Introduction
Psychology is an essential science that helps to understand many events that happen nowadays and the reasons for different people’s behavior. When something intriguing happens in areas like sports, art, politics, society, science, business, world news, and technology, psychologists may be able to analyze it and see something that other people do not notice. For example, one of the well-known topics that are now the subject of discussion by many people and social networks is body positivity.
The purpose of this paper is to explain the meaning of body positivity, analyze this social movement, and discuss how neuroscience, psychodynamics, and humanism might provide insight into this social phenomenon.
About Body Positivity
Body positivity is a social movement based on the statement that all people should have a positive body image, at the same time challenging the ways in which society represents and considers the physical body. This movement states that people should accept all bodies, regardless of their shape, size, and appearance. This approach will change people’s ideas about some products and services such as physical fitness, health club services, and healthy food.
The activists of body positivity work with disability movements, racial justice, and queer and trance inclusive. They acknowledge that size is just one of many ways other people value and judge our bodies. According to Cook (2019), this movement “intends to help people radically accept their and others’ bodies just as they are” (p. 3). The body positivity’s goal is to focus on unrealistic standards of beauty and strengthen confidence in people who suffer from public opinion and condemnation. The movement establishes the concept that beauty is a construction of society and argues that this construction should not influence a person’s ability to feel confident or self-esteem.
The idea associated with the movement of the positivity of the body is based on the fact that people should accept their physical characteristics and love themselves fully. Body positivity is rooted in the fat acceptance movement and in the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. The difference between these movements is that body positivity focuses not only on the overweighed people as the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance does but also on all types of bodies. The movement argues that both skinny-shaming and fat-shaming are unacceptable and that all types of the body should be noted and considered beautiful.
Undoubtedly, body-shaming usually causes harmful long-term eating disorders, for example, bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and body dysmorphia, and psychological diseases such as depression, negative body image, self-hatred, and anxiety. Because of the effect this movement has on human psychology, body positivity may be considered innovative. It convinces people all over the world that the traits that dignify a person are self-love, self-acceptance, and self-respect.
Body Positivity and Humanism
This movement and its activists’ motives may be analyzed in terms of psychology. There are some major perspectives of modern psychology: neuroscience, psychodynamics, and humanism. According to Feldman (2019), “the humanistic perspective assumes that people have the ability to make their own choices about their behavior rather than relying on societal standards” (p. 17). If to connect this statement with the main idea of body positivity, one may notice that humanistic psychology is the key perspective of this movement.
The activists of body positivity state that people are free to do whatever they want with their bodies and should not pay attention to public opinion and shaming. Also, Feldman (2019) states that “more than any other approach, humanism stresses the role of psychology in enriching people’s lives and helping them achieve self-fulfillment” (p. 17). Again, it proves the connection between the movement and this approach. People need to be appreciated, respected, and loved for who they are. They do not want to hear condemnations and advice about their appearance because it prevents them from accepting and loving themselves.
Body Positivity and Psychodynamics
As to psychodynamics, there are also some connections with body positivity. According to Feldman (2019), “the psychodynamic perspective suggests that powerful, unconscious inner forces and conflicts about which people have little or no awareness are the primary determinants of behavior” (p. 19). Hence, one may suggest that many activists of this movement have suffered in the past and have been criticized for their appearance and behavior, and all those events influenced their desire to join the movement. Some people may not even realize the reasons they support body positivity.
Body Positivity and Neuroscience
Another perspective of modern psychology that may provide insight into body positivity is neuroscience. Feldman (2019) says that “the neuroscience perspective considers how people and nonhumans function biologically: how the inheritance of certain characteristics from parents and other ancestors influences behavior” (p. 15). Knowing this, one may suggest that some of the body positivity activists support this movement because they have inherited special characteristics from their ancestors. Probably, their grandparents were also supporters of this movement and argued that people could do everything they wanted with their bodies.
Conclusion
To draw a conclusion, one may say that usually, there are strong connections between psychology and current events. If a person wants to understand other people’s motives, the causes of many situations, and the ideas of social movements, he or she may try to analyze them from a psychological point of view. It often happens that everything looks more logical and understandable in terms of psychology.
References
Cook, D. C. (2019). A parent’s guide to body positivity. Huntsville, AL: Axis Publishing.
Crabbe, M. J. (2018). Body positive power: Because life is already happening and you don’t need flat abs to live it. London, United Kingdom: Hachette UK.
Feldman, R. S. (2019). Understanding psychology. New York. NY: McGraw-Hill Education.