Sexual objectification

<p>Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person solely as an <a href="/facts/Physical_object/WhqjK6xo">object</a> of <a href="/facts/Sexual_desire/gVWj3mJg">sexual desire</a> (a sex object). <a href="/facts/Objectification/fj56dHsV">Objectification</a> more broadly means treating a person as a <a href="/facts/Commodity/zD0Em9v7">commodity</a> or an object without regard to their <a href="/facts/Personality/zdkhBU5V">personality</a> or <a href="/facts/Dignity/gXTptKx0">dignity</a>. Objectification is most commonly examined at the level of a society (<a href="/facts/Sociology/d2Fd0N87">sociology</a>), but can also refer to the behavior of individuals (psychology), and is a type of <a href="/facts/Dehumanization/bp0VlKGF">dehumanization</a>.
</p><p>Although both men and women can be sexually objectified, the concept is mainly associated with the objectification of women, and is an important idea in many <a href="/facts/Feminist_theories/Cdf8KhCL">feminist theories</a>, and psychological theories derived from them. Many feminists argue that sexual objectification of girls and women contributes to <a href="/facts/Gender_inequality/BU6o79IU">gender inequality</a>, and many psychologists associate objectification with a range of physical and mental health risks in women. Research suggests that the psychological effects of objectification of men are similar to those of women, leading to negative <a href="/facts/Body_image/ep7HL7et">body image</a> among men. The concept of sexual objectification is controversial, and some feminists and psychologists have argued that at least some degree of objectification is a normal part of <a href="/facts/Human_sexuality/fjnqcFxP">human sexuality</a>.
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Sexual objectification open-in-new

Sexual objectification