Celebrating authentic bodies: Instagram (self)representations of models

Abstract

South African society is characterized by a historical legacy of institutionalized segregation and oppression along racial and, to a lesser extent, gender and (dis)ability lines. While social media can be considered a relatively elite phenomenon, it has the potential to challenge stereotypes and reshape public discourse. Beauty contests, fashion shows and modelling parades represent offline as well as online sites of struggle over aesthetic canons, aspirational looks, and ideal bodies. At the same time, they offer opportunities for alternative, marginalized and stigmatized bodies to "step into the light", as it were. Due to the primacy of the visual element, a platform like Instagram offers a rather unique opportunity to affirm that racialized, gendered and disabled bodies are not only normal, but authentically beautiful. In this paper we adopt an intersectional lens to investigate Instagram profiles by South African models with disabilities. Five women who differ in terms of ethnic affiliation as well as impairment were selected for an in-depth qualitative critical visual analysis and an ethnographic content analysis. In a South African context still largely shaped by patriarchy, sexism and ableism, we found (self)representations on social media are intimately intertwined with resistance, advocacy and social change. Self-representations by models with disabilities include sharing authentic aspects of self, affirmation, and role modelling