Cosmetic Surgery, Suspect Norms, and the Ethics of Complicity Cosmetic surgery does not operate under the same distinct goals that regular medical practices operate under: the removal, relief, or curing of maladies. Cosmetic surgery is mainly deemed as a luxury, one that is allotted to those with the means to send money on something that is often deemed purely superficial. These surgeries do not stem from a base of medical necessities however there is a certain level of suffering that can accompany some of the patients want for surgery. The suffering, coming from mostly issues with self image, are directly related to social norms. These social norms are ones constructed by society as a whole based on what they deem as “beautiful”, “expectable”, …show more content…
Margaret Little separates how society treats those who do not fall into what is deemed attractive and acceptable into three cases. These three cases essentially focus of how society as a whole treats the individual who is somehow outside of the norm. The relations of social norms and cosmetic surgeries places surgeons in a particular position. Despite possible good moral reasons for doing cosmetic surgery on patients with appearances that do not match up with social norms, the very action of doing the surgery upholds these social norms. To act morally, a surgeon participating in a cosmetic surgery must also reject the norms that caused the patient to want to go through with the surgery. To simply do the surgery would account for a rejection of the root cause of the problem. Even further, surgeons end up reinforcing social norms when they simply perform the task without speaking out against the institutions that enacted or govern the …show more content…
Surgeons may find themselves in a awkward position if they are both doing the surgeries, and also speaking out against the norms that more that likely initially caused their clients to become their clients. Little speaks of “fighting the system.” However, how is one to fight the system while perpetuating the very actions which may uphold the system? If a person is to fight the system; shouldn't he or she first learn of the systems flaws, step outside of the system, and attempt to create a new system based on the foundation of acceptance of peoples individual
In today society, beauty in a woman seems to be the measured of her size, or the structure of her nose and lips. Plastic surgery has become a popular procedure for people, mostly for women, to fit in social class, race, or beauty. Most women are insecure about their body or face, wondering if they are perfect enough for the society to call the beautiful; this is when cosmetic surgery comes in. To fix what “needed” to be fixed. To begin with, there is no point in cutting your face or your body to add or remove something most people call ugly. “The Pitfalls of Plastic Surgery” explored the desire of human to become beyond perfection by the undergoing plastic surgery. The author, Camille Pagalia, took a look how now days how Americans are so obsessed
Plastic Surgery: An Annotated Bibliography “Cosmetic Surgery vs. Plastic Surgery.” American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, 2016. Web. The Web.
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.
Some people have decided that plastic surgery may help improve someones mental health and therefore should be included in health care insurance, I think this is just absurd. I am all for the improvement of mental health care considering it is very lacking in this country but I also think that until there is more proof to this argument we should not include it in everyones medical insurance fees. America is having a crises when it comes to mental health care and already doesn't include mental health care in many insurance policies as it is and this far fetched idea may not be a good thing to add in for the general public until we have more evidence to support this topic. However, I don't think general cosmetic surgery should be allowed, I do see the benefit of other "cosmetic" surgeries such as gender reassignment surgery which I feel these are less cosmetic and more geared towards mental health.Basically, I generally disagree with the idea that cosmetic
Some people’s obsession with plastic surgery is obviously getting out of control. It starts with only getting one thing fixed or corrected but then quickly escalates and before you know it, a face that once was all-flesh turns into plastic. According to a study conducted by Nigel Mercer (2009), “The number of official cosmetic surgeries has more than tripled to 34,000 since 2003”. The two reasons why plastic surgery should be banned are because of its high health risks, and because of the additional pressure it puts on people to look picture-perfect.
Facelift surgery and non-invasive techniques are not just for women. In this day and age, men are also getting facelift done to look youthful and fit. It has indeed become a new trend among men in 40s and older. Although the technique is all same, guys who get surgery do face a few social challenges unlike women. A number of popular Hollywood actors now have publicly claimed that they have got their face done.
Being exposed to the ever alluring representation of “A Perfect Body” in media through the picture of celebrities and actors, we inevitably grow more careful about our own body and try to compare ourselves with that unrealistic image that is made real for us. And the only remedy we find to get closer to that so-called norm, is to change our appearances with the help of cosmetic surgeries. Some people find a perfect correspondence between their physical features and inner confidence and instead of working on their inner abilities to elevate their character, try to make a better look. But there may be cases in which one is forced to undergo this kind of surgery out of necessity. What is Islam’s view with regard to this matter on the whole? Are we allowed to have cosmetic surgeries or not? What are the conditions?
