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Components of Culture: Values. Values defined:. A standard by which members of culture define what is desirable or undesirable good or bad beautiful or ugly acceptable or unacceptable. Values are regularly contested. For example, what makes a person beautiful?.
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Values defined: A standard by which members of culture define what is • desirable or undesirable • good or bad • beautiful or ugly • acceptable or unacceptable
Values are regularly contested. For example, what makes a person beautiful?
The answer often depends on WHEN the question is asked… Today mainstream Canada might cite these people as being beautiful
But what about 50 years ago? Canadians might have said that these were the most people.
How about 100 years ago? How are these people different from today’s version of beauty?
Beauty also depends on WHERE the question is asked. • Around the world, there is not just one standard of beauty, but many. • Certain features of the face or body are emphasized in various parts of the world. Women from Burma
Ears and mouths are features commonly accented… Women from Ethiopia
Adornments for the mouth can include tattoos and jewels for the teeth. Girl from Borneo Maori Woman with Moko
Here beauty accents are focused on the face and head… Nigerian Woman Mangbetu Woman
although other parts of the body have also been emphasized, such as the feet. 3 ” S H O E S Sketch of a woman’s bound feet
The overall body can also reflect values of beauty. • Today thinness is commonly accepted in many cultures as synonymous with beauty.
In some cultures thinness might be a reflection of physical fitness…
Although there are still extremes: • When does thin become “too thin?”
Thinness has not always been a Western standard of beauty. Painting by Peter Paul Rubens
To summarize: • Values are standards set by the members of a society. • Values are often highly contested. • Values can change significantly over time. • Values can differ within one society and around the world.