Essay on Sociology: Self and Society
The issue regarding the role of appearance and beauty in contemporary society has been widely discussed in academic literature and the mass media sources. Beauty is not only biologically programmed to function in human representation, but also it is culturally constructed to address the culture of human societies (DeMello, 2007). It has been found that human character can be better understood if there is a reflection of one’s sense of identity that can be found in the way an individual is dressed or how he/she behaves (Finkelstein, 2013). Psychologists state that there are many significant physical features that “both men and women are programmed to find beautiful, including smooth skin, thick shiny hair, and symmetrical faces and bodies” (DeMello, 2007, p. 28). Most people would agree with the fact that appearances could be created to impress others. For example, “dressing after a particular fashion is done in order to convey a certain impression”( Finkelstein, 2013, p. 1). Beauty is not an isolated quality, according to Plato, as beauty and appearance are associated with goodness. However, in some cases, the increased attention to beauty and appearance leads to the violation of effective functioning of the value system. Thesis statement: The emphasis on appearance and beauty in contemporary societies reflects and promotes a distorted system of value because inner beauty is often ignored by the individuals, who highlight the role of appearance in social interactions.
The major goal of this paper is to discuss whether the emphasis on appearance and beauty in contemporary societies reflects and promotes a distorted system of value. In order to achieve the established goal it is necessary to discuss the role of appearance and beauty in contemporary society, the nature of the distorted system of value and the relationship between appearance and beauty and the accepted system of values.
The role of appearance and beauty in contemporary society
Appearance and beauty play an important role in contemporary society because any individual can be judged by appearance, based on the fact that “the true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible” (Wilde, 2009, p. 49). The importance of beauty is learned by an individual from the early age. The values of society regarding the role of appearance and beauty cannot be kept from children who realize that unattractive men and women cannot become movie stars or leaders. Children are taught to accept the cult of beauty because parents and teachers are obsessed by the existing system of valuing human worth. In fairy tales, ugly characters are always wicked and ill-natured or unhappy because of the lack of outer beauty.
Some people believe that outer beauty is a reflection of inner beauty because those people, who are in love, always look beautiful and attractive. In ancient cultures, the definition of beauty differed from modern cultures. Both men and women grow older and their beauty is said to grow with their age. This fact means that wisdom that comes with age can be valued as a deeper or inner beauty. According to researchers, “in today’s society looking good is more important than you would think”(Edom, 2011, p. 134). Psychologists point out to the fact that physical appearance does matter because it is associated with the traits of personality that influence human interaction and treatment. According to psychologist Nancy Etcoff, attractive people are “perceived as being nicer, smarter and more sociable,” and “more competent and moral than unattractive people” (qtd. in Edom, 2011, p. 134).
The propaganda of the beauty ideal can be found in the mass media sources. In recent years, practically every newspaper, magazine and the Internet sources highlight the significance of appearance and beauty, providing pictures of “enlarged breasts, whittled down waists, wrinkle-free foreheads, pumped up lips, reduced vaginas, etc” (Edom, 2011, p. 134).
In addition, today everybody knows that human face is a reflection of beauty. Face can be perceived in different ways: “as a mask in social interaction,” “the face as art: makeup and plastic surgery” and “the face as battlefield: a source of ideological controversy” (Synott, 1989, p. 55). Face cannot be ignored in the process of human interaction because the beauty of face influences the effectiveness of interaction and the significance of the self. In other words, the beauty of face can be perceived as goodness. Actually, face reflects the character of an individual, making his/her appearance more attractive. Both Aristotle and Plato supported the idea of the significance of beauty in human interactions (Synott, 1989). According to Plato, beauty is identical to success, happiness and wisdom. Thus, the beauty of human face signifies not only attractiveness, but also wisdom.
Nevertheless, there are several widely accepted assumptions, such as sayings “beauty is only skin deep”, “appearances are deceptive” and “all that glitters is not gold” (Synott, 1989, p. 55). The ideology of beauty is controversial in its nature because face can be perceived not only as mask of the self, but also as the mirror of the soul, which reflects inner beauty. It is necessary to assess the role of cosmetic surgery, which promotes the ideal of beauty (Synott, 1989).
The nature of the distorted system of value
The distorted system of value is propagated in human society. Undoubtedly, a serious damage is done to children who do not understand the difference between outer beauty and inner beauty. The distorted system of value in relation to appearance and beauty is based on improper understanding of the notion of beauty, which includes outer beauty and inner beauty. According to researchers, the human soul has the capacity not only to deal with hardships, but also to reflect inner beauty. The purity of human soul helps to maintain a positive outlook on different life circumstances, avoiding the growth of negative experiences, such as oppression and discrimination (Canfield, 2002). It is necessary to match inner and outer beauty in order to use the power over others, especially in social interactions. This fact means that is an individual does not embody the outer beauty; he/she could use the beauty of the soul to succeed in interactions.
