Using strategic science to explore ways to foster positive body image through the lens of corporate social responsibility: A mixed methods investigation

Global industries such as fashion, beauty, advertising, and cosmetic procedures play a substantial role in promoting unrealistic societal appearance ideals. Sociocultural theory demonstrates how this promotion can lead to negative body image. Notably, negative body image is pervasive in society and research has catalogued numerous associated adverse health and life outcomes. To date, efforts to disrupt the negative impact of unrealistic appearance ideals promoted by industries have been predominantly focused at the individual level.This PhD takes a different approach to uncovering ways to foster positive body image. Specifically, the overarching aim of this PhD is to explore ways to leverage the power of big business to foster positive body image through the lens of corporate social responsibility. Using feminist pragmatism as a theoretical base, this PhD employed a mixed-methods methodology and a strategic science approach to conduct three studies.Study One presents a qualitative exploration of industry professionals’ perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for businesses in fashion, beauty, and advertising to take action to foster positive body image. This study highlights some of the complexities of fostering positive body image from a business perspective, including industry-wide and societal weight bias, the fear of taking a risk when the status quo is working, and the primacy of profit as a marker of success. Study Two presents a quantitative online survey investigating fashion, beauty, and advertising industry professionals’ attitudes on representing a wide range of body sizes. This study shows that professionals are in broadly favour of showing a wider range of body sizes than is currently represented by their industry, indicating that this is good for business and good for society. Study One presents a second qualitative exploration, this time with professionals from the UK cosmetic procedures industry. The goal here was to explore how corporate social responsibility could apply to this industry in relation to population body image. Findings underscored the need for government regulation.This thesis extends current knowledge on strategies to improve population body image by presenting a business perspective. Implications and future directions are discussed