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

Body and society by The of the The of the School The and where it is located The Date Word count: 3005 Body and Society Introduction It is beyond any doubt that living in society should be considered to be an important prerequisite for the development of the inner potential of a person. Indeed, if there had not been social environment, a lot of different abilities which are considered to be characteristic to our kind would not have emerged. For example, the very ability of generating verbal interaction evolved due to the objective necessity to coordinate actions while hunting a game. In addition to that, the society gave the individuals who comprised it a platform to express themselves in various abstract areas such as art. However, when it comes to analyzing the relationship between the society and a human being, little attention is paid to the role of body. It would not be an exaggeration to point out that humans are creatures that possess a dual nature: in spite of the fact that spiritual constituent of the identity is important, the material one is also essential for developing a correct understanding of a human being. That is why it would be particularly important to shed light on the issue that has largely been overlooked as the former constituent is regarded as an object of bigger interest than the latter. This paper will analyze the relationship between body and society, engaging evidence that is taken from academic literature and group the findings in the following categories: the temporal aspect; body as reflection of culture; body and fashion; the role of body on television; body as a platform for new gender. The temporal aspect As it has already been noted, the relationship between body and society could be traced to the very emergence of the latter. That is why the analysis of it should start from a careful examination of views on body in the previous times. Thus, it is quite obvious that the categories that influenced the public opinion of the previous ages are quite different from the contemporary ones. So, by examining the cultural and ethical dominants of the past one might reconstruct the role of body in the society (Gallagher 1987, p. vii). If one takes a close look at the history of humanity, one will be able to point out two periods that had quite the opposite view on the body of a person. Thus, in Ancient Greece there was a cult of athletic and fit body: the sculptors refused to create statues that did not portray athletes; the majority of the people were engaged in different physical activities; the Olympic Games were considered to be one of the most important annual events. In other words, one might conclude that the society generally encouraged the development of one’s body. Contrary to that, in the course of the Middle Ages that followed latter, the role of body was denied: it was proclaimed as a vessel of sin. That is why a person in the medieval times would not train one’s body, but turn to prayer as an effective tool for self evolution. However, one should also note that the contemporary view on the role of body in the society does not favour any of the above mentioned extremes. At the present moment, there is no obsession with proportions of ones body and none of the existing religious urges it followers to reject their physical bodies in order to achieve eternal salvation or inner harmony. The modern society chose a different attitude towards body: the people are encouraged to modify it in numerous ways and the public shows the signs of tolerance of whatever modifications are performed (Crossley 2007, p.1). That might be the reason why there so many new concepts that have been developed with regard to one’s body. Leaving aside operations that change one’s gender, one may point out that people may also want to modify their body so that they would look like supernatural creatures or animals. For example, in the common perception elf have pointy ears and some extremely dedicated fans of this kind of modern folklore might undergo a surgery that would make their ears look like the one of elves. Other people may be fascinated by animals, so they would have a plastic surgery that would modify their nose and teeth so that they would look like cats. In addition to that, the art of tattoo and piercing has been developing at highest pace that can only be imagined. It is beyond any doubt that such experiments with one’s body reflect the desire of the modern people to explore the limits of society and the acceptance that it can offer. Body as reflection of culture The modern world may largely be characterized by an increased interest towards exploring other cultures. That is why there is a considerable number of different theories that provide the researchers with various platforms that may be used to compare them. For the purposes of the analysis, this paper will utilize only one approach which divides the cultures into individualistic and collectivistic ones. Speaking of the former kind of cultures, one should note an important fact: being independent and self reliant is considered to be one of the greatest virtues in these cultural backgrounds which implies the necessity to physically develop one’s body in order to be able to defend oneself, one’s way of life against opponents (Watt 1989, p. 65). This is largely reflected in the kind of thinking that may be seen in the common proverb: my home is my castle. If one continues the analogy, one will be able to make a conclusion that body of a person is largely regarded as the territory that one has the ultimate power over. In other words, in this kind of cultures the society is thought to be an aggregation of independent citizens each of who enjoyed undisputed sovereignty over one’s body and who agreed to give some part of their freedom for collective protection. In other words, the body is understood as a tool that an individual is able to construct his or her self so that it will be able to compete with others if needed. On the other hand, the cultures that are usually regarded as collectivistic have developed a completely different point of view. They do not pay specific attention to the merits of