Seksikuse konstrueerimine tutvumisportaalis Rate.ee
Date
2006
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
Portal Rate.ee has given people a chance to satisfy their need for fame and social
acceptance. Considering that a nickname is an important detail in web-based
impression formation, the selection of Rate.ee users analysed in this paper consists of
people who chose to link their web identity with sexiness – 207 users whose name
contained the word “sex”. Based on the concept of ”reading images” by Kress and
van Leeuwen (1996) and Bell (2001), 138 female and 69 male Rate.ee users were
analysed. Furthermore, some elements of image analysis from the theorys of
Goffman, Kang and Umiker-Sebeok were also used for the creation and interpretation
of the analysis categories (Goffman 1979, Kang 1997, Umiker-Sebeok 1996, through
Lindner 2004).
Some basic concepts in this paper: a stereotype is a generalisation which is based on
real or perceived characteristics or attributes (Pilvre 2004). Gender in this context
marks the sum of cultural and social characteristics in men or women. Sexiness is the
assemblage of such (visual) attributes, which make a person sexually attractive to the
potential partners, considering also that the construction of sexiness is influenced by
the media and society.
The purpose of this paper was to find out how and what kind of visual details are used
to construct sexiness and can there be detected any gender-based differences. As a
result of this analysis, it was found that there are less differences between men and
women that could have been expected. The construction of self was constructed quite
similarly – both, men and women were more likely to present themselves on the
photograph: standing alone, facing the viewer and smiling, acting passively in a
private sphere and were photographed from a far personal distance. More intriguing
differences between men and women are visible in body type category and the fact
that women tended to reveal more skin (higher body display) than men did.
In this paper 7 hypotheses were posed, 6 of them were based on the results of
previous media researches. The first hypothesis suggested that women smile more
often on the photographs than men do. Second hypothesis posed that men present themselves dominatively on the photographs. Third hypothesis was based on the
theory of face-ism (Levesque & Lowe 1999) and stated that men have higher facial
prominence on their photographs than women do. Fourth hypothesis stated that
“sexy” Rate.ee users gladly allow the viewer into their private sphere. Fifth
hypothesis suggested that ”sexy” female Rate.ee users are passive on the pictures.
These first five hypoheses were confirmed. Sixth hypothesis assumed that a “sexy”
female Rate.ee user reveals quite a lot of her body. This was the only hypothesis that
was disproved. Seventh hypothesis assumed that to signal sexual availability and
singledom, people pose alone – hypothesis was confirmed.
This paper was more focused on the web-behaviour of women and the youth at some
points. Women got more attention partly because there are not that many gender-
based media researches about men right now, and partly because the stereotypes and
images concerning women are stronger and more harmful in their effect. The women
also made up the majority of the selection. The youth deserve more attention because
of their constantly changing identity that is more impressionable than in the case of
grown-ups.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General)