W6: Blog Post

When people talk about the way culture impacts definitions of feminine beauty, one thing I think it is also important beyond culture. People’s definition of beauty has a very different aesthetic at different historical timeline. Let me give you an example, many Chinese girls who are slightly fatter would think that their body will be a beautiful standard in the Tang Dynasty(618-907). But nowadays, I believe that the beautiful standard for women prefer slim at most countries of East Asia(China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and so on). In this week’s discussion, some part of beauty standard is more aggressive than we think in the beginning of the post.  

About female genital plastic surgery, we can know that many young girls in the United Kingdom choose this surgery to remove their concealed labia and make it look prettier. Many women decided to do this surgery after they give birth. In Heather Leach’s video “The Perfect Vagina”(Leach, 2009), it explained that this surgery seems to have become a way to build up women’s confidence. Some of the girls even have been told that their vaginoplasty did not have necessary reason to do the surgery by doctor’s advice. In Leach’s video, a young woman said she has to do a vaginoplasty since she received her chronic teasing from her friends and lover. We can see that female genital plastic surgery has become a new trend for women’s beauty standards. 

In ancient China, people think a small foot as the beauty of women. The small foot as a symbol of sexual attraction, social standard and family background. Footbinding began in an imperial concubine’s ambition and she tried to use this way to make emperor(Song Dynasty) like her more. This behavior started to be followed by many people. Many girls wrapped their feet between the ages of 5 and 7, the growing foot bones are broken under external pressure. It also will affect their walking in the future. The smaller foot a girl had, it presents that she can receive a wealthy husband. Footbinding means wealth and it also represents girls’ family background since she cannot do manual labor. In the Lisa’s chapter, we can see that she thinks the importance of footbinding connected with a happy marriage and happiness for her life(See, n.d).

The least culture feminine practice is female genital circumcision in this week’s material. In Newland’s article, it discussed that female genital circumcision(FGC) is a kind of violence for women’s sexulity in Western understanding. FGC is a practice that deprived of women’s sexual pleasure and it is a behavior against human nature. However, it represents beauty and piety in the community of West Java, Indonesia. FGC can be seen as male circumcision. “Circumcision for boys and girls is also one of several measures strongly associated with the notion of cleanliness or purification.” (Newland, 2006) In the article, when author asked women in the Sundanese village why they should be circumcised. Many of them surprised about women should not go to circumcised. It also included the influences from religion. In their belief, circumcision is an identity of Islam. 

In this week’s study, I think Chinese footbinding and female plastic surgery connected to an aggressive behavior that women pursue a higher beauty standard by impacts of society. However, female genital cutting in some areas in the world is not just about a type of beauty standards. Female genital cutting also connected with people’s religion. Nowadays, China has been discarded footbinding as tradition long ago. But it brings confused cognition for the first generation who experienced the footbinding were outlawed abruptly. It will be difficult for people to accept this change in aesthetic standards. Although I personally know that many people have begun to think that this is a deformed aesthetic standard for girls. For female plastic surgery, I think it is a personal choice. I believe some women don’t care about their concealed labia and excess skin. Because it is natural and normal situation. If FGC were outlawed abruptly, I think the belief of Islam must be fight back to the law and the mind of Islam is very hard to change or interfere.

Work cited:

Leach, H. (2009). The Perfect Vagina. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/groups/145051/videos/4704237

See, L. (n.d.). Footbinding. In Snow Flower and the Fan.

Newland, L. (2006). Female circumcision: Muslim identities and zero tolerance policies in rural West Java. Womens Studies International Forum,29(4), 394-404.

4 thoughts on “W6: Blog Post

  1. I like how you addressed that beauty standards change over time, but even the changes in beauty standards are cultural. The thing that results in a change in the perception of beauty is culturally based, whether the new standard came from a revolutionary creative, a new generation trying to differentiate themselves from their parents generation, or changes in society values.

  2. Hi!
    I can agree with many things you stated, one being that beauty within hundreds of years has changed. Like you used in your example of how hundreds of years ago, a chinese woman might have thought that being slightly larger was beautiful, but now a days, it is seen to be beautiful if you are slimmer and thinner looking. As mentioned in the article “The Ideal Body”, it mentions how we, here in America, think many things people do or beauty across the world is strange, although, for example, the chinese and many tribes from Africa think it is so strange how we women here in America strive for such a lean, slim figure. As you also mentioned and wrote about in your blog post, you mentioned a lot about the chinese foot binding process and your views behind it. You state that “[You] think Chinese foot binding is connected to an aggressive behavior that women see to a higher beauty standard by impacts of society”. What do you mean by this? Yes, the Chinese did the footbinding as a sign of adulthood and beauty in society, although, it was completely up to them if they wanted to do this ‘mark of beauty’ or not. Since the foot binding process was outlawed by the Communists abruptly, it may have caused some confusion just as it happened, although, this is probably still talked about and taught to kids in China is classrooms today. I do not think this is a forgotten thing since it was such a big part of the Chinese culture. Think about your U.S. history lectures back in high school. Didn’t you learn about specific things women did hundreds of years ago?

  3. Hi!
    I think it is interesting that you pointed out the difference of cultural beauty depending on era. It is also very dependent on where you are. In China, and most Asian countries, light skin tones are considered to be beauty. Women often use paling make up to make themselves look as porcelain as possible. In the United States, being tan is often what is strived for. People use tanning beds and bronzer to get the look they are going for. Female genital cutting would be very hard to eradicate. I do think that steps are necessary to start this movement. FGC is very dangerous and causes many health issues for women that experience it. I agree it would be unerringly hard to get those that believe it is necessary to change their mindset. It has to start somewhere though.

  4. Hi!

    First off I enjoyed reading your blog. You made a few interesting points that I have not thought about. For instance, in your blog, you say that female genital cutting can be seen as a male circumcision since women are cutting off the excess skin on the labia minora. In today’s society, I’ve heard people say they prefer males who are circumcised because they see it as cleanliness in regards to hygiene. When reading and studying about female genital circumcision I thought the women were doing too much for wanting to cut off the excess of their labia minora. But you’ve now changed my perspective on this and I can see why some people do this as a sign of cleanliness and purification.

    I wonder if people’s attitudes about male circumcision will change. I know it is a cultural thing but I wonder if people will be more open and accepting of males who decide not to get circumcised. Do you know if it’s possible for newborn girls to get circumcised in a similar way that newborn boys do? Do you think vaginoplasty is just another “excuse” or way for women to change their bodies and partake in plastic/cosmetic surgery?

    In the “Perfect Vagina” video, there was a woman who was seeking to find a plastic surgery doctor to replace her hymen so it looked like she never had sex so she could marry a guy. Because of this, I think plastic/cosmetic surgery comes from societal pressure, especially for women who live in patriarchy societies, in addition to personal preference.

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