Female bodies have been conceptualized as an unfinished biological and social phenomena, which is transformed within the participation in our society. The way we walk, talk and gesture are all influenced by our upbringing. Sociologist argue that we conceptualize our bodies and use as markers of distinction in contemporary society of our self and identity tied to our body (Featherstone, 2010). The idea that our bodies are continuously in a state of unfinished process, and are a project which should be worked on and should be accomplished as part of an individual’s self identity (Shilling, 2003). According to Nettleton, (2006) who states that the attitudes towards our bodies influence the disclosure of health promotion and cultural aspects of our live. The moment that we are conceived to the time we die, our social process impinges on our health and well-being. The social locations of our parents will effect our life choices. Our understanding of beliefs about health and illness will be held by our peers and those, whom we live with, these aspects will shape our own understanding of our health and well-being. There are two polarized perspectives on our body, such as naturalistic presumes the body is a real biological entity, in which we exist as an universal phenomena irrespective of the social context in which it resides. The second polarized is the social-constructionist which approaches by the contrast of the body that is socially created or invented. Williams, (2003) argue that the body has been variously described as affect of power, knowledge and the cite we live our experiences. However according to Davis, (1997:15) argue that our bodies are not simply abstractions that how is seen as embedded in the immediacies of every lif...
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“But the body is also directly involved in a political field; power relations have an immediate hold upon it; they invest it, mark it, train it, torture it, force it to carry out tasks, to perform ceremonies, t...
2. The body as a subject is evincing humanity beyond cultural construction and linguistic formulation.
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What do body modifications signify in people's culture? Some cultures force body modifications as a right of passage into a new stage in a person's life. Body modifications are associated with many things, for example, commitment, social rank, and ways to control people's lives. Waris Dirie, Tepilit Ole Saitoti, and Enid Schildkrout talk about body modifications and what they mean in different cultures. Cultures have different forms of body modifications with their own meaning and background. Men and women must take on specific roles set upon by their culture from the body modifications they endure.
The female body is socially constructed in different ways over categories concerning race, sexuality and gender. Society has a huge control over women’s body and sometimes influences them to make “choices” that are harmful to themselves. This paper focuses on Fausto-Sterling’s The Bare Bones of Sex and how medical research has failed to consider the impacts of social factors and not just biological ones on bone health; Thompson’s A Way Outa No Way… in which eating disorders are solely claimed to be due to society’s norm of physical appearance and the restriction of eating problems to just white upper- and middle-class heterosexual women; and lastly Davis’s Loose Lips Sink Ship which addresses the increasing popularity of labiaplasty in the United states and the outrage shown towards African women who indulge in female genital mutilation. The following paragraphs will discuss the ways in which the female body has been neglected in society and “choices” made to conform to society’s norms.
I chose these four journal writings because I believe they are the strongest pieces I have written from the second half of the semester. The main focus of these journals was based on readings under the women as objects topic. The oppression of women has led to females being objectified and used as gratification for men. A woman’s body and appearance have become a commodity, especially in the media. Films, television shows, music and advertisements use women’s bodies to attract their audience and sell products. The movie watched in class “Killing Us Softly 4,” highlights this fact while presenting how women are represented throughout the media. The media has set and perpetuated a particular standard of beauty that is restrictive, but for some many women completely unattainable. The women represented in the media are young, thin and have western or European characteristics. Where does that leave the majority of women that do not fall under this category? This leads to women developing eating disorders to achieve an ideal body image that is manufactured through Photoshop and other picture editing systems. Women of color, women with disabilities or any woman that does not follow this standard is not represented within the media. When a few women do break this mold and become famous, they are set at a different standard. These women’s differences become the highlighted feature of their fame. However, the one constant in the media when it comes to women is the objectification and sexualization of women. This sexualization can lead to aggression or violence against women and the perpetuation of rape culture. The images viewed in the media directly impact how women view themselves and how others view women. By examining the issues women f...
Marcel Mauss in his work Techniques of the Body (1934) is regarded as the first piece of work to outline a systematic anthropology of the body (Synnott 1993). It aims to show evidence that most everyday body techniques differ between people raised in different environments, as they have a different way of life that requires a different set of skills. According to Mauss all ordinary activities such as walking, running, swimming, resting are not just techniques we are naturally equipped with but are instead culturally acquired. The aim of this paper is to critically assess Mauss’ argument that techniques of the body constitute culture. This will be done by looking at what is defined as culture in the context that Mauss refers to. An analysis of Mauss’ examples of “body techniques” given in his paper will then begin, whilst also drawing on current examples. Mauss’ work will then be compared to other writers in the field of ‘the body’ such as Elias and Goffman.
Most of us don't like some aspect of our appearance, whether it's sagging eyes or excess weight in particular areas, to name a few complaints. Lately a record numbers of Americans are doing something about it by having plastic surgery. Since 1995, the number of cosmetic procedures, which range from liposuction to facelifts, has almost tripled (English 23). Is that a healthy choice-or a dangerous trend? Aging has become the field of the future for plastic surgeons whose patients have reasons not always valid in the search for youth and beauty.
It is shocking to see the digression in humanity’s morals and values over the past decade. As cliché as it sounds, the media is the center of it all. The way women are being represented, from our television sets, the radio, pornography and even art has pushed beauty to the top of the list of controversial and widely debated topics around the globe. “Whenever we walk down the street, watch TV, open a magazine or enter an art gallery, we are faced with images of femininity,” (Watson and Martin).
In this age, media is more pervasive than ever, with people constantly processing some form of entertainment, advertisement or information. In each of these outlets there exists an idealized standard of beauty, statistically shown to effect the consumer’s reflection of themselves. The common portrayal of women’s bodies in the media has shown to have a negative impact on women and girls. As the audience sees these images, an expectation is made of what is normal. This norm does not correspond to the realistic average of the audience. Failing to achieve this isolates the individual, and is particularly psychologically harmful to women. Though men are also shown to also be effected negatively by low self-esteem from the media, there remains a gap as the value of appearance is seen of greater significance to women, with a booming cosmetic industry, majority of the fashion world, and the marketing of diet products and programs specifically targeting women.
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.
Alexandra Scaturchio, in her article “Women in Media” (2008) describes the media’s idea of beauty as superficial. She supports her argument by placing two pictures side-by-side; a picture of a real, normal-looking woman and her picture after it has been severely digitally enhanced. Her purpose is to show young teenage girls that the models they envy for their looks are not real people, but computer designs. She also states, “the media truly distorts the truth and instills in women this false hope because…they will live their lives never truly attaining this ideal appearance”. Scaturchio wants her readers to realize the media’s distorting capabilities and feel beautiful about themselves, even with flaws.
Within the beauty industry there are numerous examples of media propaganda that can be investigated, but the television and magazine industry privdes a very specific representation of what women experience daily through the media. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the ...
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