In our Western world, sexual objectification has been a normal aspect of our culture for centuries. For some, as you read this, such a realization may be obvious. For others, the thought of sexual objectification ingrained in our culture may seem under the radar. Yet all of us are born into the societal norms our culture upholds, and these so often are reinforced by the media, our schools, friends, and even our parents. And one of these amplified social norms is the value placed on sexually attractive physical beauty, looks, and appearance.
Though men and women can be the recipients of sexual objectification, it happens most often to women. For example, women are more likely to be depicted as sexual objects in advertisements (50%) as compared to men (16%), shares a report by Gitnux.org. Unfortunately every time the objectification of women takes place, it hurts the achievements and progress women have made to be seen as equals to men in society over the past hundreds of years. The sexual objectification of women simplifies them into sex objects meant to fulfill men’s desires—and it has to stop.
Understanding the Sexual Objectification of Women
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a sex object as “a person regarded especially exclusively as an object of sexual interest.” When this happens to a woman, she’s defined by how attractive her body parts are to men. Most often, a woman’s eyes, lips, breasts, buttocks, and legs are the source of sexual objectification. However, viewing a woman as the sum of her parts makes her less than human, ignoring the fact that she’s a real person with her own desires, free will, feelings, fears, hopes, and dreams. So how does the sexual objectification of women happen? Typically it occurs in two different ways:
Sexually Objectifying Women Unconsciously
While clear and obvious actions usually come to mind when you think of sexual objectification, often it occurs unconsciously. As a man, you may be totally unaware that you are sexually objectifying women because sadly, it can become almost second nature and happen automatically. The reasons behind this unconscious objectification are likely rooted in how you were raised or the things you were exposed to in your childhood or adolescence.
Conscious Sexual Objectification of Women
While unconscious objectification may be hard to grasp, the conscious sexual objectification of women is easier to recognize because you’ve made the personal decision to do it. Objectification takes place when you view parts of a woman’s body and solely base her sexual attraction on these body parts, not seeing her as a whole person.
If it’s easy to disregard this, not wanting to think that you could possibly objectify women, think again. Your consciousness can be triggered by your unconscious mind always working behind the scenes, leading to unconscious sexual objectification.
Even with unconscious objectification in the picture, you can take proactive steps to control your sexual objectification tendencies. And it’s critical to do so, because objectification harms women in a number of ways.
The Negative Impact of Objectifying Women
One conscious choice to objectify a woman you see may feel insignificant to you. But the fallout of collective actions taken to objectify women can greatly damage both how men treat women and how women see themselves (and other women, too).
Because objectification views women as body parts and not as human beings, some men may begin to see women as property to be used and easily tossed aside. Consequently, objectification can twist men’s views of their preferred type of woman, disregarding a woman’s inner qualities in favor of her physical appearance. As men view women as objects, it can easily prevent them from having a thriving, mutually supportive relationship with a woman who’s more than just physical beauty. Taking a wider view of the issue, even the rights and freedoms of women in our culture’s politics can be negatively affected.
On the other side, women who are objectified can be more susceptible to violence, including rape. Because of the societal norms that enforce objectification, women can unhealthily aspire to achieve the “perfect” bodies that the media puts on a pedestal. Because no one can, some women may develop mental health challenges, eating disorders, or substance abuse addictions when they don’t.
According to TheConversation.com, women who are exposed to objectifying events in their daily lives can become more preoccupied with their physical appearance, even objectifying themselves. As a result, these women may sacrifice their ambitions and ignore their inner beauty in favor of prioritizing their appearance. Women may even struggle with other female relationships, seeing their peers as competition for men’s attention.
What are Some Warning Signs of Sexual Objectification?
If you’re wondering how you can prevent the perpetuation of the sexual objectification of women in our culture, it first starts by looking at your own tendencies. Are you sexually objectifying the women in your life? You may be if you resonate with any of these warning signs:
- You prioritize a woman’s body and appearance over her inner qualities like intelligence and kindness.
- You ogle a woman’s body before looking at her in the eyes to converse.
- You ignore a woman’s negative personality traits if she’s sexually attractive.
- You show your wife or girlfriend off like a trophy wife.
- You may expedite sex when you begin a relationship instead of taking time to get to know the woman you’re dating.
- You only think about what a woman can do for you in the relationship, expecting her to cater her physical appearance to your needs and not caring about her own desires in the relationship.
How to Stop Objectifying Women
A woman’s beauty can certainly be appreciated. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s acceptable to be sexually attracted to a woman. But that attraction should also include her inner qualities, like her personality, intelligence, autonomy, and aspirations. So how can you stop sexually objectifying women and still recognize their beauty?
It’s first important to remember that women are not property. They’re people just like you. They’re in control of their own lives, with their own goals and desires; they’re not meant to just fulfill yours. Second, you need to make a list of ways you objectify women. Then, have the resolve to set boundaries on your conscious sexually objectifying thoughts, as controlling these thoughts will control your actions.
Porn Addiction’s Relationship to Sexual Objectification
If you’re having trouble overcoming your sexually objectifying tendencies, it may be important to step back and consider your sexual behaviors and habits. If watching porn is a regular part of your life, this could be preventing you from reining in your objectifying thoughts and actions. According to Fight The New Drug, various research has shown that porn can play a major role in teaching its viewers to see other people as products to be used for their own sexual satisfaction. Porn, when advertised to potential viewers, is often presented by the sexual acts or physical attributes the female subject will display in the content, reducing the woman in pornography to sex objects meant to fulfill the viewer’s expectations. This makes it easier to translate these expectations and views from porn onto women in the real world, leading to a perpetuating cycle of sexual objectification.
If you’re struggling with porn addiction and want to learn how to stop objectifying women, getting porn addiction treatment is a good place to start. At Integrative Life Center in Nashville, TN, our compassionate therapy team takes a comprehensive, holistic approach to porn addiction. We’re able to uncover the root causes of your compulsive sexual behavior and help you process the reasons why you objectify women. If you’re ready to find freedom and learn how to stop porn addiction for good (and how to stop sexually objectifying others), we’re ready to help. Simply give us a call to get started.
