Pangasinan State University

Bayambang Campus
Bayambang, Pangasinan

The Role of Culture in

Our Understanding of
“Body Image” and “Self-
esteem”
Reporter:
Anabel Abalos
BSE Filipino I-1

 Culture
Culture isis commonly
commonly defined
defined as
as the
the shared
shared patterns
patterns of
of thoughts,
thoughts, beliefs,
beliefs,
behaviors,
behaviors,and andhabits
habitsinin both
bothmaterial
materialand andsymbolic
symbolicrealms.
realms.


“Culture
“Culture includes
includes language,
language, technology,
technology, economic,
economic, political
political andand
educational
educationalsystems,
systems, religious
religiousand
and aesthetic
aestheticpatterns,
patterns,social
social structures
structuresand
and
so
so on.
on. ItIt isis widely
widely recognized
recognized byby social
social scientist
scientist that
that that
that the
the self
self isis
shaped,
shaped,ininpart,
part,through
throughinteraction
interactionwith
withgroups.”
groups.”(Harry
(HarryTriandis)
Triandis)


Through
Throughculture,
culture,society
societyshape
shapeus
usininmany
manyways.
ways.


AsAs mentioned
mentioned earlier,
earlier, body
body image
image isis both
both internal
internal (personal)
(personal) and
and external
external
(society).
(society).


These
Theseinclude
includehow
howweweperceive
perceiveour
ourbodies
bodiesvisually,
visually,how
howwewefeel
feelabout
aboutour
our
physical
physicalappearance,
appearance,how
howwewethink
thinkand
andtalk
talktotoourselves
ourselvesabout
aboutour
ourbodies,
bodies,
and
andour
oursense
senseof
ofhow
howother
otherpeople
peopleview
viewour
ourbodies.
bodies.

Kenny
Kenny andand Nicholas
Nicholas explain
explain that
that this
this isis done
done with
with new
new
technologies,
technologies, forms
forms of
of modification,
modification, debates
debates about
about obesity
obesity and
and
issues
issuesof
ofage
agebeing
beingbrought
broughtinto
intofocus
focusby
bythe
themedia.
media.


“Drawing
“Drawing on on contemporary
contemporary cultureculture our our bodies
bodies are are not
not only
only
biological
biological but
but also
also cultural
cultural in
in that
that wewe say,
say, wewe allall shape
shape and
and
manipulate
manipulate ourour bodies.
bodies. We We are
are all
all body-builders
body-builders as as we
we build
build and
and
style
style our
our bodies
bodies on
on aa daily
daily basis.
basis. We
We decide
decide how
how toto dress
dress and
and style
style
our
our bodies,
bodies, we
we decide
decide howhow much
much hair
hair wewe want
want onon our
our bodies,
bodies, and
and
we
weshave,
shave,wax,
wax,etc.
etc. We
Wemanipulate
manipulateour ourbodies’
bodies’weight
weightthrough
throughdiet
diet
and
and exercise
exercise and
and even
even modify
modify ourour bodies
bodies toto extreme
extreme levels
levels and
and
introduce
introduce mechanical
mechanical agents
agents into
into our
our bodies
bodies merging
merging flesh
flesh and
and
technology.
technology. TheThe body
body isis enthralled
enthralled to to cultural
cultural regimes,
regimes, telling
telling us
us
how
how wewe should
should look
look –– especially
especially how
how we we should
should dress
dress and
and what
what
our
ourbodies’
bodies’weight
weight(fat
(fatlevels)
levels)should
shouldbe.”be.”