a particular individual, neither moral nor physicals, not are largely preoccupied with the idea how one is able to fit into many. For example, in the Western armies each warrior was encouraged to develop one’s body in order to be strong so that he alone could make an important contribution to the battle. On the other hand, the art of war of the East mainly demanded loyalty from the warriors and was more concerned with the ability of a soldier to follow orders rather than his strength. Moreover, this difference in the attitude towards the role of body in the society may also be seen on much more peaceful examples. Thus, it was found that people who life on Fiji islands and who feature collectivistic culture find particular enjoyment is helping other people and nurturing their bodies through food exchange than keeping it to themselves (Becker 1995, p. 118). Indeed, a typical Western house would always feature some kind of a container for food that is saved until the times it is needed badly which reflects the necessity to rely on oneself in difficult situations. Contrary to that, the people of Fiji know that under difficult circumstances they may always rely on their neighbours as the latter should share food with them so there is no need to save extra. Body and fashion One would make no mistake pointing out that the creative activity which puts a great emphasis on the body of a human being is fashion. That is why if one wants to examine the way body is used as a tool to construct the self in the social environment, one should use some evidence from the fashion industry. Thus, if one takes a look at the evolution of fashion for men, one will be able to see that it may be divided into distinct periods: the times when it was suitable for only a small part of the male population and the times when it tries to appeal to all the men (Howson 2004, p. 256). Indeed, in the pervious times social life of men was closely connected to military: their clothes were created to be functional, not beautiful; in addition to that, they primarily put emphasis on some physical attributes like broad shoulders or big biceps. However, at the present moment the military is thought to be an area of social life that is reserved for people who want to make a career there, so fashion designers try to redefine the image of a modern man. All this resulted in the fact that the clothes of man are less masculine, in the traditional sense of word, and are far more experimental than in the future. There is no doubt in the fact that this also reflects the change of attitude towards men: from being primarily a warrior to a peaceful citizen. If one considers the evolution of fashion for women, one will not be able to identify such striking facts. Thus, from the very dawn of civilization women used their wardrobe to attract the attention of man and develop their social life (Woodward 2007, p. 18). In other words, one would make no mistake suggesting that women have masters the role of body as an effective tool for constructing one’s self much earlier than men. Indeed, the previous history of humanity might present sufficient amount of evidence, suggesting that women all over the world thought that they body, both naked or dressed, is their primary tool for acting in the social environment. In this case, fashion was the framework within which they operated. However, one should also argue that the latter has been changed over the time reflecting the changed in the society. For example, the famous bikini received its name after an island where a nuclear bomb was tested as it was thought that this kind of clothes had a similar effect. Nevertheless, at the present moment no person will be shocked by a woman wearing a bikini. This means that in the previous century, bikini was used as a tool to achieve more social space for women and once they have achieved it turned from a symbol to an ordinary article of clothes. In other words, the body was able to introduce important changes into the society. The role of body on television There is another novel invention of humanity that should be analyzed when it comes to a careful examination of the role of body in the society. Indeed, in spite of the fact that the significance of television is declining at the present moment due to the popularity of the Internet; nevertheless; the way body is reflected on the silver screen is able to tell a lot about the kind of attitude that the society has developed towards it. Thus, it would not be a great exaggeration to suggest that the images of male and female presenters on television usually serve different roles. Speaking of the former, one should note that there are certain areas of television that are generally dominated by men. A good example may include different sports events. Despite the fact that there are many sports that are played by women, including football, soccer and hockey (some of the most aggressive sports), those which are aired on television are mostly played by men; so the commentators are men as well (Kotthoff 1997, p. 240). In addition to that, as for being an anchorman, males are largely thought to be more serious and convincing, that is the most important news is often spoken by them. It is quite obvious that this reflects the patriarchal nature of the contemporary society when the equality between genders is proclaimed, but subconsciously people tend to listen to men more. On the other hand, the female presenters have also found their niche. Thus, one might point out that different talk shows which involve a lot of compassion and feelings are usually hosted by women (Rayner & Wall 2004, p. 188). This might suggest that the public keeps attributing different qualities to women and is willing to see them in charge of a particular are of life. For example, there are shows which are hosted by men as well, but they have a different aspect to their nature: they are humorous, they may discuss deep matters, but really few of them focus on feeling which is the domain that women have been traditionally in charge of. That is why there would be no mistake in the fact that the contemporary society adheres to the previous kind of thinking up to a certain point. Thus, women