Reflecting on Female Beauty: Cosmetic Surgery and (Dis)Empowerment

Alessandra K. Heggenstaller; Asta Rau; Jan K. Coetzee; Anne Ryen; Ria Smit

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.14.4.04

Authors

Alessandra K. Heggenstaller Alessandra K. Heggenstaller, Asta Rau, Jan K. Coetzee - University of the Free State, South Africa
Asta Rau
Jan K. Coetzee
Anne Ryen University of Agder, Norway
Ria Smit Lone Star College, U.S.A., University of Johannesburg, South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.14.4.04

Keywords:

Feminist Thinking, Cosmetic Surgery, Phenomenology, Lifeworld, Social Constructivist, Embodiment, Self-Empowerment, Femininity

Abstract

This project aims to unwrap some of the complexities related to female beauty and the body. It reflects on the second wave radical feminist view that beautifying the female body serves to attract male approval via the male gaze, both of which are deeply entrenched in patriarchal power. This perspective positions cosmetic surgery as a disempowering act for women. In riposte, we turn to third wave liberal feminist ideas to engage with the narratives of ten participants who tell of their personal experiences of, and motivations for, undergoing a cosmetic intervention. We undertake an in-depth exploration of these lifeworld experiences and the interplay of subjectivity and intersubjectivity in the women’s encounters. Findings suggest that a cosmetic intervention is often obtained for the self as opposed to satisfying the “other.” Importantly, cosmetic interventions allow a process to occur in which an individual’s physical body becomes better aligned to her sense of self. From this liberal feminist perspective, cosmetic surgery is positioned as an empowering act.

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Author Biographies

Alessandra K. Heggenstaller, Alessandra K. Heggenstaller, Asta Rau, Jan K. Coetzee - University of the Free State, South Africa

Alessandra K. Heggenstaller obtained her PhD degree in the program The Narrative Study of Lives, Department of Sociology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Asta Rau

Asta Rau is the outgoing Director of the Centre for Health Systems Research & Development at the University of the Free State, South Africa. She works in a range of qualitative and mixed-method designs and currently leads a project in partnership with the University of Antwerp on HIV and TB stigma among healthcare workers.

Jan K. Coetzee

Jan K. Coetzee is a Senior Professor of Sociology and Director of the program The Narrative Study of Lives in the Department of Sociology at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. He specializes in qualitative sociology and serves on several international advisory boards.

Anne Ryen, University of Agder, Norway

Anne Ryen is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway.

Ria Smit, Lone Star College, U.S.A., University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Ria Smit is a sociologist specializing in family and migrations studies. Professor Smit is affiliated to Lone Star College, Houston, USA and is a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

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