For our project, K-POP, we have decided to compare how the digital realm influenced the boom of cosmetic surgery in Korea compared to American plastic surgery, where digital means are a less common tool utilized to increase, accentuate, and bring publicity to this industry. We want to take a deeper look into how Korean pop culture and its technology may be influencing the process one takes to get plastic surgery, such as the advertising it provides for each individual plastic surgery. This is opposite of America, where plastic surgery is more taboo, therefore absent in these spaces. Through this research we are ultimately focusing, emphasizing, and analyzing how the digital realm of each country has recently influenced the plastic surgery industry,
Is Cosmetic Surgery giving adolescents false hope that it can “cure” deep insecurities or is it giving teenagers the confidence to be comfortable with their newly improved bodies? “In Miami, FL—Melissa Gonzales used the money she had gotten from her eighteenth birthday to have her breasts augmented. Melissa Gonzales is one of the many individuals who have had success with aesthetic surgery though there are still many who regret their aesthetic procedure like Kacy Long. Kacy Long had gotten implants three years ago. A few weeks following the surgery she began to endure shooting pain in her arms, followed by intense joint pain and crushing fatigue.” (Farrell) These two have had cosmetic surgery but have had different experiences. Aesthetic Procedures have been becoming an international trend, among all ages. The younger audience has been having surgery because they believe that it will allow them to fit in. In just a couple of years the number of surgeries skyrocketed. The “American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery recorded that 160,283 children, 18 and under have had cosmetic interventions in the year 2008.” (Marcus)As a result, cosmetic surgery has become a controversial issue. Some individuals believe cosmetic surgery will help boost adolescents’ confidence, especially in those who have deformities, while others claim that teenagers shouldn’t have aesthetic procedures due to the fact that it is a life impacting decision to make, and teenagers often do not think about the consequences of their actions, so they may later on regret their decision in life. Anyone who is under the age of 18 should not have cosmetic surgery due to the fact that there are so many emotional dangers, medical risks, and that a teens mind and body a...
Flipping through the pages of Vogue's latest edition, 23 year-old Susan seems quite upset. She struggles with the thought of lacking the perfect body and delicate features in order to be considered attractive. Surprisingly, Susan is not alone in this kind of an internal struggle. In contemporary society, every other woman aspires to have the lips of Angelina Jolie and the perfect jaw line of Keira Knightley. Society today looks down upon individuals that do not fit in, whether in terms of body shape or facial attractiveness. This forces them to consider the option of 'ordering beauty.' Since cosmetic surgery is no longer a social taboo in America given its widespread popularity, more people are promoting it which ultimately affects the rest of the world due to the unwavering influence of American culture. Cosmetic surgery should be deterred in the US because it promotes the idea of valuing appearance over ability, gives rise to unrealistic expectations, and brings with it high cost to society.
Throughout the course of history, humans, mostly women, have gone to extreme lengths to make their body the perfect idea of beautiful. With the most early known form of cosmetic surgery dated back to 2000 BC, people have always tried to make their bodys better and more beautiful (Salcido, 2010). Today we may look at these practices as barbaric when in reality we have own own equally disturbing version. With 15 million people going under the knife in 2014, our society today is still striving for beauty as the people did in 2000 BC (ASPS, 2014). However, beauty is a highly subjective term and is ever changing. This then forces us to take a step back and wonder, what are the causes of making people feel so uncomfortable in their own skin that
Have you ever looked in the mirror and not liked what you saw? Haven’t we all? How about this, have you ever looked in the mirror and considered spending thousands of dollars to change what you see? Nope, me neither, but unfortunately thousands of people everyday do. Whether it’s a new nose, bigger breasts, an uplifted face, or any other cosmetic surgery, everyday someone is going under the knife to feel better about themselves. Now you may think, well that’s fine if they’re happy that way. However, it is most likely that after a surgery they will be more upset with what they see. There are many risks ignored by patients having cosmetic surgery
The world of cosmetic surgery is one of the largest and fastest growing industries worldwide, bringing in billions of dollars each year with cosmetic procedures that both men and women are having, in order to improve their looks, self esteem, and fulfilling societies norms and values. Cosmetic surgery has been accepted in certain cultures, this is a way of expressing who the person is. In my opinion cosmetic surgery is a good thing for individuals to pursue. As cosmetic surgery improves mental and physical well being, cosmetic surgeries through media, as cometic surgeries are improving health related issues, and creating opportunities for people.
Cosmetic surgery consists not just of enhancing someones beauty, but also to help those who have been badly damaged in an accident or who have physical birth defects. Many believe that women are the main gender that go for cosmetic surgery. Yet studies have shown that 11% of men are also getting cosmetic surgery - in fact since 1992, the percentage of men getting cosmetic surgery has gone up by 50%. Middle aged men see plastic surgery as an investment in their career prospects. It is important to know that it is neither sex nor age which makes some type of aesthetic surgery procedure feasible, but what is important is a good general health condition.
Beauty is a huge thing in the world today. Looks are the first thing someone notices about you and it is what they judge you on. It is just how our society is today. Unfortunately, it is what the world has come to. The biggest extreme that someone can go to to enhance their natural beauty is to have plastic surgery. People are choosing to have plastic surgery due to the influence of celebrities, selfies, bullying, how important beauty is in society and the health benefits of it as well.