Expressions of the self through the body Essay

Within the framework of the 21st Century, western club is progressively exposed to projects and ideologies of the embodi handst of success and ecstasy. The media is rife with these conceptualisations and restores us all on varying levels of do work and intensity. The very basis of the study of the social sciences (that dissimilar spheres of the verbalism of social values be incorporated and incomplete apart) is the foundation for the claim that ideologies associated with the forward-looking capitalist value system strongly and wholly affect the understanding and expression of our individuality finished the management and aesthetics of our bodies.To understand the origin of this claim, and to further let off the phenomenon it identifies, several steps need to be taken. Firstly, the values of the modern capitalist framework have to be identified and adequately compared to the contemporary understanding of the system and of sexuality. Secondly, expressions of the syste m and sexuality willing be explored, to adequately assess the modulate these values have through with(predicate) visual media. Finally response to these values and images will be considered, in order to critically analyse the true degree of internal representation that has been success neary exercised deep down this complex association of cause and effect.As established through start the second section of this course, the complex and prestigious structure of capitalism lies in the celebration of the individual, and non of the society. (Loy 1997). Characteristics inherent in capitalism are the greatness of the individual the necessity for competition among these individuals to justify the importance of the individual and the desire to incarnate wealth, success and happiness through financial means. Also pivotal to the success of capitalism is the illusion of freedom of choice and function at bottom society for the individual to construct a unique identity (Loy 1997, Cox 1 999). What is perhaps virtually important in terms of the relationship amid capitalism and the expression of identity and sexuality through the personify is the concept of commodity aesthetics, the beautification of any object to increase its desirability to the consumer. (Sarup, 1997)The relationship between these values and the understanding and expression of our bodies can be explained in terms of the research done by Rohlinger (2002), whereby a complex study into the representations of men in advertisements was conducted to assess the objectification of men that he identified as prominent. While the implications of this study are more in-depth than the conclusions discussed here, the results belie, in part, the beautification of men in the media to create desire for not scarcely the image, but also the product associated with the image.The biggest category of depiction of men he identified was the so-called erotic phallic, whereby a male, of often indeterminable sexual pre ference, was portrayed sexually, thereby appealing to both straight and gay men, thus following the dual publicise method (Rohlinger, 2002). It would thus appear as if men have been beautified in order to increase desire for the product associated with the model. While it may face to be a leap in logic to equate the erotic male with the beautified male, the reasoning groundwork this premise lies in the conceptualisation of beauty in modern society. While it can be argued that advertising affects these values, and that the values in turn affects the advertising, I would suggest that the attractiveness of a male or effeminate lies wholly in terms of sexual appeal, and thus by an erotic portrayal, the beautification process however abnormal occurs.If the example of Rohlingers research is further employed and employed as it was intended, it becomes suck that through advertising techniques, the capitalist framework has blatantly influenced media portrayals of the body and sexual ity, and thus has direct influence on our own expression of sexuality and identity through our bodies. Within the work of Susan Benson (1997), the degree of identity expression through the body is discussed. The capitalist influence has (seemingly) autonomously decided what bodily images determine varying aspects of an identity. (Benson, 1997) In order to appear reasoned and in control, a well-toned and slim body is essential. Bodies that do not conform to these characteristics thus display an out of control and unhealthy person, negatively reflecting on his or her identity.In terms of the influence of structure and agency and the way in which symbols are given value to construct an identity (Jenkins, 1996), the outward-bound display of an identity and any agency in play, is manifested in the aesthetics of the body through the use of symbols that appeal to the senses of those who would bear out the identity. These symbols can be clothing, fragrances, language and body language. It is for this reason that the media ironically, a manifested construct of the very society it crusades to influence and control within a capitalist framework seeks to associate a type of identity with various commodities to be marketed, increasing not only the desirability of the product, but of the identity as well.If the claim that sexual urge and sexuality have long been two of the few certainties in ones identity (Segal 1997), thence evidence to suggest increasing blurring of the line of distinction between what expresses the embodiment of being a man or a woman, would indicate a critical turning point in social history, emphasising a shift towards the androgynous and sexual