The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill / Edition 1

by Maggie Wykes, Barrie Gunter

Overview

Although it has become popular to blame the media for extolling unrealistic female body images, little academic work has addressed the issue. This book, drawing together literature from sociology, gender studies and psychology, offers a broad discussion of the topic in the context of socio-cultural change, gender politics, and self-identity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761942474
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	01/13/2005
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

My main research interests include media violence, the impact of broadcast news, effects of television on public opinion, the effects of advertising on young people, the use and impact of new interactive media.  I have also conducted research on a wide range of other media, marketing and management issues.

My recent research has centred on the use and impact of new media (in particular the Internet and digital interactive television). I am particularly interested in the use of the web as an information source and in the impact of Internet-related behaviour on use of other media, especially television.

I have continued to conduct research and to write about the influence of television advertising, among children and adults. Much of this recent work has focused on alcohol advertising and young people’s drinking. In addition, with two colleagues in my department, I recently conducted research for the Food Standards Agency on the nature of formula product advertising targeted at young mothers.

I have also been involved in research from the British Library with colleagues at University College London on the use of online tools for information search in the context of higher education.

Table of Contents

Could Looks Kill?
PART ONE: MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS
Dying to Be Thin
Body Matters
Print
Selling Sex and Slenderness
Starring Roles
Screening Images
PART TWO: FROM MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS TO AUDIENCE IMPACT
From Representation to Effects
Media Exposure and Body Image Ideals
Media Causation and Body Image Perception
The Media and Clinical Problems with Body Image
Conclusion
Body Messages and Body Meanings

Editorial Reviews

"Wykes and Gunter take a novel approach to familiar subjects - body image, eating disorders, Western ideals of beauty, media representations of femininity - by offering historical contextualization of the discourses surrounding each issue and articulating how these discourses relate. The upshot is a useful discussion that interrogates, rather than presumes, the effects of mass media on audiences and consumers. . . . Highly recommended. "— P.A. Fulfs

Choice Magazine

"Wykes and Gunter take a novel approach to familiar subjects - body image, eating disorders, Western ideals of beauty, media representations of femininity - by offering historical contextualization of the discourses surrounding each issue and articulating how these discourses relate. The upshot is a useful discussion that interrogates, rather than presumes, the effects of mass media on audiences and consumers. . . . Highly recommended."

CHOICE - P.A. Fulfs