whose body is not strong enough to allow them to be engaged in direct conflict has mastered the art of peaceful conversation and compassion, while men whose body is thought to be developed to provide them with an advantage in direct conflict tend to host shows that feature debates and sometimes even fights (a good example is The Jerry Springer Show the format of which is similar to Oprah, but it is mostly famous because of the fights during the show). Thus, one might conclude that television may be regarded to be a reflection of the views on the body that have been dominating the social life for a considerable amount of time. Body as a platform for new gender Finally, one should also explore the way the society views body at the present moment. Thus, one should note that along with the common ways of interpreting one’s identity in terms of body and sexuality, the people of the modern age have developed new categories the emergences of which was conditioned by the advancements in technology. For example, there is a new group of people who are transgender. Unlike the individuals who struggled with their body in the past, their modern contemporaries have modified their body so that is becomes the body they want (Restivo 2005, p.566). In other words, the self that existed in their minds now has material manifestation. One would not make a mistake arguing that such operations bring new element in the relationship between body and society as the category of the former is no longer considered to be stable. Indeed, the mere fact that people are able to change their body so that they would become representative of different gender has two important implications: first of all, the ambiguity of notion of gender since at the present moment it is largely though to be constructed and imposed by the society; secondly, a bigger freedom to express one’s inner potential which inevitable introduces a third category into male versus female dichotomy. It is absolutely obvious that this will have important consequences in the long run in the development of the society. Finally, there is another category that is closely connected to reinventing the approach towards the body from the point of view of society. Thus, now there are people who struggle with the need to define themselves in one particularly category of gender, so they chose to be defined as both. This results into the emergence of the unique culture of androgyny – a peculiar social aspect that should be carefully studied (Haggerty 2000, p. 54). Thus, one might note that these people modify their body so that they could find an almost perfect balance between masculinity and femininity. Unlike the transgender people who were not satisfied with their gender and wanted to change it, androgyny do not make a choice at all: they may be classified as both in terms of appearance and behaviour. However, just like the previously discussed phenomenon of being transgender, this phenomenon also expands the scope of relationship between body and society. Indeed, if men deliberately have their appearance more feminine and are willing to adopt some of the emotional qualities since undermines the balance of gender roles in the society and make the social life more complex. Keeping this in mind, one might come to the conclusion that in the previous times when the categories of gender were strictly adhered to, the construction of social self was a much easier task, unlike in the modern times when there are new dimensions that are explored by the people who are not satisfied with their gender or would like to be recognized as both. Conclusion Having examined all the evidence which was analyzed in the paragraphs above, one might point out that the relationship between body and society should be viewed from different prisms. Considering the temporal aspect, one should not that historically body was regarded as a tool which allowed a person to construct one’s imagine in a single dimension only, while the modern perception permits different interpretations and modifications. The way body is used may also reflect the peculiarities of culture: the individualistic societies promote independent individuals who are concerned with their own health and fitness, while collectivistic societies encourage people to take care after wellbeing of each other. The field where body is largely used to construct social self and send a particular message is fashion. Thus, while men fashion has witness evolution from being functional to aesthetic; women fashion has used body as a tool to construct self from the dawn of civilization. One of the modern technological phenomena, namely television, may also provide different evidence about body is perceived by the modern society. For example, there is still an informal division when men comments sports, politics and important events, while females are more in charge of feelings and compassion. Finally, one of the most interesting points about the role of body in the modern society focuses on the fact that is started to be a platform where people can experiment with their perception of gender. A good example is the emergence of transgender people and those who are defined as androgyny. Bibliography Becker, A 1995, Body, self, and society: The view from Fiji. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. Crossley, N 2007, Reflexive Embodiment In Contemporary Society the Body in Late Modern Society, McGraw-Hill International, New York. Gallagher, C 1987, The Making of the modern body: Sexuality and society in the nineteenth century, University of California Press, Berkeley. Haggerty, G 2000, Encyclopedia of Gay Histories and Cultures, Garland Science, London. Howson, A 2004, The body in society: An introduction, Polity, Cambridge. Kotthoff, H 1997, Communicating gender in context, J. Benjamin, Amsterdam. Rayner, P & Wall, P 2004, Media studies the essential resource, Routledge, London. Restivo, S 2005, Science, technology, and society: An encyclopedia, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Watt, J 1989, Individualism and educational theory, Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht. Woodward, S 2007, Why women wear what they wear, Berg, Oxford. Read More