ambiguity. Rohlingers research further identified the depiction of men in advertisements as having an unknown sexual orientation (2002) thus fulfilling appeal to both a heterosexual and homophile male community, yet in very different ways. This type of depiction allows for the viewer of the advertisement to grade with a particular interpretation of the male model further developing the idea that the agency it appears we are exercising is indeed limited within the structures we find ourselves in.This eroticising effect on the male image and as well as on the female image in the media is thus adopted by those who find the identity and image desirable (which returns us to the circle of desirability between the product and the identity associated with the product) and is then outwardly displayed through the appearance of the body. This adoption of a particular identity extends to the sexuality that may or may not be displayed within the advertisement as well, causing the blurring of distinction between male and female sexuality. The portrayals of men and women have become increasingly similar in society (Benson 1997) and thus too have the expressions of masculinity and femininity, weakening previous concepts of gender roles (Hearn 1999).The by-products of these influential depict ions of mens and womens identities in contemporary society range from liberal causas gaining acceptability within a sexual context, to the increase in eating disorders, body building, and the supplement industry in an attempt to achieve a healthy body, thereby conforming to the welcome and desirable identity of contemporary society.The increase in support for the gay and lesbian rights motions, as well as the continued evolution of the feminist movement, are all examples of responses to the effects of capitalism on society through the media. As in the previous section, the manifestations of various identities increasingly depict an androgynous sexuality, appealing to hetero- and homosexual members of society. (In part due to the increasing wealth of the homosexual consumer) With this subconscious validation of gayness in the media, it appears it has become increasingly socially acceptable to either be homosexual, or support the movement and to adopt its value system. (Rohlinger 2002 Hearn 1999 Benson 1997)This type of liberal movement, while an apparent display of agency in the ratiocination of an identity, appears to be yet another type of conformity to the current desirable identity. Thus the response albeit in later years is not one based in agency, but in passive credence of a contemporary trend. Similar criticism can be levelled at the development of the feminist movement in current culture. While the view of Rohlinger (2002) may be considered somewhat sensationalist and one-sided, her idea that unconstipated feminism and womens liberation has been commodified and a purchasable identity to the movement ascribed, is one that contains some validity. So far reaching is the grasp of capitalism, that it is able to commodify that which inadvertently opposes the values of capitalism, by advocating freedom of expression and a resistance to the values of the patriarchal society in existence today (Bhasin, 1993). An example of this trend would be a televis ion advertisement for a popular drink with the tag Girls Night. No Boys Allowed. This blatant commodification of the nonparasitic and liberal woman as an identity, critically wounds the credibility of the movement it seeks to ascribe itself to.The increased phenomenon of female and male eating disorders prevalent among teenagers (certainly the most influential target group in modern society) further illustrates the growing trend in conformity to the desirable body image in at attempt to embody a certain identity. At the other end of the scale (so far removed, it has perhaps come full circle) is the bodybuilding trend whereby men and women seek to become the pinnacle of strength, power and fitness.This trend identifies not only the blur in distinction between masculinity and femininity (active/passive Segal, 1997) as women attempt to embody a previously masculine identity, but also seeks to display, perhaps, a resistance (Castells, 1997) to the threat of hermaphroditism and suppo sed equality of men and women in society, as men attempt to over-emphasise their physical ergo societal strength and dominance. In perhaps the most obvious sign of a symbiotic relationship within these two forces, the dietary and health supplement industry is booming, as it convinces millions each year that the healthy body therefore identity is contained within a capsule or a milkshake.In this brief and popular exploration into the relationship between the capitalist society and the expression of identity through the body image, it appears clear that the values of capitalism have directly affected the expression of identity and sexuality in modern society. So influential is the media that social actors feel compelled to conform and duplicate these images in order to maintain a sense of acceptance within society. It is also evident that very little real resistance has create to this trend, and that even those who do not physically manifest their response to this trend, appear to have adopted the ideology in more subtle ways tellingly, purchasing products associated with the identity they subconsciously want to adopt. Thus the twisting of our identity and sexuality is clearly outwardly displayed through the expression of our body, and the media of capitalism is singularly successful by directing its influence on our continuing desire to express our identity through outward appearances and symbols.