"What we all do everyday, what we take for granted and can rarely explain... reveal a great deal about ourselves and modern life." Finkelstein, Slaves of Chic
Choose an aspect of popular culture and explain what it tells us about the people who consume/ participate in it, as well as what it tells us about modern life.
Amber Robinson
The use of cosmetics is a prominent part of popular culture, primarily interested in achieving the highly celebrated ideal of 'beauty'. Applying make- up is an everyday practice for most women in Western Culture. Due to the magnitude of the consumer group, it may appear to limit the insights we can gain from them, however at the very least it tells us a great deal about the society we live in. The use of cosmetics is not simply a popular trend, the practice is a symbol of the relationship between men and women, the role of industry in our culture, the expectations of women, gender roles and performances and the influence of mass media. This essay examines what wearing make up says about the individual and more importantly, how this cultural practice reflects society. It will begin by employing the ethnomethodological approach to cosmetic use, that is to look at how individuals make sense of it's part in their lives. To understand the historical context of 'beauty' and the persistent pursuit of this ideal, it will look at the female Liberation Movement's of the 20th Century and the surviving pillar of patriarchy: woman as object. Consumerism as the primary drive for contemporary society will be examined next, in particular the perpetuation of beauty ideals by the cosmetic industry that are widely held to be detrimental to equal rights and female identity. Finally, the role of media in promoting aestheticism, ensuring...
Sociology report
Yours is an analytical and thoughtful essay which looks at cosmetics and explains what it says about consumers and society. It's unfortunate that women especially are burdened with a portrayal of attractiveness which is usually unattainable for any but the most fortunate. Men increasingly are also being targeted by advertisers who know how to appeal to human vanity.
It's too bad that more attention is not paid to developing a beautiful interior because even the most glamorous super model will find that one day beauty fades no matter how much is spent on cosmetics. Our priorities are definitely misplaced when more may be spent on improving exterior appearances than on inner beauty, which doesn't fade as easily with time. In fact, it may even be enhanced with the passing years.
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