What does a beautiful woman look like? Long hair or short hair? Tall or short? Blonde or brunette? The answer to this question surprisingly varies depending on what part of the world you are referring to. In fact, some of the most important standards of beauty go even deeper than obvious outward appearances. Chinese valued the beauty of a small foot, some countries in Africa value a woman who is circumcised, and in the United Kingdom, women are expected to have “the perfect vagina”. Additionally, all of these standards serve a function within one’s society, whether that be for marriage, social class, or self-confidence. To analyze and determine the significance of these practices, the authors of each of the articles and video below, present a feminist theoretical perspective.
Chinese footbinding has an interesting historical context in terms of its function within Chinese society. Up until the mid 1900s, footbinding was considered attractive, and sexually appealing to men. But what’s even more interesting is that footbinding stood as a sign of wealth, ethnic identity, and good behavior. A girl who had her foot bound, was perceived as obedient to her parents, which was used as a prediction of her obedience to her future husband. Footbinding also symbolized wealth, since it meant that the family could afford to forego her ability to contribute labor. So, if a girl’s foot was bound, she was seen as attractive and wealthy, which allowed the family to marry into a higher social class. In her chapter on footbinding, Lisa See recalls the importance of this milestone, “All I knew was that footbinding would make me more marriageable and therefore bring me closer to the greatest love and greatest joy in a woman’s life- a son,” (See).
Heather Leach’s video, “The Perfect Vagina”, sheds light on some barbaric beauty standards of modern day United Kingdom. Many women, and young girls, are undergoing plastic surgery to reconstruct their vaginas. Displeased with their original construction, women are choosing to go under the knife to remove excess skin, all in the name of beauty. It seems that these surgeries are functioning as a tool to boost a woman’s self-confidence and to satisfy men. In the video, Leach interviewed a young woman who felt she had no other choice but to have a vaginoplasty due to the chronic teasing she received from her friends and men. She felt that she wouldn’t be sexually appealing to men if she didn’t have the surgery. Thus in her mind, removing the excess skin was necessary if she one day wanted to have a boyfriend, or get married.
Female circumcision has long been a topic of controversy. Westerners have consistently debated its safety and cultural significance. In the United States, it’s unheard of, but in other areas of the world, it represents beauty and piety. Westerners often associate violence with female circumcision, but that isn’t necessarily always the case, according to Lynda Newland. She writes about the function that this practice serves within the community of West Java, Indonesia. Circumcision, for both boys and girls, is strongly connected to the religion of Islam, which is a huge part of their culture. “Circumcision is considered to inscribe the major distinction between Muslim and heathen: as indicated above, only the circumcised may enter a mosque to pray. Circumcision for boys and girls is also one of several measures strongly associated with the notion of cleanliness or purification,” (Newland, 2006).
While some or all of these practices may seem extreme or absurd, they do however serve an important function within their respective communities. Without them, social and cultural order could be disrupted. So if female circumcision was outlawed in all countries that continue to practice it, would it make those women unsuitable for marriage? Would it make women inferior to men because they would no longer be allowed into mosques? If vaginoplasties were no longer available, would women’s self-confidence crumble? Or would women with “unpleasant” looking vaginas turn to illegal, unsafe reconstruction surgeries in order to achieve the perfect vagina? It is difficult to predict what the consequences, or benefits of outlawing these practices would be, due to the function they currently serve within that society.
Resources
(2009, May 18). Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/groups/145051/videos/4704237
Newland, L. (2006). Female circumcision: Muslim identities and zero tolerance policies in rural West Java. Womens Studies International Forum,29(4), 394-404.
See, L. (n.d.). Footbinding. In Snow Flower and the Fan.
Hi Chloe, I appreciate how you discussed all of the topics that we read about this week. I too discussed the impact of the labiaplasty procedure epidemic that is occurring in the United Kingdom and I found the reasoning behind many girl’s decisions to be driven by men, in a way to control women in terms of their natural appearance. I understand that female genital mutilation is a practice that certain cultures exercise on women, but do you think that the practice is inhumane and another way for men to control women? I feel that this practice, as common as it is, is very harmful and that it should be stopped.
I laughed when I read your last paragraph, I find it funny that you tried to answer the question of “What would happen” with a bunch of questions. That was greatly appreciated by me, and what you are saying is true, we really don’t know what would happen in some of these contexts. Though, we can hazard a guess based on what has happened in other places where FGM and cosmetic genital surgery has been outlawed, especially if it is seen as absolutely necessary.