Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Fairchild, Emily

Area of Concentration

Sociology

Abstract

While there is extensive research on body positivity and advertising, there has been very little discussion of women’s opinions of advertisements that incorporate aspects of body positivity. This thesis examines women’s opinions of body positive advertisements specifically in advertisements designed by the brands Aerie and Dove. I was interested in finding out how women are viewing these advertisements and if they are changing norms for women. My research questions include: are the body positive advertisements staying true to the definition of body positivity? How are these advertisements potentially impacting women? Three main findings are discussed: shortcomings of body positive advertisements, varying accessibility of body positive images, and conflicting thoughts about whether body positivity should focus on empowering the body or empowering the person.

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