Introduction

Our group had the task of exploring the topic of body image and how it relates to women. We explored the body image of the black body, the transsexual body, the fat body and the violence against the body that we see in pornography. The black body image for women has evolved through historical events and emerges in a multitude of areas. The transsexual body image surveys the stress of gender and body uncertainty. The difficulty surrounding gender and body uncertainty for transsexuals is heighten when there is high pressure to have a certain body type and look a certain way. The fat body image discusses both the fetishization of the fat body and the negative, and often untrue, connotations associated with it. The fat body is also discussed in terms of its place in our ideological society and its limited beauty standards. Both the fear and erasure of the fat body are imperative in understanding the fat person's role in society. The woman's role in pornography and the pornographic treatment of their bodies, intersects with race, sexuality and body image. The pornography industry abuses and objectifies the women body, and also creates an "ideal" body image expectation.