The act of objectification is essentially just as it sounds. An individual, a gender, or a certain group of people are seen as objects, as somehow less than human, and thereby able to be looked at with a different type of scrutiny than one might look at others. In the article, “Objectifying Sarah Palin: Evidence that objectification causes women to be perceived as less competent and less fully human” (Heflick & Goldenberg, 2009), it is seen that while women are capable of being attractive and placed in positions of great power and responsibility, they are nonetheless believed to be far less competent. Being attractive is thought to denote that an individual is less than capable as a human being.
Much of this article centers around one-time vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, who was at times seen merely as an attractive running mate for senator John McCain, who eventually lost the election President Barack Obama. Within the article however it is discussed how her physical attributes might have contributed to the loss, and how as an attractive woman she was more of a lure to keep attention on McCain regardless of how unqualified many believed her to be for the position. The article even speaks of studies that were conducted to ascertain how the average person rated Palin as a person and how objectifying her diminished her as a qualified candidate. In regards to her veracity as a politician and her status as a woman it was discovered that many individuals judge upon appearance and come to the conclusion that attractive women tend to be thought of as less qualified than others in positions of authority (Heflick & Goldenberg, 2009).
In truth a part of me wishes I could argue with this premise, as it an unfair and very stereotypical manner by which women are judged. Yet for all that the only fault I can truly find with this argument is that the objectification of women is not the sole cause of women being thought of as unqualified for positions of authority. For many generations in the past women were viewed as property, and in some cultures this is still the case. Their objectification was much worse in some cases, forcing them to live like servants in their own homes and being traded off to others for marriage in exchange for land and property. The current issues that arise from the objectification of women are a lessened version of the hardships that women have had to deal with in the past.
For all that though women have fought and persevered for their place in society as it exists now. To base someone’s worth upon how they look is not only unfair, it is a glaring flaw in society that forces women to continue to fight for equality in a world where they have already given so much. Good looks and personality should not define an individual, especially if their qualifications are able to propel them to greater heights. Describing Sarah Palin as a sex symbol is an impediment to any and all progress that has been made through the years. So far as the presidency is concerned the matter of popularity should be a byproduct of the candidates’
capability to best serve the country, not how they look in a bikini or form-fitting clothing.
While the authors do in fact remain somewhat objective, their lean towards how the objectification of women does not fully encapsulate the damage and ill effects that such a mindset can bring. The article includes a study that is more public opinion than anything factual. While the article is not entirely helpful the summary at least bothers to explain how a woman’s appearance affects the opinions that others keep of her. The comparison to Angelina Jolie might have been better explained as well, giving more credence to such an inclusion. There is no doubt that objectification of women is an issue, but it is one that needs to be addressed with greater depth. This article brings the subject to bear but does not dig nearly deep enough to discover the
uncertain origins of objectification.
Reference
Heflick, N.A. & Goldenberg, J.L. (2009). Objectifying Sarah Palin: Evidence that objectification
causes women to be perceived as less competent and less fully human. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45: 598-601.
