Beauty & Culture

Culture What is culture? Symbolic construction Articulate information Means of self-expression Establishes norms, defines roles ¤

Idea/l of Beauty What influences set the norm for how a society perceives the idea/ideal of beauty? Genetics Socialization Family, peers, role models Popular culture Celebrities Advertising/media Commercial Media message Buying decisions Culturally relative norm ¤

Cultural Issues What problems do we run into regarding culture? Reason, excuse, justification Cultural relativism Reconciling differences across cultures How to int’l standards? Domination ¤

Beauty Norms What has influence beauty norms in Africa, Brazil, and India? Culturally-bound, culturally relative idea Burkina Faso v. Nigeria Western values dominate Nigeria, Brazil, India Women objectified Men also held to norms ¤

Industry & Beauty In GS-imported notion of beauty How do the media, entertainment, business, and fashion industries promote (dictate?) ideas of beauty? In GS-imported notion of beauty Brazil and Gisele Actresses, models, celebrities Promote what sells, appeals to audiences Issues of genetics, environment Unhealthy eating habits, established patterns Gov’t intervention France, Italy, Spain, Israel passed laws Men rarely mentioned ¤

Food & Beauty Why are eating disorders mostly a western phenomenon? Have enough food Reaction to beauty pressures Yet they are also trending in other parts of the world like Brazil and even Nigeria. Why? Poverty pockets in Brazil; widespread poverty in Africa Being able to eat well in an indication of wealth Global influence of beauty ideal How is it that ultra-thin is in, but obesity rates are increasing worldwide? ¤