Overview

Today, our society portrays a very twisted image of beauty for men and women of all ages. When youngsters view these images, they get torn between their own actual body image and their perceived body image. As a result, boys and girls often develop psychological and physical problem at various degree, yet all connected to the conflict between their inside and outside images.

In order to shed light on body image perception and satisfaction, the international department of the University of Balikesir, Turkey, hosts a youth exchange workshop from the 24th to the 31st of May, 2015, inviting participants from Germany, Lithuania, United Kingdom, Poland, Czech Republic and Romania.

This project aims to give opportunities for youngsters (18-25 years old) to experience the information of how social media directly and indirectly control our concepts of body image, dissatisfaction feelings and the effects of body modification practices. It also gives a chance for youngsters to think about the intercultural body image issues, taking account into other critical factors such as gender and social media issues.

The aim and the specific objectives pf the project were:

1. Creating the awareness of body images common problems that have been affected by our daily social media and their influences on young people
2. By relying on youth prospective, producing and sharing solutions to overcome the problems of body image and dissatisfaction.
3. Exchange our foreign through self- study and visit them. All participants are advised to have his/her own phase book, so that they can be used during the project and after the project.
4. Foster cultural understanding by sharing food, knowledge, networks with Turkey counterparts, also by living and settling for a week from going shopping, using local transport, city touring, demonstration etc.

Introduction

A group of five youngsters from United Kingdom join a Youth Pass- Youth Exchange Project (Youth & Body Image) organised by Balikesir University, Turkey. This project took place from 24th May to 31st May, 2015.

During their visit, groups of young people from different countries jointly design, prepare and carry out different pieces of work such as video making, drama, poster design etc. This project usually contains a mix of workshops, debates, role-plays, simulations and outdoor activities. Those youngsters are supported by experiences youth workers and leader in this. Youth Exchanges allow them to develop competences, become more awareness on our society topics, discover new cultures, and strengthen values like solidarity and democracy etc.

Fig 1-2: We are heading to Balikesir University, Turkey,  

Fig 3: Nice meal in Turkey Airline (KK 6004) 

As we fly into Istanbul, we were going to Balikesir University straight away by coach and ferry. Once we arrived at the hall, it is already 4 a.m. in the morning; therefore we were going straight onto bed, relax afterward and waiting for our first day in this project.

Project impact and outcomes

• The project helped push each individual to speak up and express their opinion. Helped to build confidence and gain knowledge. By learning about others from different nations one is able to develop a great understanding about their own opinion on Body Image and challenge/ allow others to inform them to create a more structured concept.
• The project was able to bring this subject to the surface and challenge preconceptions and spread awareness about this very current and important issue.
• Participants felt that they were pushed out of their comfort zone to socialise with others from different European nations which at first seems difficult due to language barriers however after a short time. The invisible walls of difference came down and each member found it very easy to make friends and have fun.
• Due to English being the Medium language, the England group found it very easy to socially mix from group to group and have no difficulties mixing with any country.
• Each member of the English group felt that the programme was very worth while and that they would like ego continue to expand on the project theme to partake in a similar project to help raise awareness about this social issue.

Day: Five

Time is short! It is our last day in the campus. Starting from the final workshop organised by the Turkish leader, we are about to discuss some statistical data for this project, major problems of the youth (based on the questionnaire from each country), suggestion for the problem of body image and the final evaluation of this one week project.

Major Problems of the Youth:

1. Appearance is important (318 people out of 384) – 82.8%
2. Compare his/her body with others’ bodies – 54.4%
3. Want to change some features of body - 58.3%
4. Go on a diet to change appearance – 30%
5. Concerned about what other people think of him/her – 52%
6. TV programs, magazines, internet and/or social media (Facebook, YouTube etc.) are an important source of information about fashion and ‘being attractive’ – 41.88%

Suggestion for what we can do regarding to the problem of Body Image:

1. More project like this or one day workshop with youngsters, one day festival workshop, concert, protest for wrong media said my Tess and Petro
2. Try to engage busy people – said by Patrick
3. More open resources for youngster to access
4. Use more social media and mobile phone to promote the activity and following the issues behind – said by the head master
5. We should focus on the realistic of the body image problem – said by Lois
6. Give advice to mentor and youngsters
7. Be more diverse, travel more – said by Gytis
8. Child follow mother, we may need to train the adult first then us? – said by the head master

Final workshop – what can be done for the problem of body image?

