Running Head: BEAUTY STANDARDS RELATE TO GLOBAL ISSUES

BEAUTY STANDARDS RELATE TO GLOBAL ISSUES

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BEAUTY STANDARDS RELATE TO GLOBAL ISSUES

HOW DO BEAUTY STANDARDS RELATE TO GLOBAL ISSUES RELATED TO

RACE/ETHNICITY

Though "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," a universal agreement on its definition remains

elusive. It's challenging to settle on a single definition of beauty because of the myriad of

divergent ideas about what constitutes attractiveness that exists throughout cultures, religions,

and socioeconomic classes. There is complete and total harmony amongst all particles in the

cosmos. The problem is that humans tend towards absolutism and often forget that beauty is a

relative term. What he says about how we, as humans, define beauty and then start

discriminating based on that definition is accurate (Burroughs Pena et al., 2019).

It's not shocking that people would treat someone more favorably and pay more attention to

someone more physically appealing than someone less attractive. Although it is inappropriate to

build an argument on the word of one individual alone, it is equally illogical to ignore the

conclusions reached by others who have devoted significant time and energy to studying the

issue and writing about it. A diverse population might make it hard to agree on criteria for

physical attractiveness that applies to everyone in the United States. Furthermore, beauty norms

have changed a lot in recent years. The ideal beauty profile for a woman in the 1990s had these

characteristics: height, thin build, and light skin. The cosmetics sector followed the guidelines set
BEAUTY STANDARDS RELATE TO GLOBAL ISSUES

by major brands. However, Mintel reports that cosmetics industry dynamics are changing

(Burroughs Pena et al., 2019).

People of both sexes are learning to embrace their individuality and unique standards of beauty.

Modern culture places a premium on body acceptance and the confidence it fosters. According to

the social constructionist theory, standards of beauty are established and maintained by society.

As a general rule, social constructionists indicate that the existing beauty standards are neither

set nor heavily impacted by biological factors when they stress that they are not predetermined.

People from different areas of the globe might have different hair colors, skin tones, quantities of

body hair, and facial characteristics. In European and American cultures, whiter people are often

considered more beautiful (Paterna et al., 2021).

Those who believe in social construction argue that superficial aesthetic preferences are learned,

such as preferring a more porcelain skin tone or longer, fuller hair. Instead, we internalize the

norms of our culture and become reflective of them (Paterna et al., 2021).

To sum up, cultural, social, and historical differences account for the wide variation in ideas on

what constitutes attractiveness worldwide. Constantly assessing how one's body looks to others

is known as "appearance surveillance," which is rooted in self-objectification and the fear of

being judged by others. Many women suffer from low self-esteem because they are convinced

that they have some physical flaw that others can see and is the source of their continual scrutiny.

REFERENCES
BEAUTY STANDARDS RELATE TO GLOBAL ISSUES

Burroughs Pena, M. S., Mbassa, R. S., Slopen, N. B., Williams, D. R., Buring, J. E., & Albert,

M. A. (2019). Cumulative psychosocial stress and ideal cardiovascular health in older women:

data by race/ethnicity. Circulation, 139(17), 2012-2021.

Paterna, A., Alcaraz‐Ibáñez, M., Fuller‐Tyszkiewicz, M., & Sicilia, Á. (2021). Internalizing body

shape ideals and body dissatisfaction: A systematic review and meta‐analysis.  International

Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(9), 1575-1600.