EATING DISORDER AND FEMALE OBJECTIFICATION: A RESULT OF POWER RELATIONS?

Abstract

The objectification of the female body is a concept that has gained increasing visibility in discussions about chauvinism, being a concept that refers to the trivialization of the image of women, so that the appearance is put in evidence at the expense of all the attributes that define them as human beings, leading to the imposition of standards on how they should look and act. This study addresses different conceptions about the female body and the subjectivity of women from the perspective of patriarchy, seeks to discuss the influence of patriarchal culture in relation to gender roles and relationships of dominator and dominated, and discusses how this information crosses women’s body health and health mental. This study sought to identify and characterize female objectification through feminist literature and to investigate the effects of objectification on the body self-perception of women who developed eating disorders, shedding light on the contribution of Gestalt-therapy in the female emancipation process. Considering that many women do not see themselves as beautiful, it is important to highlight the contribution of this study to Psychology, concerning to the possibility of this science provides to women perception of new ways of existing, freeing them from the psychological suffering that power relations and dominance can cause. It is worth highlighting the importance of other professionals, not only in the health areas, being aware of the dangers of imposing beauty standards, in order to contribute to healthy and positive interventions with women.