Body Image
In every society, people use their appearance as a way to express their social relationships. Applying makeup, adding or removing clothing, building muscles, or piercing various parts of the body are examples of how people try to change their appearance in order to fit in, or in some cases, to stick out. In suburban America, girls struggle to reach the goal of a Barbie-doll figure, whereas in Jamaica, it is more desirable, and socially accepted, to be fat. American women use makeup to express feelings and moods while Bedouin women use tattoos as a means to reveal their personalities. Contemporary Western culture sees the body as an object that is separate from the self, while many other societies see a person as an integration of the mind, body, and spirit. By studying the effects of body image in a few different cultures, a new understanding is given to the reasons why people describe, perceive, appreciate, and alter their bodies as they do. In suburban America, teenage girls starve themselves while in Jamaica, a larger body size is what is valued. Socially dominant individuals who are enmeshed in sound relationships are usually large and bigness tends to ensure reproductive success and survival in times of scarcity. All in all,
Diet foods and beverages are only seen in bigger towns and assumed to be meant for diabetics because no one should wish to be thin; quite a drastic difference in attitudes from that of the American ideal. Rashaayda use tattoos as a nonverbal signs to express their deep feelings, as most societies have tokens of some kind. Makeup is a major concern for a large amount of women in American society. The same idea could very well be applied when trying to understand the tying and tattooing among the Rashaayda Bedouin. The tattoos on a woman's arms are simply decorative patterns with little significance. In America, television programs present slender women as the dominant image of popularity, success, and happiness. A great deal of time, money, effort, and energy is spent in using makeup and a range of emotions is experienced with its use. They use tight saddle girths and painful nose rings to break their camels, and once tamed, the animals are branded. Weight loss signals social neglect in Jamaica, and instead of congratulations for a noticeable "drop-in-the-pounds", one wonders about the sorts of life stresses that have caused such an event. Whether it is the media to blame, or the culture as a whole, is definitely a question not easily answered. "Fatness connotes fullness and juicy ripeness, like that of a ripe fruit well sweet and soon to burst" (Sault, p. Some societies view the person as a whole, including body, mind, and spirit as integrated aspects of the self, while other societies view the person as a self that is separated from the parts called the body.
Common topics in this essay:
Scale Akiba,
Rashaayda Bedouin,
West African,
Contemporary Western,
,
Murray Wax,
women makeup,
body image,
societies view person,
body image cultures,
using makeup,
view person,
societies view,
contemporary western,
appearance practices,
self societies,
rashiidy women,
makeup appearance,
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Acceptance Essays
