The concept of culture can be defined as an orchestrated integration of unconsciously learned behavior patterns that are characteristic of a group of people. Many varying constituents can compose any given culture. This causes many different cultures to deviate from one another greatly. Such components as ethnicity, life experiences, values, beliefs, religion and customs are all examples of these aspects. (Warner and Mochel, p.4, 1998)
Customs are a way of expressing values and beliefs of a culture. One form of a cultural custom is bodily alterations. These exist in many cultures throughout the world. They vary in expressivity from minor markings to complete addition or removal of body parts.
Many examples of body alteration exist. Cosmetic surgery plays a significant role in customs of body alteration in the U.S. One such example is that of breast augmentation. This is when the breasts are surgically enlarged by placement of a synthetic implant behind both/either the breast tissue and chest muscles, through means of a small incision. A plastic surgeon and/or reconstructive surgeon perform this procedure. (http://www.atlanticplastic.com)
Augmentations or enlargement of the breast, medically termed augmentation mammoplasty (http://www.plasticsurgery.org/surgery/brstaugm.htm), became a commercial success in the mid- 1960's with the invention of inflatable silicone implants. Their population has continued. It is estimated that well over 1 million women in the U.S. have had their breast surgically enlarged. Each year approximately 130,000 women have their beasts enhanced. Most women that undergo this surgery are between the ages of 20 and 30years old. (Davis, p.25, 1995) However, as the popularity of this surgical procedure inc...
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In procedure itself the two practices themselves are very different. However, breast augmentation and F.G.M. are very "similar" relative to the societies and cultures in which they are present. Authors Lackoff and Scherr (1984) sum up the cross- cultural comparison very well:
"The pain tends to be of a long, even lifelong duration: rather than the quick prick of a needle, we have the squeezing out the tight laced corset, the stab of the pointy toe, the asphyxiation of the collar and tie, or the scrape of the razor blade day in and day out. The pain is perhaps less agonizing at any one moment in our beauty rituals than theirs, but over time it evens out." (Davis, p.41, 1995)
In summation regardless of the exact ritual, people are willing to brave pain and actual health risks in order to adhere to cultural norms of how the body should look through body
Major changes occur in a women's body especially to the breasts with age, significant weight reduction, childbirth, and breast feeding. Apart from affecting the self-confidence, large breast cause other physical discomforts in the form of neck and back pain. This procedure is useful in reconstituting the breast configuration in women who have undergone Mastectomy to remove breast, mostly due to cancer. The breast formation may either involve implants or tissues from other parts of the body such as back or lower abdomen. Reconstruction of nipple and areola may be done to regain the natural appearance and confidence. The firmness and round contour of the breast can be restored by breast reduction surgery. Often, some women feel the size of their breast is too small. Some people desire for augmentation surgery after breast changes due to pregnancy, while others wish to correct the asymmetry in the size of the breast. In all these cases, it is possible to peerform breast enhancement surgery.
Most women want to have firm, perky and sexy breasts because it makes them feel good about themselves. However, over the years, factors such as aging, breastfeeding, weight fluctuations, pregnancy, heredity, gravity and others can have a toll on their breasts causing them to lose firmness and change shape. Sagging breasts are not only unsightly, but also cause embarrassment and to women. As a result, some are willing to go to any length to get their strong and firm breasts back. One of the medical procedures that can help women rectify the sagging is breast lift surgery.
Every woman has her own reasons behind her decision to get breast implants. Some women have undergone mastectomies, and get breast implants in order to feel “normal” again. According to the National Women’s Health Network (http://www.womenshealthnetwork.org) women who have lumpectomies have the same survival rate of women who have mastectomies as a result of breast cancer. They concluded that up to 40 percent of women who were diagnosed with breast cancer underwent unnecessary mastectomies. These mastectomies, whether necessary or not may lead to women to undergo breast augmentation surgery.
“Body Art as Visual Language” by Enid Schildkrout talks about the different forms of body modifications, and their meanings within different cultures. For example, Schildkrout says “Head shaping may be a sign of high status in one culture and low status in another, but to a total outsider, these practices may appear to be simply mutilation.” In this quote, the author talks about how one body
Body modification is defined as any deliberate alteration to ones’ physical appearance. Most people think that only tattoos and piercings fall into this classification, but this is barely grazing the surface of the extents that body modification can lead to. Anything from a simple ear lobe piercing to breast implants, or tattoos and scarifications are all considered as some form of modification. In western cultures, modifications are made for aesthetics and self-expression, but every culture is different. Native American tribes find spiritual clarity or vision in body suspension, where the body is literally hung on hooks, and in Imperial China's practice of binding the feet of women to represent wealth and beauty. In this paper we will not only look into different piercings, but the history behind them and tattoos as well, also the different modifications that various cultures practice, and why. I will explore tribes such as the Mursi tribe in Ethiopia and the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, India. By the end you will have learned about various cultures and traditions, and have a whole new perspective of the art of body modification.
