Cultural and Historical Change of Beauty Ideals

Humans have always shown concern about their physical appearance. The concern with physical appearance has been a constant factor and it appears that it is simply human nature. For instance, throughout the 17th and 18th century, the fashionable skin color in Europe was pale white which suggested one was wealthy and idle. This was because one would not have to labor in the open fields and get sunburns. However, the modern world has grown to appreciate beauty ideals of individuals of different color . Perceptions surrounding beauty and body types vary by culture and history. The main question when dealing with beauty ideals is what qualities make a person beautiful? Even though it may seem like there are standards of beauty in the modern world, the ideals are not universal and vary based on different cultures. The perfect female and male body have changed throughout the years. The foundation of the female form has remained constant over the years and has had small changes as time changes. The research question is how are our views on physical beauty and flaws culturally and socially constructed an investigation into the effect of movement, time and space, and the body. This paper investigates the perceptions and variations of beauty throughout history and different cultures by considering the body, movement, time and space. 

Chapter 1: History of beauty ideals 

Beauty ideals can be traced culturally to have had the earliest occurrence in The Venus of Willendorf. This was a statue that was crafted between 24,000 and 22,000 BC to reflect the paradigms of fertility. It is one of the earliest forms of art that was discovered and one of the best examples of the idealized woman. The image is of a girl that is curvy and appears to be a little heavy for her body size. The body has several features such as large hips, a healthy stomach, and large breasts. The art shows that it was apparent that a good body could be one of the indicators that an individual had the ability to bear many children (Petty, 2017) . It was not based on the current ideals of beauty like those of pretty eyes or bright red lips. The focus was on the body and that it ought to be strong enough because it was the method of survival. Even though the piece of art exaggerates how the figure of women in that era looked like, it is a portrayal of the ideals that were present during that time. It proves that a well-nourished and voluptuous female body was the ideal 25,000 years ago. 

The artist of Renaissance in the Middle ages was also used to signify beauty ideals. Between 1300 and 1500, various artists painted naked breasts to symbolize a mixture of sensuality and fertility. The ideal women were also curvy, pale, had flushed cheeks, and faces that were soft and round (Petty, 2017) . The images are drawn based on their imaginations of how a beautiful woman would look like. The Renaissance period was a time which marked the transition of women from moving from objects of fertility to become objects of lust and beauty. 

The Elizabeth era marked the introduction of the era of makeup. This was as a result of Queen Elizabeth been crowned in 1558 and popularizing the use of makeup among women. Before that, it was deemed that a face-full makeup was a representation of Satan. However, the 25-year-old queen made use of face paint with the signature of a red lip. Queen Elizabeth also painted her face with the use of white lead-based powder to hide her smallpox scars. Members of the high society followed suit as they believed that the makeup had magic power which could ward off death ( Corson, 2003, p. 173 ). This popularized the trend which instantly became a symbol of its class and time. Individuals that were pale and used makeup were considered to be of higher social status. They were different from individuals that worked outside in the scorching sun and had tan lines and sunburns. 

Right after the depression and World War II, Americans had started making a lot of money for the first time in several years. People were in a jovial mood and wanted to celebrate through indulgence, this led to the coming up of the slightly fuller figure. The hourglass figure became a sought-after figure and having a large bust became highly encouraged. The ‘50s saw an introduction of women that could be considered plus sized. The ideal body was women that appeared to be quite heavier than women today. However, they were a little bit thinner than the average lady. Most of the girls that dominated the film industry had a Body Mass Index (BMI) that ranged between 18.8 and 20.5, but the average woman had a BMI of 23.6 (Petty, 2017) . This shows that the early modern times when the ideal woman was considered bigger, she was still thinner compared to the average woman. 

By the time people got into the ‘60s, the larger population was not happy to just have a car, house, and housewife. Young individuals wanted to rebel against the ways that they saw in the 50s. One of the ways which they rebelled was through the introduction of “Miss Fat and Beautiful” contest. While the women were considered plus sized, various images show that the women were not significantly big (Watson, 2013). This shows that there was still a demand for thinness which was apparent during those times. 

