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The Changing Body: Critical Thinking on Beauty, Culture & Diversity

Victoria Pitts-Taylor, PhD City University of New York. The Changing Body: Critical Thinking on Beauty, Culture & Diversity. Rubens (1577-1640) and Modigliani (1894-1920). Body Mass Index. 1800s: “Quetelet Index” invented by polymath Adolphe Quetelet

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The Changing Body: Critical Thinking on Beauty, Culture & Diversity

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  1. Victoria Pitts-Taylor, PhD City University of New York The Changing Body: Critical Thinking on Beauty, Culture & Diversity

  2. Rubens (1577-1640) and Modigliani (1894-1920)

  3. Body Mass Index 1800s: “Quetelet Index” invented by polymath Adolphe Quetelet 1972: proposed by biologist/physiologist Ancel Keys as BMI to track obesity in populations

  4. Padaung neck rings (Burma/Thailand), western Breast implants

  5. Realdo Columbus, De Re Anatomica (1559) Sigmund Freud, 3 Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905)

  6. Displaying ‘exotic’ bodies: Sarah Baartman (1810); Padaung (1937)

  7. Contemporary body modifications Lolo Ferrari

  8. Natural Fixed by biology Relatively stable Implication? A proper, Universal ideal against which to measure all bodies Socially Constructed Shaped by culture Flexible Implication? No universal standard we can use to judge bodies… cultural relativism Natural Body vs. Socially Constructed Body

  9. Types of female genital cutting

  10. Indigenous campaign against female circumcision

  11. Lessons? • No singular model of the body • Cultures have diverse bodily norms • Cultural relativism is useful, but limited: • Helps us see differences as valuable • Helps us reduce our own biases and ethnocentrism • Does not answer questions of human rights

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