More suggestion from what we can do regarding to the problem of Body Image:

1. Use filter – do not believe social media
2. Eat healthy – BMI does not tell us the whole thing
3. Fat can be caused by genetic inheritance, we need to be happy with ourself
4. Stop comparing yourself with other
5. Limit body weight check
6. Move and enjoy your body – doing something aim for fun but not for lose weight
7. Spend time with people who have healthy relationship with food and body
8. Nature our inner self as body image relates to esteem for us

Final evaluation section 

In the afternoon, we have a chance to go shopping in a busy market, Bahcelievler, Turkey.

Busy market and the picture with my Lithuanian group 

After shopping, we walk to the city centre – Merkez, Turkey. The city centre in there is amazing – full of colourful flags, different types of building, delicious food, drinks and shopping malls.

More pictures taken in the city centre

In the evening, we have a very nice Barbeque farewell party and certificates allocation.

Barbeque and Farewell Party

Group picture, we are holding with our certificates 

In the night time, we are all enjoying the Turkey cultural presentation and the farewell party, everyone is dancing and playing with their shadows screened on the wall.

Farewell party time – Crazy Time

Last moment before we leave and enjoy the next day in Istanbul, Turkey

Last moment in the campus

A day in Istanbul, Turkey

A day in Istanbul 

Day: Four

This day, the program of the project has changed a little bit. We start from preparing our own creative short films on Body Image. You can see how hand and how struggle do our Mr. British leader looks like (picture in the left). Considering with the content of our drama, we actually separated the scenes into several actions. The first two actions involve me and Tess - we are both acting as a fat couple and wondering about our perfect body image alteration. After that, we are going to lose weight and become a successful person, such as Tess becomes a model for catwalk and I have become the strongest man in the world. Time pass, we become older, we realise that we have wasted our whole life to follow the way of wrong beauty. We are not happy because we are putting pressure on ourself in order to keep our body as fit as possible. At the end of our scene, we discover that loving our natural body is far more important. ‘I still love you Gary’ said by Tess.


After lunch, we have an energizing games organised by our leader Patrick – Interesting dancing. Then, we are both being invited to show our creative short films about Body Image in hall. It is interesting because we can see how different do the other groups of people present their concept of body image by using a short video clip. In addition, the turkey partner also requests each group to show a video about a short survey of ourselves based on following questions:

1. Are you happy with the way you look?
2. If you could, what would you change about your appearance?
3. Is the others’ opinion about your appearance important for you?
4. Have you ever felt discriminated because of your physical appearance?
5. After reading a magazine or watching a program full of beautiful males and females, how do you feel about yourself?

Do you think the media’s representations of male/female body are a healthy image to follow?
It is important to note that social media is still controlling the concept of body image. Youngsters are still suffering the issues of self-body dissatisfaction and the effects of body modification practices (eating disorder). After this section, it gives a good opportunity for youngsters to think about the intercultural body image issues, taking account into other critical factors such as gender and social media issues. Moreover, there are some victorious stories have been shown on the videos. This workshop has state out the awareness of body images common problems that have been affected by our daily social media and their influences on young people. It also shares some solutions to overcome the problems of body image and dissatisfaction by watching different videos created by different countries.

After this workshop, we have a chance to go to Balikesir city centre and enjoy our dinner in there.

Enjoying in Balikesir with my new friends

In the evening, there would be German group and British group cultural night presentations. Starting with the German group, as usual, they show some pictures about their traditional food, history about their country and also a video about their interesting language. At the end of their presentation, they give us some German traditional potato soup to eat – such a wonderful night.

There you go – our British presentation night is start! We are going to do a pub quiz this time. Lois is our Queen of British and Patrick is the secretary of the Queen. They are going to give questions for everyone to answer and count the scores for each group they gain. For the rest of my team, we are going to do technical support for our cultural presentation. Our questions are very interesting:

1. Name the pictures (London attractions point – London eyes, Tower Bridge etc. )
2. Movie – what is name of the grey wizard in Lord of the ring?
3. Songs – What is the name of this song?

Everyone is enjoying our creative pub quiz

Day: Three

As usual, we have our great breakfast in the uni dining hall. After that, each group have to prepare their own drama –‘Am I like you see me?’

 Each group is presenting their drama

In the afternoon, the head of the organiser has given us a nice presentation about how we think ourself in philosophically and what are the essential parts of our mind. At the end of this workshop, there is a case study for us to read and discuss. Basically, the case study is about a man called Jim – He acts the same action after he was being in surgery but he lost his body shape, desires, memories, potentials and moral values. Regarding to our group findings, we believe that Jim is physically behave the same after he had his brain surgery but the personality of him might be changed. Also, we think moral values do have a huge impact or can be the most challengeable value for Jim’s future.

