The 1990s have been an odd mix of prosperity and economic uncer­tainty. Although unemployment rates have been low, many Americans are worried about their jobs and future well-being. Recent years have been associated with corporate growth and low interest rates, but downsizing has typically followed mergers. As a result, large numbers of well-educated, middle-class people […]

The 1960s saw the beginnings of the civil rights movement as well as the antiwar movement surrounding Vietnam. Both movements produced a general atmosphere that boundaries could be broken and assumptions about traditional politics could be challenged openly. Women were active in both movements, reflecting the longstanding tradition of feminist women’s commitment to social change […]

World War II impacted the lives of tens of thousands of military personnel and their families and created significant economic changes for the lower working classes. Women were part of the military endeavor as WACs, WAVES, and medical corps and were actively and intentionally mobilized for war (Rupp, 1978). The war also generated full employment, […]

Adding to the roiling mix of prosperity and social change of the early 1900s, World War I (1910-1914) further increased women’s participation in public life and paid employment. More women began to work outside the home in an effort to replace the male workers that had been recruited for battle. The shirtwaist was exchanged for […]

The late 1800s and early 1900s saw dramatic changes in virtually all aspects of American life: family, industry, occupation, and social ideals. As conventional gender role arrangements and realities changed, individual identities became less fixed, precipitating a need for other avenues of con­trol and regulation of women. Dramatic industrial expansion during the turn of the […]

One way of illustrating the social construction of beauty, sexuality, and identity is to document the standards of beauty and attractiveness over the course of the last century. These ever-changing ideals are not merely a matter of aesthetics, but are historically linked to social, economic, and political factors. Conceptualizations of beauty are generally considered fixed. […]

Ultimately, women come to internalize these beliefs and standards, rendering the elements of social control even more transparent. Women themselves promote the value of breast enlargement surgery, the perfectly matched cosmetic set. Women themselves become members of the social police who monitor and judge other women for failing to embody the ideal. Women themselves equate […]

A primary mechanism used to monitor and control women’s sexuality resides in the realm of beauty. For women, sexuality is inextricably linked to physical appearance. Sexuality is distorted as ornamental and observable rather than being viewed as a quality that emanates from the context of women’s lives and relationships. Thus, the shape of a woman’s […]

The social construction of reality shapes everyday forms of social exchange, the arrangement of work, family, and play, and the definitions of appropriate and acceptable behavior. It forms the basis for ideals and hopes, establishing what is normal and therefore understandable. Social, psychological, and political factors combine to form a social framework that constructs meaning. […]

CHERYL BROWN TRAVIS, KAYCE L. MEGINNIS, AND KRISTIN M. BARDARI Beauty is considered to be a fundamental quality in women, as can be documented in the personal ads of any American newspaper. The never — ending pursuit of beauty occupies center stage for many women; the em­phasis placed on appearance can be partially estimated by […]