Essays on Female Body

Everyone, male or female, is subject to the whims and the pressures of society. Of course, not everyone has to bow or bend to the demands of society: there have been a plethora of counterculture movements that have focused on the need to rebel against the mainstream and against the demands that society places on people to conform. Human beings seem to have a simultaneous need within that drives them to want to stand out from the crowd, but also drives them to want acceptance from the crowd. For many, acceptance from the crowd requires conforming to many arbitrary ...

A child born with ambivalent genitalia are typically given surgery and assigned one particular gender. the intention is to save “the child from future mental suffering” . Why is it that there are two genders when there are children born of both gender? Why is alteration of the child the only solution? Feminist have one answer to this question. Biomedical ethics emphasize universal principles that tend to disregard particulars, especially in regards to gender, that are at all times morally relevant. The implications on women emerged most prominently with medicalization . From providing an embryo with choice to carelessly selecting the ...

Identifying the Object

The Mondrian dress is a red, blue, white, and yellow dress that shows the integration of art and fashion. One of the renowned French designers, Yves Saint Laurent, designed the dress in the winter of 1965-66 and made it his signature piece. This illustrates that the integration of art and fashion is an old concept, and it remains significant today. The Mondrian dress takes the form of the 1960s modified form of a sack dress, and Laurent utilized the color blocks. Inspired by the contemporary artists of the Mondrian art movement, Laurent incorporated the flat planes derived from 1960s’ ...

Identifying the Object

The Mondrian dress is a red, blue, white, and yellow dress that shows the integration of art and fashion. One of the renowned French designer, Yves Saint Laurent, designed the dress in the winter of 1965-66 and made it his signature piece. This illustrates that the integration of the art and fashion is an old concept, and it remains significant up to date. The Mondrian dress takes the form of the 1960s modified form of a sack dress, and Laurent utilized the color blocks. Inspired by the contemporary artists of the Mondrian art movement, Laurent incorporated the flat planes ...

INTRODUCTION

One of the technological platforms regularly visited by college students each and every day is social media. There are many youths who participate in all social media, like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as if it is an important factor of their lives, something that is essential and necessary. Social media places youths in place where there every posted action and opinion is free to agreeable responses, positive accolades and “likes,” but they are also facing negative comments, hurtful insults and, in some case, even threats. E.A. Vogel, as well as other authors, in the 2014 article for Psychology of ...

In her book “The Second Sex” Simone de Beauvoir discusses the role and nature of women in society, saying that “She is defined and differentiated with reference to man and not he with reference to her; she is incidental, the inessential as opposed to the essential. He is the Subject, he is Absolute - she is the Other” (Beauvoir 1993, p. 16). Beauvoir’s argument indicates the presence of male dominance in society that has existed for thousands of years. Furthermore, her argument indicates that problems related to class and race will inevitably become man-made problems because of their ...

The Role of Advertising in Perpetuating Gender Inequalities

The social structures have always been producing social inequalities. In modern society, this trend still exists. Despite the fact that stereotyped thinking is the basis of human thinking, they (stereotypes) should be constantly revised, as they are constantly losing their relevance. However, most people use stereotypes and think accordingly without taking into account that some things are no longer relevant. Such thinking, in fact, leads to a perception of social inequality as a normal thing. Most of the social inequality is noticed in gender issues. Given that the government and the country`s culture usually dictates many of the ...

The Oscar-nominated film ‘12 years a slave’ stands as an epitome amongst all the period films which have their central theme based on the plight of slaves in America. This review aims at assessing the various aspects of the film which made it a huge success and a matter of adulation for the global cinema lovers. The content of the film is extremely well crafted via using an autobiographical account which makes it perfectly competent for its plot(Cameron and Belau 227). The most interesting part of the film is that the story focuses on the most traumatic and ...

In all times women were paying much attention to their appearance regardless of their ethnicity. However, each ethnicity has its own image of a beautiful body determined by its cultural and social values. Nowadays, there are many studies on how women of different ethnicities perceive an ideal body and how they assess themselves in relation to this ideal image. In our modern society the latter is imposed also by the media which portrays skinny models as being perfect and ideal. The main issue investigated by most of psychologists in burgeoning literature devoted to this subject is the attitude of ...

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction refers to an individual’s negativity regarding their own body image. It is found throughout all individuals, regardless of age or gender. However, studies have shown differences do exist when it comes to body dissatisfaction and an individual’s age or gender. Previous research has been aimed at body dissatisfaction and the causes that leads to an individual’s body dissatisfaction. This study is aimed at analyzing whether or not media exposure has a bigger influence when it comes to body dissatisfaction than psychological factors. The sample for this study will consist of 450 participants throughout three ...

