The Beauty Paradox: Femininity in the Age of Selfies

Beauty can be both an oppressive system and an empowering practice for women, depending on the context. The Beauty Paradox explores the four main paradoxes of beauty culture: the worth paradox, the authenticity paradox, the power paradox, and the commitment paradox, and how they trail women's everyday experiences, choices, and reflections regarding beauty.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 284 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

The debate over whether beauty is a form of oppression for women or a path to empowerment continues to be a topic of discussion among scholars. While some argue that beauty can be oppressive, stifling women's agency and potentially harming their mental health, others advocate for a more empowering understanding of beauty as a means for women to affirm their agency and self-determination.

In Western beauty culture, contradictory injunctions govern women's participation in beautification. This culture is characterized by a series of paradoxes that shape women's experiences, choices, and reflections related to beauty. The Beauty Paradox, a book by Piazzesi, delves into these paradoxes and explores how they manifest in women's everyday lives across various contexts.

The book identifies four primary paradoxes of beauty culture: the worth paradox, the authenticity paradox, the power paradox, and the commitment paradox. The worth paradox suggests that beauty is valued primarily for its external attributes, such as physical attractiveness, leading to the notion that women's worth is tied to their appearance. The authenticity paradox challenges the idea that beauty is a natural and inherent quality, arguing that it is constructed and manipulated by societal norms and expectations. The power paradox highlights the ways in which beauty can be used as a tool of oppression, as women are often subjected to pressure to conform to beauty standards that can be harmful to their physical and mental well-being. The commitment paradox emphasizes the paradoxical nature of beauty practices, as women are expected to invest time, money, and effort into maintaining their appearance, yet the pursuit of beauty can be stressful and time-consuming.

Through her research, Piazzesi examines how these paradoxes trail women's everyday experiences, choices, and reflections regarding beauty. She explores the role of beauty in women's lives, including informal social encounters, work and career settings, parenting, intergenerational relationships, self-care, and online networking practices. The author supports her theoretical stance with data collected through two years of fieldwork with eleven women living in Montreal (funded by Fond du Québec de la Recherche—Société et culture). Participants were interviewed about their views on attractiveness, beautification, the pressure to be beautiful or to appear young, and how they negotiate these challenges on an individual basis.

In addition to interviews, participants produced a series of selfies, which they discussed in interviews. Walking the Tightrope, a unique feature of the book, foregrounds the place of attractiveness in women's visual self-expression online. Piazzesi analyzes the ways in which women use social media platforms to express their beauty and engage with others, highlighting the complexities and challenges of this practice.

The Beauty Paradox offers a comprehensive analysis of beauty culture and its impact on women. While some argue that beauty can be oppressive, Piazzesi contends that a more empowering understanding of beauty is possible. By recognizing the paradoxes that shape beauty culture and exploring how they manifest in women's lives, the book provides a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate over women's empowerment and the role of beauty in society.

Weight: 381g
Dimension: 230 x 151 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538175743