Navigating Heterosexual Markets With and Through the Female Body

This reflection aims to explore current social theory concerning prominent features of contemporary society, through a critical engagement with the commodification of women in advertising within a neoliberal consumer society. To do this, this essay will first establish an understanding of commodification and its links to neoliberalism and women in the context of advertising, drawing on examples of marketing campaigns and evaluating the impact and effectiveness of women’s sexualisation. Then, this essay will seek to understand why women participate in their own sexualisation, through a neoliberal and feminist lens. And finally, there will be discussion of real-world consequences of the commodification of women, exploring dehumanisation, violence against women, and street harassment.