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The Daily OrangeBody Language: The Body Talk Project helps people speak out about their body issues
By Araba Sparta-Grant
Posted: 11/3/09, 1:23 AM EST Section: Feature
Harriet Brown remembers hearing students say that they refused to buy size 4 pants when they usually wear a size 2 because it made them "feel gross." Through her research with students, Brown, a magazine journalism professor recognized that students within the Syracuse community have body issues
In an attempt to relieve the pressure for students to have the perfect body, Brown brought Project BodyTalk to Syracuse for students to share and relate to each other. Brown believes that when there is more talk, there are fewer stigmas around self-image.
"Working in the media, I see the pressures on women and men to be a certain way, but we don't talk about it. We talk around it. Nobody's discussing what it's like having problems when you're living in your own body," Brown said.
Project BodyTalk is a walk-in program that invites students, faculty and staff to record their feelings about body image, food and health. From Nov. 2-13, recording sessions will be available from 3-7:30 p.m. in Newhouse II, Room 472, Suite P. Brown will also accept audio mp3 sent to hnbrown@syr.edu.
Some recordings from Project BodyTalk will be selected and aired on the National Public Radio show "51 Percent," which concentrates on women's issues and perspectives. Brown said the NPR show "StoryCorps Booth" was the inspiration for the project's format. "StoryCorps Booth" is a traveling audio booth radio show used to record the voices and stories of people across the United States, emphasizing the idea of "celebrating life through listening," an idea Brown hopes to bring to the Syracuse University community.
Brown, along with a research assistant, will help record the 3-to-10 minute commentaries. Individuals who wish to record alone or anonymously will be accommodated, Brown said.
After working in the magazine industry for 30 years, writing several books on mental health and body imagine, and experiencing issues with food herself, Brown said she thinks young people suffer worse from body images today than young people decades ago.
In an attempt to relieve the pressure for students to have the perfect body, Brown brought Project BodyTalk to Syracuse for students to share and relate to each other. Brown believes that when there is more talk, there are fewer stigmas around self-image.
"Working in the media, I see the pressures on women and men to be a certain way, but we don't talk about it. We talk around it. Nobody's discussing what it's like having problems when you're living in your own body," Brown said.
Project BodyTalk is a walk-in program that invites students, faculty and staff to record their feelings about body image, food and health. From Nov. 2-13, recording sessions will be available from 3-7:30 p.m. in Newhouse II, Room 472, Suite P. Brown will also accept audio mp3 sent to hnbrown@syr.edu.
Some recordings from Project BodyTalk will be selected and aired on the National Public Radio show "51 Percent," which concentrates on women's issues and perspectives. Brown said the NPR show "StoryCorps Booth" was the inspiration for the project's format. "StoryCorps Booth" is a traveling audio booth radio show used to record the voices and stories of people across the United States, emphasizing the idea of "celebrating life through listening," an idea Brown hopes to bring to the Syracuse University community.
Brown, along with a research assistant, will help record the 3-to-10 minute commentaries. Individuals who wish to record alone or anonymously will be accommodated, Brown said.
After working in the magazine industry for 30 years, writing several books on mental health and body imagine, and experiencing issues with food herself, Brown said she thinks young people suffer worse from body images today than young people decades ago.
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