1. Self Image/Self Esteem
SUBJECT TEACHER GRADE DATE
True Beauty Ms. Selah and Ms.
Fields
9 July 26, 2016
OVERVIEW
We will discuss the value of self-esteem and self-efficacy as it relates to personal worth. The ladies
will learn about the “Beauty Myth” and the media’s impact on society. We will learn the ways to
empower ourselves and others through self affirming behaviors.
GUIDE STUDENT GUIDE
OBJECTIVES journal entry to explore ideas
play media to display ideas
discuss “disempowerment”
ways to empower
media and society/beauty myth
Journal prompt: What do you see when
you look in the mirror?
Disempowering words/ Empowering
others
Beauty Myth
INFORMATION The Beauty Myth
LINKS http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-
perry/watch/mhp-a-bit-distressed-by-
oprahs-weight-loss-commercial-
594827331677
ACTIVITY List words to empower
List words to disempower
Discuss
Reputation
Self Worth
Self Efficacy
SUMMARY Discuss the lesson and the concepts
and stats surrounding plastic surgery
Journal thoughts
2. 2
Wolf contends that the beauty myth is really not about women, it is about men’s institutions and
power. Beauty is about behavior, not appearance. The qualities labelled “beautiful” in women in any
given time period are no more than symbols of female behavior considered desirable at that time.
Besides weakening women psychologically, the beauty myth feeds a multibillion-dollar cosmetics
industry, and keeps women from rising too high in the workplace by offering a way around
antidiscrimination laws.
Attitudes
Media exposure for Girls and young women who more frequently consume or engage with
mainstream media content also support the sexual stereotypes that paint women as sexual objects.
[Ward, 2002;Ward and Rivadeneyra, 1999;Zurbriggen and Morgan, 2006]
Media exposure- puts appearance at the center of women’s values
Frequent viewing of reality TV programming among young women is associated with a stronger belief
in the importance of appearance. [Tolman et al., 2006]
When they were asked to rate the importance of particular qualities for women, white and African-
American high school students who consumed more mainstream media attributed greater importance
to sexiness and beauty than did students who consumed less media. [Ward, 2004;Ward and Averitt,
2005]
Self-esteem
In psychology, self-esteem (also called self-worth, self-confidence, and self-respect) reflects a
person’s overall self-appraisal of their worth. According to the Report of the APA Task Force on the
Sexualization of Girls (2007), low self-esteem is associated with health-compromising behaviors in
adolescence, such as substance use, early sexual activity, eating problems, and suicidal ideation.
Surprisingly, there is little longitudinal research addressing this issue. Just at the time when girls
begin to develop their identities, they are more likely to suffer losses in self-esteem.
In the eighth grade, girls who objectify their bodies more have much lower self-esteem. For this
reason, diminishing self-esteem arising in early adolescence may make girls particularly vulnerable to
cultural messages that promise them popularity, effectiveness, and social acceptance through the
right “sexy” look. On the other hand, the drop in self-esteem may be a result of how responsive they
are to these cultural messages. [McGeer and Williams, 2000]
Perhaps the most insidious consequence of self-objectification is that it breaks down one’s thinking
process. Ongoing attention to physical appearance leaves fewer resources available for other mental
and physical activities.
This impairment extends beyond mathematics to other cognitive domains, including logical reasoning
and spatial skills. [Gapinski et al., 2003]
Low self-esteem is often associated with health-compromising behaviors in adolescence such as
substance use, early sexual activity, eating problems, and thoughts that may lead to suicide.
Surprisingly, there is little longitudinal research addressing this issue. [APA, 2007]
Cosmetic Surgery
General Facts Given that most images in everyday media are computer-manipulated to create
completely unrealistic bodies, it is no wonder more and more people are turning to cosmetic surgery
to get the body the media portrays. And since the images’ creation is artificial in the first place, it
follows that no one can attain this body through natural—or healthy—means.This entire report
(through the “Other Facts” section) was pulled from: Plastic Surgery Research.info, 2007:
![2
Wolf contends that the beauty myth is really not about women, it is about men’s institutions and
power. Beauty is about behavior, not appearance. The qualities labelled “beautiful” in women in any
given time period are no more than symbols of female behavior considered desirable at that time.
Besides weakening women psychologically, the beauty myth feeds a multibillion-dollar cosmetics
industry, and keeps women from rising too high in the workplace by offering a way around
antidiscrimination laws.
Attitudes
Media exposure for Girls and young women who more frequently consume or engage with
mainstream media content also support the sexual stereotypes that paint women as sexual objects.
[Ward, 2002;Ward and Rivadeneyra, 1999;Zurbriggen and Morgan, 2006]
Media exposure- puts appearance at the center of women’s values
Frequent viewing of reality TV programming among young women is associated with a stronger belief
in the importance of appearance. [Tolman et al., 2006]
When they were asked to rate the importance of particular qualities for women, white and African-
American high school students who consumed more mainstream media attributed greater importance
to sexiness and beauty than did students who consumed less media. [Ward, 2004;Ward and Averitt,
2005]
Self-esteem
In psychology, self-esteem (also called self-worth, self-confidence, and self-respect) reflects a
person’s overall self-appraisal of their worth. According to the Report of the APA Task Force on the
Sexualization of Girls (2007), low self-esteem is associated with health-compromising behaviors in
adolescence, such as substance use, early sexual activity, eating problems, and suicidal ideation.
Surprisingly, there is little longitudinal research addressing this issue. Just at the time when girls
begin to develop their identities, they are more likely to suffer losses in self-esteem.
In the eighth grade, girls who objectify their bodies more have much lower self-esteem. For this
reason, diminishing self-esteem arising in early adolescence may make girls particularly vulnerable to
cultural messages that promise them popularity, effectiveness, and social acceptance through the
right “sexy” look. On the other hand, the drop in self-esteem may be a result of how responsive they
are to these cultural messages. [McGeer and Williams, 2000]
Perhaps the most insidious consequence of self-objectification is that it breaks down one’s thinking
process. Ongoing attention to physical appearance leaves fewer resources available for other mental
and physical activities.
This impairment extends beyond mathematics to other cognitive domains, including logical reasoning
and spatial skills. [Gapinski et al., 2003]
Low self-esteem is often associated with health-compromising behaviors in adolescence such as
substance use, early sexual activity, eating problems, and thoughts that may lead to suicide.
Surprisingly, there is little longitudinal research addressing this issue. [APA, 2007]
Cosmetic Surgery
General Facts Given that most images in everyday media are computer-manipulated to create
completely unrealistic bodies, it is no wonder more and more people are turning to cosmetic surgery
to get the body the media portrays. And since the images’ creation is artificial in the first place, it
follows that no one can attain this body through natural—or healthy—means.This entire report
(through the “Other Facts” section) was pulled from: Plastic Surgery Research.info, 2007:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)