Introduction Body modification has been prevalent in society for centuries. It is defined as "the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancements, a rite of passage, and religious reasons, to display a group affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression." (Wikepidia.org). Put in its simplest term body modification is defined as “deliberately alter one’s physical appearance” (St. Leone, 2012, para.2). Almost all of us engage in some form of body modification or other. For instance, it would be pretty hard to find a woman these days who doesn’t have her ears pierced. (St. Leone, 2012, para.2). Throughout history, people have modified their bodies to follow certain traditions or as a way of identifying with their culture. There are many reasons why people modify their bodies and these reasons are viewed differently depending on several …show more content…
However, we see some members of society that resist this by creating their own self-image and identity through various body modifying practices which Foucault also recognised. In the 1970’s for example, we saw the introduction of ‘punk’ sub-culture which again has its own aesthetic style. Stretched piercings, facial piercings and tattoos along with dyed hair and the ‘mohawk’ are some of the body modification practices this group performs to allow themselves to be identified as ‘punk’. “Punks have typically spurned commercialisation, they instead choose to express and reinvent themselves via their own artistic creations” (De Mello, 2007, p.227). This style is also considered to be a form of deviance and uses modifications often intended to shock others. Their tattoos are considered to “mark the wearers as outsiders to mainstream culture, as well as insiders to the punk movement”. (De Mello, 2007,
Someone with body modifications does not care if others do not have body modifications; however it seems that people without body modifications care a lot more about the people that do. According to the article “The Modern Primitives” by John Leo, Leo confirms my statement by saying that body modifications are a sign of a crisis. In reality, these are people's chosen lifestyles that have absolutely no effect on his everyday life. Within his commentary, Leo discusses the many different forms of body modification such as piercing, tattoos, corsetry, branding, scarring, and S&M. A nose piercing might be on the more “innocent” side of body modification, but scarring by a knife would be on the “more extreme” side, showing the various stages of adversity.
Body modifications, with the focus of tattoos, have existed in our society for centuries and the way in which it is perceived has changed somewhat over the years, yet certain dishonors still remain our modern day. Like most body modifications, tattoos are an often misunderstood form of body modification. Despite the stigmas, tattoos have become a unique object of desire to endless diverse groups of people. But are the popular assumptions of tattoos out of sync with the true meaning behind them? Further explanation and exploration of the history will reveal the social and cultural practices of tattooing and the causal connection between the mind and the tattooed body, in addition to providing answers as to why tattoos stimulate uneasiness and curiosity and create a challenge to discursive practices.
How should I look like to have the ideal body? An increasing number of women ask themselves this question many times in their lives. Deborah Sullivan’s essay, “Social Bodies: Tightening the Bonds of Beauty”, discloses the different cultural traditions that require various methods of body modifications. Women should undergo such modifications to obtain social acceptance. Similarly, “Pressures to Conform” by Celia Milne discusses the effects of media and society on women, and how women view their physical appearance. The media gives women a plethora of choices for the perfect body and even provides ways on how to achieve them. There is no escaping. There is no excuse of not getting the ideal body that ranges from that of a stick-thin ramp model’s to the buff and chiseled outline of a body builder’s. Still, the struggle doesn’t end here. Women also desire smooth, wrinkle-free skin, hairless faces, and ample busts. “Stencil” women are celebrities, models, actresses - women whose coveted looks are seen through discriminating TV screens, posters, and magazines. The steady demand for these forms of media is mainly due to women who are looking for body images to pattern from. These women are on the constant lookout in updating their appearance and considering the bulk of information that the media presents to them, the media is a source of considerable amount of physical and psychological stress. In their fight for their roles in society, women undergo various body modifications to suit the taste of the present-day culture.
Shaving, applying makeup, and curling hair are a few practices that if a female does not partake in, society, and the social norm are stunned. Those are just a few disciplinary body practices in today’s society. Disciplinary body practices “Are practices because they involve taken-for-granted routinized behaviors and they are disciplinary because they involve social control in the sense that we spend time, money, and effort, and imbue meaning in these practices that regulate our lives” (Shaw 193). These practices can extend way beyond the basic beauty routine of a female as well. Plastic surgery plays a huge role in these body practices. Even men have practices that they are expected to partake in. They are less extreme in terms of price and just simpler in general. But for example, men are expected to have shaved necks, large muscles, and a broad upper body. These standards are causing body and beauty shaming around the world. Disciplinary body practices relate to the adamant consumer culture, constant media advertisements, widespread globalization, persuasive colonialism, and powerful imperialism.
