Table Of Content‘A “must have” exposition of the discourses and flows of affect organising embo-
died experience. Sarah Riley, Adrienne Evans and Martine Robson's pathsetting
new book is rich in nuanced theory and in examples which are then carefully
deconstructed to reveal the canonical, contradictory and often unliveable figura-
tions of the body characteristic of postfeminist times. Essential reading for all fem-
inist scholars and inspirational for researchers investigating body and body image.’
Margaret Wetherell, Emertia, Professor, Open University,
UK and The University of Auckland, New Zealand
‘Finally, we have a body image and media studies text that engages broadly and
deeply with the shape-shifting cultural and psychological currents that mark this
tumultuous moment in the Anglo-western world. Postfeminism and Body Image
weaves new theories and methods by tracing, untangling and making sense of the
ever knotty, contradictory bundle of forces that help to make us, collectively and
individually: between feminist and post-feminist discourses and sensibilities that
offer up radically different visions of “the good life”; between media studies per-
spectives that seek to analyse these larger cultural patterns and their neoliberal
rootings, and psychological ones that probe the meanings and workings of our
resultingselves;andbetweenthemassivecultural,economicandpoliticalshiftsthat
we’ve witnessed over the past thirty years and our sexualities, gendered beings and
doings, and health making practices—indeed, our most intimate relations with our
bodily selves. In advancing theoretically rich and lucid readings of feminized and
masculinized everyday body practices, Riley, Evans and Robson have crafted a
paradigm-shifting tome.’
Carla Rice, Canada Research Chair, Feminist Studies and Social
Practice, and Professor, University of Guelph, Canada
‘Nuanced, theoretically sophisticated, accessible, and engaging, Postfeminism and
Body Image provides a very timely exploration of contemporary body image issues.
The authors take a critical transdisciplinary approach, drawing on cultural studies,
sociology, economics, politics, geography; gender studies, psychology and media
studies to interrogate the ways in which bodies and body image are understood,
experienced,andregulatedinthecontextofpost-feminism.Thisbooksignificantly
advances our understandings of both postfeminism and body image and is a must-
have for new and experienced researchers alike.’
Helen Malson, Associate Professor, Social Psychology,
University of the West of England, UK
‘This is a marvellous and important contribution to key debates in feminist cultural
and media studies. It extends the research arc of “postfeminism” so that there is a
wider and more international focus, while at the same time providing more
detailed analysis of specific iterations in consumer culture. This work also offers
furthertheoreticalrefinementinthefield,aswellasilluminatingourunderstanding
of the stubborn persistence of “body image” across gender and popular culture.’
Angela McRobbie, FBA, Visiting Professor, Centre for Post-Digital Cultures,
Institute for Creative Cultures, Coventry University, UK
POSTFEMINISM AND BODY IMAGE
PostfeminismandBodyImageisagroundbreakingworkthatprovidesapoststructuralistandpsycho-
socialanalysisofkeyissuesattheintersectionsofbodyimage,psychologyandmedia.Thebook
outlinesthetheoreticalframeworkthroughtheworkofrenownedphilosophers,MichelFoucault
andGillesDeleuze,andtheiruseinfeministscholarship,toaddressbody-imageissuesandchal-
lengesinthecontextofapostfeministsensibility.
Theauthorsrethinkbodyimage,callingintoquestionassumptionsandobligationsthataffect
recent issues related to social-media use, body positivity, the transformation imperative, body
shamingandmuscularmasculinity.Theanalysisshowstheadvantageofseeingbodyimageasa
formofnon-linearwarfare,structuredbycontradiction,confusionandcritique,whereattemptsto
challengeoppressivebodyimagepracticesareappropriatedundertheguiseofpositivealternatives
to maintain that oppression. Through real-world examples, these nuanced concepts are made
relatable and comprehensible to the readers. The book also offers a number of affirmative and
hopefulwaysforward.
This is an indispensable resource for students and professionals of Gender studies, Social
Psychology and Media and Cultural Studies. It is also ideal for anyone exploring body
image,self-image, postfeminism andpoststructuralism.
SarahRileyisProfessorinCriticalHealthPsychologyatMasseyUniversity,NewZealand,and
thedirectorofitsHealthPsychologymaster’sprogramme.Herresearchexaminesdiscourse,affect
andmaterialityinrelationtodigitaltechnology,subjectivity,gender,bodiesandneoliberalism.
Adrienne Evans is Reader for Media in the Centre for Postdigital Cultures at Coventry
University, UK. Her research focuses on accounts of intimacy in the context of a post-
feminist sensibility. In her work, she explores ways in which gender organises personal,
social,intimate andculturalrelationships aswellastheirmanifestations inmediaculture.
