Dissertation
From Social Media to the Yoga Mat: Examining the Influences of Idealised Yoga Imagery on Women's Body Image and Exploring Ways to Improve Inclusive Practice
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25907/00734
Abstract
Yoga has been shown to promote a positive view of the body by increasing body appreciation and embodiment, and by decreasing body dissatisfaction and self-objectification. This, combined with its global popularity, has led to a growing interest in yoga as a component of interventions designed to prevent and manage body image disturbance and disordered eating behaviours. However, the representation of yoga has become increasingly idealised, with the typical ‘yoga body’ across print media depicted as young, thin, toned, White, and in physically demanding poses. The negative influence of idealised health and fitness-related imagery on women’s body image is well established, and levels of exposure to such ideals have increased alongside the proliferation of health and fitness content and communities on social media. Given that yoga is popularly associated with health, particularly for women, it can be expected that representations of yoga on social media have also become idealised and that these representations may have similar impacts on women’s body image to those found from exposure to more general health and fitness content. Additionally, given that social media has been shown to influence the beliefs and behaviours of viewers, it is argued that a prevalence of idealised yoga representation may have downstream effects on the diversity and inclusivity of yoga communities, as well as the capacity of yoga to produce positive outcomes on women’s body image. Across four studies, this PhD aimed to analyse the representation of yoga on social media in relation to current body image theory and literature, and to investigate the influence of yoga representation on women’s body image and yoga communities.
Details
- Title
- From Social Media to the Yoga Mat: Examining the Influences of Idealised Yoga Imagery on Women's Body Image and Exploring Ways to Improve Inclusive Practice
- Authors
- Angela Hinz - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Contributors
- Kate Mulgrew (Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Psychology
- Awarding institution
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Degree awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- DOI
- 10.25907/00734
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Cancer Research Cluster; School of Health - Psychology
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99704998002621
- Output Type
- Dissertation
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