Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-28-2024
Keywords
Embodiment, Developmental theory of embodiment, Body image, Feminist identity, Femininity, Feminine norms, Benevolent sexism, Self-objectification, Disordered eating, Meta-analysis
Abstract
Previous work has examined the relations between feminism, feminine gender roles, and body image concerns with inconclusive findings. The purpose of this study was to conduct an updated meta-analysis of the relation between feminist identity and negative embodiment, and to conduct new analyses to test how endorsement of femininity relates to negative embodiment. Through the technique of meta-analysis, we analyzed 80 studies (87 samples, N = 24,308) and 217 effect sizes to examine these associations. The predictor variables were measures of feminist identity and endorsement of femininity. The negative embodiment criterion variables were measures of body dissatisfaction, self-objectification, internalization of cultural body ideals, and disordered eating attitudes. Feminist identity was found to be negatively associated with negative embodiment, but only modestly, with small but significant effect sizes across most variables. Endorsement of femininity was found to be positively associated with negative embodiment, with mostly significant effect sizes ranging from small to large. These findings underscore the importance of considering the roles of feminist identity and traditional gender ideology in the etiology and prevention of women’s experiences of negative embodiment.
Citation
Kvaka, A., Murnen, S.K., Nolen, E. et al. Feminism, Femininity, and Negative Embodiment: A Contemporary Meta-Analytic Test. Sex Roles 90, 1844–1865 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-024-01529-3
Supplementary information
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
