Cosmetic SurgeryEssay Preview: Cosmetic SurgeryReport this essayThe practice of cosmetic surgery dates back more than 4000 years ago around 600 BC in India with the driving force behind most plastic surgery developments being because of world war 1 and 2 where physicians had to treat extensive head and face injuries. With scientific developments and technology cosmetic surgery moved to the forefront of the medical profession in the 1970s and has continued to progress throughout the world with the most popular procedures done these days being lipoplasty (liposuction), eyelid surgery, breast implants, nose jobs, facelifts, and Botox injections.
Females undergoing cosmetic surgery far outweigh males at a difference of 90 percent to approximately 10 percent and the gap continues to expand as the popularity in cosmetic surgery amongst ladies continuing to increase, the number of procedures performed on women rising by 9 percent since 2005 meanwhile procedures performed on males have dropped by 7 percent in the last two years.
The procedure which was at one stage only seen to be accessible by the rich and famous is now a viewed as normal and a trend amongst people of all ages and social class because higher demand has lead to lower prices, especially abroad in countries such as Argentina and Thailand who offer special prices for a travel and cosmetic surgery package explaining why ÐNip and Tuck tourism is on the rise. (Appendix 1)
Far from its origin cosmetic surgery is performed more now for aesthetic reasons rather than medical reasons, altering your appearance is not just a external change but also a psychosocial outcome whereby a person is seeking the cosmetic intervention to improve there self esteem, social confidence and quality of life thus enhancing their self-concept.
Self concept is defined as the totality of the individuals thoughts and feelings in reference to themselves as an object.Onkvisit and Shaw (1987) claimed that the self concept is multidimensional and consists of four different “selves”. The actual self which is the way a person actually is, Subjective self which is the way a person sees themself, Ideal self which is the way she or he would like to be, Social self which is the way she or he thinks others regard him or her and a fifth type which other researchers have identified is the expected self image which is how consumers expect to see themselves at some specified future time.
This assertion is also known as the Ðsans possession view which has two different discussions. The first is a Ðpersonal identity view where self is seen as a multi faceted, multi layered, social and psychological being and the second view of self Ðself image is a trait-centred view where self is viewed as a sum of personal qualities that an individual sees himself in possession of, these include personality traits as well as any superficial behavioural and body appearance traits. (Sirgy, 1982; Morgan, 1993; Baumgartner, 2002)
Self image is unique and is developed through interactions with other people: initially our parents (SHIFFMAN. L., 2005, Consumer Behaviour, 3rd Edition. Pearson Education). ÐParents are focused on instilling their children with high self-esteem. They wish to develop their skills in areas that will equip them for life. By focusing on themselves people magnify everything and become aware of their flawsÐ. So, the normalisation of surgical transformation via cosmetic surgery is set to continue. (Once bizarre, now nearly normal, The Sydney Morning Herald, March 2007). Children are now growing up in an image driven culture and will grow up whereby cosmetic surgery is seen as a norm which most young adults in their 20s already believe.
The notion of a happy child
A child of normal development is an ideal individual. Children are valued for their mental, physical, emotional, social, cultural and creative development. They are raised with positive values, confidence, kindness and a sense of honour. They are the result of parental commitment. Their development is guided by a sense of their own potential. This is why when they ask to be recognised they are expected to ‘solve’ problems. They do this to make themselves heard as a valued member of society. If they do this then it means their parents have chosen a culture to teach them how to be a good child. This culture requires them to grow up in this image driven system. This culture will become the foundation for children to be happy and the foundation of their future lives. It is the only way to realise the ideal child. This is what a happy child means.
[quote=FeministCulture]{#8216: A child who is valued for having a positive attitude, good character and a sense of honour can lead a successful life. An ideal child is a unique and vibrant individual. He will always be loved and that is why women will still love him. These values and personality traits are part of the social and emotional development of man. But these traits can also result in a social contract which can lead to failure, failure and depression.