I Am Not My Body

This set of readings all talked about the effects of expectations of outward “beauty” and expectations to look perfect. I was interested by how the world sees perfect, which was most usually achieving whiteness. “Facial features have long been considered in much the same way skin color has: the whiter, the better...Anglo facial features provide a similar kind of social capital that can be used esteem in employment, education, community and the marriage market,”( 54 Hunter). Being white means being normal for these people, thus they feel the have to do everything to change themselves. Having a base point seems to be essential for the world, and that way we are able to make comparison. Thus, any one that falls outside of those normal bounds, is marked and stands out. “People who inhabit 'dissimilar' bodies are read as both inferior and threatening: inferior in terms of beauty and threatening in terms of downward mobility,” (Lebesco 54). The objective has become to falls inside the normal bounds as close as possible. I was very intrigued when the other referred to cosmetic surgery as 'choice of conformity' rather then an individual decision. Many doctors try to advertise these types of surgeries as a freedom of choice, but in reality, the patients are being told what to do by society. So not only are people being pressure by the media to change, now doctors, a profession the population holds to great esteem and respect, are telling us how to change ourselves as well. As a result, people trust the doctor's words more highly and there is more pressure and obligation placed upon us to fit the mold.
As always, using intersectionality when looking at gender to study body image is important. Using a one sided view or using it as your only perspective in life seems to be dangerous. “We have to be careful not to fall into the trap of only of having our bodies and our images speak for who we are-what we think, what we feel, what we do,” (199 Richards). If a person is consumed with how they are perceived outwardly, they allow themselves only to be defined by that. In reality, people are complexities that deserve to define themselves in multiple ways simultaneously. I, and other women in college, struggled with the transition of becoming comfortable without my family right behind me. I was very confused how to handle this change in my life, but I found that what made me the happiest was when I could tell myself that I was healthy, happy student that had everything going for her. Sometimes it helps for me to remind myself to see the bigger picture, rather then looking at the minute details that often lead to criticism of ones self. This correlates to the importance for using intersectionality to look at your life.