EVALUATION OF BODY POSITIVITY MOVEMENT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF META FEMINISM ON INSTAGRAM

Melike Sejfula

Article Details

EVALUATION OF BODY POSITIVITY MOVEMENT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF META FEMINISM ON INSTAGRAM

Authors:

Melike Sejfula

Publisher:

Istanbul Aydin University

Main Topics:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal:

Yeni Medya Elektronik Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 1, pp.50-87

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001339768

pISSN:

2548-0200

Keywords:

Abstract:

 The body appears as a phenomenon on which various policies are implemented by power in order to ensure social control. In this context, the ideal body measurements produced by power and industry are being imposed on society and normalized through the media. While the beauty, aesthetics, sports and fashion industries regularly renew these ideal measurements, individuals shape their lives accordingly to attain these measurements. However, individuals who do not accept the body norms that have been established over time have come together and formed the Body Positivity Movement, which includes the acceptance of bodies of all sizes. With the new media, the scope of the movement has expanded and large audiences have been reached through social media platforms, especially Instagram. When the popularity of the movement increased, it attracted the attention of the industry and, like any popular trend, it began to use it for its own interests. Brands have launched plus-size collections, agreements have been made with plus-size models, and feminist discourses used by the Body Positivity Movement have been included in advertisements. This situation has paved the way for criticism of the movement as having entered into collaboration with industry and losing its resistance character. In the study, these discussions were opened to discussion under the umbrella of meta-feminism. In this context, the aim of the study is to reveal how the Body Positivity Movement, which was created as a resistance to the ideal body measurements, took place on Instagram in Turkey and whether the criticisms directed at the movement were reflected in the content produced on Instagram. The content analysis method was used in the study. Accounts that regularly produce content within the scope of the Body Positivity Movement on Instagram were included in the sample and the contents they produced was analyzed. As a result of the study, it was noted that although the Body Positivity Movement had a resistance character when it first emerged, it was transformed by the industry in line with its own interests over time. In this case, it has been seen that it is effective for some accounts that want to take advantage of the popularity of the movement to produce content and collaborate with brands within the scope of the movement in order to increase their follower numbers. Another noteworthy result was that the Body Positivity Movement, like many other popular trends, has become less popular over time, and there has been a significant decrease in the number of content produced.

 The body appears as a phenomenon on which various policies are implemented by power in order to ensure social control. In this context, the ideal body measurements produced by power and industry are being imposed on society and normalized through the media. While the beauty, aesthetics, sports and fashion industries regularly renew these ideal measurements, individuals shape their lives accordingly to attain these measurements. However, individuals who do not accept the body norms that have been established over time have come together and formed the Body Positivity Movement, which includes the acceptance of bodies of all sizes. With the new media, the scope of the movement has expanded and large audiences have been reached through social media platforms, especially Instagram. When the popularity of the movement increased, it attracted the attention of the industry and, like any popular trend, it began to use it for its own interests. Brands have launched plus-size collections, agreements have been made with plus-size models, and feminist discourses used by the Body Positivity Movement have been included in advertisements. This situation has paved the way for criticism of the movement as having entered into collaboration with industry and losing its resistance character. In the study, these discussions were opened to discussion under the umbrella of meta-feminism. In this context, the aim of the study is to reveal how the Body Positivity Movement, which was created as a resistance to the ideal body measurements, took place on Instagram in Turkey and whether the criticisms directed at the movement were reflected in the content produced on Instagram. The content analysis method was used in the study. Accounts that regularly produce content within the scope of the Body Positivity Movement on Instagram were included in the sample and the contents they produced was analyzed. As a result of the study, it was noted that although the Body Positivity Movement had a resistance character when it first emerged, it was transformed by the industry in line with its own interests over time. In this case, it has been seen that it is effective for some accounts that want to take advantage of the popularity of the movement to produce content and collaborate with brands within the scope of the movement in order to increase their follower numbers. Another noteworthy result was that the Body Positivity Movement, like many other popular trends, has become less popular over time, and there has been a significant decrease in the number of content produced.

