Communication and information paper 1 PDF

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This is for professor Householder, this is a look at what your first paper may look like...

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Running Head: Social Comparison

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Social Comparison

Erin Shafer

Rutgers New Brunswich

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In the research article “What Does She Have that I Don’t? The Effects of Sexual Activity on Social Comparisons and Body Dissatisfaction in Emerging Adult Women” by Cynthia Elizabeth Gangl and Erin A. Koterba, explores the social comparisons of emerging adult women ranging from 18-23 years old and how they are comparing one’s body to another. With this being said these comparisons have a profound impact on the young adult’s development, not to mention that these comparisons are also leading to a self-destructive manner. In this study they have taken seventy-five university emerging adult women. They are given a questionnaire assessing their current and past sexual activity, their body dissatisfaction and how frequently they make comparisons to other women. Also assessing basic demographic information (age, year in college, height and weight). As a result of these questionnaire’s there were a significant relationship between appearance focused comparisons and body dissatisfaction for females being sexually active. In result the sexually active females are making more frequent appearances focused comparisons. With more sexual partners woman are more likely to compare themselves. To go even further they evaluate the nature of these comparisons. What do the sexually active females make differ, how do they look at their bodies differently to none sexually active participants? In this study the main focus was to better understand the factors that influence body image, mainly in emerging adult women. In this research we find that those engaged in appearance focused comparison had increased levels of body dissatisfaction and sexually active females were prone to making detrimental, appearance focused comparisons. In the Western

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culture numbers have increase of women being dissatisfied and even more self-conscious and have become ramped.

Many do not know this but I have a fraternal twin. She currently lives in Florida, living a totally different life. But growing up we were always dressed the same but different colors, put into the same classroom until we were in the second grade and as we got older, we even worked together at the same water park being lifeguards. Many people had compared us at this point since we have different work ethics. I was nice and she was strict (she has been working towards becoming supervisor) with our coworkers. One interaction I had with another employee I had I will never forget. Me being a new employee and not knowing my coworkers personally I approached one of them very kindly that was hosing the floor and asked if he wanted me to take over this job. He said “yeah you can take over” but immediately after he went onto saying “why can’t you be more like your sister? You know she is a better lifeguard than you right?” I remember standing there shocked, and still being my shy self, I did not stand up for myself in this situation. He shrugged and soon walked away. To this day I still question why he said those things. But it was as though this person was trying to personally hurt me even though I had done nothing wrong. If anything, I was doing everything right at this job, I had picked up shifts when anyone needed it, cleaned and kept cleaning wherever it needed to be done, I was always there to help.

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In the movie “Hairspray” directed by Adam Shankman this movie takes place within the 60’s. In one of the scenes Tracy being the main character and Penny her best friend are watching their favorite tv in front of the tv store. Tracy states “Oh, Link I can dance so much better than her, why don’t you notice me in school?” At this point Tracy is definitely socially comparing herself to another girl. She knows she can dance for the Corny Collins show. Although there is one problem, Tracy is bigger than most of the girls and she fights for what is right. She is in an environment where she is the black sheep upon the white. With segregation playing a major role within this movie, Tracy believes that no matter what background you come from people should be able to achieve their goals. Her way of thinking does upset many people therefore everyone who does not like Tracy tries to destroy her chance at being happy. For example, when Tracy goes to the dance auditions the director of the show, Velma points out every flaw she had and has everyone “attack” Tracy to intimidate her. Velma sings “First impressions maybe tough and when I first saw you, I knew it, if your size wasn’t enough, you last answer just blew it” and dismisses her. She seems to be dismissed in almost every situation that Tracy encounters because of her size and how she wants negro day to be everyday on the tv show. Psychologically many people were not ready for this, they did not want things to change....