physical self

• Physical Self


  The Biological Blueprint
• Our physical self is not only limited to what we can directly see by the naked eye; underneath our skin is a dynamic system of biological and chemical processes that contribute to our physical features
• Heredity


  The transformation of traits from parents to offspring
• Genotype


  The specific information imbedded within our genes
• Phenotype


  The physical expression of a particular trait
• Dominant and recessive genes


  Dependent on alleles, which are alternate versions of a particular gene
• Chromosomes


  • Threadlike bodies in the nucleus of the cell and the storage unit of genes
  • The 23rd pair, also known as sex chromosome, determine the sex of an individual
• DNA


  A nucleus acid that contains the genetic instructions specifying the unique blueprint of an individual's physical features
• Maturation


  The completion of genetic character within an organism or the unfolding of an individual's inherent traits or potential
• Physical Self: Environmental Conditioning


  Environmental influences that shape our physical self, including those from our social networks, societal expectations, and cultural practices
• Family, being our first social group, forms a crucial foundation of our development, including that of our physical self
• Beauty standards


  Cultural norms that affect the qualities and traits that are most valued in a society
• Although the traits and modifications that are viewed as beautiful vary across cultures, beauty is always valued
• Exposure to media and people from many cultures leads to exposure to new beauty ideals
• Body fat


  The value attached to slender bodies in Euro-American cultures, but not limited to these contexts
• In many hunter-gatherer and hunter-horticultural societies, body fat provides protection against periods of famine and provides women with extra energy during pregnancy and lactation
• In less socioeconomically developed ("traditional") societies, plumpness is (or was) linked with fertility, health, sexuality, and attractiveness
• In hunter-gatherer and hunter-horticultural societies

  • Body fat provides protection against periods of famine
  • Body fat provides women with extra energy during pregnancy and lactation
• Plumpness


  Linked with fertility, health, sexuality, and attractiveness in less socioeconomically developed ("traditional") societies
• Individuals in less socioeconomically developed societies are less likely than those in industrialized societies to perceive themselves as overweight or obese, even when they are very large
• Plumpness was preferred in women in 81 percent of traditional societies
• In many regions of Africa and the South Pacific, adolescents from elite families enter "milking huts" where they are fed high-fat diets in order to become properly plump in preparation for marriage
• Fatter women were preferred far more in rural nonindustrialized sites such as rural South Africa and Malaysia compared to industrialized countries or settings such as urban South Africa and Malaysia
• Social constructionist perspective


  Emphasizes how social norms and social institutions influence what we find attractive
• The present set of beauty standards is not inevitable and often implies that they are not determined or heavily influenced by biological factors
• In Euro-American cultures, people with physical features associated with being white have traditionally been regarded as more beautiful
• Traits associated with whiteness are perceived to be more attractive because white men and women have long had substantially greater economic power and prestige than other groups
• Glamour magazine published a "don'ts" list for women in corporate America that included telling black women to "just say no to the 'fro"
• What we find attractive varies dramatically across historical times and cultures, and is tied more to social belief systems than to any evolved preferences
• In a capitalist society, a social constructionist perspective would emphasize how marketing firms can create or magnify the concerns people have with their bodies, which in turn causes people to spend more on beauty-enhancing products
• Feminist perspective on beauty


  Beauty is not universal or changeless, but rather a reflection of how well men and women live up to the gender roles they have been assigned by their culture
• Cultural variations in beauty ideals

  • The epitome of the feminine ideal is the geisha in Japanese culture
  • Femininity is represented by colorful dress, nose-ring, and bindi in Indian cultures
  • Among the Wodaabe of Central Africa, men present themselves at beauty contests to be judged by potential female partners on their height and whiteness of their eyes and teeth
• Beauty acts like a currency system in which women's value is determined by their appearance in patriarchal societies
• Emphasizing female beauty keeps women perpetually focused on their appearance and detracts from their ability to be taken seriously in political arenas
• The media portray an ideal female beauty that is impossible for most women to attain, even using computer programs to erase or modify any perceived imperfections
• Sexual objectification


  Viewing women as simply objects to be used for sexual pleasure, with little regard for their thoughts, feelings, and emotions
• Women's bodies are much more frequently objectified in popular media than are men's bodies
• Exposure to these popular media images consistently leads to lower body satisfaction in women
• Self-objectification


  Valuing oneself for appearance rather than other aspects of identity
• Appearance surveillance


  The routine monitoring of how one's body looks to others