File - sociology 101

Aim: How do gender & culture relate to concepts of beauty & body image? 

Do Now: What do you think the ideal female & male body images are in the United States today? Describe in detail.

Culture, Gender, & Beauty:

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What do you consider beautiful or attractive for men and/or women? Where do your ideas come from? What does it mean to be ‘beautiful’ in our society? Are there differing standards for men and women in terms of being ‘attractive’ in our society? How so?

Japanese Geishas

Foot Binding: A custom begun during the Tang dynasty and lasting until the 20th century 

"Because I bound my own feet, I could manipulate them more gently until the bones were broken. Young bones are soft, and break more easily," she says.

"Every pair of small feet costs a bath (kang) of tears"

A bound foot

A bandaged bound foot

The Cost of Looking Good??? List

and describe some things that people in this country do to meet the standards of beauty our society has…

The Price of looking good???

Burma/Thailand • •

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Members of the Kayan tribe At just 5 years old, girls start wearing brass rings around their necks As they grow older, more rings are added Ultimate sign of female elegance and status. Some neck pieces can weigh up to 22 pounds. "If I take the rings off now, I won't look nice anymore," one woman says. "They really are a part of my life."

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/cha nnel/taboo/videos/long-neck-women/

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The Maori people of New Zealand practice a sacred beauty ritual— tattooing. Believe women are more attractive when their lips and chins are tattooed. A woman with full, blue lips is considered the most beautiful and desirable.

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Women of Karo tribe in southern Ethiopia. During childhood, girls allow their elders to cut scars onto their stomachs. Once a Karo girl has received the last of her scars, she's allowed to marry and have children. "The main reason for my scars is to attract a male that will give me joy, because I will be beautiful and hopefully get a husband," says one girl during her Taboo interview.

Discussion Questions:       

Where does our concept of body image come from? Why do you think it’s changed over time? To what extent does the media standard affect your opinion of ideal body image? What are some sanctions for deviating from the ideal body image? To what extent does culture play a role? In what ways are physical standards different for men/women? To what extent is body image created/upheld by the opposite gender (i.e. – men generating the ideal female body image…)

http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Xpa OjMXyJGk Dove Sketches Commercial (3 minutes)

Body Image  A picture in our

mind’s eye  Belief about how others perceive us  How we feel living in our bodies

What is the “Ideal” body? Different

standards for male and female Different for various ethnic and cultural groups Defined by society, community, family . . . What is “Ideal” has changed over time . . .

Body Image Throughout History Prehistoric  Fertility

goddess

Wide hips highly desirable

Body Image Throughout History 120 BC Venus de Milo

1400’s Botticelli’s Birth of Venus

Greek goddess

Art depicted beauty – soft and curvaceous

Body Image Throughout History 

1500’s Leonardo da Vinci’s

Mona Lisa

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1600’s

Rubens’

Garden of Love

Body Image Throughout History  1880’s  Plump body, pale complexion  Representing wealth, abundance of food & refined lifestyle

Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon

Body Image Throughout History Early

1900’s

 Corseted,

hour-glass look

1890’s-1920’s

Body Image Throughout History 1920’s  Era

of the flat-chested, slim-hipped flapper

Body Image Throughout History 

1950’s  Full-figured

shapes of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield  Typical models  5’8”  Weight  132 lbs.  Height

1940’s-1960’s

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Women found sexuality a new source of power. Clothing became skimpier in the 1940's, until World War II broke out. Feeling the "American tradition" threatened, families reverted to more conservative values, but the pin-up remained a staple of popular culture.The 1960's saw civil rights campaigns, as well as a new wave of feminism, throwing off the domesticity of the 50's. As women sought to distance themselves from the role of wife and mother, the androgynous ideal once again surfaced in Twiggy, a stick-thin model made popular overnight by a single photo shoot.

Body Image Throughout History 

1960’s  The

gaunt Twiggy look Height: 5’7” Weight: 98 pounds

Body Image Throughout History Miss America was normal weight in the 1920’s through early 60’s Underweight since the mid 60’s

Body Image Throughout History 

1970’s and 1980’s  Taller,

thinner look  No visible body fat  Muscles highly toned from hours of working out 

Typical models  Height  5’8”  Weight  117 lbs.

Body Image Throughout History 

Early 1990’s  Waif-like

figure of Kate Moss  Pre-teen look in adult women < 4% of women have this tall, very thin look naturally Typical models  Height  5’10”  Weight  110 lbs

Body Image Throughout History 

Late 1990’s  Narrow

hips yet large breasts Rare combination without breast implants  Typical models  Height  5’10”  Weight 110 lbs. 

Body Image Throughout History 

2000’s 

Most girls and women do NOT look like this! Average model: 

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Height  5’8” – 5’11” Weight 