Cultural and social experiences - Body image - Essay Example

?Introduction Body image is one of the key concepts that are associated with identity and one’s relationship to others in society. The concept of body image becomes important through different formats, such as mass media, fashion and the displays that are showcased in a variety of areas. This particular approach is one that has shaped the concept of body image and continues to create a specific set of beliefs in society and culture about how one should maintain their body and what this means with acceptance in specific groups. Examining the importance of body image and how it relates to society creates a specific association with society, culture and the associations which are made among individuals who are searching for different ideologies about how to approach their personal identity. Developing Beliefs in Society about Fashion The concept of fashion and body image in society links together through the use of mass media and the associations as a part of the cultural order. This begins with fashion and dress becoming a way in which one operates with their body and how one shows their level of health. The concept of fashion becomes associated with society specifically because of the fashion system that is surrounding fashion and dress. These are interrelated to the ideas of body image through the structure of fashion and the importance of the body in defining how the body should look. When associating with fashion, there is also a specific link to one being a part of the right social order while defining identity, personality and a sense of attractiveness within society. The belief of attractiveness comes from the definition of what beauty means, specifically which correlates with the ideas of fashion and how these link to society (Entwistle, 2000: 43). The definition of beauty and links to social order come from fashion and further with the beliefs that are created from fashion and dress. The ideology of human beliefs and values comes from not only the ideologies that an individual has within the family or experience. The environment of culture and social order also creates different standards about what one believes and the self – image which they carry. The association is one which is created from the psychological beliefs that are a part of society and the way in which this builds and develops with needs for a culture to hold specific standards. The individual then creates the same beliefs based on the influences from society, specifically which come from industries, media and other components within society. The result is an understanding of attitudes and values that are surrounded around a consumer society and which create an understanding that fashion builds a sense of identity, value and belief in one’s role within society (Porter, 2000:15). The Body in Society and Psychology The structure and beliefs within society and culture are furthered with the way in which the body image becomes linked to psychological beliefs about the body. The concept of fashion is one which has a specific link to body image and what it means to be beautiful. The image begins with adornments, fashion statements and dress that define the latest trends in society that one will look the best in. This is followed with models that are required to have a thinner figure or which have to be fit at a certain level. This creates a sense of what it means to have the right body image and figure while discounting other images that are within society. The result is the concept of idealizing the different factors that are stressed in society and from the fashion that is a part of the main image. As this occurs, there is a sense of internalization that occurs with women and men with what it means to look beautiful and in the best fashions (Thompson, 2001: 91). There are a variety of examples that lead to the internationalization of what it means to be thin and the pressures which come from the models in fashion that all have the same look. Figure 1 shows a series of models that depict the ideology of remaining thin while creating a body image that looks best with one specific figure. Figure 1: Fashion Model Comparison These images depict the top models of Agyness Denn and Kelly Brook and also focus on the catwalk trends that are expected to feature. When looking at each of these pictures, it is noted that the thin ideology is the same in all three. While there are different feature pictures, the thin concept is what idealizes the beauty and the expectations to the perfect figure that helps to achieve the top status in modeling. This ideology creates an internalization that psychologically begins to change the way in which women in society think about beauty and their personal body image. From this, different disorders may begin to arise, such as anorexia and bulimia. The internalization that happens from society comes from the pressure of beauty being based on being thin which then leads to the disorders and psychological assumptions which are created from this (Thompson, 2001: 91). The problem which arises from society and which leads to the psychological associations with beauty from fashion move deeper than the psychological assumptions that are created from the fashion of being thin and fit. There are also continuous assumptions that are based on the social status that relates to the psychology of beauty. Many women associate beauty with specific standards, which leads to judgments and assumptions of what it means for a woman or man to be attractive within society. This creates a sense of social status and standards that are within society while establishing a different meaning to the concepts of beauty and how this links to the psychology of women that create a sense of idealization over body image. Body image then becomes linked to pressures of what is expected in society, how one’s lifestyle links to their level of beauty and the body becoming a sense of exposure to one’s identity. The link to fashion comes from those who are considered beautiful or fit remaining ahead of others in fashion and defining the concept of beauty from this social perspective (Polivy, Herman, 2004: 1). The social perspective which is established with fashion and the psychology which links to this becomes the ideology of what it means to belong to a specific identity. When