What is it about?
The sexualization of culture has been associated with objectifying women’s bodies and enhancing their self-objectification, with negative consequences for their welfare. By contrast, it has also been argued that women can enjoy and be empowered by sexualization. As such, both the negative and positive “faces” of sexualization might constitute two sides of the same coin. This research aims to validate the Spanish version of the Objectification and Enjoyment of Sexualization Scale (OESS), which, for the first time, allows both variables to be measured together. We examined the reliability and validity of the OESS scores with a sample of women from Spain. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (N1 = 1.050) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (N2 = 1.050) identified two meaningful and internally consistent subscales: Enjoyment of Sexualization and Objectification. Correlations with related scales confirm convergent validity. The implications of studying the sexualization of culture in women are analyzed.
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Why is it important?
This article is fundamental because it addresses the validation into Spanish of the Objectification and Enjoyment of Sexualization Scale (OESS), being the first assessment tool that allows both dimensions to be measured jointly and rigorously. Through an analysis involving 2,100 women in Spain, the research demonstrates that while the objectification of female bodies has deeply negative consequences for well-being and mental health, it often coexists with the "enjoyment of sexualization", an ambivalent factor that can mask subtle forms of patriarchal oppression. Its importance lies in providing the scientific and educational community with a versatile instrument to analyze how comments about appearance and the body—whether coming from strangers, coworkers, or romantic partners—impact women, making it possible to visualize harmful dynamics that are normally normalized or overlooked.
Perspectives
When I began this validation process for the OESS scale, my main objective was to provide the Spanish-speaking community with a rigorous tool to examine a complex reality: how the objectification of women's bodies and the apparent "enjoyment" of sexualization coexist as two sides of the same coin. Upon analyzing the responses of over two thousand women, what struck me most was seeing how everyday comments about appearance or the body—especially when coming from close individuals like romantic partners—make it difficult to identify the underlying harm. My strongest reflection after this research is that we urgently need versatile instruments like this to make visible and combat those subtle forms of patriarchal oppression that continue to be normalized in our society.
Yolanda Rodríguez Castro
Universidade de Vigo
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Rethinking the objectification of women: the Spanish version of the Objectification and Enjoyment of Sexualization Scale (OESS), Current Psychology, September 2024, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s12144-024-06718-7.
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