To what extent is “beauty” determined by biological functions, and to what extent is it determined by sociological functions?
There are a number of peer-reviewed studies that point to biological factors – such as face and body symmetry, waist-to-hip ratios, and physical characteristics associated with youth and fertility – as part of the “cultural universals” of beauty.
But these characteristics alone don’t tell the whole story of beauty. The images on this page are from an article titled, “What the Ideal Woman Looks Like in 11 Countries Around the World.” These women may all have symmetrical faces or the other characteristics mentioned above, but these photos clearly demonstrate that the definition “beauty” varies from culture to culture. When meanings or definitions change over time, or vary from place to place, there’s a high likelihood that we’re dealing with a socially constructed concept. It’s also worth noting that discussions of beauty are often gendered; we’re much more likely to describe women and girls as beautiful than men and boys. Also, the beauty standards that we apply to one gender are often very different than the standards for other genders; the social construction of beauty prescribes different expectations for people based on their gender. (This is also true for different races, social classes, religions, and many other consequential categories of difference.)
For this paper, you will need to use your sociological imagination and other critical thinking skills to evaluate women’s beauty standards in America and Mauritania (NW Africa) and analyze the cultural similarities and differences between the two nations.
OBJECTIVES
Your paper should:
Describe the physical beauty norms for American women, including activities and behaviors undertaken in pursuit of the physical ideal
Describe the physical beauty norms for Mauritanian women, including activities and behaviors undertaken in pursuit of the physical ideal
Identify aspects of American and Mauritanian societies that contribute to the social construction of beauty in each country, including type of society, culture, values, social construction of reality, and socialization
Compare and contrast these cultural aspects: In what ways is the social construction of beauty for American women similar to the social constructions for Mauritanian women; in what ways are they different?
REQUIREMENTS
Your paper must:
Be guided by the prompts below; you may incorporate additional, relevant information inspired by the prompts, but you should not ignore or exclude the information from the prompts
Conform to the following formatting standards:
Be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and 12 point font size
Be at least 2 pages long, but no longer than 7 pages (ideally 4-6 pages)
Be free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors
WRITING PROMPTS
This paper should be completed in stages, in the following order: answer Question Set 1, watch the video below, answer Question Set 2, use answers to write a paper that fulfills Objectives above.
LINK TO VIDEO: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCHV=8TMKYUDEEMO&FEATURE=YOUTU.BE&T=580
LINK TO TEXTBOOK:
HTTPS://OPENSTAX.ORG/BOOKS/INTRODUCTION-SOCIOLOGY-2E/PAGES/1-INTRODUCTION-TO-SOCIOLOGY
Question Set 1 (before video):
Describe what a “beautiful woman” in the United States is supposed to look like. (I recognize there are many aspects of beauty that are not physical, but I want you to identify physical traits and features that are commonly understood to be “beautiful” in American culture.)
How do you “know” what is considered beautiful? Where / when did you learn how to tell if a woman in beautiful?
Think of at least 3 activities or behaviors that might be taken by a woman in the United States in order to attain that type of beauty.
Now jot down some thoughts about what YOU consider to be a “beautiful woman”.
In what ways is your personal definition of beauty SIMILAR to the cultural ideal you listed in Question 1? In what ways is your personal preference DIFFERENT? (Answers need not be detailed or graphic; disclose at your own comfort level and in a professional manner.)
If your personal preferences are VERY different from what you wrote in Question 1, why do you think your preferences are different from the norm?
Question Set 2 (after video):
We have an obesity epidemic in the US, but why is it so shocking to hear there is an obesity epidemic in Mauritania?
Describe what a “beautiful” woman in Mauritania is supposed to look like.
What is the name for the process used by Mauritanian women to achieve that type of beauty? Describe it.
What aspects of society influence the social construction of beauty in America and Mauritania? Consider the features of each society, including their culture, values, social construction of reality, and socialization practices
In what ways are the social constructions of beauty different between America and Mauritania? In what ways are they similar?
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