Toddlers and Tiaras, Sociology of Women
SOC 325 Toddlers and Tiaras A person’s sexual orientation is the determinant to one’s gender identity within a governed society. The core structure of the sex/gender conversion is predominantly engineered by cultural values and societal norms. The divergence of each sex becomes independently refined by stereotypical characteristic specifications. Male specifications on attractiveness and parental influence to conform, are encouraging conformity to these unattainable ideals.
These standards are nearly impossible to achieve and thus have serious ramifications on a female’s self-image and body portrayal In a hierarchal society male domination is under scrutiny for being held largely responsible for the oppression of women. Their ideals are expressed and become intermixed in media advertising and being used as a technique to increase attraction toward the product. Supply and demand industry exploiting women in ads have become disturbingly common. The well known american barbie doll is the standard of beauty; tall, skinny, physically toned, long hair, large breasts, and symmetrical face.
The bar is high and attempts to embody these traits can become deadly. In conjunction with selling products, these stereotypes are supple in public advertisements. many ads direct their message toward young children giving them false implications on the two types of gender identity. about gender-type defining beauty in ways that are impossible to attain. Liberal theorists and antifeminists feel pageants can enhance self-confidence as well as being pre exposed to our competitive society. Improvement in social skills and public speech is also a positive aspect.
Despite the positive outcomes feminists feel the outcome of pageants are more detrimental to a child’s health than it does enhance it. Pageant parents feed into this social ideal and contribute to this vicious cycle passing down societal standards of beauty onto their children. Unhealthy behaviors are being fostered by dressing them up while a panel of judges measures their self-worth. They disregard the child’s natural beauty and mask it with artificiality; spray tans, veneers, and hair extensions. This delivers a clear message of what is considered beautiful.
It sends the message loud and clear- natural beauty is not good enough and that beauty is measured by flaccidity. Natural beauty is not good enough. Long term culture superficiality is due to enculturation; superficial expectations and ideals are learned and passed down, each generation being influenced by the previous one. This impression at such a young age is seriously detrimental to the mental and physical health of children. Parents as well as media reinforce superficial ideals and emphasis the importance of appearance.
A panel of judges giving them scores dictating their self-worth reinforces our cultures obsession of beauty. Distorted messages of beauty ar unconsciously internalized, and the desire to become that unattainable beauty intensifies. Images conflicting with a women’s current body size and the drive to become this ideal can result in Body Dysmorphia; a females negative persona and the distortion of her own body. Often extreme measures are taken in desperate attempts to embody these traits and self harm and destructural behaviors are common, including bulimia and anorexia.
Ramifications of these ideals can follow into adulthood as the develop habitual patterns that are detrimental to their well-being. If efforts of reaching the unattainable are not met, women are left with feel inadequate and can develop self-hatred to the point of Stereotyping beauty with such specifications has distinct ramifications on a female’s body-image. Distorted displays of beauty in advertsments are often unconsciously internalized, and the desire to embody these traits intensifies.
If images conflict with a women’s current body size, fixated to embody these ideals become obsessive and the main focus of life. As a result Body Dysmorphia develops and extreme measures are taken to embody these ideal traits. Anorexia and bulimia are common results of desperately trying to fit in. If efforts of reaching the unattainable are not met, women are left with feel inadequant and can develop self-hatred to the point of self inflicted pain, like cutting. Our culture has become so fixated with external beauty children as young as seven years old are concerned with their physical appearance.
Our society sends out a negative message by stereo-typing men and woman by creating categories with serious ramifications on a females view of her self-worth. Magazines, music videos, and ads give false implications that happiness is dependent upon beauty. Woman are taught female appropriate traits; the way to sit, speak, walk. Our body-image obsessed society has created robotic females consisting of Distinct feminine qualities have been structured to hinder a woman’s ability to speak and move freely.
Woman have become robotic and conforming to these distinct feminine behaviors have become expected. Non-conformists are looked down upon and are alienated from society. Fear has led to self-destruction. Appearance defines our personal identity. ramifications of such ads, children need to learn, value, and embrace physically differences among all people. It is the responsibility of previous generations to instill self-value and self-worth in girls, and in turn this will give them the strength and confidence to fight these gender norms.