Margo
Margo de
de Mello
Mello (2014)
(2014) , , in
in the
the Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of
of Body
Body Adornment
Adornment
explore
explorethese
thesequestions
questionsas
asshe shesays:
says:


 “All
“Allcultures
cultures everywhere
everywherehave haveattempted
attemptedto tochange
changetheir
theirbody
body
in
inan
anattempt
attemptto tomeet
meettheir
theircultural
culturalstandards
standardsof ofbeauty,
beauty,as aswell
well
as
astheir
theirreligious
religiousand/or
and/or social
socialobligations.
obligations.In Inaddition,
addition,people
people
modify
modify andand adorn
adorn their
their bodies
bodies as as part
part of
of the
the complex
complex process
process
of
of creating
creating and
and recreation
recreation their
their personal
personal and
and social
social identities.
identities.
Body
Body adornment
adornmentrefers
referstotothe
thepractice
practiceofofphysically
physicallyenhancing
enhancing
the
the body
body byby styling
styling and
and decorating
decorating thethe hair,
hair, painting
painting andand
embellishing
embellishing the the fingernails
fingernails , , wearing
wearing makeup,
makeup, painting
painting thethe
body,
body, wearing
wearing thethe jewellery,
jewellery, andand thethe use
use ofof clothing.
clothing. Body
Body
adornments
adornments are are by
by definition
definition temporary.
temporary. Body Body modification,
modification,
on
on the
the other
other hand,
hand, refers
refers to
to the
the physical
physical alteration
alteration ofof the
the body
body
through
through thethe use
use ofof surgery,
surgery, tattooing,
tattooing, piercing,
piercing, scarification,
scarification,
branding,
branding, genital
genital mutilation,
mutilation, implants
implants and and other
other practices.
practices.
Body
Body modifications
modifications cancan be
be permanent
permanent or or temporary,
temporary, although
although
most
mostarearepermanent
permanentand andalter
alterthe
thebody
bodyforever.”
forever.”

 In
In her
her book,
book, “Shameful
“Shameful Bodies:
Bodies: Religion
Religion and
and the
the Culture
Culture ofof Physical
Physical
Improvement”,
Improvement”, she
she examines
examines how
how traditional
traditional religious
religious narratives
narratives and
and
modern
modern philosophical
philosophical assumptions
assumptions come
come together
together in
in the
the construction
construction and
and
pursuit
pursuitof
ofaabetter
betterbody
bodyin
incontemporary
contemporarywestern
westernsocieties.
societies.


 De
De Mello
Mello explains
explains that
that the
the culture
culture of
of physical
physical improvement
improvement trains
trains usus not
not
only
only to
to believe
believe that
that all
all bodily
bodily processes
processes are
are under
under our
our control,
control, but
but to
to feel
feel
ashamed
ashamed about
about those
those parts
parts of
of our
our flesh
flesh that
that refuse
refuse to
to comply
comply with
with the the
cultural
culturalidea.
idea.


 Lelwica
Lelwica clarifies
clarifies however
however that
that such
such shame
shame isis not
not aa natural
natural response
response to
to
being
beingfat,
fat,physically
physicallyimpaired,
impaired,chronically
chronicallysick,
sick,ororold.
old.Rather,
Rather,body
bodyshame
shame
isisaaculturally
culturallyconditioned
conditionedreaction
reactiontotoaacommercially-fabricated
commercially-fabricated fantasy
fantasyof
of
physical
physicalperfection.
perfection.


 Here
Here are
are today’s
today’s embedded
embedded ideals
ideals of
of the
the physical
physical –– fine
fine or
or great
great skin,
skin,
protruding
protruding behinds,
behinds, tiny
tiny waist
waist plus
plus other
other ideals
ideals and
and preferences
preferences inspired
inspired
by
bymedia
mediasuch
suchasasour
ourprejudice
prejudiceon
onsize,
size,number,
number,among
amongothers.
others.


 Audrey
AudreyTramel
Tramel(2013)
(2013)mentions
mentionsthat
thatthe
thepredominance
predominanceof of“pop
“popculture”
culture”inin
today’s
today’ssociety
societydefinitely
definitelyhas
hassome
someeffects
effectssuch
suchas
asthe
theways
waysteenagers
teenagersthink
think
of
of themselves,
themselves, how
how they
they associate
associate with
with others,
others, and
and how
how they
they express
express
characteristics
characteristicsof
oftheir
theirmaturation.
maturation.

