objectifying

Objectifying refers to treating a person as an object or instrument for someone else’s purposes, rather than acknowledging them as a full human being with autonomy, rights, and agency. The term is widely used in feminist theory and social psychology to describe how people may be reduced to appearance, function, or body parts in various contexts.

Scholars distinguish several dimensions: sexual objectification (reducing a person to their sexual body or sexual function); instrumentalization (using someone as a means to an end); denial of autonomy or subjectivity; and commodification (treating a person as a marketable resource). Objectification can occur through actions, language, or media representations that present a person primarily for others’ use or gratification.

In media and everyday life, objectifying representations appear in advertising, entertainment, and online culture, and may contribute to social norms that tolerate or encourage disrespect, harassment, or unequal power. Research links higher levels of self-objectification with increased body monitoring, body dissatisfaction, and reduced well-being, while exposure to objectifying messages can shape attitudes and expectations about gender and sexuality.

Debates surrounding objectification emphasize context, agency, and structural factors, noting that not all depictions or experiences are equally harmful and that intersectional differences—such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, and ability—influence impact. Related concepts include dehumanization, commodification, and self-objectification.