The Chicago Tribune's Dawn Trice joins us to discuss our joint five-part online series that explores women's body image issues and race. Watch video discussions among series participants and learn more about the issue as they discuss what race and body image means to them. Then, share your thoughts on the Chicago Tonight Message Board.
Race and Body Image
It's no secret that the images that bombard women each day promote a standard of beauty that seems to be unreachable. People often hear about the importance of self-esteem and body image for white women, who were previously thought to be the cultural group unhappiest with their appearance.
But recent studies have shown that it's not just one group. Women from a multitude of cultural and religious backgrounds are displeased with their looks and feel pressured by the images and cultural beliefs they encounter in their personal and professional lives. Some of these issues are common among African-American and Hispanic women, others are distinct among members of Asian, Muslim and Caucasian communities. Each woman has her own stories of struggles and triumphs.
The women whose opinions are expressed on this site – from areas stretching from the northern suburbs to the South Side, as well as across the nation – understand their own body image by paying close attention to female role models in their present lives as well as their childhood. They remember both celebrities and those within their own personal circles – and wonder how far they have to go to fit in without forgetting how to celebrate what makes each woman unique.
That's where Chicago Tribune writer Dawn Trice's project begins. She collaborates with Chicago Tonight using our in-depth format to open up a discussion about standards of beauty. She and five panels of women from various racial and religious backgrounds share stories about stereotypes, assumptions and how to find the beauty in one's self.
In each of five video segments, Dawn focuses on one cultural or religious group. She speaks with three women from that group about the body image issues affecting their lives, and how they feel about their physical and emotional selves. As Dawn and her guests share their own experiences and compare the prevalence of these issues in their lives to the generations before and after their own, they open up a dialogue.
Please click on the various sections to learn more about each community:
