Female Body Image Analysis

The perception of the perfect female body image always differs depending on who is asked. To some, the ideal body image requires constant transformation whether it is through plastic surgery or artwork such as piercings and tattoos. The body image is perceived as “the picture of our own body which we form in our mind, that is to say the way in which the body appears to ourselves”. (eating disorders 87) This perception is believed to have been integrated into the minds of individuals since a young age, coming from television, parents and toys such as Barbie dolls which young girls played with every day while in their youth. In clinical trials which were conducted by Wilken and Associates in 1967 between body perceptions in men versus
Flugel published The Psychology of Clothes, basing his analysis off of how one expresses their feelings and wishes in identifying and protecting oneself psychologically through the eyes of others regarding clothing. Flugel believed that “the way a person dresses has an intimate connection with the unconscious perception of herself which she wishes to convey” stating further that “girls felt a greater sense of power and worth when they were well dressed”(56 body exper in fant), however, in his research he also found that those with high religious values had a lower interest in the clothes they wore. As families became more affluent, resulting in healthier children, the bodies of young women began to develop earlier, however, they still remained emotionally immature. In The Body Project, Brumberg argued that the female body poses a problem due to the world which women live in today which stemmed from historical changes that have been a result of “a peculiar mismatch between girls' biology and today's culture”. (body project xvii) With fewer social protections along with peer pressure the young woman's body has become an all consuming project focusing on sexual expression. Alex Taylor, a 22-year-old student at UC believes that between the '50s and '60s, that “the perfect woman was supposed to be curvy, like pin-ups” yet recently the perfect body type is viewed as “the skinnier, the better...and not just skinnier because you're fit, it's photo's on magazines,
During the 19th century, the skin needed to be perfect as well. Facial blemishes were believed to be cured by marriage by some because it “indicated a life that was out of balance” (body proj 62) and was an indication of masturbation or uncleanliness. Acne was everyone's disease and was seen in different races and classes of individuals. The body project also extends to women who view the ideal self in body modifications such as tattoos and piercings. Courtney is no stranger to tattoos and piercings and neither is Alex. At the age of 13, she received her first piercing while she would receive her first tattoo at 18 years of age. Now 25, she has five tattoos, 15 piercings and gauged ears. Courtney has been interested with body modifications since she was very young. While each tattoo has it's own story which has helped her through a time in her life, she likes to think of them “as a scrapbook of who I am, who I can be, and who I’ve been.” She also believes that “society still has hang-ups on a woman taking control of her body in such a permanent way, as if a woman is incapable of making drastic, permanent decisions”adding that sometimes “men have unfairly assumed I’m “slutty” because I have visible tattoos and piercings, because “nice girls don’t wear their rebellious behavior on their sleeve.” Alex also believes that society views women