Women in Popular Culture

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the troubling issue of eating disorders and low self-image among women who are constantly inundated with unrealistic portrayals of 'western' beauty in popular culture. The author points out the dynamic nature of the 'ideal female form' over time. The paper explores the effects of this western image upon non-western cultures that have been inundated with western advertising in the global age.

From the Paper:

"The issue of how women are portrayed in the mass-media of contemporary society is an exceedingly interesting one; it is also vitally important. For the professional anthropologist, understanding this complex phenomenon is a major first step towards understanding the gender stereotypes and assumptions that have, in large measure, defined our society. Put another way, to understand the treatment of women in popular magazines and advertisements is to understand their treatment in our homes, offices and even schools. This paper will examine how the `ideal female form' - at least as it is depicted in our popular culture - vitiates the health of women, re-affirms traditional gender roles, and impresses upon non-western cultures a western conception of female physical beauty that is inherently unhealthy. To buttress this contention, a number of steps are obviously in order."

More papers on Women in Popular Culture:

• Persuasive Essay # 135306 : "Popular Culture and Women"
• Term Paper # 1280 : "The Depiction of Women in 1950s Television Sitcoms"
• Comparison Essay # 8766 : "Women in Media Today"

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