8958586 research proposal

7/26/2019 8958586 Research Proposal

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8958586

8958586

Research Proposal - How do art and non-art images of the nude

eect the relationship between the viewer and their body

I would like to research how difering representations o the emale nude

efect people's relationships with their body. As eplored in my essay social

contets are the pre!alent patterns o thought" belies in both social" political

and economic realms. I would like to determine how knowledge behind

certain images" in terms o their con!eyed meaning" efect emales !ision o

their body. I want to ocus on people's eelings o necessity to construct their

identity to conorm to body ideals as with the growing us and e!en

bombardment o ad!ertising and social media there is a constant message

that people need to construct themsel!es in a way that is acceptable to

others. #onnotations are attached to images and these are con!eyed

through semiotics which people learn through eperiences. $he ability to

eperience the world is situated in bodies and what the eye takes in is

embodied as the !iewer must interpret in their mind's eye what they are

eperiencing means to them. %!er the last couple o decades" there has

been an epansion o ideals o beauty as they ha!e re&uently changed" a

notable rise in body image dissatisaction and eating disorders. As I ha!e

discussed art is the product o its time so this rise o knowledge has

subse&uently led to an increase o eminist artworks that attempt to

eradicate ideals and empower women o all body sies. (espite this" there

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still pertains a wide sense o necessity to conorm to ideals. I want to

determine the efects o the mind's eye interpreting art and non*art images

and which images are most signi+cant or the !iewer

)hoto elicitation is a method where inter!iews are conducted using images.

$he use o images and words allows or a deeper eamination o participant's

consciousness as they will be engaging in sub,ecti!e eperience" instead o

simply ,ust being asked &uestions where they will recall images using their

memory. $he pro,ect will be one o a multile!el analysis that ocuses on the

discourses around images o the nude. $he images that I shall show to

participants will range rom diferent art representations o the body and

photographs o diferent women depicted in ad!ertised and non ad!ertised

settings" all o !arying sies. -ith each image I shall ask the !iewer to talk

about the image in three diferent ways. irstly" the !iewer to talk" rom her

perspecti!e about the body in the image seen. /econdly" what the !iewer

thinks the body in the image thinks about their own body. 0astly" to talk

about their body in relation to the image.

Anthropologists ask &uestions regarding what body image indicates about

certain social contets and in turn how these contets ha!e efects on the

construction o body image. 1y using images rom certain contets I am

interested to see what con!eyed meanings people draw rom the images

they !iew and in particular i the art images con!ey meanings o a deterrent

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o body ideals" why women seem to uptake the non*art image con!eyed

meanings more. Anthropology can eamine how culture has efects on

people's uptake o image and how and why they eel the necessity to

conorm to the messages the image communicates.

I am keen to draw out the indi!idual eperiences that people ha!e had that

make them interpret and ha!e a certain sub,ecti!e eperience when looking

at an images" and whether any o these are the same or contradictory. $his

can bring !aluable insight into the psychological and biological approaches

to the study o body image and the relationship between personhood and

body image and how participants belie!e it to play out in the social

organiation o western society.

I will !ideo record the reactions and dialogues that participants create rom

!iewing the two types o photos at hand. It would be my intention to co!er a

wide ranging display o classical" modern and contemporary portrayals o

!arying body sies and shapes. $he second group o photos o !arying body

shapes and sies depicted in magaines and tele!ision. $he group o

participants I will inter!iew will consist o a wide ethnic group o emales

rom diferent social" political and economic backgrounds as this captures

how speci+c connotations to images due to their personal contets may

afect opinions on how they !iew others bodies and their own. I shall co!er

an age range rom 26*34 as these are the predominant persons I belie!e to

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be more inclined to be users and recipients o social media" and re&uent

readers o magaines and tele!ision all o which are three mediums where

portrayals o the body" in art and non*art contets will ourish. owe!er this

is dependent on personal interests and !arying magaines" shows and pages

on social media is greatly mediated by people's indi!idual tastes. $hus" I will

document people's personal interests. 7nowing people's liestyles and their

backgrounds will efect what they are eperiencing and efect how they

interpret the body and themsel!es.

%ord &ount

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8958586 research proposal

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