The body is a tool through which to construct the self - Essay Example

The concept of using the body to represent ideas about the self is quite ancient. Not all citizens have always had the chance to express their true selves through their bodies. For instance, for a long time, it was male artists who defined feminine qualities because women were not expected to have any ideas about the functions of their own bodies. Male artists would produce idealisations of the female shape that were not accurate. This affected how women perceived themselves. It is important for all individuals to feel that they can express their identities through their bodies without being held to a pre-established false standard of themselves.

The body was used as a canvas for self-expression by the earliest humans that existed 30,000 years ago. According to Grezes, Pichon, and de Gelder (2007), archaeologists have found ochre deposits and handprints in caves in different parts of the world that are indicative of body painting functions. Ancient burial mounds of civilisations that existed thousands of years ago also show indications of body changing operations such as flattened skulls, or elongated heads. This proves that ancient civilisations engaged in head shaping practices to express aspects that their communities believed in.

From such characteristics, it is obvious that even in ancient civilisations community members would make marks on their bodies that were expressions of social status, individuality, or cultural identity. People did not just construct their selves through their bodies by means of markings, however. They also used socially accepted forms of body expression such as dance. According to Hogan and Strasburger (2008), dance includes the physical movement of the body to the accompaniment of music. It is accurate to say that dance has been used as a way of one or more individuals communicating with others.

Before the invention of written language, many communities would use dance to express themselves and even communicate stories between