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Objects don't object: evidence that self-objectification disrupts women's social activism.
1School of Psychology, University of Kent, Keynes College, Canterbury, United Kingdom. R.Calogero@kent.ac.uk
Psychological Science
|January 24, 2013
Summary
Women
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Feminist Psychology
Background:
- Self-objectification theory explains how women internalize an observer's perspective on their own bodies.
- System justification theory posits that people are motivated to defend and maintain the social status quo.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the system-justifying function of women's self-objectification.
- To examine the relationship between trait and state self-objectification and support for the gender status quo.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted with U.S. college women.
- Study 1 assessed trait self-objectification, system justification, and social activism.
- Study 2 experimentally activated self-objectification to examine its effects.
Main Results:
- Greater trait self-objectification correlated with increased gender-specific system justification.
- Self-objectification was linked to reduced engagement in gender-based social activism.
- System justification mediated the relationship between self-objectification and activism.
Conclusions:
- Self-objectification may function as a system-justifying behavior.
- This process can contribute to maintaining gender inequality.
- It may hinder women's engagement in social justice efforts.
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