How do Women Experience and Maintain Positive Embodiment in a Western Sociocultural Context?

Abstract

Body image is one major area that has been emphasized in psychological research. In fact, researchers have long recognized the phenomenon of normative discontent (i.e., extensive body and weight-related dissatisfaction) among women in Western culture. As such, research in the area of body image has largely focused on risk factors for pathology. Since early in the 21st century, researchers have been encouraging others to focus on protective factors and positive, embodied experiences. Embodiment has been conceptualized as involving a broader collection of individual and social experiences, compared to body image. This research explored how women experience and maintain positive embodiment in a Western sociocultural context. Qualitative data was gathered from 10 women and was analyzed through the use of constructivist grounded theory. Results from the preliminary conceptual model suggested that women engage in continuous meaning making and balancing. The results have implications for counselling and for future research.