In the evening, cultural presentation night has been given out by Lithuanian and Poland youngsters. As usual, they are going to represented their own culture and typical food – everyone are super enjoy it!

Lithuania cultural presentation night, food and drink at the bottom

Poland money on the left and cheese on the right

We are having a group discussion on the top left picture. Me and Dovile (from Lithuania), delicious turkey food in the bottom

Day: Two

On our second day, the sun is hiding from the cloud. After having our breakfast at 8:30 a.m. in the morning, everyone is being called into the activity room and ready for the first workshop – ‘Practices and effect of interventions to body (group discussion)’.

At the beginning, there was a video showing how the social media affect our body image judgment and the effect of youngster’s behaviours. After that, we split into 6 groups and the leader allocate an same question sheet into each group for us to discuss –‘Some people think they will be happier and have a better life such as having a successful career, a loving partner, good friends, a nice house, a fast car) if they are more attractive and have a better body or long, shining hair. Are you agree or disagree? – That’s the question.

Regarding to the ideas from my groupmates, we agree with the topic but we believe it is not the truth because if people think in this way, they are gently increasing the pressure by themselves. To change the situation, this is necessary for them to change the way they think by talking to them that focus on our inside beauty is far more important than outside appearance. It is hard to change the media today due to financial challenges but we can still keep our mind clear on our concept of body image.

We are discussing the question in group and finally different groups have to give a short presentation about their findings. 

After the presentation, we are going to have our second lunch in the University of Balikesir. In afternoon, we are going to have another workshop which is about the role of beauty industry and media. It is interesting to note that social media has revolutionised the way that cosmetic companies connect and communicate with customers worldwide. It has changed the cosmetic industry, such as in 200 million blogs, there are 95,000 beauty blog has been posted and discussed among the age of 35 to 40 years old women.

Considering to the relationship of body image and the media, media always provide a necessary and valuable community service, however it is unrealistic and also the images of the ‘perfect’ body type are commonly across many forms of media and advertising, including social media. At the end of the workshop, questions are given out to each group for discuss. Regarding to my group (Gary), we believe that media, culture and community are the major components that constructs our idea about beauty.

We are preparing the question for the presentation later on.

In evening, there would be a cultural presentation night organised by Romanian and Czech people. Each country has presented greatly for their history of their home, typical food, drinks and traditions. We are super enjoying the moment when we start dancing followed by their traditional music. It is a fresh night to start understanding the new culture and traditions from different other great countries.

Cultural night presented by Czech Republic and Romania youngsters

Day: One

Watching out the sky from the coach window

It is 8 a.m. in the morning, looking from the window of the hall, the panorama is delightful. Here is warm and the sun is shining. We have our first breakfast in the dining hall and start meeting new friends with our sleepy faces.

Time flow, it is the time to start our excited adventure! There is a bus comes to pick us at the school hall. After staying in the bus for 2 hours, we are enjoying the sunshine in Ayvalik, Turkey.

Enjoying the Sunshine and we are wandering next to the water

Ayvalik is an attractive seaside town. The palm trees are lined with the waterfront and the smattering of fish restaurants are reflecting the lives of aqua. Cars are squeezed out of the narrow and the locals are headed for the market. It is a colourful, comfortable and relaxing picture.

Natural pictures of Ayvalik – seaside town, Turkey

In afternoon, we are going to a small Turkish restaurant to have our lunch meal, the Turkish food is great and we can’t stop talking with our new people coming from different countries. After finishing our meal, we have been delivered to the beautiful beach next to Ayvalik. ‘The Sun is too strong, we definitely need a sun cream’ said by me Gary. Everyone is enjoying the sun and water sport at that moment, and of cause we take loads of picture. We swim in the sea, play volleyball with other groups of people, sleeping on the sand and enjoying the sunbath. It is such a thoughtful journey.

We are enjoying in the beach - Ayvalik seaside town, Turkey

In the evening, the Turkish leader takes us to the closest restaurant and having our second Turkish meal in a day. As usual, the food and the view are both amazing. After that, we are being invited to see the sunset of Ayvalik, Turkey. The standing of the mountain, peaceful of the water, nature of the grasses combining with strong orange colour of the sunset is act like a picture reflecting in my mind – first day in Turkey is super amazing!

Group picture on the mountain, in front of the beautiful sunset in Ayvalik, Turkey