The 70s saw an improvement in freedom for women with skinny becoming the ideal. Most of the fashion models were rather small. The makeup and fashion were also titled towards a look that could be considered as more natural. The looks were not as bold as that of the 60s and the hair which was worn was quite natural and long (Watson, 2013). By the time of introduction of the era of the 80s, the Supermodel era had started. Women were expected to be tall, thin, and slightly athletic. Their hips got smaller and large breasts were considered the ideal of beauty. Women started becoming more influenced by beauty ideals showcased by models and not actors for body trends or fashion. Models were also growing and becoming thinner compared to the average person. 

The ‘90s ushered in a thin female body which could not have gotten any thinner. For instance, one of the most popular models during that time was Kate Moss who was considered one of the skinniest models of all time. She was a very thin model that had a BMI of 16 which can be considered as medically unfit. The 90s presented one of the thinnest feminine ideals that have ever occurred in history (Petty, 2017). This caused many women to start engaging in self-starvation in order to maintain the beauty ideals. 

Chapter 2: Impact of Beauty Ideals on the generation 

The changing beauty ideals have had both a positive and negative impact on the larger population. A study by Calogero (2007, p268) examined 3,300 girls and women in 10 different countries aged between 15 to 64. The study revealed that 90 percent of the women wanted to change at least one aspect of their body. The most common factors that women wanted to change was their physical appearance and their body weight. The findings showed that women are becoming more anxious about their weight and the factor is a global phenomenon. It is not just experienced in a single country but is experienced in countries from Saudi Arabia to the United States. 

Beauty ideals have had a negative impact on the mood of women where many feel bad about themselves. The study by Calogero also revealed that 67 percent of the women aged between 15 and 64 reported that they would withdraw from some of their daily activities because they felt bad about their looks. Women would withdraw from some activities such as going to school, going to work, exercising, dating, or going to the doctor simply because they did not feel good about how they looked (Calogero et al., 2007, p 281). The findings show that the representation of beauty ideals in the modern world has led to the feelings of dissatisfaction among the entire women population. Even though most meet the standards and ideals set by the current generation, they still largely feel inadequate and not confident enough about their body size and physical appearance. The study by Calogero shows that beauty ideals have resulted in a negative impact since it has resulted in a reduction of self-esteem among many women. 

The changes in beauty ideals have resulted in an over-emphasis on external appearances. The external appearance has become a very important part of Western culture. The external body can be described as a true display of the modern culture. It is a symbolic form which norms and practices of the current society are inscribed. Beauty ideals represent a very distinct form of looks that incorporate several features of the human body and face. These factors define the physical attractiveness that exists within a given culture. 

Shift to a muscular female body 

A survey by Psychology Today revealed an increasing shift of the female body towards a more masculine shape over the last three decades. The dissatisfaction of women in the muscle tone has increased progressively from 30 percent in 1972, to 45 percent in 1985, up to 57 percent in 1997 (Garner, 2017) . The survey showed 67 percent of women that had a body dissatisfaction reported that muscular and very thin models made them feel insecure (Garner, 2017) . The study showed that women wanted to be more muscular than they actually were. It also revealed that there was a great deal of variation between the ideal level of muscularity and the actual level that was experienced by a large percentage of the women. Women would make a comparison with models that had ideal body shape and were difficult to acquire by the average person. This heightened the level of dissatisfaction among most women on their body size. 

How Social Media Has Constructed and Changed Ideals of Beauty 

Social media has increased in popularity ever since the idea of tablets and smartphones started to appear in the market. There are several social applications where people can create their profiles and communicate with each other. At the first, social media served the purpose of contacting friends and sharing memories with each other. However, with frequent use, social media became the opposite as it grew to become the best platform where people could show off the ideals of beauty. 

The use of social media has impacted girls where they experience body and image issues concerning what they should look like so that they could be more accepted by their friends and peers. Right from a very young age, girls start viewing the ideal beauty of others and focus on what they desire to change about themselves. Social media becomes a large part of their lives and they spend a lot of time viewing the images which other people post. Many women thus spend a lot of time on their screens as they reflect on the ideals of beauty shown by social media users. This changes the mindset of many individuals and highly active social media users become diagnosed with mental disorders such as eating disorders. 

