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. 2019 Aug 7;16(16):2814.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph16162814.

The Body as an Object of Stigmatization in Cultures of Guilt and Shame: A Polish-Vietnamese Comparison

Małgorzata Lipowska  1 , Ha Truong Thi Khanh  2 , Mariusz Lipowski  3 , Joanna Różycka-Tran  4 , Mariola Bidzan  4 , Tran Ha Thu  2
Affiliations

The Body as an Object of Stigmatization in Cultures of Guilt and Shame: A Polish-Vietnamese Comparison

Małgorzata Lipowska et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine cross-cultural differences in body stigmatization between the individualistic Christian culture of guilt (Poland) and the collectivistic Buddhist/Confucian culture of honor and shame (Vietnam). The study included 1290 university students from Poland (n = 586) and Vietnam (n = 704). Subjects filled in the body esteem scale and the perceived stigmatization questionnaire, and body measurements were collected to calculate anthropometric indices. Participants from Vietnam were less satisfied with their appearance than their Polish peers. Men in both countries assessed themselves more favorably. No anthropometric index predicted body esteem in Vietnamese women, while only indices related to fat levels were predictors in Polish women. Men with a V-shaped body assessed themselves as stronger and as having a better physical condition. A possible explanation of the observed cross-cultural differences is that interdependent self-construal makes young adults in collectivistic societies more susceptible to criticism, and the Confucian values of modesty and shame lead to them not perceiving their bodies as sexual objects. The Christian sense of guilt does not influence the perception of sexuality. Absence of friendly behavior mediated the relation between anthropometric indices and body esteem in both cultures.

Keywords: body image; body stigma; cross-cultural psychology; gender differences.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Body measurements as predictors of body esteem.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Anthropometric indicators as predictors of body esteem.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Absence of friendly behavior as a predictor of body esteem.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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