Nudism Essay

There is an inherit freedom associated with being naked. That is why small children often strip off their clothes, much to the parent’s dismay. However a large portion of the population rejects the idea of nudism because thye see it as immodest, deviant, or sexual. The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader about the origins and history of social nudism, naturist philosophy and ideology, its impact on body image, and the common etiquette and practices people subscribe to in Nudist clubs. From an outside perspective, using the terms "Nudist" and "dress behavior" in the same sentence may seem contradictory, but there is actually a lot of thought that goes into Nudists clothing, or lack there of.
Group Background Information
Group History and Origins. According to a study that evaluated the evolution of lice DNA changing as they moved from the head to the rest of the body, it is thought that people began wearing clothes 170,000 years ago (Torrent, 2011). However, there is record of people choosing to go without their garments in 720 B.C.E. for the Greek Olympics, as well as other sporting events and festivals (Lovgren, 2004) (Warren, 1933). Around the first century C.E. groups like the Celts were known to fight naked in battle. The shedding of clothes before battle was meant to intimidate their opponents (Speidel, 2002). The Adamites, a Christian group in North Africa, emulated the innocence of Adam and Eve by practicing Holy Nudism between the 2nd and 4th century C.E. (Brakney, 2012). In contrast, puritans in the 16th century strongly opposed nudism as they saw it as sinful (Mussell, 2010). However in the 18th and early 19th centuries in Europe and North America it was quite common for people to bathe nude in rivers and s...

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...anitary living due to the exposure of private body parts, and as well as keeping standards of respect extremely high. They are very comfortable human beings as outsiders can tell due to the exposure of their bodies, but they in fact do wear articles of clothing at times just like the rest of the world. Not only is nudism a natural way of life it also feeds into their decision making at home; members of the subculture try to live a more eco-friendly life by leaving a smaller carbon footprint. Most importantly the Nudist lifestyle is based on their ideals of personal freedom and overall acceptance of whom you are inside. Ultimately Nudists believes that connecting with nature and you inner self brings you a sound and stable life. The subculture believes that if everyone accepted and lived their life naked that the world would be a much happier place (Miriam (2012).