Ok, so now that my intervention is finally complete and I have journalised my thoughts and feelings throughout the process, it's time to get serious for a bit. Having done some personal research on body image, if I critically analyze my thought progression from before to after the intervention, a few interesting points become apparent.
Initially, my instinctive analysis on this was that I am simply a product of my own vanity and narcissism. However, on the topic of psychology and objectified body consciousness, Cash & Pruzinsky (2004, p.57) state:
"Watching one's appearance is presumably associated with self-love and individual achievement for women. However, research shows that when people pay attention to how others perceive them, they try to meet relevant standards, feel bad if standards are not met, and are susceptible to influence by others. Thus body surveillance is about control, not self-love."
Even though the passage was based around feminist theory, I found a certain level of truth to their argument. Introspection has enlightened me to my own desire for control. Meticulous attention to my dress i.e. adherence to social standards of aesthetic beauty (fashion) serves as a direct means to controlling how I am perceived within that same society. Food for thought, at the very least.
Bibliography
Cash, T. F., Pruzinsky, T. 2004. Body Image: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice. New York: Guilford Press.
Tom Ford, Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson Vanity Fair Cover. 2009. [online image] Available from: http://www.beyondhollywood.com/gallery/stills2/scarlett-johansson-keira-knightley-nude-vanity-fair-cover-big.htm [Accessed March 25 2011].
Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd Vanity Fair Cover Spoof. 2009. [online image] Available from: http://justjared.buzznet.com/photo-gallery/1769211/seth-rogen-paul-rudd-vanity-fair-02/ [Accessed March 25 2011].
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