María Lameiras Fernández

WOMEN AND SEXUALITY: EMPOWERMENT THROUGH HYPERSEXUALIZATION?

ABSTRACT

Focusing attention on women’s bodies leads to a literal objectification that involves biased perceptions that include dispossessing women of the traits that distinguish humans from objects/animals, such as warmth, competence, and morality. These experiences of objectification have serious consequences on women’s health and well-being by impacting their self-esteem, making them more vulnerable to episodes of depression, sexual dysfunction, and eating disorders. In the face of arguments that connect hypersexualization or “supersexualization” with a pernicious objectification and objectification of women, in recent years there has been a growing focus on the supposed opportunities that arise from hypersexualization for women’s empowerment. Thus, from these approaches, the growing sexualization of culture is considered a great “opportunity” for the liberation and sexual empowerment of women. Alternative proposals thus emerge that consider that this culture that exalts sexuality has become chic and an object of fascination today. This has been more broadly defined as the “sexualization of culture”, also called the “culture of the obscene” or the “pornification of culture”, “porno-sphere” or “porno-chic culture”. In this new representation women are shown actively displaying their sexual potentiality in order to show their independence and liberation. The aim of the paper will be to address and investigate the confrontation of these representations.

FILIATION

Degree (1987) and PhD (1994) in Psychology from the University of Santiago de Compostela, full professor since 1998 at the University of Vigo and accredited to Professor (2011) in the area of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatments. Principal researcher of the group PT1 of the University of Vigo “Health, sexuality and gender” since 1996, with 180 articles published in national and international journals and a score of books as author or co-author, and with more than 200 communications presented at national and international conferences. With stays in European, Ibero-American and North American universities, including Princeton, USA (for a semester, 2015), John Hopkins, Baltimore USA (first semester of 2017) and George Washington University, Washington, USA(first semester of 2018). Assuming management responsibilities with unipersonal positions being the most recent that of Vicerrectora da Universidad de Vigo (2010-2014). She has participated in the COST project funded by the European Community on the theme “Femicide across Europe” (2013-2017).