A system of value is considered to be distorted if there is no harmony is social interactions. If the emphasis is placed on appearance and beauty in contemporary societies, the system of value will be distorted because the role of inner beauty is ignored. The distortion of moral values leads to damaged cultures and destroyed people. Today special attention is paid to the promotion of the ideal of beauty. Central role is given to moral transformation of individuals who ignore inner beauty. As a result, there are many critical responses to the promotion of cosmetic surgery, which ruins inner beauty, making people look perfect, but using face as a mask in social interaction.
The relationship between appearance and beauty and the accepted system of values
There is a close relationship between appearance and beauty and the accepted system of values. This relationship can be explained by individualism. People accept what is good in terms what is useful for them. Individualism is associated with selfishness, which promotes injustice in social interactions. According to Finkelstein (2013), “in the consumer culture of modern society, physical appearance has come to be seen as an important means for claiming a degree of social status” (p.2). Undoubtedly, this fact means that appearance and beauty can promote social inequality in human interactions. Many individuals are focused on using various strategies in order to improve their physical appearance. They tend to buy clothing made by world famous fashion designers, use individualized fitness programs to improve their physical forms, buy special sport equipment for home usage, attend yoga classes and follow strict diet regimes. These practices contribute to supporting the ideal of beauty, but ignore the system of values in some way. For them, physical appearance is of great importance.
Certain implications of the question
Certain implications of the question discussed in this paper are concluded in different perceptions of appearance and beauty. Some people would not agree with the fact that the emphasis on appearance and beauty in contemporary societies reflects and promotes a distorted system of value. They consider that attractiveness of one’s own appearance cannot express real character of an individual. They believe that it is necessary to judge an individual based on his/her personality traits, no matter what appearance he/she has. According to Finkelstein (2013), “this conflation of reality with appearance has a long tradition”(p.2). Moreover, appearance can be changed by employing a variety of cosmetics and specially developed devices. In contemporary society, it is easy to use conspiracy, which helps to create artificial complexion and body shape, but overlook the real representation of one’s own character. It is very important to understand the identity of an individual’s character to avoid any misunderstandings and misperceptions.
In addition, the ideal of beauty is changing because the elements of appearance that can be perceived as attractive are changing. According to researchers, “the same themes are reworked and re-interpreted in each age”(Synott, 1989, p.73). This fact means cultural, social and even political changes influence the perception of appearance and beauty. For example, the growth of Black Nationalism has led to the perception of “black beauty”, while the growth of feminism movement has led to the “rejection of beauty trap” (Synott, 1989, p.73). These changes can have certain implications on the established perception of the ideal of beauty.
The criteria for answering the question
The criteria assumed for answering that question are based on individual perception of appearance and beauty. It is necessary to measure the extent to which the emphasis on appearance and beauty in contemporary societies reflects and promotes a distorted system of value. For example, in the 19-th century, both appearance and an individual’s character were very important in social interaction. Finkelstein (2013) provides Samuel Well’s explanation of the process of reading an individual’s character. He states that in most cases, “appearances are deceitful” (qtd. in Finkelstein, 2013, p. 5). In other words, it is crucial to associate an individual’s character with his/her physical appearance, but observe positive and negative features.
The major problems addressed by the question
The problems the question is asking to address include the problems of inequality and injustice that occur in the process of social interaction. According to Finkelstein (2013), it is necessary to have a deep understanding of human character from personal experiences because “appearances, styles and images have become an authoritative narrative of modern social life, which has a significant influence on our habits of sociality” (p. 9). For example, those individuals who have constructed powerful social identity and effectively use beauty and attractiveness to succeed in social indications can have negative attitudes toward others. In general, the problems addressed by the question that has been raised in this paper require prompt and adequate solutions. Beauty and appearance should not promote conflict between individuals through distortion of the accepted system of value.
Conclusion
Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the emphasis on appearance and beauty in contemporary societies reflects and promotes a distorted system of value. There is a close relationship between appearance and beauty and the accepted system of values because the ideology of beauty contributes to the promotion of ignorance regarding the real traits of character, making individuals selfish and self-absorbed. Individualism that is caused by the increased attention of contemporary societies to cosmetic surgery leads to the violation of the functioning of the value system.
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