'll get you started: Some ideas you might explore for your coursework are: Would you be a Size Zero? (Looking good, feeling fit) Pretty in Punk: Can you be a 'girl' in a subculture? Metrosexual Man: Are you one? Is the term 'metrosexual' just a fashion statement or is it more of a lifestyle choice or ideology? How do you define your male identity? Is about your personality characteristics? Your attributes? Through the way you present yourself - in clothing, hair or possessions or body shape - muscular, slender? Look at a series of men who 'appear' to define their maleness in less stereotypical ways than in the past. Read the article Men in Skirts Just what is it about moobs?
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