The project
Body Shining is an Erasmus+ KA2 – Strategic Partnerships project, funded by the Italian National Agency. Our initiative roots from the increasingly frequent manifestation of the act of Body-Shaming among youngsters.
About the project
Our initiative roots from the increasingly frequent manifestation of the act of Body-Shaming, and from the need analysis that we conducted in the five partner’s countries. The issue of body shaming and body-positivity has been discussed several times, most of all in the last period. From the need assessment that we conducted, we have noticed that:
- Self-consciousness is the most important factor of our happiness and wellbeing, however, the safe space for young people to explore it is insufficient
- Body-shaming and related discrimination practices continue to be a major problem all through Europe. The needs analysis estimate between 75% of victims of it
- Shaming and cyber-bullism strike particularly young people in difficult situations. Disadvantaged teenagers often view discrimination as a normal aspect of relationships
- Often “body positivity” is confused with “to lose weight”
- Accepting ourselves has positive results on one’s inner and outer vision as much as our relationship with others.
YouGov, the largest online data catalogue available, made a European survey about body shaming. People whose bodies do not correspond to the “ideal” are insulted or
discriminated: among Europeans who have suffered discrimination, 36% have suffered more than ten times. But what stands behind the concept of discrimination as a result of physical appearance? According to the respondents, the main motive is the social pressure (36%) – i.e. the desire to conform to the behaviour of the group to which one belongs, or
even the lack of self-esteem of the person who mocks others (35%).
Nutrimente onlus, an association for the Prevention and Knowledge of Eating Behavior Disorders, conducted a survey with approximately 4,000 Italians between men and women
aged between 18 and 55 and carried out online monitoring on the main social networks, blogs, forums and dedicated communities (Woa methodology, Web Opinion Analysis). The
parts of the body particularly targeted were the legs (48%), followed by the belly (45%), back (41%), and hips (35%). The consequence is that body shaming affects self-esteem (45%)
and causes increased states of anxiety (43%).
The innovation on the topic will regard:
- Recognize, identify and prevent body-shaming
- Propose a body-positivity that will embrace any kind of diversity: shape, colour, gender, abilities
- Co-construct with young people in order to experience their perception of it and collect some of their critical incidents.
Objectives
Prevention of body-shaming
The youngsters will co-construct activities based on non-formal education and artistic mediation. As a result of an increment of their confidence and vocabulary they will acquire skills to identify and avoid it:
- Recognition and identification of act of body-shaming
- Better understanding of sociodynamics and how to don’t be affected by
- Stepping up against cyberbullying and hate speech
Body–Positivity
The youngsters will get a better understanding of a body-positivity attitude that will conduce them to a general self -approval and self-esteem, improving their relations:
- Instruments for developing awareness about self-perception and body-perception
- Capacity about how to react to the act of discrimination
- Skills for developing relational and emotional skills
Empowerment/co-construction
Through the process of the co-construction workshops, in particular, the artistic campaign youngsters will develop leadership skills, responsibility and they will be empowered:
- Obtained art and cultural knowledge
- Increased knowledge about how to run workshops/campaign
- Acquired organizational skills
Results
- Around 50 pages book (accessible online Html and pdf) survey be co-designed and disseminated by young people to their peers/ 200 critical incidents collected
- A series of short tutorial videos (5-7 minutes each), covering at least 2 practices per partner
- Activities to set an art-based workshop to develop body-positivity attitude/video lesson on the process
- Toolbox for youth professionals on how to create an art-based campaign.