Exploring body image dissatisfaction and body idealisations amongst young adult men: A thematic analysis

Thompson, Jodie (2018) Exploring body image dissatisfaction and body idealisations amongst young adult men: A thematic analysis. Manchester Metropolitan University. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Body image dissatisfaction is becoming more noticeable as an issue that affects male lives and not just women (Gardner, 2014). This study aims to explore male body image dissatisfaction and the idealisations surrounding the male body. Six semi-structured interviews were carried out with young adult male participants aged 18-25 to gain understanding of their feelings and thought on the subject. The data gained was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis, allowing the emergence of six main themes with some containing sub-themes. The participants showed many similarities in their opinions about body image. These were topics such as how they were influenced by the media, had feelings of dissatisfaction and the pressures they face not only from other people but from themselves. On the other hand, differences in experiences were found as some participants discussed that feeling too skinny and underweight lead them to having body image dissatisfaction rather than the expected, being overweight. The results have given us better understanding of male body image and have helped to identify areas that could be further researched in the future.