It is well established that young individuals are highly concerned about their physical appearance. The ideal thin and muscular body is commonly portrayed in movies, magazines, and television. Although physical education researchers have examined adolescent females’ body image, there has been little research focused on adolescent males’ conceptions of body image. Using Foucault’s Panopticon as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between eighth grade male students’ conceptions of body image and physical activity.
Method:
This study was grounded in a visual methodology and employed a multiple case study design. Major data sources included eighth grade male students’ semi-structured interviews, the Drive for Muscularity Scale, and visual diaries in southeastern region in the United States. The data were analyzed using the constant comparative method using NVivo 10 software. To enhance the trustworthiness of the study, triangulation of data sources was conducted.
Analysis/Results:
Two categories emerged from the data, conceptions of body image and the influence of body image on physical activity. The conceptions of body image category consisted of three subcategories, “I want to be strong,” “I don’t want to be too big, but big enough,” and “I’m comfortable the way I am.” For the category, the influence of body image on physical activity, there were three subcategories: athletic pursuit, muscularity pursuit, and recreational pursuit. Data supporting the Panopticon were interpreted using the themes of Adonis Complex body dissatisfaction and Dionysian body satisfaction.
Conclusions:
Social surveillance may play an important role in adolescent males’ conceptions of body image. It can create an ideal body image that is unrealistic and unattainable to the majority of adolescent males. Consequently, individuals who do not meet the ideal body image are more likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies. Further, body dissatisfaction may be associated with bullying behavior.