Description

Cosmetic surgery has always needed a story. As a form of medical intervention that is fundamentally voluntary, it is inherently vulnerable to critique and therefore constantly demands the development of persuasive rhetoric to justify its practice. For the most part, the story surrounding cosmetic surgery in North America has unfolded in the popular media, with the arguments of both boosters and critics finding expression in the advertising, promotions, and press reports of the public sphere. While most of today’s commentators on cosmetic surgery focus heavily on the contradictions and controversies of the present moment, debates surrounding cosmetic surgery’s legitimacy and meaning – particularly for women, who are by far its greatest consumers – have been ongoing for more than a century. These debates surround what constitutes a legitimate and rational – i.e. culturally intelligible – reason to undergo cosmetic surgery, and ultimately point to deeper struggles between various representatives for the right to speak to what should define an appropriate, “authentic” relationship to the body for women.

Project Details

Project Type

Dissertation

Subject Group

Humanities

Subject Classification

Cultural Studies

Start

2010

Organization

Faculty/Central Institute

John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies

Field/Work Area

Graduate School of North American Studies

Project Team

Director

Kathryn Schweishelm

Researchers

• Kathryn Schweishelm

  Current