Social media has influenced the perception of beauty through the use of celebrities. One of the most popular celebrities that changed the perception of beauty are the Kardashian/Jenner family. The family has influenced a large number of individuals into opting for cosmetic surgery. For instance, when Kylie Jenner made a statement that she had had lip fillers, cosmetic surgeons saw a 700 percent increase in the request for lip fillers (Payne, 2018) . They made a significant impact on perceptions of beauty mainly because of their popularity on social media. 

Cosmetic surgeries have increased significantly over the past decade due to the use and adoption of social media. People are increasingly being influenced to change their appearance. One can get hairline electrolysis to change the change the shape of the face, a nose job, cartilage implant on the chin, false teeth, and breast implantation. Cosmetic surgery in 2016 amounted to 1.8 million invasive surgeries such as liposuction and breast implants and 15.5 million non-invasive surgeries such as chemical peels and Botox in the United States (Payne, 2017). The body modification is a form of surgery that is estimated to be worth $8 billion dollars every year in the United States. 

A study by Dove investigated how social media affects the inspiration of beauty among women. The survey was conducted on 1,027 women between the age of 18 and 64. The results from the responses of the women showed that they were twice as likely to say that their perceptions of beauty are shaped by women in the public domain and social media. 29 percent stated that their perception of beauty is shaped by women in the public domain while 25 percent noted that their perception is based on social media (Katz, 2015) . 

The Dove study also found a positive influence of social media on beauty. The study revealed that women wrote an average of 5 million tweets about beauty which were about themselves. 78 percent of the survey sample revealed that women felt the portrayal of women on social media as somewhat unrealistic. An additional 82 percent believed that social media has a significant impact on the changing standards of beauty (Katz, 2015). 

Das (2014, p. 294) analyzed the impact of social media on weight control and weight perceptions among women. He explored the concept of how the advertisement and photo-shopping of women on social media have had a distortion of body changes. The study revealed that social media has led to an increasingly huge number of individuals opting for weight loss programs. Many individuals have adopted for a low-fat consumption diet. The study by Das highlights how the poor diet can lead to an increased risk for individuals to develop diabetes. 

Promotional role models and magazines 

Published fashion and beauty magazines play a huge role in dictating fashion and the perceptions of beauty among most women. Yan and Bissell (2014, p. 207) examined the portrayal of the female body worldwide by analyzing 5577 female models within the top 4 fashion and beauty magazines in different regions of the world. The study showed that different magazines used different standards to select models. The conclusion was that the image and perception of beauty are based more on the editing work than on the derived beauty standards in the world. Different regions in the world used different standards of beauty. European and North American countries played a big role in determining beauty standards. Asian countries were independent of beauty standards and had no set standards in the selection of models and sexual frames (Yan and Bissell, 2014, p 212). Magazines that were distributed in regions such as South Africa and Latin America were increasingly being assimilated by the Western norms and perceptions of beauty. 

Wilcox and Laird (2000, p 282) examined the impact of media images of using super-slender images on the self-esteem of women. The study assigned 41 women to view pictures of normal-weight or slender women and to respond to scales of measuring self-esteem. The study revealed that women who had their emotions based on personal cues had lower self-esteem and satisfaction with the bodies once they viewed slender women. Those that viewed more robust women did not have any issues with their reduction in self-esteem. The study shows the impact that promotional role models and magazines have on the perceptions of beauty among women. The forms of media affect women immeasurably to the extent that it can affect their self-esteem. 

The influence of other cultures on perceptions of beauty 

The portrayal of beauty in different parts of the world can have a significant effect on other cultures. One of the first influences is based on skin bleaching by the darker-skinned populations. The motivation of skin bleaching is derived from the Western perceptions that white and lighter skin tones represent beauty. Whiteness and westerners are usually associated with status and luxury. Many individuals thus use skin lightening creams to bleach their skin. The rejection of blackness and the use of skin bleaching can be used to indicate that the lighter an individual is, the more financially secure and attractive they are (Frazier, 2018) . The non-western and Asian community have also adopted the perception and lighter skin colors are the preferred facial skin for Chinese females in magazines. 

