Examining Perceived Stigma in Taking and Sending Sexy Photos: A Qualitative Study of Women in Different Age Groups
摘要
Technological advancement allows for digital images to be created and exchanged, in a practice often referred to as sexting. A good deal of scholarship examines sexting among young and emergent adults, even though women of all ages participate in taking sexy images. Women take their own images, and many also engage in professional photo shoots. Boudoir photography is a photographic genre that evokes sensuality through imagery and background. This article uses qualitative data to explore perceived sources of stigma in the decision to take sexy pictures among American women, comparing focus group data from college-aged women with interviews of women aged 35 and above. Results demonstrate a pattern revealing different internalizations of stigma by age. Younger women are expected to engage in taking sexy photos, but they worry about nude images being rebroadcast without consent, which can result in slut-shaming and a bad reputation. Older women have concerns about living up to societal expectations tied to their jobs or their role as mothers, so they worry about potential social ramifications if others, such as their coworkers or children, learn that they take sexy photos. Social approval and gender expectations are major factors among both age groups, but self-perceptions are by far the most meaningful.