looking at different models, there is a direct link to their identity and the main social group which they belong to. The type of body image that they have is linked to the type of clothing which they are selling and the social order that is developed from this. The idea of becoming self – conscious and affiliated with a specific social group then links together to create the ideas of body image that link to fashion. Those who are looking at fashion styles and trends work toward emulating the women in fashion through not only the dress that is worn but also by the different fashion statements that are made by those who are trying to fit into a socially construed body type that comes from the fashion statements which are made (Apeagyei, 2008: 3). There are several examples which show the link to identity with body image and the social construction which comes from fashion. The first is in Figure 2 with an example of Stella Tennant, a renowned model who specializes in couture and luxury styles. Figure 2: Stella Tennant When looking at these two examples, one can see a direct link to being fashionable with couture and in style with the concept of luxury and class. However, there is also a link to the body image of Stella Tennant, specifically with the thin frame that allows the specific type of clothing to be worn. The result is a link to the social belief in couture that is associated with the body image of being skinny and holding an image of luxury with the trim figure and constructed body of this model. A second image of supermodel Kate Moss shows a similar image of being fit, sexy and thin with the fashion styles that are worn, as seen in Figure 3. Figure 3: Kate Moss The depiction of popular culture that is seen in both of these pictures is one that is often associated with specific social groups. In the first picture, this comes through the lose tie and the shorts worn, specifically which links to the idea of being in work and going into a more casual environment. The second links to the popular culture which is often associated with R&B and hip hop music, depicted through the fashion styles used. The trim look is combined with being fit in both images through the activities shown. However, the social construction is one which directly links the social identity with the fashion that Moss is displaying and the body image that follows this. Fashion as Body Management The assumptions which are made in society and the interactions which occur socially and culturally then lead to fashion becoming the standard for body management. The concept of fashion is one that has led to how a woman or man creates a link to their own appeal and beauty. The use of this in the media comes from creating a sexual appeal, sense of beauty and attractiveness that isn’t found in any other area. This becomes the standard of how one should approach their own body, specifically with the ideology of being thin and fit as the two main areas of appeal. The sexual appeal is one which comes from the fashion standards and dress that is worn as well as poses that are a part of the women who are looking at the fashion standards. The mainstream media caters to the sexualized culture while creating the body image as a standard for being sexual and attractive within society. Fashion and consumerism are then linked specifically to how a woman looks at specific body image styles in terms of sexuality. The maintenance of the body, the internalization of being thin and fit and the link to sexuality then interrelate with the body image which one has about themselves (Attwood, 2005: 392). The concept of body management and identity links specifically to the individual body image that one creates from the expectations within society. The concept of identity is one which is noted to link directly to fashion. One’s individual expression and identity and the way in which they speak about their likes and dislikes are directly associated with the authenticity which one holds. When the fashion statements are based on being thin, being fit or creating a specific link to sexuality, then this becomes a direct approach to making a statement about identity and the personal body image. The maintenance which one has then begins to link and become associated with the concept of the reflexive self. The technology of self is one in which the individual creates specific mechanics to show identity and beauty within society. If one manages the body in a specific way and creates a look that is linked directly to fashion, then there is the ability to establish a stronger sense of identity to the fashion world. More important, this creates a direct link to social imitation and individual differentiation within society. The body management then becomes linked to personal identity and the acceptance of a healthy body image that comes from the maintenance which one has in society (Entwistle: 2000: 114). The idea of body management that comes with fashion is one which is explicitly done through fashion with the ideology of identity branding that is taken by those who are advertising. Creating a look then making this the specific standard within society is what leads to body management and the combination of creating identity with the fashion statements that are used. The identity branding is one which is associated with celebrities and those who endorse the clothing as well as fashion shows and other formats of identity that occurs. This is combined with marketing and media coverage that uses fashion as a story to create the understanding of how one lives. The idea of body management begins to become associated with one creating an identity from the coverage of media by representing glamour, beauty and the idea of what it means to be fit. This furthers with instructions of what the models do to create the right branding image, how to wear garments and what is expected to present a specific image. These ideologies from the fashion industry then lead to a direct correlation with creating a sense of identity among consumers. In turn, this leads to the idea of identity branding that leads to how one should care for their body to reach the same standards of beauty (Barron, 443). Surveillance of Body Image The concept of body image and the way in which this is approached in fashion, media, society and individual maintenance is one which continues with