Saturday, November 12, 2011

Changing Canons of Beauty



This post is for my Cultural Anthropology class (ANTH-1240-904). The assignment is to find photos that demonstrate the different canons of human beauty in different cultures. I have personally decided to go with different facial decor (makeup, face paint, piercings, etc.) in different cultures.


Universally Beautiful:



(Note the intricate Henna tattoos)


(And how beautiful is this little girl from Nepal??)


(This Geisha also shares the ruby red lips and darkly outlined eyes - Enhanced femininity.)


Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder:


(Ouch!)


(Traditional attire for Himba women)


(African scarification)



I think a big difference between many cultures is that some put emphasis on enhancing natural beauty, such as reddening the lips and cheeks to duplicate arousal, while others simply are expected to display signs of honor and tribal camaraderie with piercings, tattoos, and scarification. Regardless of their purpose, each culture's view of beauty is unique and remarkable. 

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