Editing Sexual objectification (section)

{{Short description|Treating a person primarily as a sexual object}}
{{Redirect|Sex object}}
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[[File:Hot Import Nights bikini contest 35.jpg|thumb|260x260px|Women in a [[bikini contest]] are valued for the sex appeal of their bodies over other attributes.]]
'''Sexual objectification''' is the act of treating a person solely as an [[Physical object|object]] of [[sexual desire]] (a '''sex object'''). [[Objectification]] more broadly means treating a person as a [[commodity]] or an object without regard to their [[personality]] or [[dignity]]. Objectification is most commonly examined at the level of a society ([[sociology]]), but can also refer to the behavior of individuals (psychology), and is a type of [[dehumanization]].

Although both men and women can be sexually objectified, the concept is mainly associated with the objectification of women, and is an important idea in many [[feminist theories]], and psychological theories derived from them. Many feminists argue that sexual objectification of girls and women contributes to [[gender inequality]], and many psychologists associate objectification with a range of physical and mental health risks in women. Research suggests that the psychological effects of objectification of men are similar to those of women, leading to negative [[body image]] among men. The concept of sexual objectification is controversial, and some feminists and psychologists have argued that at least some degree of objectification is a normal part of [[human sexuality]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Paglia |first1=Camille |title=Sexual Personae |date=10 September 1990 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=9780300182132 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jpZmBuUoAf8C&q=Objectification%20 |access-date=13 November 2022}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web |last1=Barber |first1=Nigel |title=Objectification Is a Basic Aspect of Male Sexuality |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201607/objectification-is-basic-aspect-male-sexuality |website=Psychology Today |access-date=13 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Strossen |first1=Nadine |title=Defending Pornography |year=2000 |isbn=0814781497 |page=136 |publisher=NYU Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=geCnBAAAQBAJ&q=Objectification%20 |access-date=13 November 2022}}</ref>
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