Perceived sexualization in girls' fashion stylings: A Spain-China cross-cultural analysis

Díaz-Bustamante-Ventisca, Mónica, Llovet-Rodríguez, Carmen and Narros-González, María-José Perceived sexualization in girls' fashion stylings: A Spain-China cross-cultural analysis. Comunicar, 2020, vol. 28, n. 65, pp. 77-87. [Journal article (Paginated)]

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English abstract

Many institutions, social and political groups are warning of the risks associated with the early sexualization of childhood. These agents appeal to the responsibility of the media to avoid creating content that may lead to childhood sexualization and that is easily accessible to all audiences. Responding to this demand and through a cross-cultural Spain-China approach, this work focuses on the analysis of the perception of girls’ sexualization in the fashion stylings disseminated by the media. A survey of 750 Communication and Advertising university students in Spain (N=449) and in China (N=301) was carried out. Five latent sexualization factors identified confirm that perceived sexualization in girls’ fashion styling is a multi-dimensional phenomenon that occurs from the combined use of multiple sexualizing attributes. The country of origin (Spain or China) has been associated with the perception of sexualization and the identified latent sexualizing factors. Finally, an explanatory and highly effective predictive model has been obtained for this type of childhood sexualization in terms of the factors and country of origin. Conclusions suggest that it is necessary to reinforce the training of communication professionals and minors to avoid creating images of sexualized girls through certain styling codes.

Spanish abstract

Numerosas instituciones, grupos sociales y políticos están alertando de los riesgos asociados a la temprana sexualización de la infancia. Estos agentes apelan a la responsabilidad de los medios para evitar la creación de contenidos que puedan derivar en sexualización infantil y que son fácilmente accesibles para todos los públicos. Respondiendo a esta llamada y con un enfoque transcultural España-China, este trabajo se centra en analizar la percepción de sexualización de las niñas en los estilismos de moda difundidos desde los medios. Se ha realizado una encuesta a 750 estudiantes universitarios de Comunicación y Publicidad en España (N=449) y en China (N=301). Se han identificado cinco factores de sexualización latentes que confirman que la sexualización percibida en los estilismos de moda de niñas es un fenómeno multidimensional que se produce por el uso combinado de múltiples atributos sexualizantes. Se ha corroborado que el país de origen (España o China) se asocia con la percepción de sexualización y de los factores latentes sexualizantes identificados. Finalmente, se ha obtenido un modelo explicativo y de elevada eficacia predictiva de la percepción de este tipo de sexualización infantil en términos de los factores y del país de origen. Se concluye que es necesario reforzar la formación de los profesionales de la comunicación y de los menores para evitar la creación de imágenes de niñas sexualizadas a través de determinados códigos estilísticos.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: Childhood; sexualization; cross-cultural study; media literacy; advertising; fashion; sexism; media convergence; Infancia; sexualización; estudio transcultural; alfabetización mediática; publicidad; moda; sexismo; convergencia de medios
Subjects: B. Information use and sociology of information > BJ. Communication
G. Industry, profession and education.
G. Industry, profession and education. > GH. Education.
Depositing user: Alex Ruiz
Date deposited: 09 Jan 2021 06:46
Last modified: 09 Jan 2021 06:46
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/40895

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