surveillance that is taken with body image. This is based on the body becoming an object, specifically because it links to the object of the dress. The adornments which one wears directly correlates with body image, which then creates objectification of the individual and the way in which one thinks about body image. For an individual to create the right body image, there is the need to maintain a specific weight, height and figure that is considered acceptable and which fits with the objectification in fashion. This is combined with the age differences and approaches which are linked to the physical appearance which one creates. The surveillance continues with a large majority that relates body image to dissatisfaction because of the media representations and the way in which this associates with others in society. If there isn’t the ability to manage the body image in the necessary manner than the objectification leads to a different psychological relationship of what it means to have the correct type of body image (Tiggemann, 2004: 29). The surveillance of body image not only is associated with how one maintains and relates to the ideas of fashion and the comparison with their own image. The psychological relationship that is presented is developed further with the cultural associations that are a part of belonging to a specific body image. The surveillance that occurs is one which is carried through the cultural images that are most favorable within society while presenting the ideas of beauty among individuals in fashion. The concept of slenderness that is now a part of the surveillance links to this nonconformity and negative characteristics that are associated with the individual. The psychological associations with this continue with excess flesh being linked to low morality or a lack of will to remain fit. Many also see this as a personal disorder that one is suffering from because of the inability to remain fit. If one is more muscular, then there is an association with will power, energy and control. A firm body is represented as success and vigilance through exercise and diet that one is associated with. One who has these characteristics and is also thin is considered as feminine, active, intelligent and successful as well as popular within society. The idea of surveillance then relates directly to the idea of health, success, popularity and how one is able to associate within society. By carrying specific traits with body style, specifically noted through fashion, one is able to have the characteristics that follow. The surveillance which links to those in society comes from these specific assumptions and how one relates to their own body image (Grogan, 2008: 10). The Male Gaze To continue with the surveillance of image and fashion is the male gaze that leads into the ideas of beauty and how this links to one’s body identity. The concept is one which links to the sexualized gaze that is created from women and which links to a sense of desire and want with the fashion statements which are made. As this is done, it creates a gaze that is considered sensual and attractive to men. The result is a sense of objectification that occurs with women becoming an object for men’s desire while the mood presents a longing which will instantly attract men. This particular approach is one which is a part of the objectification theory, which creates women as an object to build experiences. The experiences are linked directly to the sensuality of women so the beauty and attractiveness creates a specific response from those looking at the fashion images. The idea of creating an experience specifically for men then links to the highlight of women needing to have a specific body image in society to attract men and to create the same sensuality that is experienced through the media images which are created (Harper, Tiggemann, 2008: 649). The exemplification of the male gaze is one which is furthered by trying to create a fictitious look that creates appeal and a story related to defining beauty with body image and style. Figure 4 shows the main ideology of the male gaze and how this represents more than the fashion to create a sense of beauty and sexuality. Figure 4: The Male Gaze The approach taken with these images is to create a sense of stimulation from the pictures taken. The way in which the eyes and the mouth focus either through a side glance or directly at the camera start this. This is combined with a pout of the lips or a slight open feel used in combination. This creates a sense of production about the fashion that stimulates the individuals looking at the fashion. The result is a sense of gender role that is created from fashion and which builds placement within society. The gender role is developed specifically with body image and what it means to have the right appearances and gaze to create a sense of sensuality and attractiveness. Without this type of body image, one is not able to build the attractiveness, similar to the approach which the women that are in fashion are conducting with the expected looks (Ruggerone, 2006: 354). Conclusion The industry of fashion is one which is noted for carrying a specific affinity to the looks and styles of adornments and dress. However, the use of the media and the depiction which is created through the standards which models have created have altered the fashion industry to become one based on body image and societal standards. The impact of both the media and the fashion images has created specific expectations and judgments in society and culture. This is based on acceptable body image, fashion statements and the personality which one has according to the body image which they hold. For anyone that has a different depiction is a direct association with the ideas of body image and not being able to fit into society. The link becomes based on psychological components of how one looks at their own body image as well as others within society. This is combined with the expected standards and looks that continue to be propagated to define beauty, sexuality and health that are accepted both within fashion and in society. Fashion then becomes not only the idea of dress but also relates to body image, psychology and the expectations and beliefs in culture and society. References Apeagyei, Phoebe. 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