A Qualitative Investigation into Male Body Satisfaction

Abstract

There seems to have been an increase in the need for personal body satisfaction in males in recent years. Previous research has shown how different aspects such as the media can have an influence, and how males see their bodies as projects which they manipulate and design how they like. However, research specifically into why males want to achieve personal body satisfaction is limited, leaving a gap for this study. The purpose of this piece of research was to explore the reasons behind male body satisfaction, and what extents males are going through to improve their appearance. This study consisted of five semi-structured interviews with five regular gym attending males. The interviews were then transcribed and analysed once consent had been granted by the participants. Themes were then identified from the results of the data. The findings of the study found that along with Grieve’s (2007) discussions on the media’s influence, attraction seemed to be one of the underlying factors of body satisfaction. There were many secondary factors found such as power, and using the body as a project, but how a person looked in another person’s gaze seemed to be the main issue to trigger off body modification and maintenance.