| |
| author |
Brianna Maria Siciliano
| | title |
Are plus-size bodies represented in body positive ways?: An exploration of the complex relationship between demanding visibility and empowering audiences
| | abstract |
Because body positivity is a fairly new subculture and social movement, there is only
limited research investigating first, how the body positive community is represented in media,
and second, how representations of body positivity do (or do not) reflect body positive
ideologies. With that in mind, this thesis takes a closer look at the ways plus-size bodies are
represented in multimodal media forms, including magazine covers, television shows, movies,
and advertisements, and how those representations are repurposed as part of the body positive
community. Additionally, this thesis investigates how media audiences interpret body positivity.
To do so, I first analyzed representations of plus-size models, who are self-proclaimed body
positive advocates, in fashion magazines and Instagram posts, using Stuart Hall's encoding and
decoding theory as a theoretical framework. I then conducted a discourse analysis to explore the
messages that public and critical audiences can interpret about body positivity based on the
constructions and portrayals of body positivity highlighted in Netflix's original series, Insatiable,
and original movie, Dumplin'. Finally, I implemented a mixed-methods, open-ended survey of
college-aged women attending a small, liberal arts university in New Jersey, investigating their
responses to images of differently-sized models in the context of the ways they talked about
body positivity. Simultaneously, I also evaluated the impact of media exposure on their attitudes.
It is hoped this thesis will start a conversation about the need for research on body positivity and
its representations in media.
| | school |
The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University
| | degree |
B.A. (2019)
|
| advisor |
Lisa Lynch
|
| committee |
Sandra Jamieson
Angie Kirby-Calder
|
| full text | BMSiciliano.pdf |
| |
