Critical Interpretation of Culture

Annice Lappin and Larissa Boyhan

This presentation examines the use of cosmetic surgery and critically examines and evaluates the

cultural influences behind this.

Cosmetic surgery is concerned with the correction, restoration or enhancement of the body. It has a history dating back to the 6th century in India.

Which of the following would you agree is cosmetic surgery using the above definition.

Movie of Heide from popular sitcom ‘The City’ reflecting on her plastic surgery.

Use of Cosmetic Surgery

Misuse of Cosmetic Surgery

•Aesthetic reasons.

•Reconstructive reasons.

•Gender dysphoria.

•Aesthetic reasons.

•Body dysphoria disorder

•Unattainable body image

•Industry – consumerism

Healthy Effects of Cosmetic Surgery

Unhealthy effects of misuse of Cosmetic Surgery

•Increased self esteem

•Being able to contribute positively to society.

•Being able to live a normal life

•Empowering to improve conditions of life eg get a job

•Debt

•Major risks of surgery

•Surgeons operating out of desire for money.

•restrictive models of femininity.

A good plastic surgeon walks a fine line between the Hippocratic ideal of “doing no harm” and giving the patient what he or she asks for. Obviously, the surgeon should put the health and safety of the patient first in deciding whether or not to accommodate a patient’s request for a particular procedure. Ethics dictate that he or she would not perform any procedure with the written consent of the patient. Nor would the surgeon perform surgery on a minor without the consent of his or her legal guardian(s).

Ethical Gray Areas the ideal of full disclosure to patients regarding the scope of the surgeon’s

experience with a new technique or piece of surgical equipment. The issues of ethics become even more complex where mental and

emotional state of the patient is concerned. How does the surgeon determine when “enough is enough”, in the case of

a person who displays signs of plastic surgery addiction?

A Judgment Call Ultimately, it is up to each surgeon to call upon his or her experience,

training, and judgment to make the decision.

• appearance-oriented ideology

• patriarchal ideology

• promises of power, pleasure, and freedom

• Body consumption.

• beauty ideal -unrealistic conceptions of beauty

• desire for self-improvement.

• Consumerism

• conforming to an acceptable standard of appearance

Gain lose

•People with disfigurements

•Females.

•Western Culture.

•Doctors

•Fashion industry

•Cosmetic Product Industry

•Females

•Racial minority groups

Media - (TV, film, magazines, internet)

The business of Cosmetic surgery

Fashion industry

Stockholders

Positive Equality of opportunity for all eg Moira Kelly’s

work Quality of life.

Negative Societies acceptance of women being judged by

their appearance more than men – inequality and oppression.

Imperialism of a Culture to the detriment of another e.g Asian American and Korean

When aesthetic plastic surgery remains where it commenced, in the realm of the medical system where it was intended to seriously benefit patients it is a positive contribution to society.

But when cosmetic surgery crosses entirely into the commercial world reinforcing naturally unachievable stereotypes of beauty and its immediate focus is on benefiting the business it can have a negative impact on the social construct of identity and feminism.

When cosmetic surgery is used address social justice issues such as to enhance the lives of the disadvantaged or marginalised such as the work with Moira Kelly or with the work of Fred Hollows foundation with the Indigenous communities of Australia then it is having a positive impact on society.

Cosmetic surgery has a positive impact on the lives of people when used in a responsible manner such as reconstruction after trauma or due to disfigurements, as it can enable the recipients to live a better quality of life.

When cosmetic surgery is marketed to society as a normal way to achieve the unrealistic body images portrayed in the media it becomes a manipulative and exploitive force that impacts on the identity formation of some members of society.

http://www.cosmeticsurgeryaustralia.com.au/ accessed on 25.3.10

Rosemary Gillespie. Women, the Body and Brand Extension in Medicine  Cosmetic Surgery and the Paradox of Choice. Accessed at http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a904837204&db=all on 25.3.10

  Woo Keong Ja . The Beauty Complex and the Cosmetic Surgery Industry. Accessed at

http://www.ekoreajournal.net/archive/detail.jsp?BACKFLAG=Y&VOLUMENO=44&BOOKNUM=2&PAPERNUM=4&SEASON=summer&YEAR=2004 on 25.3.10

Bryan C. Mendelson. Aesthetic/Cosmetic Surgery and Ethical Challenges. Accessed at http://www.springerlink.com/content/t1377x2656365447/fulltext.pdf?page=1 on 25.3.10

Deborah A. Sullivan. Cosmetic surgery: the cutting edge of commercial medicine in America Accessed at http://books.google.com.au/books?id=XgPAzXxGGE4C&pg=PR12&lpg=PR12&dq=ideology+of+cosmetic+surgery&source=bl&ots=_PqKyfXpbJ&sig=qmkWsukqMBl7ycy-gNQcDfr2RXY&hl=en&ei=cS6rS82iEZSXkQX_-qDEDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=ideology%20of%20cosmetic%20surgery&f=false on 25.3.10