knew what would happen to her the day her mother called her out of her
There are multitude definitions of culture available in the literature and each definition relies on the context of one’s field of study. It was variedly defined that each
The trend for a number of young girls is to get breast augmentation. They think that by changing their bodies, they’re going to change their lives. They think they will be happy, and they will be completely satisfied with their implants. Their expectation is that their self-confidence will skyrocket, and they will be attractive girls. Many young girls get implants to make themselves stand out more and to have a great appearance, but there are many reasons that they should comprehend the long-term effect of surgery.
Culture is a difficult concept to put into words. “Traditionally anthropologists have used the term culture to refer to a way of life - traditions and customs - transmitted through learning” (Kottak, et al. 2008: p.11). Children inherit their culture, as well as social norms and ethics, through a process called enculturation. Enculturation, in essence, determines who a person will become, because culture defines who a person is. More specifically, “Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs arts, morals, laws, customs, and any other capabilities or habits acquired by man as a member of society” (Taylor, 1971/1951: p. 1). In modern society, our traditions and customs come from a variety of different sources. Television,
A multitude of people would like to change something about their physical appearance and some actually do through cosmetic surgery whether it’s a rhytidectomy, abdominoplasty, or breast argumentation. However, these surgical procedures are not necessary to the patient health but instead, they are performed purely for the patients need to change how they are viewed. One of the most common procedures here in the US is breast argumentation for example, “between 2000 and 2006, a record number of women flocked to get implants; procedures rose by 55 percent” ("Why Thousands of Women Are Having Their Breast Implants Removed"). Many women have gone through the breast argumentation procedure to enlarge their breast size in which they choose between
When it comes to plastic surgery procedures, breast augmentation surgery (breast implant surgery) remains at the top of the list and continues to rise: The 2016 American Society of Plastic Surgeons National Plastic Surgery Statistics Report states that breast augmentation procedures increased by 4 percent from 2015 (279,143) to 2016 (290,467). Dr. Nina S. Naidu is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who frequently performs breast implant surgeries for women who reside in New York City, including the Bronx.
Nowadays, since the number of procedures increases, cosmetic surgery has rapidly developed all over the world. According to an annual report of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in 2015, the United States is the biggest market of cosmetic surgery in the world. Near 16 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2015, with the five most common surgeries being breast augmentation, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, liposuction and tummy tuck (“Plastic Surgery Procedures”).
Cosmetic Surgery is a great discovery that has been around for many centuries. “The history of plastic surgery origins in the early 800 B.C. when surgeons in India restored noses to persons who had them taken off as a form of punishment.” (History of Cosmetic Surgery, 2008) Many people have used over the years cosmetic and reconstructive surgery to enhance their physical appearance weather it be for health problems associated with birth defect or problems that they have developed over the years or to even alter physical appearances for instance nose jobs and tummy tucks. There are numerous types of cosmetic surgery that can be done today in the United States, over the year’s surgeons techniques have improved dramatically. There are a number of pro’s and con’s that go along with cosmetic surgery, such as the amount of recovery time and the initial cost of surgery. Statistics also show that cosmetic surgery has grown so rapidly over the years it is phenomenal people who receive cosmetic surgery goes up by the millions every year. While there can be many related health risks due to cosmetic sugary, many times cosmetic surgery is necessary and its is made more affordable than thought to be.
Culture is the totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects and behavior. It includes the ideas, value, customs and artifacts of a group of people (Schaefer, 2002). Culture is a pattern of human activities and the symbols that give these activities significance. It is what people eat, how they dress, beliefs they hold and activities they engage in. It is the totality of the way of life evolved by a people in their attempts to meet the challenges of living in their environment, which gives order and meaning to their social, political, economic, aesthetic and religious norms and modes of organization thus distinguishing people from their neighbors.
What is culture? Culture is identity; it’s the indigenous or non-indigenous ideology, habits, customs, appearances and beliefs that people are either raised by or adapt to from different nations surrounding. It is a network of knowledge shared by a group of people. Culture consists of configurations, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior obtained and spread by symbols establishing the distinctive achievement of human groups including their embodiments in artifacts; the vital core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values. Culture systems may, on one hand, be considered as products of action, and on the other, as conditioning influences upon further action.