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Introduction
Until recently, bodybuilding was regarded as a deviant activity by a broad spectrum of society. Much of the earlier research in the area of bodybuilding focused upon the differences in personality structures of weightlifters and other athletes (Bednarek 239). Bodybuilders were depicted as experiencing feelings of inferiority, lacking masculinity, and displaying narcissistic and homosexual tendencies. Many contemporary scholars continue to describe bodybuilding negatively. Klein for example, describes bodybuilding men as being neurotically insecure, and engaged in a futile search for a hypermasculine body image.
During the last decade, however, North American society has witnessed the emergence of a new somatic culture in which physical fitness became revered, and bodybuilding has become increasingly acceptable. In this somatic culture, the body is seen as an entity which is in the process of becoming; a project which should be worked at ;md accomplished as part of an individual's self identity (Schilling 5). Recognizing the body as a project entails the acceptance that its size, shape and appearance are subject to reconstruction according to the designs of its owner. It requires an individual's consciousness about the management and aesthetics of his/her body. This necessitates the recognition of the body as both a personal and social resource which projects messages about a person's self-identity. Therefore, bodies become: malleable objects which can be shaped by the vigilance and hard work of their owners (Schilling 5).
Bodybuilding has become a popular means by which people, particularly men, can assert their self-identities through the development of healthy bodies. Bodybuilding is a good example of the body as a project because the quality and size of bodybuilders' muscles challenge accepted notions of what is natural about male bodies (Schilling 7). By constructing "unnaturally" large and striated muscular bodies, bodybuilders are able to make powerful public and personal statements about who they are (Fussell). Glassner argued that bodybuilding positively affects one's self-esteem and furthermore, bodybuilders have more positive body-images than athletes in other sports (Bednarek).
In addition, White and Gillet argued that bodybuilding was a response to a "crisis in masculinity" (20). Men often feel powerless and unsure of themselves due to the disparity between masculine traits they are expected to uphold and the social realities of daily life. Padfield argued that social changes...