Women’s silhouettes in the media: Aesthetics for subjectivation

Abstract

This work aims to describe the typical evaluations, meanings and actions that are attributed to the various silhouettes or body volumes in the media in Santiago de Chile. From Anglo-Saxon sociology the discrimination suffered by fat people has been documented, assuming that thin silhouettes are the ideal counterpart. The identification of this form of violence has not been accompanied by explanatory models. The study presented was of a qualitative nature. On a body of 336 images collected, with little variability while 85% present ideal silhouettes, a diffractive analysis was analyzed on 13 images from magazines and advertisements. The results describe four types of silhouettes with their respective meanings, valuations and actions. It is concluded that in the images social ideals are prescribed that involve certain types of corporalities, as well as certain aesthetics with which these actions must be carried out.