Another cultural exchange between the western and non-western population is the increasing use of surgical operations in other countries. There has been a rise in cosmetic surgeries in regions such as East Asian populations. The most common form of surgery is the eyelid surgery which creates an indentation of the eyelid at the top of the eyeball which makes it stand out. The emphasis on eyelid surgery has become prevalent to the extent that parents can encourage their daughters to consider getting eyelid surgery (Frazier, 2018). Such a cultural exchange from the East Asian populations shows how culture has been transferred from one part of the world to another. 

The overlap of fashion and beauty through corseting 

Fashion and trends can have a significant influence on the perceptions of beauty. One instance where this can be seen is through corseting. In the 1800s, the practice of corseting included sleeping and bathing in corsets to permanently maintain a smaller waistline (Calogero, 2007). Corseting was not an established beauty practice related to a particular historical context. Instead, it was simply a culture that was adopted by women who wanted to reduce their waistline. Corseting was later adopted in the twentieth century as a beauty statement to maintain the hourglass shape. For instance, Cathie Jung used the practice of wearing a corset and reduced her wait to 21 inches around and wears a 15-inch corset (Leib, 2016, p. 9). Corseting was historical fashion practice that made a difference in the perceptions of beauty by emphasizing on hour glass figure. 

The change in physique and height among men 

The body image of men has changed over the years to become perceived that one should be muscular and tall to be considered ideal. There has been an increasing drive for men towards masculinity. A large part of the drive is caused by women who want men that have a certain height and a certain physique. This has happened largely due to the presentation of muscular male physiques and muscular male action figures by the media. A scan of magazine shelves at grocery, bookstores, and convenience stores shows several images of male bodies that are hyper-muscular. 

The emphasis on the muscular body can be traced to the culture of the Greeks that portrayed it through the use of art and sculptures. Leoussi (2018, p. 102) notes that modern art follows the advertising similar to that of the Ancient Greeks. In advertising, the general portrayal of the young man is that he is strong and has muscles that are particularly defined. This was borrowed from ancient Greece that participated in sports and thus had to portray the ideal person based on athleticism. The adoption of the athletic muscled man in modern society is a style that has been popularized by the media and accepted by society . 

Cultural ideals in Niger on Fattening 

While other parts of the world emphasize on maintaining skinny bodies as a fashion ideal, women in Niger in the Saharan community opt for fatness to portray beauty and sexuality. Popenoe (2012, p. 2) examined this culture by identifying various factors that influenced the perception. Women that were fat were celebrated because it was considered by both men and women as being attractive and that it made a girl grow into a woman faster. The belief followed the Islamic perception that it a girl’s God-given duties were to marry and produce children. Fatting speeded up the ability of a girl to reach the goal and thus appeared to be more attractive. Women in the society are thus celebrated in songs for having folds of fat and stretch marks. 

Conclusion 

The perceptions and variations of beauty throughout history and different cultures by considering the body, movement, time and space. Our perceptions of beauty and flaws culturally and social are influenced by history, culture, and the media. Historical ideals of beauty have changed over the years as women strive to take beauty to the extremes. The celebration of the skinny female body was as a result of historical changes. Culture has an influence on beauty where people in different cultures have different ideals of beauty. The media has influenced perceptions of beauty in the modern world through the use of social media, celebrities, and fashion and beauty magazines. 

References 

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Payne, E. (2018).  Is Social Media Changing Our Perception of Beauty? [online] Viva.media. Available at: https://viva.media/is-social-media-changing-our-perception-of-beauty [Accessed 30 Dec. 2018]. 

Petty, A. (2017).  How women's 'perfect' body changed through history . [online] TheList.com. Available at: https://www.thelist.com/44261/womens-perfect-body-types-changed-throughout-history/ [Accessed 30 Dec. 2018]. 

Popenoe, R., 2012.    Feeding desire: Fatness, beauty and sexuality among a Saharan people . Routledge. 

Watson, P., 2013.  Terrible Beauty: A Cultural History of the Twentieth Century: The People and Ideas that Shaped the Modern Mind: A History . Weidenfeld & Nicolson. 

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