POP
POP CULTURE
CULTURE OR OR POPULAR
POPULAR CULTURE
CULTURE from from aa common
common
understanding
understanding isis aa culture
culture widely
widely accepted
accepted and
and patronized
patronized by
by the
the
public
publicasasin
inpop
popmusic
musicwhich
whichisisvery
veryappealing
appealingtotothe
theyouth.
youth.


Influences
Influences how
how teens
teens define
define themselves
themselves as
as in
in the
the case
case of
of aa recent
recent
famous
famousK-pop
K-popboy
boyband,
band,named
named“Exo”
“Exo”which
whichgained
gainedthetheadmiration
admiration
of
ofmillions
millionsof
ofFilipino
Filipinoteenagers.
teenagers.


Its
Its influence
influence on
on them
them goes
goes to
to the
the point
point of
of imitating
imitating the
the way
way they
they
dress
dress andand style
style their
their bodies,
bodies, the
the way
way they
they talk
talk and
and express
express
themselves.
themselves.ItItinfluences
influencesthe
theway
waythey
theydefine
definethemselves.
themselves.


An
An important
important characteristics
characteristics of
of every
every teenager’s
teenager’s maturation
maturation isis
his/her
his/herself-definition.
self-definition.


Self
Selfdefinition
definition refers
refersto
tothe
theway
wayaaperson
personsees
seeshimself.
himself.

 Lastly,
Lastly,self
selfdefinition
definition can
canbe
beintrinsically
intrinsicallytied
tiedinto
intoself-esteem
self-esteemand
andconfidence,
confidence,two
two
critical
criticalcomponents
componentsof ofaahealthy
healthydisposition
dispositionthroughout
throughoutmaturation
maturationinto
intoadulthood.
adulthood.

 Hyper
Hypermediated
mediatedsociety
society
 we
we are constantlybeset
are constantly besetwith
withmedia
mediaimages,
images,especially
especiallyadvertisements
advertisements
representing
representingappropriate
appropriatebodies
bodiesor
orskin,
skin,so
sothat
thatweweinternalize
internalizethese
theseideals
ideals
and
andeither
eitherattempt
attemptto
toconform
conformto
tothem
themororresist
resistthem.
them.

 Media
Media
 creates
createsideals
idealsin
inthe
theform
formofofcelebrities
celebritiesand
and models,
models,for
formen
menand
andwomen
womento
to
admire.
admire.
 these
thesegive
giveus
uspressure
pressuretotoconform
conformexpectations.
expectations.

 As
Asaaresult,
result,most
mostwomen
womenare aredissatisfied
dissatisfiedwith
withtheir
theirappearance
appearancewhich,
which,Annie
AnnieLennox
Lennox
says
saysisisthe
the“stuff
“stuffthat
thatfuels
fuelsthe
thefashion
fashionand
andbeauty
beautyindustries.”
industries.”

 “Beauty
“Beautyhas
hasbecome
becomeaacurrency
currencysystem”
system”and
andititassigns
assignshierarchal
hierarchalvalue
valueto
towomen,
women,
encouraging escalating consumerism.
encouraging escalating consumerism.

 “Human
“Humanbeauty
beautycan
cancause
causeaagreat
greatdeal
dealof
ofpain,
pain,especially
especiallyfrom
fromthe
theperspectives
perspectivesofof
those
thosewho
whomaymaynot
not‘measure
‘measureup’
up’to
tothe
thestandards
standardsof
ofbeauty.
beauty.The
Thecloser
closerthe
the
appearance
appearance of the body resembling the prevailing prototypes standardizedby
of the body resembling the prevailing prototypes standardized bythe
the
culture, the higher the ‘exchange value’ for the individual” (Featherstone, 1991)
culture, the higher the ‘exchange value’ for the individual” (Featherstone, 1991)