african american teenage females have more term

African American, Adolescent Depression, African, Adolescence

Research from Term Paper:

A lot of might argue that the movies and television describing African-American and white young girls reephasizes stereotypes and can only negatively affect body image. This argument is usually supported by the fact that the vast majority of mass media and film sexualizes young women, African-American or light (Baker 13-15). It is the case that women happen to be held to the next ideal due to advertising and media. However , the difference in the advertising of African-American and white ladies is the obedient, compliant, acquiescent, subservient, docile, meek, dutiful, tractable sexiness of white ladies opposed to the independent sex appeal of African-American women (Baker 13-15). It truly is true that both as well as white ladies feel motivated to imitate sexiness. However , African-American girls are also given an ideal that includes the tools for self-acceptance. That is, the independence and assertiveness found in the advertising depicting African-American ladies helps girls to experience confident and self-assured.

Close family human relationships may be another factor in great body image in young African-American girls. No matter how many varying opinions and views of women they discover in the mass media, a girl who have a strong function model who encourages healthier behavior is more likely to feel good regarding herself (“Girls’ Body” 51). Healthy patterns might include good personal habits, self-assuredness, and not addressing peer pressure. It also may involve consuming right and being healthful in general, something which is rarely portrayed because “sexy” in the media.

Rosenthal, Smith, and de Visser point out that girls generally become sexually active to generate themselves feel as if they are beautiful or state that they are “okay” (319). This need for self-assuredness is more likely in which girls feel bad about themselves. Logically, this may make it seem like girls with poor self skin image and low self-esteem are more likely to have sex to reassure themselves that they are good and appealing to others. Which may explain why girls who may have strong friends and family support, especially a strong girl relative, are less likely to have sex at an early age (Rosenthal, Smith, and de Ancrer (319). Elements listed by Rosenthal, Smith, and de Accoupler are friendship/support networks and religious ties (319). Quite a few home-life elements may come from friends and family relationships, as religion and community happen to be family problems.

Critics may easily find groups or person African-American teenagers girls whom are not confident, have significant body image problems, and have not responded to good aspects of aggressive media position models. This can be likely the consequence of other factors in the individual’s lifestyle. For example , a great absent mother, abuse in your home, and socioeconomic factors might all influence how a fresh woman feels about herself or her body system. The issue is certainly not that all teenagers African-American women have positive body pictures; instead, the argument is being made that adolescent African-American girls are more likely to have confident body pictures than happen to be their white colored counterparts.

When a full-scale study of body image will be necessary to find the exact links, it is likely that teenagers African-American young ladies have better body images than young white girls for reasons relating to media portrayal and family. African-American adolescent ladies may be favorably affected by close female members of the family. They may end up being positively alert to the characterization of dark-colored women inside the media while strong, assertive, and impartial. While it is clear that these mass media portrayals could possibly be stereotypes, the hyperlink to a great body image in adolescent African-American girls may possibly nevertheless can be found. The issues of body image portrayal in the mass media and better familial relationships would clarify why African-American adolescent women are more likely to include a positive skin image than white adolescent ladies of the same socioeconomic status.

Works Cited

Baker, Christina N. “Images of Women’s Libido in Advertisements: A Content material analysis of African-American- and White-Oriented Can certainly and Gents Magazines. inch Sex Roles: A Journal of Study 52. 1-2 (2005): 13-15.

Girls’ Body system Images Be based upon Moms. ” Family Practice News thirty six. 2 (2006): 51.

Hylmo, Annika. “Girls on Film: An Examination of Gendered Business Socialization Emails Found in Montion Pictures Targeting Teenage Girls. ” Western Log of Connection 70. several (2006): 167-85.

Rosenthal, Doreen a., Anthony M. A. Smith