Anna as an object

Recently I became interested in research on self-objectification theory. In a nut shell, it says that from very early on women learn to treat themselves as objects that are there to be looked at and that they constantly monitor their own bodies as if to see it through the eyes of others. Clearly it causes numerous problems. High trait self-objectification is connected to eating disorders, dissatisfaction with one’s body, but it also decreases the ability to do math or even to throw a ball.

Now I’ve been wondering how the fact that my personality is gone influences the levels of my own self-objectification. As I mentioned before, I started defining myself by the fact that I paint my nails red. My other body attributes were always important to me. When asked what is special about me, I would always answer that it would be my natural very very blond hair and the fact that my eye-sight is perfect. Both of those things will vanish with time, so I will have to re-define myself, but that’s a different issue. When teaching classes at the uni here, I would always were high-heels even though after a whole day of standing in front of a white-board, I would barely make it back to the metro. When going to my lab, I will always do make-up and try to look the best possible. And yes, I really think it is so that people will remember me for something. I’m the Ph.D. student who never says anything, but at least her eye-lashes are always perfect.

Maybe not the best way to start an academic career…