Att framställa normer och skönhetsideal genom visuella representationer -En semiotisk och multimodal studie om hur företag konstruerar den “perfekta kroppen”

Sammanfattning: To produce norms and beauty ideals through visual representations - A semiotic and multimodal study of how companies construct the “perfect body”.The aim of this qualitative study is to investigate how clothing companies, with the help of visual representations, construct, confirm and/or whether they challenge different norms and ideologies regarding the "perfect body". Based on the above-mentioned research aim, this thesis aspires to answer the following research questions:- How do visual representations on Instagram contribute to constructing, confirming and/or challenging beauty ideals and norms? - What are the norms regarding each gender according to the analyzed visual representations?In order to address the study’s aim and research questions, this study adopts a case study design which is based on qualitative methodology. More specifically, this thesis conducts a multimodal semiotic analysis of a Swedish clothing company’s Instagram posts. Based on a purposeful collection method, the study offers an in-depth analysis of six Instagram posts, considered to be representative of the company’s overall marketing strategy.Drawing from theoretical perspectives such as, social constructivism, social semiotics, self-discrepancy and poststructuralist feminism this thesis shows cases that both can confirm and contest society’s norms and beauty ideals. In summary, this thesis shows that the company under investigation both constructs and contests ideals and norms regarding the "perfect body", for the individual gender. These ideals are confirmed by creating visual representations where only people who meet society's ideals and norms are presented. The company thus does not challenge the notion of the "perfect body", which is a fit and thin body.