Socio Cultural Attitude towards Appearance and Multidimensional Gender Consciousness in Men and Women – A Pilot Study

By : T.S. Seemanthini

Page No: 239-248

Abstract
Understanding the gender phenomena and psychological concerns about the appearance is growing as an important area of interest in the contemporary realm. Review is suggestive of limited explanations on Socio cultural attitude towards appearance and Multidimensional gender consciousness. Socio Cultural Attitude towards appearance is the societal influence on body image and eating disturbances due to media influence, pressure, information and internalization of societal standards, thin and athletic figures. The Multi-dimensional Gender consciousness is the awareness about the gender related phenomena and also others responses on the specific gender one belong to. Current study aimed at understanding the Socio Cultural Attitude towards Appearance and Multi-dimensional Gender Consciousness in Men and Women. Pilot study consists of the 30 participants and the data was analysed with quantitative techniques. The gender difference, association was studied between the socio demographics, socio cultural attitude towards appearance and multi-dimensional gender consciousness of men and women. The results show that there is significant positive association between Public and Private Gender consciousness with the aspects of sociocultural attitudes like internalizing the ideals related to physical appearance.

Author :
T.S. Seemanthini : Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology — Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Attavar, Mangalore-575 001