Unrealistic Standards

There is a trend of the repeated sexual objectification of women and associating their worth to their appearance. The Sexual Objectification Theory (SO) developed by Barbara Fredrickson and Tomi-Ann Roberts provides a framework to understanding the societal standards of a woman and states how they are often treated as sexual objects instead of value for their abilities. It explores how sexual objectification of women disproportionately affects their mental health. The theory gives insight into the consequences and origins of why there has been such an unrealistic standard set for women specifically. 

Evidence of SO towards women can be found everywhere: from the specific environments and cultures to the experiences of a woman. Standards set for women can be seen as far back 23,000 to 25,000 years ago in Europe of the “Venus figurines.” They depict  round, pear-shaped bodies with larger breasts. Often, statues of women portray them with curves such as Aphrodite, the goddess of sexual love and beauty, suggesting that there historically has been a standard for women. Moving towards the more recent 1900s, these standards are even more distinguishable. The 1920s marked a desire for women to be slim as these physiques often appeared in magazines. This is noticeable in women’s clothing and the changing bust-to-waist ratio. As a result an epidemic of eating disorders appeared during this time. Even though there has been an uprising of people challenging these standards, the emphasis on a “perfect” body still prevailed.

Especially with the growing popularity of the media, women are becoming more self conscious about their bodies and more often subjected to unrealistic standards. Research shows that it is more common for women to be objectified and sexualised in films, shows, and online. This allows for the spread of these standards, promoting them to young and impressionable girls. Results from a psychology study showed that girls are more inclined to be conscious now about their body and appearance compared to men because they are frequently confronted with ideal bodies online.

The unattainable standard of a woman’s physical beauty is promoted and many would often compare themselves to others. 

These expectations go beyond just appearance but also the mannerisms of a woman. Society forces girls to reach for perfection, setting rules of what they should and shouldn’t do. They are put under gender stereotypes that expect them to be more polite, emotional, and “feminine.” These stereotypes affect a person’s definition of themselves and is commonly a cause of the loss of self-confidence. It explains the various standards developed for women as gender stereotypes distort our perceptions of ourselves and others.