THE BODY

MARIEL TUDEJA
Body
-The whole physical structure that forms a person or animals.

-A person’s Physical appearance is a large part of his or her self -concept

Body image
-Refers to a consumer’s subjective evaluation of
his or her physical self.

2
Ideal of Beauty

BeautifulPeople.com
is an online dating
site that allows only
attractive people to
join.

3
Now it’s expanding its service to employers
who want to hire “good-looking staff.”

MANAGER EXPLAINS

“Attractive people tend to make a better

first impression on clients, win more
business and earn more.”
“Our satisfaction with the
physical image we present to
others depends on how closely
we think the IDEAL BEAUTY is”.
5
 An ideal of beauty is a particular model, or exemplar, of
appearance. Ideals of beauty for both men and women may
include physical features

(e.g., a well-rounded derriere for

women or a well-defined six-pack for
men) as well as clothing styles,
cosmetics, hairstyles, skin tone (pale
versus tan), and body type (petite,
athletic, etc.).
 Is Beauty Universal?
The evidence continues to mount that at least some of our tastes for physical features
are “wired in” genetically. Specifically, people appear to favor features we associate
with good health and youth because these signal reproductive ability and strength.
These characteristics include large eyes, high cheekbones, and a narrow jaw.

Another cue that people across ethnic and racial groups use to signal sexual
desirability is whether the person’s facial features are balanced (i.e., if the two sides
of the face are in proportion to one another). This is a signal of good health.

Men also use a woman’s body shape as a sexual cue; an evolutionary explanation is
that feminine curves provide evidence of reproductive potential.

7
Ideal of Female Beauty evolve over time?

Beauty may “only be skin deep”

Thoughout history women have worked hard to attain it.

We characterize periods of history by a specific “look,” or ideal of beauty

8
In much of the 19th century, the desirable
waistline for U.S. women was 18 inches, a
circumference that required the use of corsets
pulled so tight that they routinely caused
headaches, fainting spells, and possibly even
the uterine and spinal disorders common among
women of the time.
9
As we’ve seen, the ideal body typse of Western women
changes over time—check out portraits of models from
several hundred years ago by Botticelli and others to
appreciate by just how much

10
The Western ideal of Female Beauty
The French Parliament is talking about
legislation that would regulate the minimum
weight for fashion models. It wants to combat
widespread problems among women who starve
themselves to stay thin enough to succeed in
this competitive business.

If this law passes, a 5’7” model would need to

weigh at least 120 pounds for a modelling
agency to avoid criminal penalties.
11
Women in particular tend to pick up messages from the media that the quality
of their bodies reflects their self-worth, so it is not surprising that most
(though certainly not all) major body image distortions occur among females.

These psychological disorders cause the patient to believe that his or

her body literally is bigger or smaller than others see it.

12
Researchers link a distorted body image to eating
disorders, which are particularly prevalent among
young women. People with anorexia perceive
themselves as too fat, and they virtually starve
themselves in the quest for thinness

This condition often results in bulimia.

13
WHAT IS TODAY’S IDEAL OF FEMALE BEAUTY?
-It’s not surprising that standards are changing because the
typical woman’s body is no longer as “petite” as it used to be.

-The most commonly purchased dress today is a size 14; it was a size 8 in 1985

-The size and shape of the “average” U.S. consumer is dramatically

different from what it was 60 years ago

-The U.S. government estimates that two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight
or obese.
14
 IDEAL OF MALE BEAUTY

It’s hard not to notice that many business leaders and celebrities recently have sprouted a lot of facial
hair. In the early to mid-1800s people commonly associated them with socialists and others on the
margins of society. Friedrich Engels once sponsored a “moustache evening” to taunt the clean-shaven
members of the bourgeois class.
Male ideals involve length of hair, the presence and type of facial hair (or not), musculature, and of
course clothing styles and accessories.

One national survey that asked both men and women to comment on male aspects of appearance
found that the dominant standard of beauty for men is a strongly masculine, muscled body.

15
Body Decoration And Mutilation
People in every culture adorn or alter their bodies in some way. Decorating the
physical self serves a number of purposes;
To separate group members from non-members
To place the individual in the social organization
To place the person in a gender category
To enhance sex-role identification
To indicate desired social conduct
To indicate high status or rank
To provide a sense of security

16
Body Anxiety
It’s part of a campaign for Dove Advanced Care,
a new deodorant product with moisturizers for
underarms.”It looks like women have another
body part to worry about.

-Many consumers experience a gap between their

real and ideal physical selves, they often go to great
lengths to change aspects of their appearance. From
girdles to bras, cosmetics to plastic surgery, tanning
salons to diet drinks, a multitude of products and
services promise to alter aspects of the physical
self. 17
Cosmetic Surgery
Consumers increasingly choose to have cosmetic surgery to change a poor
body image or simply to enhance appearance.

-South Korea, which boasts the highest rate of cosmetic surgery of any
country.

18
 Marginal groups, such as bikers or Japanese yakuza (gang
members), often use these emblems to express group
identity and solidarity

Body Piercing
Like tattoos, body piercing evolved from a practice associated with
fringe groups to a popular fashion statement.

19
TATTOOS

Tattoos both temporary and permanent are today popular form of

body adornment.

Tattoos (from the Tahitian ta-tu) have deep roots in folk art. Until
recently, the images were crude and were primarily death symbols
(e.g., a skull), animals (especially panthers, eagles, and snakes),
pinup women, or military designs.

Historically, people associated tattoos with social outcasts.

Thanks!

21