Summary of Articles

- The Wit of Saul Steinberg The article on Steinberg is a discussion on the effects of drawings and pictures in relation to written words on the same subject matter. The author of the book ‘Art and Illusion’ is also the author of this article who critiques and analyzes Steinberg’s paintings as a mode of communication. It is indicated in this article how pictures and drawings play an important part in articulating messages. In fact, the author describes Steinberg’s pictures as more precise in portraying a message better than his words ever could. The pictures presented in this article ...

My personal museum is aimed at the younger generation and is particularly male although females can also enjoy what I have in mind. I have decided to take some photos of nude women and create a collage of images which are interspersed together with popular advertisements. The artist who inspired me in this sense is Mel Ramos whose portrayals of erotic female nudes against advertising backdrops caused a sensation when they were first portrayed in exhibitions.

The female body should be taken as a holistic experience. The way the sexual details are portrayed especially the breasts show that women can provide erotic ...

I love the piece from the first look. The color of the piece is good, the size and even the shape. The piece is impressive and beautiful. At first, the image is a bit confusing as what the photographer was taking, and what the piece really represents or looks like. I’m viewing the piece from a book, a collection of pictures from Edwards Weston. The picture is three dimensional (3D). Weston took the picture by placing the pepper in the opening of a funnel. By placing it in the opening of a funnel, the image could be lighted to make it three dimensions ...

The influence media has on society is often underestimated because it contains subliminal messages that are, by definition, absorbed unconsciously. The media, including magazines and television commercials, normalize attitudes toward sexually explicit images, gender roles and unrealistic body expectations. In particular, the article "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt," the author, Jean Kilbourne argues that advertising has acquired an important role in portraying females as objects and normalizing overall attitudes toward the female body. In contrast, Susan Bordo's story "Beauty (Re) Discovers the Male Body" focuses on the distorted image of the male body. In spite of describing the ...

Biographical sketch

Egon Schiele is an important representative of the Klimt school of painting where grotesqueness and crudity come to the fore. He came from a humble background and was born in 1890, in the town of Tulln, that is situated in the state of Lower Austria. Since Schiele’s father worked with Austrian railways, the young Egon was fascinated with trains and began drawing at a feverish pace. Unfortunately, his father did not approve of his new hobby and tore up most of his sketchbooks thus making the artistic world lose a substantial body of early work by Schiele, since this would have ...

Body Armour Thesis:Texts for: Introduction, Rationale, Conclusion

Body Armour Thesis

Body armour has traditionally been designed with the principal purpose ofto provide providing protection for the wearer against sharp objects and ballistic threats. A ballistic ballistic-resistant fabric stops projectile penetration by reducing energy transfer to the body upon impact, i.e. the fabric flattens the bullet and diffuses its energy [1]. On the other hand, stab stab-resistant fabric should resist pointed/sharp object penetration and slash. However, the point surface of a knife tip, ice pick or syringe needle is much smaller than that of a bullet and remains the same size as it passes through a fabric. In fact, currently ...

Voluptuous Mors

It is a matter of prominent curves running through a black veil that flows beneath them. A game between the lights and the angles. Seven models position themselves to form a skull as the artist stands on the side with an alarmed gaze. Salvador Dali, a Spanish painter, partners with photographer Philippe Halsman to create a surrealist human skull (1951). The image depicts Dali standing next to the models with an "enfreaked gaze” as Ann Millett would write. He is looking at the possible third spectator, implying that there is something in the image that should be looked at awareness, if not caution. This ...

Introduction

This essay has the objective of providing an argument that contemporary pop culture is composed of aspects of carnivalesque, which can establish a gap for social and cultural opposition and misdemeanor. Nevertheless, it is important to make a note of how it is limited to modernity. This essay will outline the confines as well as the elements of carnival Middles Ages from Bakhtin’s cultural theory view and the main transformations in society since Renaissance. Authors such as Francois Rabelais and Mary Russo will be used to expound on the theories of carnivalesque, celebration of the lower body, ‘grotesque body’ and ...

Introductory Essay – The Differences in the Female Nude

Throughout the history of fine art, one of the many recurring images found within it is the image of the female nude. The appreciation and replication of the female body in its purest form has fascinated artists for centuries, and some variation of it seems to appear in nearly every era or movement of art. To that end, it is interesting to note the changes that occur in style, composition, attitude and meaning between the different eras of art when dealing with the singular, unifying subject of the female nude. This exhibition seeks to examine the female nude in ...

