WHAT IS BEAUTY FOR YOU? / Students-generated content
Many people believe that everything they like or looks nice to them is it to others too. An example would be a beauty. Since we are conscious, we know that there had been canons of beauty. We believe that these are the same for everyone, but there are studies that show depending on the country where you live, it can vary. For example, in almost all European countries and the United States, the ideal body type that predominates is that slender and athletic body with very pronounced facial features. Conversely, in other countries such as those of South America, the ideal body is one with large breasts and hip.
These beauty canons have always had a strong presence in society but nowadays they are much more important, especially since the appearance of social networks. In particular Instagram, where people usually hang photographs of themselves and this is where the canons show their role. The main characters that drive this theme are the actresses, the models, the influencers… Although today we are trying to leave aside of stereotypes and look for the different and the “real”.
“Mónica Luengo (04/08/2014). Internet determina el cánon de belleza del s.XXI. El País (Icon)” “Eva Armas (18/05/2016). Demostrado el impacto de las redes sociales en los cánones de belleza. Glamour”
But before continuing, we return to the origins of our society. We have learned how these canons have been advancing, which have changed at times throughout history.
At the beginning of the 20th century, women with hips, large breasts and narrow waist stand out. Then, in the 20s, the canon was thin and tall women. In addition, those who smoked drank and danced.
Later, the curves returned but in the 60s the tendency was the thin and tall woman. This being the stereotype that still triumphs. Thinness the main characteristic of the female figure. But as we said at the beginning, is this the global social canon? No, it’s not like that. And for that reason, we are going to name different investigations that affirm this.
A journalist named Esther Honig decided to do a study to see if the stereotypes are the same all around the world. She asked several people to retouched a photograph of a woman with PhotoShop and who made her look pretty. The results were very different. Honig could verify that yes, depending on the country, the perception of beauty changes.
Countries like Bangladesh emphasize facial perfection, that is, a clean face without any imperfection.
Others like Germany, showed a woman sensilla, without makeup. But having cleared the skin colour. India did the opposite, they darkened it.
Even some, like Morocco or the Philippines, dressed the girl in the photograph, showing cultural features related to women.
“Patrica Álvarez (02/07/2014). Los cánones de belleza según verinticinco paises. En Femenino”.
Another study similar is the one made by the SuperDrug brand. This brand of women’s health and beauty decided to carry out a study in which people from different countries had to touch up with Photoshop the body of a woman, according to what seemed to be prettier.
In this case, it is worth noting that all the countries reduced the weight of the model. Some like Italy or China thinned the model in an excessive way. The others retouched the photograph in a similar way, except Spain that didn’t edit the photograph. Others like Peru or Egypt that reduced the waist but extended the hip.
So, we can say that depending on the country or continent you are, the beauty perspective it can vary. This perspective is in direct contact with the culture that exists in that country.
It is shocking that today, we continue to value more the physical aspect of a woman than her rights and values. There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that women are valued much more for what they are and not for what they apparently seem. Know and value people for what they are and not for what they seem to be.
Content generated by students: Carla Aragón, Andrea López, Ariadna Zarcos