The Body Beautiful: Symbolism and Agency in the Social World

Author: Erica Reischer and Kathryn S. Koo

Source: Annual Review Anthropology, 2004. Vol.33, 297–317

• Argument: Humans are the only creatures that are concern with modifying their bodies because it is a sign to social status or identifying with a social group. Interest in body modifications are cultural phenomenon.
• Background/Notes from reading: Cosmetic surgery has be increasing with in the last few decade, and is more seen as a cultural norm for countries like United States. Even toys that represent human bodies has changed. Barbie doll are now with wider hips, smaller waist, and smaller breasts. Cosmetics is also a very big industry around the world, promoting topical beauty products. Even the Kalahari tribe have their own interpretation of the use of cosmetic by applying animal fat to their skin. All around the world, the body is a symbol of an active participant in the social world. "Beauty" has been most commonly associated with women idealized body, whereas "Masculinity" is used to associate with men idealized body. Culturally, personal appearance sends a intentional or unintentional message about a person. In the Western culture, the meaning of being "plumped" has changed through out time. It used to be thought that being plumb represented wealth, good health, and social ranking, but now it means poverty, ill-health, and low social status. The reason why cultural body ideals were developed to represent a person participation in social values. For example, thin women are view to have internal discipline, but an increasing rate of eating disorder rose when this cultural values are in motion.
• Personal thoughts: I agree with this study 100%. The ideal image for women or men changes through out the year. The reason why we notice the trend of people looking like the "fashionable" ideal look, or try to look like the ideal look because society do judge on appearance. Appearance, at least in cultural sense, does draw conclusion about a person. For example, ideal bodies aside, take a look at the socially accepted fashion. Compare a person is dressed socially acceptable (in-fashion clothes, clean, neat) to a person that is dressed not socially acceptable (mo-hawk, ripped old clothing, piercings). If both people were the same in intelligence, it would not matter to society because they will always look down on people who do not follow the social trends. Social and cultural trends are set to encourage people to be disciplined.
  
  To support this article, let's take a look at a few photos of how the ideal image of women have changed through out the years culturally and socially.
  
  Below is a 1920's swim suit model.
  
  
  Here is a 1950's swimsuit models.As you can notice, she is thinner than the model in the 1920's.
  
  Here is today's swimsuit model, as you can see she is noticeably thinner than both models from previous decades.
  

Socially and culturally, women were alway praised for their beauty. One of the way the women will relate themselves to beauty is to compare themselves with women who are always in the media that are praised for their beauty. As models get thinner, women will want to get thinner to be socially accepted.