The art of the female nude has been one of the few major constants in art, with various forms of the subject being represented in nearly every major art movement for the past 400 years. From the High Renaissance to the Cubist movement of the early 20th century, the depiction of the female nude has undergone many different changes in style, aesthetic and significance in meaning. By examining some of the most well-known paintings of these eras, it is possible to gain an appreciation for the changes that took place in ideology and art style from one time in ...

Abstract

The paper focuses on the growing concern of eating disorder in the United States. This is so because about 8 million in the United States experience the symptoms related to the eating disorders. The eating disorders have become a significant and persistent health concern in the United States. The paper employs sociological, psychological and economic approach to ascertain that eating disorders have powerful control over the individual in the society. Therefore, this social group will be powerful not only in terms of numbers, but based on special needs because social factors have a significant role in influencing eating habits of individuals.

Introduction

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The eating disorders have been considered to be very complex condition that is necessitated by a variety of factors. These factors may be biological, psychological, behavioral, interpersonal, social and emotional. It has not been established as to exactly what motivates this physical and emotionally damaging condition. This essay will seek to integrate psychological and marketing literature that is associated with eating disorders. There is strong evidence linking the use of models during advertising and the cases of eating disorders among young girls (Hesse-Biber, Leavy, Quinn, & Zoino, 2006). It has been a widely held that eating disorders are as a result of psychiatric ...

Cindy Sherman is one of most controversial artists of modern times. She has earned acclamations and criticism for her works. Critics allege that her works are unnecessarily obscene while a number of people find her work inspiring, issue oriented and raising some relevant questions. This paper intends to discuss works of Cindy Sherman and further examines the allegations of obscenity in her works. Majority of Cindy’s photographs are not obscene and even her critics accept this fact. Cindy Sherman, through her photographs and other mediums of expressions, raises the issues related to gender, female, sexuality, oppressions and desire. ...

CULTURAL POLITICS

V92CUP The Contestation of Power within Modern Day Belly Dance: A Cultural Politics Approach Introduction The origins and purpose of belly dance have no clear historical background. However, it has a very strong root from the Middle East and has spread into the Western world today. More and more women are getting involved in this dance as they try to embrace their feminine essence. Unfortunately, due to its historical background, belly dance has a negative connotation to it because of the erotic attachment behind its dance movement. Despite the said fact, men and even women would still spend money ...

One of the most controversial issues in the nation today is whether or not abortion should remain legal. Names like “pro-choice,” “pro-life,” and other emotionally loaded terms abound surrounding the supports and detractors of various aspects of this divisive topic. Whatever the arguments, it is important to acknowledge that the controversy surrounding abortion is important; it is this controversy that allows abortion to remain legal because it provides a guiding conscience for this morally contentious procedure. There are many people who would like to see abortion outlawed altogether. In the minds of these people, there is never a good reason ...

Joanne Garconnet

Abstract The aim of this paper is to see how paintings techniques and world description changed through styles concentrating on a single theme of female body. The three chosen works for analysis are Jacques-Louis David's Madame Recamier (1800) for Neoclassicism, Goya's The Nude Maya (1800) as an example of Romanticism, and Renoir's Young Girl Combing Her Hair (1894) for Impressionism. Key words: Impressionism, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, female body, paintings. Jacques-Louis David's Madame Recamier (1800) Francisco Goya's The Nude Maya (1800) Renoir's Young Girl Combing Her Hair (1894) Looking on the background of all studied materials, ...

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to see how paintings techniques and world description changed through epochs concentrating on a single theme of female body. the three chosen works for analysis are Caravaggio's Death of the Virgin (1604-1606) for Baroque, Jacques-Louis David's Madame Recamier (1800) for Neoclassicism as part of the Enlightenment and Francisco Goya's The Nude Maya (1800) as an example of Romanticism. Key words: Baroque, Enlightenment, Romanticism, female body, paintings, light.

Caravaggio's Death of the Virgin (1604-1606)

Jacques-Louis David's Madame Recamier (1800) Francisco Goya's The Nude Maya (1800) Looking on the background of all studied materials, the three chosen works for ...

Psychology

Introduction Since ancient times, the concepts of ideal female body were changing according to the requirements of the historical era. And what is now considered as a criteria of female beauty a few centuries ago would be unacceptable. A modern desire for leanness would not be understood in 18th century. Moreover, modern skinny woman would be considered rather ill than beautiful. According to Abraham, for the most recorded history, a woman was perceived as attractive when her body was stout due to the deposition of fat on her hips, thighs, breasts and abdomen. It was fashionalble to be fat. Food ...

