Perceptions of Social Media Fitspiration Among Young Women: A Situational Analysis
Date
2023-01-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Fitspiration (i.e., fitness inspiration) is a social media trend consisting of content intended to inspire and motivate individuals to pursue a healthy lifestyle via diet and exercise. However, fitspiration’s focus on a healthy lifestyle often conceals its promotion of the fit ideal body (i.e., thin and toned). I used situational analysis to explore the complexities and competing discourse within fitspiration. Multiple types of data including a pilot study, individual interviews, fitspiration images, fitspiration image creator’s social media biographies, and personal experiences and memos were integrated and developed into analytic maps. These maps portrayed the nuances of fitspiration, showing it to be much more complex than simply “good” or “bad.” The main tension existing in the data occurred between three competing constructions of fitspiration: dominant fitspiration, body positive fitspiration, and weight-neutral approaches to health. Findings from the study have important implications for counselling psychologists’ education and practice, such as the need for a social justice lens and weight-neutral approach when working with clients.
Description
Keywords
situational analysis, fitspiration, social media, young women
Citation
Morhun, J. M. (2023). Perceptions of Social Media Fitspiration Among Young Women: A Situational Analysis (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.