When was the last time you saw a body modification that didn't have a meaning? Body modification has been around for centuries and has helped lift spirits, has helped lift self esteem, and has helped lift physical appearance. Discriminating people for their own personal modifications to their bodies is not acceptable for 3 main reasons: it’s part of people’s culture, religion, and everyday life. Culture is Key Culture is a way of life, without culture people are lifeless. That is why discrimination against body modifications is wrong. Many centuries ago, body modifications were a huge part in the way humans communicated! Instead of crowns and jewels, people used body mods to show who had a higher status in society. Ancient Egyptians were found with tattoos of animals and mystical creatures. Could this be used to bring their people closer to the soul of the Earth? Could it maybe be that the tattoos were sacrifices to the gods for the animals they were given to hunt? The author to the forum on FragranceX stated, “Tattoos depicting animals and mythical creatures were also found on the mummified bodies of ancient Egyptian people” (“The History”). Gauges were used to show hierarchy back before gold could be melted down into crowns. Now that sounds a lot more convenient than putting on an expensive hat? The bigger the gauge, the higher up you were in society. In the first paragraph of the website it explains, “Stretched ears can be dated as far back as 3300 BC on Otzi the Iceman who had 11-17 mm gauges” (“The History”). For some odd reason, regular ear piercings are accepted nowadays in our modern society, but the craze for gauges has been lost in history. Relying on Religion When people think of religion, they usually tie in the ... ... middle of paper ... ...ody and not the other way around. It’s time for a change, so do everyone a favor and stop discriminating culture, beliefs, and everyday uses for body modification. Their might just be a time when somebody has had enough of the resentment and has a meltdown on the next person to say something against his/ or her beliefs. Works Cited "Body Modifications and Mutilations." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. Haywood, Sharon. "HOW BODY Modification ENDED THE War against MY BODY." Herizons 2012: 24-26. Web. 6 Dec. 2013. "The History of Body Modification Around the World." The History of Body Modification Around the World. FragranceX, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. Leone, Lorie St. "The Art and History of Body Modification by Lori St. Leone | Lightspeed Magazine." Lightspeed Magazine. N.p., Nov. 2010. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.
We all are unique in a different way; our body is different just like our face color. Thin, fat, thick, or over weight each one of us is different from everyone else, this is what make us individual. By changing your body it’s like taking away your identity and personality. The author suggest that plastic surgery is being done from one women pulled from exactly the same face structure and mostly they all look the same. Most people think when they get cosmetic surgery done they’re becoming in with their own ideas on what they wanted to look like, but if you really think about most people undergo surgery hoping to look better and to look way different that they use to. It is unfortunate because one shouldn’t feel the need or necessary to alter their face or body to look more beautiful or perfect. People should have a surgery to change their inside instead of outside. Most of the things we do are to feel included and to feel like someone is paying some attention to us. Society don’t really pay attention or care about that one fat girl who sits in the cafeteria by her self with a big nose and an ugly face, but that girl with a long hair, a perfect smile, and face structure is one that everyone remember. It is just so unfair and sad that society have to tell us what beautiful and what
The reading assigned titled “The Socially Constructed Body” by Judith Lorber and Yancey Martin dives into the sociology of gender with a specific focus on how the male and female body is compromised by social ideals in the Western culture. She introduces the phenomenon of body ideals pressed on men and women by introducing the shift in cosmetic surgery toward body modifications.
Shaving, applying makeup, and curling hair are a few practices that if a female does not partake in, society, and the social norm are stunned. Those are just a few disciplinary body practices in today’s society. Disciplinary body practices “Are practices because they involve taken-for-granted routinized behaviors and they are disciplinary because they involve social control in the sense that we spend time, money, and effort, and imbue meaning in these practices that regulate our lives” (Shaw 193). These practices can extend way beyond the basic beauty routine of a female as well. Plastic surgery plays a huge role in these body practices. Even men have practices that they are expected to partake in. They are less extreme in terms of price and just simpler in general. But for example, men are expected to have shaved necks, large muscles, and a broad upper body. These standards are causing body and beauty shaming around the world. Disciplinary body practices relate to the adamant consumer culture, constant media advertisements, widespread globalization, persuasive colonialism, and powerful imperialism.
“Body Art as Visual Language” by Enid Schildkrout talks about the different forms of body modifications, and their meanings within different cultures. For example, Schildkrout says “Head shaping may be a sign of high status in one culture and low status in another, but to a total outsider, these practices may appear to be simply mutilation.” In this quote, the author talks about how one body
The ancient Egyptians are known for many of the incredible aspects of their culture and everything they have produced. Some of the well known ancient Egyptian relics are the ones like the ancient pyramids, the Great Sphinx of Giza, mummies, and their many forms of art. Ancient Egyptian art is one of the most recognized styles of art. The most commonly known types of ancient Egyptian art are types like paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. Not only is Egyptian art beautiful, but it carries a huge deal of value and significance with it. A great portion of the time, the art has some kind of religious meaning to it. Consequently it is very difficult to discuss the art itself without delving into the various gods and goddesses presented in it. Something that particularly struck me about ancient Egyptian art was their proneness to use animals in their art. Not only do they use the animal’s full figure, but they also put individual parts on human bodies. This intrigued me because not many cultures have art that embrace animals to this extent. I will be exploring why the ancient Egyptians depict animals in their art repeatedly, and considering what they meant to them.