Art project

Still life photography of the female nude in provocative backdrops My art project is aimed at the younger generation and is particularly male although females can also enjoy what I have in mind. I have decided to take some photos of nude women and create a collage of images which are interspersed together with popular advertisements. The artist who inspired me in this sense is Mel Ramos whose portrayals of erotic female nudes against advertising backdrops caused a sensation when they were first portrayed in exhibitions. The female body should be taken as a holistic experience. The way the sexual ...

- What is the Catholic imagination, as Heartney describes it? Heartney describes the Catholic imagination as a form of creative that is essentially that instead of thinking against the body, it thinks through it. The catholic imagination tries to show that while Catholicism presents a mixed view on the role that the body plays in sin and redemption, those positive undertones of the female body that were first expressed during the times of medieval theology reverberate very powerfully with characteristics of contemporary feminism. - In what contradictory ways is Mary characterized in the Catholic Church, according to Heartney? ...

When the Past and Present Collide - Can One Speak of World Civilizing?

Looking back into millennia of human history, historians and academics in general are keen to view the process of human development as evolution and progression. In this context, academics are likely to argue that the world is moving towards civilizing and subsequent improvement of inter-human relations. This statement has its reasons for existence, and, in fact, the experience of the last century has proved that total war would simply mean annihilation of human being from the face of the Earth. On the other hand, interpersonal conflicts remained an every-day reality of contemporary societies. Another argument against pacification of human ...

Introduction

Hans Bellmar and Cindy Sherman are great photographs whose photographs change the photo industry and influence it in a variety of ways.

HANS BELLMER BIOGRAPHY

Hans Bellmer born on 13 March 1902 in a Kattowitz city, which by then was in the German Empire, but now is Katowice of Poland is a well-known German artist for the pubescent female dollies that he created in the mid-1930s. He started the doll project to be in conflict with fascism of Nazi’s by announcing that his work will not back new German public. A sequence of occasions in Bellmer’s personal life is what the catalyst to ...

When The Second Sex had been published in 1949, the author of the book Simone de Beauvoir was thirty-seven years old. The Second Sex took the literary market by storm and in just one week, 22,000 copies of the book were sold. Many readers were shocked by the way de Beauvoir frankly discusses the female body and female sexuality. The book was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books by the Vatican (Gray). Why did the society of the time scandalize the content of the book? Why did the de Beauvoir’s book end up breaking all taboos? ...

Literature Review

In contrast to the male body armor, problems are encountered with the manufacture of female body armor due to the curvaceous shape of the female body (Chen and Yang, 2010a). This garment has the purpose of protecting women’s torsos, particularly the women who are involved in military or law enforcement activities. In the female body armor that Sirvart Mellian invented (Mellian, 1980), the contoured front protective armor panel was composed of multiple superposed layers of ballistic-resistant plies of fabric that was made of aramid polymer yarns. The contour was obtained through the overlap of the seams that ...

Introduction

Health has become a major concern for women. Aside from degrading their quality of life, health issues and weaknesses also contribute to society’s perception of them, which in turn shape their perception of themselves.

Although modern society strives to achieve a sense of equality between the sexes and EVEN as more research is being conducted in efforts to understand and address women’s health issues, it is evident that a lot of prejudice and discrimination still exist around this aspect of women’s lives.

Orientations Toward Health and Illness by Gustafson

Gustafson (272) explains two orientations for getting a better understanding of girls’ and women’s health. These are ...

Using two advertisements from contemporary visual culture, discuss the exchange value associated with the commodity signs featured in them. How do these advertisements attract the "desiring gaze" of the consumer to encourage their normalisation? 1. "Glow" by JLO Print Ad

In this print advertisement, a perfume from recording artist Jennifer Lopez is marketed and endorsed using several unique commodity signs. For one, the typical comparison of the perfume bottle as a female body is made clear when placed side-by-side with the implicitly naked figure of Jennifer Lopez next to it. By directly alluding to the curves of the female body ...

Introduction

The media is a powerful force in today’s world. The media has the ability to persuade people to think in a certain manner. Businesses and huge corporations have had their reputation marred by adverse media reports. The media has been able to have such a huge influence as families spend majority of their time glued to television sets. People have mobile phones where they browse and see the latest news in online forums. Young people spend hours on the internet reading about celebrities and watching the latest movie reviews. The media is able to influence the culture of a country. It can ...