Objektifierande

Objektifierande refers to the process by which a person is made into an object or treated as a thing to be used for someone else’s purposes, rather than as a full moral agent with rights and agency. In Swedish, the term functions as an adjective (objektifierande) and as a description of such a process. The concept is widely used in psychology, sociology, and gender studies to analyze how people, particularly women, are portrayed or treated in media, advertising, and everyday interactions.

There are two main strands: external/objectification, where others see or treat a person as an object; and self-objectification, where individuals internalize such views and regard their own bodies as objects to be evaluated by others. The theoretical basis includes objectification theory (primarily associated with Fredrickson and Roberts, 1997) which links repetitive objectifying experiences to diminished autonomy, body shame, and disordered eating, among other outcomes.

Applications include content analysis of media representations, examination of sexualized advertising, and studies of social media interactions. Critics argue that the concept can be overly broad or culturally contingent, and that it may overlook resistance, agency, and varied experiences across genders and non-binary identities. Some scholars emphasize the relational nature of objectifying processes and the role of power structures in reproducing them.

Operationally, researchers use coding schemes to assess visible cues of objectification in images, and psychometric scales to measure self-objectification and perceived objectification. The term remains a central analytic category in debates about gender, sexuality, and media influence.