Body modification is defined as any deliberate alteration to ones’ physical appearance. Most people think that only tattoos and piercings fall into this classification, but this is barely grazing the surface of the extents that body modification can lead to. Anything from a simple ear lobe piercing to breast implants, or tattoos and scarifications are all considered as some form of modification. In western cultures, modifications are made for aesthetics and self-expression, but every culture is different. Native American tribes find spiritual clarity or vision in body suspension, where the body is literally hung on hooks, and in Imperial China's practice of binding the feet of women to represent wealth and beauty. In this paper we will not only look into different piercings, but the history behind them and tattoos as well, also the different modifications that various cultures practice, and why. I will explore tribes such as the Mursi tribe in Ethiopia and the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, India. By the end you will have learned about various cultures and traditions, and have a whole new perspective of the art of body modification.
Tattoos and body modifications have been around for many generations. They first began in 3370 BC and were used by Europeans and Egyptians. Both tattoos and body modifications are defined as a cultural representation of self-expression and sometimes even religion. In the article “Tattoos and Piercing: Issues of Body Modification and the Workplace,” Dr. Elzweig states, “Although tattooing is not a new phenomenon, the number of people who have tattoos has increased significantly and continues to rise. Life magazine estimated in 1936 that only 10% of me American population was tattooed in whole or in part (One out of ten Americans is tattooed, 1936)” (Elweig, Peeples).
Someone with body modifications does not care if others do not have body modifications; however it seems that people without body modifications care a lot more about the people that do. According to the article “The Modern Primitives” by John Leo, Leo confirms my statement by saying that body modifications are a sign of a crisis. In reality, these are people's chosen lifestyles that have absolutely no effect on his everyday life. Within his commentary, Leo discusses the many different forms of body modification such as piercing, tattoos, corsetry, branding, scarring, and S&M. A nose piercing might be on the more “innocent” side of body modification, but scarring by a knife would be on the “more extreme” side, showing the various stages of adversity.
The human body is one of the most complex and yet beautiful things on the earth. We live in a time where our perception of the way we view the body is driven my social stereotypes. In todays world we are supposed to live by the standards of this unwritten code. All of this affects the quality of life we live in. It ranges from the workplace; our personal relationships to the way strangers perceive a person. At this very day in age we are categorized due to being born male or female and things that should be talked about are considered taboo to others.
Almost always people are encouraged to change themselves to meet the standards of the media and advertising. There are the few that see nothing wrong with a person for how they look naturally; however, those few usually do not have as much impact as the ones who cause said insecurities. There is so much about the human condition in “The Birthmark” which are still relevant for modern society, even though this story was written 150-200 years ago. One could say that it is sad that things like this are still a problem; maybe even more of a problem than they were before, with people being obsessed with perfection. There is a solace though; the number of those who see nothing wrong with physical diversity is growing. Maybe someday the story "The Birthmark" will no longer be
It is also true that we can change and enhance our body features through elective cosmetic surgeries. Many people choose to undergo these surgeries because they are unhappy with their appearance. I feel that these procedures are unnecessary, and that you shouldn’t undergo surgery unless you need it for your health. I believe that people go through these procedures purely because they have low self-esteem. Society tells them that there is something wrong with their body, and they feel that they need to change it to fit in. I think that this is a way to see if someone is truly happy with themselves, as we all should. No one is perfect, so no one should try to be it. It’s just a waste of time and money on their part all so they can fit in, which I think is pathetic. It is always a risk to undergo surgery, and there is no reason to put yourself in unnecessary risk. I think that it is ridiculous to put yourself through something like that. If I had a ten year old dark-skinned African American daughter who wanted blue contact lens, have her skin chemically lightened, and straighten her hair, I definitely say no.
Body modification by definition is deliberating altering the human body. Most people at one point has altered his or her body at one point whether is to dye his or her hair or to get piercings or getting a tattoo. Since there are many different types of body modifications, most people do not think about extreme body modifications such as piercing in the genitals, splitting the genitals, horn implants, body suspensions, and many more. Body modifications can be deviant and they do lead people to perceive those individuals as criminals, and body modifications can effect on a person’s life.
Some such technologies include reproductive technologies designed to see and care for mothers and fetuses prior to birth, physical prosthetics to aid with average daily motion, and machines designed to aid quality of life. While, from the outside, all of these may seem like helpful and important advancements, by examining how individuals use and interact with these technologies, we can evaluate the value of their use and potential consequences. Specifically considering the topic of body modification, this can mean several things, from Cochlear Implants to reconstructive surgery. Body modification is important to consider because one’s sense of embodiment “shifts over time or by context (Kafer 4).” While this quote specifically applies to disability, it’s used here to further emphasize how something as large as surgically changing one’s body can impact how they see themselves, and change that sense of self more permanently than temporary use of the aforementioned technologies. While having similar takes on the idea of body modification, and its effects on embodiment, both theories ultimately approach the subject slightly
...hink even though there is nothing in the church laws that forbids body modifications (Larratt), these modifications are frowned upon by many religious people. I think that I will cover my tattoos, for now, so that I do not upset any of the other parishioners, but I will not ever question the morality of my choices in body modifications!
Formal regulations on appearance have been put in place by many companies for various reasons. One being, some jobs call employees to have direct interaction with customers and you only have one chance to make a good first impression. Certain physical attributes have been heavily associated with different stereotypes which can be hard for some people or customers to look past and not judge off appearance alone. For example, if you walk into a doctor 's office and the receptionist or nurse has five face piercings and tattoo sleeves that might scare the patient off because those things are not physical attributes we typically associate with medical professionals. If done properly regulations can help a company.