Some such technologies include reproductive technologies designed to see and care for mothers and fetuses prior to birth, physical prosthetics to aid with average daily motion, and machines designed to aid quality of life. While, from the outside, all of these may seem like helpful and important advancements, by examining how individuals use and interact with these technologies, we can evaluate the value of their use and potential consequences. Specifically considering the topic of body modification, this can mean several things, from Cochlear Implants to reconstructive surgery. Body modification is important to consider because one’s sense of embodiment “shifts over time or by context (Kafer 4).” While this quote specifically applies to disability, it’s used here to further emphasize how something as large as surgically changing one’s body can impact how they see themselves, and change that sense of self more permanently than temporary use of the aforementioned technologies. While having similar takes on the idea of body modification, and its effects on embodiment, both theories ultimately approach the subject slightly
...atures which cause comment or make them feel self-conscious." She also says, "They also want their physical appearance to be more in line with their personalities and feel that they want all the bits of their bodies to match." (Dittmann, 30) When the person that got the surgery, thinks his or her “new” body fits their actual personality, most of the time, it does not fit them completely. They have to keep getting surgeries to obtain their perfect “bodies”.
Aesthetic, cosmetic, or commonly referred to by the layman as plastic surgery refers to a range of operations performed in order to repair or restore body parts to look normal or to enhance a particular structure or anatomy that is already regular as a fully functioning body part. The demand for this form of surgery has undergone an increasing trend in recent years, as various societies’ cultures have become more concerned with external human image and appearance. These growths in demand for aesthetic plastic surgery and the advocacy of practice in the media have invited concerns about the ethical aptness and permissibility of this medical procedure (Sterodimas, Radwanski, & Pitanguy, 2011). Advanced research, and novel technologies derived from such research, almost always raises ethical and moral considerations. It is essential to create an educated and well-informed public about the ethical issues in this field of medical study. This paper seeks to investigate and illustrate the ethical considerations that are in relation with the implementation and adaptation of cosmetic surgery, ranging from those that are related to injuries sustained from traumatic accidents to those that are purely initiated for enhancement purposes by individuals for various reasons. Also, various perspectives toward the issue of cosmetic surgery will be illustrated and discussed with respect to the basic normative theories in order to allow the evaluation of its moral correctness from various viewpoints.
M.D. “Body Image: A Clouded Reality”. Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self Knowledge 2.2 (2004): 58-65 pg. Web. 18 Nov 2013.
Tattoos and body modifications have been around for many generations. They first began in 3370 BC and were used by Europeans and Egyptians. Both tattoos and body modifications are defined as a cultural representation of self-expression and sometimes even religion. In the article “Tattoos and Piercing: Issues of Body Modification and the Workplace,” Dr. Elzweig states, “Although tattooing is not a new phenomenon, the number of people who have tattoos has increased significantly and continues to rise. Life magazine estimated in 1936 that only 10% of me American population was tattooed in whole or in part (One out of ten Americans is tattooed, 1936)” (Elweig, Peeples).
...its members to adhere to it could be established that it does in fact hold a huge influence over the way and nature we use our body. Culture through its system of symbols, that are structurally formed, through habitus, serves to teach us how to behave in order to become a fully fledged member of our given society. These symbols are further reinforced through the intuitions of family and education, the media, fashion and perceived societal norms. This affects the many ways in which we use our body, from the technique of walking through to sleeping, whilst also helping us to classify our social identity of gender and age. It is only through learning, continual practice and adhering to constant self control of one’s self, that we are able to do this successfully making every action we make a taken for granted “gymnastic art, perfected in our own day” (Mauss 1934:456).
In conclusion, the benefits of cosmetic surgery differ between people and situations; any negative thoughts of others may have an effect on a person’s decision to have a procedure done, but it is for the patient to decide if changing their body is the right decision for them. Regardless of the influences on the younger generation, unrealistic ideologies of patients, and moral issues others may have, plastic surgery will continue to be a huge part of society. However, society should be focusing on how to encourage others to seek happiness in whatever they seem fit, rather than choose to destroy the aspirations of others who choose to build a perfect body for
Have you ever asked yourselves why males and females are described the way they are in today’s society? Why do such views of “active” males and “passive” females continue to dominate in the most industrialized nations? All of these are questions that deal with how the physical body is socially constructed and in what way do the social structures continue to shape them. To investigate these questions, the article “The Body As a Social Construction” is summoned for discussion and further analysis from the various sociological perspectives.
Advancements to science and technology marks one way people are able to change the way they identify themselves. With these advancements, very little about a person’s figure is set in stone. Aspects such as how tall a person is, how much they weigh, and how they look can be easily changed. For example, if someone doesn’t like the way they look, they can go pay a surgeon to morph their bodies into a figure they desire. Nowadays, people can even alter the genders that they associate themselves with, to a certain extent. Since 1997, there has been a 279% increase in the total number of cosmetic procedures performed (“American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery”).
Social Issue Research Centre (2012). Mirror, Mirror- A Summary of Research Findings on Body Image. Retrieved from http://www.sirc.org/publik/mirror.html
There has been a substantial increase in cosmetic surgery being performed on individuals to enhance their looks leading to perception of beauty being changed in society. Many people who receive cosmetic surgery claimed that the surgery has improved their overall mental and physical well being. We must understand that, the most crucial and motivating factor of people wanting cosmetic surgery is through body image. There is two components of constructs in body image, body image through orientation, refers to how important the body is to the person. The second leading factor for cosmetic surgery is body image evaluation,