Mixed Beauty Standards

I am a mixed race-- African American and White -- woman from a middle-class household who is obtaining a college degree. As a woman, I am interested in exploring society’s standards which police women’s bodies. As noted in Buzzfeed’s video Women's Ideal Body Types Throughout History, this beauty standard constantly changes through generations. Whereas “curvy” (broader hips and waist) was seen as an attractive body in the Renaissance era, the standard now is more focused on a slim waist, narrow thighs, and a large bust. Although beauty standards naturally fluctuate from era to era, I find that as a mixed race individual these standards change quickly for me depending on the people I surround myself with. Throughout this essay I will analyze the ways in

I will also analyze the ways in which race and gender intersect regarding female bodies. Finally, I will explore the ways in which my middle class educated status has propelled me through the word and how this status might intersect with my race and gender.

Although I navigate the world with a variety of identities, the most prominent to me is the fact that I am a women. This identity is classified as a target identity. In being a woman I have bought into the American society's ideals about femininity and how to be a “good” woman. These ideals often suggest that women must be pure, self-sacrificing, and beautiful (although there does not seem to be a consistent target for said beauty). This last expectation is one which I am constantly struggling to fit. It seems that I can never be skinny enough or have the perfect curves in the perfect places. The push towards beauty is a never ending battle for me, as I imagine it is for many other women. In taking this class, I have begun to question who gains from my constant self-doubt and disdain. Certainly, I am gaining nothing from my constant