Self-Sexualization: Sexual Empowerment or Sexual Objectification?

Sexual expression is a fundamental aspect of sexuality that is essential for an individual’s   well-being (Peterson, 2010). After centuries of sexual exploitation, oppression, and violence against women, now more than ever, women are taking control of their sexuality in order to feel sexually empowered. Self-sexualization is one mechanism women use as a form of sexual empowerment, which includes behaviours like dressing or dancing provocatively intended to draw sexualized attention to one’s self (Erchull & Liss, 2014). However, we need to consider the following: is self-sexualization and perceived sexual empowerment associated with positive sexual outcomes or is the perception of sexual empowerment a manifestation of a hyper-sexualized culture that is associated with adverse sexual outcomes? Several studies have indicated that self-sexualization is linked to negative sexual outcomes, arguing against self-sexualization as a form of empowerment. However, empowerment can be interpreted as a subjective experience, and self-sexualization can be seen as a way for women to take control of and express their sexuality on their own terms.

Before we can get into the debate of sexual empowerment versus sexual objectification, another question must be addressed: what is sexual empowerment? Now this question might seem like it should yield a definition instead of a discussion, but feminist and other scholars struggle to define sexual empowerment. Should sexual empowerment be defined as an individual’s subjective feelings of power and agency, or is it something that exists beyond the individual, something that is external and can be seen as an objective measure of power or control (Peterson, 2010). Is feeling empowered the same as being empowered? Some theorists argue that subjective empowerment includes feelings of power, control, and satisfaction, thus creating a sexually empowered woman. However, others contest this definition of empowerment, pointing out that this kind of behaviour might be a manifestation of exposure to a “pornified version of sexual empowerment” that is actually representative of a history of sexual exploitation and oppression (Peterson, 2010). One study by Erchull and Liss (2014) defined sexual empowerment as consisting of positive sexual outcomes, feeling secure and good about one’s sexuality, having the ability to communicate desires and boundaries, and enjoying one’s sexual encounters. In other words, sexual empowerment can be loosely defined as being comfortable, confident, and satisfied with one’s sexuality.

Objectification theory states that women are often sexually objectified and treated as objects for others to admire and use. Sexual objectification happens when a woman’s value is stripped down to body parts and physical appearance and viewed as a physical object separate from her as a person (Symanski et al., 2011). Self-objectification occurs when a woman emphasizes her physical appearance rather than her competence-based characteristics, which can have negative implications. Similar to self-objectification, self-sexualization involves actions taken by an individual who purposefully highlights their sexualized attributes (Peterson, 2010). A study by De Wilde et al. (2020) examined the effects of self-sexualization through looking at the relationship between holding a “sex-is-power belief” and outcomes like sexual satisfaction, sexual body esteem, negative eating attitudes, and more. In their study, self-sexualization was a behavioural manifestation of the sex-is-power belief. A study by Erchull and Liss (2014) measured three indices of perceived sexual empowerment (engaging in sexual behaviour, enjoying sexualization, and believing that sex is a source of personal power) against several variables to test if perceived sexual empowerment could be related to external measures of empowerment like sexual esteem, sexual assertiveness, and sexual satisfaction. They found that women who supported the three constructs of perceived sexual empowerment were more likely to fake an orgasm (Erchull & Liss, 2014). This is an interesting finding because faking orgasm shifts the focus from one’s own pleasure to the pleasure of one’s partner and indicates that sex is engaged in as a performance instead of for pleasure. The study also found that women who supported the three constructs had more sexual encounters, but no greater satisfaction in those encounters. These findings show that while self-sexualization can be a source of perceived empowerment, measures of self-sexualization were not associated with external measures of sexual empowerment. So, perhaps self-sexualization is not the best form of sexual empowerment?

Everyone, women included, has the right to feel confident and comfortable in their sexuality; for example, if that means some women self-sexualize and dress in a “provocative” way,   who are we to say that this is a wrong form of empowerment? Many self-identified heterosexual women report enjoying being admired by men in a sexual manner, feeling empowered through this sexual admiration, and appreciating the sense of control it gives them over their sexuality (Liss et al., 2011). One article examined the difference between sexual empowerment and sexual objectification by comparing two popular and controversial music videos, “Wrecking ball” by Miley Cyrus and “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke (Beau, 2019). Both music videos feature nude women, but they have very different intentions. In the “Wrecking ball” music video, Miley Cyrus has been interpreted as a symbol of sexual liberation and as owning her sexuality on her terms, whereas the “Blurred Lines” music video features naked women used as props dancing on fully dressed men (Beau, 2019). Beau explains that the difference between objectification and empowerment is decided by who has the agency in the situation (2019). Are you sexualizing yourself on your own terms for yourself or for someone else’s pleasure? Miley Cyrus is an excellent example of how self-sexualization can be a form of sexual empowerment because she is taking control of her sexuality (Beau, 2019).

Pulling together the wide variety of definitions of sexual empowerment described above, we can surmise that sexual empowerment includes positive sexuality outcomes resulting in comfort, confidence, and satisfaction. Sexual empowerment comes from having full agency over one’s sexuality and is individually focused, prioritizing one’s own desires, pleasure, and preferences instead of focusing on what others think. Scholars have studied self-sexualization as a form of empowerment with mixed results, suggesting that there may be more negative than positive outcomes associated with this form of sexual empowerment. Every person deserves  to be sexually empowered in the most positive way possible. It is important to be aware of the potential negative outcomes related to self-sexualization in order to ensure one is achieving the positive sexual outcomes that should be associated with sexual empowerment like confidence, satisfaction, and comfort. Based on both sides of the argument, being sexually empowered involves a significant degree of self-awareness and introspection. If you feel empowered by self- sexualization behaviours, ask yourself, who am I doing this for? If the answer is for yourself, then continue to explore and express your sexuality in those ways! If the answer is for someone else, you might want to take a step back and find the ways you like to express your sexuality for YOU and nobody else in order to avoid potentially negative outcomes associated with self-sexualization.

Adrianna Schmeichel, BAH Psychology 2022, Queen’s University

References

Beau, E. (2019, November 02). Sexy: Objectifying or Empowering? Retrieved 2020, from https://medium.com/sensual-enchantment/sexy-objectifying-or-empowering-%09a038c45aaa00

De Wilde, M., Casini, A., Wollast, R., & Demoulin, S. (2020). Sex is power belief and women’s mental health: The mediating roles of self‐objectification and sexual subjectivity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 50(5), 1017-1031.

Erchull, M. J., & Liss, M. (2014). The object of one’s desire: How perceived sexual empowerment through objectification is related to sexual outcomes. Sexuality & Culture, 18(4), 773-788.

Liss, M., Erchull, M. J., & Ramsey, L. R. (2011). Empowering or oppressing? Development and exploration of the Enjoyment of Sexualization Scale. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(1), 55-68.

Peterson, Z. D. (2010). What is sexual empowerment? A multidimensional and process-oriented approach to adolescent girls’ sexual empowerment. Sex Roles, 62(5-6), 307-313. 

Szymanski, D. M., Moffitt, L. B., & Carr, E. R. (2011). Sexual objectification of women: advances to theory and research. The Counseling Psychologist, 39(1), 6-38.