The
Handbook of Diversity in Body Image addresses the urgent need for inclusive body image research and practice. This volume fills a critical gap by comprehensively examining how body image develops and is maintained and negotiated in various cultural, geographic, and social contexts. This book begins by tracing the historical trajectory of body image research and practice, highlighting the evolution from past perspectives to our current understanding. It then presents in-depth reviews of body image research in a range of geographic regions around the world. The volume also includes chapters that review the intricate intersections of identity, including discussions on body image in racialized minority groups, indigenous communities, minoritized sexual and gender identities, men, diverse religious identities, and those experiencing food insecurities. This handbook also presents chapters that consider diversities in life experiences, including body image across the lifespan, as well as in people with visible differences, disabilities, illness, neurodivergence, and larger bodies. Each chapter highlights the importance of understanding and embracing diversity in body image practice, emphasizing the significance of intersectionality in both research and real-world applications.
Handbook of Diversity in Body Image empowers researchers, clinicians, and educators to broaden their understanding of and approach to body image discussions. By highlighting marginalized voices and presenting innovative frameworks, this volume equips the audience with the tools to advance research, improve clinical practice, and foster inclusivity in the study and promotion of positive body image worldwide.
- Reviews the historical landscape of body image research and practice
- Explores how individual identity intersects with societal expectations
- Highlights the importance of understanding and embracing diversity in body image practice
Viren Swami is Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University, where he is co-Director of the Centre for Groups and Societies, and Adjunct Professor at Perdana University, where he is Director of the Centre for Psychological Medicine. His research is focused on body image, mental health, and the benefits of being in nature. He is ranked in the top 2% of the most-cited scientists in the world and is the author of over three hundred academic papers and three books, including
Attraction Explained (now in its second edition) and
The Psychology of Physical Attraction.
Tracy Tylka is a Professor of Counseling Psychology at the Ohio State University. She is Editor-in-Chief of Body Image: An International Journal of Research. Her research focuses on body image and eating behavior, with a particular emphasis on positive body image, intuitive eating, and psychometric instrument development. She is ranked in the top 2% of most-cited scientists in the world and is the author of over a hundred academic papers and five books, including Handbook of Positive Body Image and Embodiment: Constructs, Protective Factors, and Interventions and Positive Body Image Workbook: A Clinical and Self-Improvement Guide.
