How Bodies Can Be Understood as a Product of Social and Cultural Environments - Essay Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : Embodiment Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx @2010 Embodiment Introduction Embodiment refers to the act of giving a tangible form to a rather abstract concept. It involves providing complicated concept a tangible form that can be easily identified. Identity is a term that is used to explain how a person forms and expresses his or her own individuality. As such, personal identity refers to how an individual understands him or herself as a distinct and separate entity. It is important as it helps individual to understand themselves better as a result of the various distinct characteristics and behaviours that usually differ from one individual to another (Stryker & Burke, 2000). The body is an important part of this identity as it helps an individual to build his or her own identity. Below is a discussion of how important the body is to a person’s identity.  How bodies can be understood as a product of social and cultural environments Man is considered to be a social being as he has lived in communities that comprise of several human beings living together. As such, there are several rules and regulations that have been developed over time which are used to govern how people relate with each other within these societies. As a result, the body is affected by these norms and values as well as the accompanying social influences and experiences that people undergo within the society (Brubaker & Cooper, 2000). Different societies and cultures have different roles for both men and women. As a result, the roles that men are expected to do differ from those that women perform. Men are expected to go out and work so as to provide for their families. They are expected to do most of the manual work as they are considered to be the stronger gender. As such, their bodies are hard and strong due to the kind of work that they do. Conversely, women are expected to look after the home and bring up children. As such, their bodies are tender and plumper due to the nature of their work. Most societies and cultures have developed ways in which men and women should decorate their bodies. These ways are different from one society and culture to another and their bodies will look different. Most cultures allow women to pierce their ears and noses so as to wear rings as well as have necklaces, and bangles on their arms and feet. Men are allowed to have body piercing on different parts of the body depending on the culture and society. As such, people from different societies and cultures will have different body decorations and one could distinguish the different societies and cultures just by observing the type of decoration used on the body. How bodies can communicate meanings to other people Communication is an important part of life as it enables individuals to express themselves to each other and therefore they are able to co-exist together in one society. There are two main forms of communication, verbal and non verbal communication. Non verbal communication consists of several sub types with body language being one of the major several sub types. The body is able to communicate different messages and meanings to other people (Woodward, 2004). This type of communication can be intentional or unintentional. There are several types of body language such as: Facial Expression. The face is an important part of the human body as it carries most of the sense organs of the body. In addition, the face is capable of sending messages through the various appearances and expressions that it can create. The movements of the eyebrows, eyes, lips, nose, tongue and jaw all represent communication as each send a different message to other people.Messages such as happiness, sadness, or fear are easily expressed by the face by making different faces at a person. Gestures constitute the various movements made by the body especially by the limbs. Movements of the hands and feet are the most common types of gestures with such actions such as waving, pointing, and kicking being the most used. Proxemics refers to the concept of personal space which is the amount of space that an individual perceives as to belong to him or her. Personal space is important especially when communication with other people. Body Posture. The manner in which the body appears during the communication process. This especially relates to the placement of the body and the limbs such as shoulder movements, the placement of the legs and feet, and the placement of arms. Consumption, popular culture and the body Popular culture refers to the various ideas, attitudes, perceptions, images and other occurrences that are considered to be favored according to an informal agreement within the majority of a particular culture. Popular culture is dynamic and therefore changes constantly in addition to occurring distinctively at different times and places (Meyers, 2004). It usually represents multifaceted and interdependent viewpoints and ideals that influence society in various ways. Consumption is the use of various products and services with the aim of satisfying our needs and wants. The body has played a great part in forming consumption trends and building a popular culture. The body has been a major determinant of consumption trends at any one time with major decisions being made on what to be produced based on the body. The health of the body is very important with poor health being a major cause for death all over the world. As such, there are various products and services that are provided for use with the intent of ensuring that our bodies are in the right state of health. Pharmaceutical drugs, nutrition supplements, and various medical services are all provided to ensure that our bodies are in the right state of health. The increasing need for better health has led to the development of a new discipline of ergonomics that is concerned with designing appropriate work equipment as well as a workplace that is fit for the employees. In addition, body beauty is an important aspect of an individual’s personal identity. As such, the fashion industry is one of the major booming industries in the world today estimated to be worth billions. There are numerous beauty products made and sold out each day to men and women all over the world with the aim of enhancing the beauty of one’s body. From deodorants, shampoos, body lotions, aftershaves, and lipstick to earrings, braces, necklaces and rings, the fashion industry has developed products that have been used to help people develop a better personal identity. There has been a trend in popular culture today whereby a slim, trim and beautiful feminine body has been the hall mark of describing a beautiful lady. The ideal dimensions have been developed to gauge the most preferred body shape for women. These dimensions are the measurements for the bust, waist and hips. In addition, the body mass index is used to identify the ideal body proportions. The ideal body for men is considered to be lean, tall, and with an athletic build. For both genders, being overweight and plump is not an ideal body type. The body and inequality  There is a lot of inequality and discrimination in society that has existed from time immemorial. Inequalities arise due to several factors that make one person or group of people to be better that the other. The body has been one of the sources for discriminations and inequalities. People who have disabilities have been discriminated in one way or the other. Being blind, deaf dumb or without any of the limbs has been looked upon in society with some cultures considering this disability as a curse or omen. Most of the people with these disabilities are unfairly treated being the laughing stock of the community as well as being denied opportunities in life such as education and employment (Cote & Levine, 2002). Certain body shapes and types have been a source for discrimination and inequality as well. For example, people who have short bodies are not allowed to serve in the military. Ladies who are plump and overweight cannot take part in beauty contests as they will not be allowed even if they wanted. In addition, people who are overweight are the laughing stock in society with most of these people living lonely lives right from childhood to adulthood. There are numerous cases of overweight children being bullied by their friends in school. Conversely, people who are too thin are also ridiculed and could be discriminated against in jobs that involve a lot of manual work even if they are well qualified for the job. Identity and the Body As noted above, personal identity refers to how an individual understands him or herself as a distinct and separate entity. The body plays an important role of developing a person’s identity. Society has accorded certain body types to various individuals in society. People in power are expected to have big bodies that are able to portray the power that the person has. As such, a person with a small body will be looked down even though he is the one holding that position since he or she is not what the society expected. A person who describes himself as a body builder but lacks the body of one will not be believed and will be laughed at by others. Conclusion The body plays an important role in developing a person’s identity. Depending on the body that a person has, he or she will have a different identity from another who has a different type of body. The body is a product of the social and cultural environments that people live in. The body takes part in communication with most of communication that takes place being in the form of body language. It is a source of inequality and a determining factor for popular culture. Bibliography Brubaker, R., & Cooper, F. (2000). "Beyond 'Identity'". Theory and Society 29: 1–47. Cote, E., & Levine, C. (2002). Identity Formation, Agency, and Culture. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Meyers, D. T. (2004). Being yourself: essays on identity, action, and social life. Feminist constructions. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Stryker, S., & Burke, J. (2000). "The Past, Present, and Future of an Identity Theory". Social Psychology Quarterly 63 (4): 284–297. Woodward, K. (2004). Questioning Identity: Gender, Class, and Ethnicity. London: Routledge. Read More