Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal
Category
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences > Urban Affairs > Communication Studies
Received
October 30, 2020
Accepted
January 18, 2021
Published
February 26, 2021
Copyright
Articles in Spectra are freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) which allows others to re-use the work without permission as long as the work is properly cited.
Data Availability Statement
The author of this article confirms that all data underlying the findings are fully available without restrictions.
Conflicts of Interest
The author declares that she has no conflict of interest.
Ethical Considerations
Given that this project did not involve human or animal subjects, no IRB or IACUC approval was needed. No data are presented in this paper derived from the participants and all program elements are publicly shared.
Funding
This research was not funded.
Abstract
Instagram, a photo based social networking site, is one of the most popular forms of social media. The Body Positive Movement campaign surfaced on Instagram in 2012 and aimed to confront the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of women in popular media and advertising. The present study aimed to analyze whether posts that were tagged #bodypositive or #bodypositivity upheld the initial goals of the movement by taking note of the characteristics (including race, sex, gender, and body type) of people that were featured in the top posts of the #bodypositive or #bodypositivity tags. Resultant fieldnotes were coded into the following themes: 1) Hegemonic views of beauty, 2) Homogenous properties of popular posters and posts, 3) Body image centered posting, 4) Crossposting, and 5) Achieving fame and gaining publicity and exposure. It was found that top #bodypositive or #bodypositivity posts often upheld hegemonic beauty standards that are common in popular media. These findings suggest that the Body Positive Movement strayed from its initial goals, thereby failing to provide an outlet for bodies that diverge from the ideals set by popular media. The present study suggests two alternative hashtags-- #effyourbeautystandards and #bodycompassion--that both represent diverse body types and identities while empowering women to be accepting and loving of their bodies. These tags have created a space where the hegemonic views of beauty are questioned and opposed, therefore succeeding in the ways that the Body Positive Movement is failing.
Keywords
Body Positive Movement, Popular media, Hegemonic views of beauty
Submission Type
Primary research article
Recommended Citation
Gelsinger, A. S. (2021). A critical analysis of the body positive movement on Instagram: How does it really impact body image?. Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal, 1(1), 47-55. https://doi.org/10.9741/2766-7227.1003
