THE IMPACT OF CULTURE

ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-

ESTEEM; THE IMPORTANCE
OF BEAUTY
CULTURE is defined as a social system that is
characterized by the shared meanings that
are attributed to people and events by its
members.
All the concepts and theories (both
personal and social) that may affect the
person’s view of his physical self, there’s
another factor that strongly impacts his
perception his cultural milieu.
The body image created by
adolescent which includes
perceptions and feelings about
oneself could either be positive
or negative. This is based on
how the adolescent measures
up to the cultural standards of
an ideal body image.
 THE FILIPINO CONCEPT OF BEAUTY
EUROCENTRISM is defined as “tendency to interpret the
world in terms of European or Anglo-American values and
experiences. Filipino with Eurocentric features are seen
everywhere in media.

Colorism is defined as “the prejudicial or preferential

treatment of same-race people based solely on the color
of their skin.
Self esteem and the
real body image
Self- esteem is a measure of a person’s self-worth based on
some personal or social standard.
Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself , It is a
global evaluative dimension of the self.

"I am unloved", "I am worthy“

Hewstone et al.,(2015) defines self-esteem as the overall
evaluation that a person has of himself which can be
positive or negative, high or low.
ADOLESCENT’S BODY IMAGE
1. Perception of their physical self when they look in the
mirror.

2. Feelings of like or dislike about the physical self that

they see.

3. Their thoughts and how they relate to their physical

self.

4. Perception of how other people view them physically.

A person with a positive body image will have a
high self-esteem and will often spend more time
taking care of their appearance. Also, the
attention that he gets for his physical beauty
elevates the level of his self-esteem.

A person with a low self- esteem may not

perceive himself as beautiful. This evaluation of
his physical self will make him seek ways to
attain a kind of body image that will be at par with
society’s concept of beauty.
According to research, however, the level of self-esteem
fluctuates across the life span and may not always match
with reality. (SANTROCK,2014)
• Society’s ideals of the perfect physical form which are:
for women: white perfect skin, small waistline, big
breast and behind, long straight hair, long manicured
nails, slender and tall and for men: tall, tanned perfect
skin, muscled physique, with 6-pack abs

• Images of perfection adolescents see in all types of

media i.e. print, television, film and internet. Mass
media is a powerful tool that reinforces cultural beliefs
and values. Though young people may initially disagree
with the set ideals of beauty, repeated exposure via
media lead them to believe in the misconceptions.
• Since a standard has been set by society and
reinforced by media, any characteristics that does not
confirm to the standard is labelled as ugly. Body
diversity is size and structure due to genetic
heritability is not tolerated. Being pretty and white
skinned or tanned and muscular had become
associated with the intelligent, successful, popular,
healthy, and the disciplined. Opposite characteristics
are associated with the dull, lazy, ugly, and the weak.
 The misconceptions strongly affect how the young form their body
image and its influence on their self-esteem. Knowing that
adolescence is the period where self- identity is formed, it is important
for adults in the environment to listen to this young people and provide
proper guidance and support. The adolescent should not be afraid to
talk and disclose confusing aspects of his physical development to his
significant others (i.e. parents and trusted family members).

 Yes, beauty is important. But being beautiful still defends how a person
defines beauty and the standards he sets to meet the definition. It is a
big mistake to base beauty on someone else’s standard. People are
different and each one is uniquely beautiful.

 Having a positive body image involves understanding that healthy

attractive bodies come in many shape and sizes and that physical
appearance says little about person’s character or his value as an
individual. ” CHARACTER MATTERS MOST”