MartineRobsonisalecturerinPsychologyatAberystwythUniversity.Herworkfocuseson
how people negotiate individualistic health-related lifestyle advice and uses poststructuralist
theorytoexaminethewaysinwhichpeopleadoptandresistneoliberalhealthism.
Also published by the authors Postfeminism and Health: Critical Psychology and Media
Perspectives, winner of the 2021 BPS Book Award, Academic Text category.
WOMEN AND PSYCHOLOGY
Series Editor: Jane Ussher
Professor of Women’s Health Psychology, University of Western Sydney
This series brings together current theory and research on women and psychology.
Drawing on scholarship from a number of different areas of psychology, it bridges
the gap between abstract research and the reality of women's lives by integrating
theory and practice, research and policy.
Each book addresses a 'cutting edge' issue of research, covering topics such as
postnatal depression and eating disorders, and addressing a wide range of theories
and methodologies.
The series provides accessible and concise accounts of key issues in the study of
women and psychology, and clearly demonstrates the centrality of psychology
debates within women's studies or feminism.
Other titles in this series:
MOTHERING BABIES IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Fiona Buchanan
BODIES THAT BIRTH
Rachelle Chadwick
JUST SEX?
Second edition
Nicola Gavey
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND PSYCHOLOGY
Paula Nicolson
WOMEN, SEX, AND MADNESS
Breanne Fahs
THE MATERNAL EXPERIENCE
Margo Lowy
POSTFEMINISM AND BODY IMAGE
Sarah Riley, Adrienne Evans and Martine Robson
POSTFEMINISM AND
BODY IMAGE
Sarah Riley, Adrienne Evans and Martine Robson
Coverimage:©Unsplash:RonWhitaker
Firstpublished2023
byRoutledge
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andbyRoutledge
605ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10158
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©2023SarahRiley,AdrienneEvansandMartineRobson
TherightofSarahRiley,AdrienneEvansandMartineRobsontobeidentifiedas
authorsofthisworkhasbeenassertedinaccordancewithsections77and78of
theCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproducedor
utilisedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,now
knownorhereafterinvented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orinany
informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthe
publishers.
Trademarknotice:Productorcorporatenamesmaybetrademarksorregistered
trademarks,andareusedonlyforidentificationandexplanationwithoutintentto
infringe.
BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
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ISBN:978-0-367-17283-1(hbk)
ISBN:978-0-367-17284-8(pbk)
ISBN:978-0-429-05600-0(ebk)
DOI:10.4324/9780429056000
TypesetinBembo
byTaylor&FrancisBooks
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements viii
Preface ix
1 Can we love our bodies in a postfeminist context? 1
2 Because you’re worth it 25
3 Change yourself 48
4 Eat clean, train mean, get lean 68
5 Oh my God, I hate you 87
6 Muscle men make a comeback 112
7 Epilogue 134
References 141
Index 171
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
With thanks to our partners for their love and support, Jane Ussher for the
opportunity to be part of her fantastic book series, and the Routledge team for
their support in delivering it.
PREFACE
‘I looked like a bad imitation of a woman whose most deeply held personal goal
was to look hot in pictures. And of course, in that moment, in a $98 punishment
thong and a dress designed for an Instagram model, that’s exactly what I was.’ So
explained journalist Jia Tolentino (2019), as she took her readers through her
experiences as a bridesmaid for a friend’s wedding. We start with this account
because it is funny, painful, relatable yet privileged, and filtered through the lens
of social media. As such, it is a good introduction to the public discourse that
mediates contemporary body image.
We write at a time of huge body-image distress and a time where appearance is
stronglylinkedtopersonalidentityandsocialvalue,particularlyforwomen.It’satime
wheremultipleandcontradictorydiscoursescirculate,constructingworkonthebody
asaroutetolivingagoodlife,assomethingtoxicandunattainable,andassomething
shallow and unimportant. It is a time of celebration of non-binary and trans bodies,
recognitionofdifference,andcritiqueofphysicalandvirtualspacesthatcreatefeelings
ofmisfittingorinvisibilityfornon-normativelygenderedbodiesorbodiesthatdonot
easily map onto the ‘mythical norm’ of autonomous, white, non-fat, stable and
able bodies. Equally, there are intense cultural and social pressures towards nor-
mativity and a cultural valuing of slim, white, toned, affluent, straight, cisgender,
able-bodied bodies. It is within these complex flows of contradictory discourses
circulating across a range of actors and mediums, including health settings, everyday
conversations,traditionalandsocialmedia,thatpeople makesense ofthemselvesand
theirbodies.
A parallel complexity is evident in body-image scholarship since how body
image is understood – and its attendant solutions to body-image distress – depends
on what disciplinary, ontologicaland epistemological approaches people take,what
statistics they pay attention to and how they interpret research findings. In this
context, there may be few things body-image researchers can always agree on, but