 The body appears as a phenomenon on which various policies are implemented by power in order to ensure social control. In this context, the ideal body measurements produced by power and industry are being imposed on society and normalized through the media. While the beauty, aesthetics, sports and fashion industries regularly renew these ideal measurements, individuals shape their lives accordingly to attain these measurements. However, individuals who do not accept the body norms that have been established over time have come together and formed the Body Positivity Movement, which includes the acceptance of bodies of all sizes. With the new media, the scope of the movement has expanded and large audiences have been reached through social media platforms, especially Instagram. When the popularity of the movement increased, it attracted the attention of the industry and, like any popular trend, it began to use it for its own interests. Brands have launched plus-size collections, agreements have been made with plus-size models, and feminist discourses used by the Body Positivity Movement have been included in advertisements. This situation has paved the way for criticism of the movement as having entered into collaboration with industry and losing its resistance character. In the study, these discussions were opened to discussion under the umbrella of meta-feminism. In this context, the aim of the study is to reveal how the Body Positivity Movement, which was created as a resistance to the ideal body measurements, took place on Instagram in Turkey and whether the criticisms directed at the movement were reflected in the content produced on Instagram. The content analysis method was used in the study. Accounts that regularly produce content within the scope of the Body Positivity Movement on Instagram were included in the sample and the contents they produced was analyzed. As a result of the study, it was noted that although the Body Positivity Movement had a resistance character when it first emerged, it was transformed by the industry in line with its own interests over time. In this case, it has been seen that it is effective for some accounts that want to take advantage of the popularity of the movement to produce content and collaborate with brands within the scope of the movement in order to increase their follower numbers. Another noteworthy result was that the Body Positivity Movement, like many other popular trends, has become less popular over time, and there has been a significant decrease in the number of content produced.

 Beden, iktidarlar tarafından toplumsal denetimi sağlamak amacıyla üzerinde çeşitli politikalar gerçekleştirilen bir olgu olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu kapsamda günümüzde iktidarlar ve endüstri tarafından üretilen ideal beden ölçüleri, medya aracılığıyla topluma benimsetilmekte ve normalleştirilmektedir. Güzellik, estetik, spor ve moda endüstrileri ideal beden ölçülerini düzenli olarak yenilerken bireyler ise idealölçülere sahip olmak için yaşamlarını bu doğrultuda şekillendirmektedir. Ancak zaman içerisinde oluşturulan beden normlarını kabul etmeyen bireyler, bir araya gelerek tüm ölçülerdeki bedenlerin kabulünü içeren Beden Olumlama Hareketini oluşturmuştur. Yeni medyayla birlikte hareketin kapsamı genişlemiş ve sosyal medya platformları özellikle de Instagram ile geniş kitlelere ulaşılmıştır. Hareketin popülerliği artınca endüstrinin dikkatini çekmiş ve popüler olan her akım gibi kendi çıkarları doğrultusunda kullanmaya başlamıştır. Markalar, büyük beden koleksiyonları çıkarmış, büyük beden modellerle anlaşmalar yapılmış ve reklamlarda Beden Olumlama Hareketinin kullandığı feminist söylemlere yer verilmiştir. Bu durum hareketin, endüstriyle iş birliği içerisinde girdiği ve direniş niteliğini yitirdiği gibi eleştirel yapılmasına zemin hazırlamıştır. Çalışmada bu tartışmalar meta feminizmi çatısı altında tartışmaya açılmıştır. Bu kapsamda çalışmanın amacı, ideal beden ölçülerine direniş niteliğinde oluşturulan Beden Olumlama Hareketinin Türkiyede Instagramda nasıl gerçekleştiği ve harekete yöneltilen eleştirilerin, Instagramda üretilen içeriklere yansıyıp yansımadığını ortaya koymaktır. Çalışmada içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Instagramda Beden Olumlama Hareketi kapsamında düzenli olarak içerik üreten hesaplar örnekleme dahil edilmiş ve ürettikleri içerikler analiz edilmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda, Beden Olumlama Hareketinin ilk çıktığı dönemlerde direniş niteliği taşımasına rağmen zamanla endüstri tarafından kendi çıkarları doğrultusunda dönüştürüldüğü dikkat çekmiştir. Bu durumda hareketin popülerliğinden yararlanmak isteyen bazı hesapların takipçi sayılarını arttırmak için hareket kapsamında içerik üretmelerinin ve markalarla iş birliği yapmalarının etkili olduğu görülmüştür. Ayrıca Beden Olumlama Hareketinin popüler olan birçok akım gibi zaman içerisinde popülerliğinin azaldığı, üretilen içerik sayısında önemli bir düşüş yaşandığı dikkat çeken diğer bir sonuç olmuştur.

Article Details

EVALUATION OF BODY POSITIVITY MOVEMENT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF META FEMINISM ON INSTAGRAM

Authors:

Melike Sejfula

Publisher:

Istanbul Aydin University

Main Topics:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal:

Yeni Medya Elektronik Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 1, pp.50-87

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001339768

pISSN:

2548-0200

Body

Body Positivity Movement

Commodity Feminism

InstagramBeden

Beden Olumlama Hareketi

Meta Feminizmi

Instagram

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Melike Sejfula

Publisher: Istanbul Aydin University

Main Topics: İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal: Yeni Medya Elektronik Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 1, pp.50-87

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001339768

pISSN: 2548-0200

Issues

Authors:

Melike Sejfula

Publisher:

Istanbul Aydin University

Main Topics:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal:

Yeni Medya Elektronik Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 1, pp.50-87

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001339768

pISSN:

2548-0200