Is beauty a form of oppression for women? Or does it offer them a path to empowerment? Some scholars see beauty as an oppressive system thwarting women's agency, sometimes to the point of damaging their mental health; others have promoted an understanding of beauty as an empowering practice through which women can affirm their agency and self-determination. Western beauty culture is organized by contradictory injunctions framing women's participation in beautification. Drawing on relevant scholarly literature, contemporary North American popular culture, and two years of sociological fieldwork, The Beauty Paradox begins by identifying the four main paradoxes of beauty culture: the worth paradox, the authenticity paradox, the power paradox, and the commitment paradox. Piazzesi looks at how these four paradoxes trail women's everyday experiences, choices, and reflections regarding beauty. She examines the role of beauty in women's everyday lives and in a variety of contexts: 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 Quebec de la Recherche-Societe 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. As part of this project, each participant produced a series of selfies, which they discussed in interviews. In a first for sociological scholarship on beauty, Walking the Tightrope foregrounds the place of attractiveness in women's visual self-expression online.
Chiara Piazzesi is Professor of Sociology at the University of Quebec in Montreal. She is the author of three books and the editor of five volumes, all published in French or Italian. Her research focuses on digital practices and forms of sociability, intimate relationships, and gender issues.
Acknowledgements Introduction: Walking the Tightrope Chapter One: The Paradoxes of Beauty The Worth Paradox The Authenticity Paradox The Power Paradox The Commitment Paradox What Is a Pragmatic Paradox? Conclusion: Negotiating the Paradoxes of Beauty Chapter Two: Beauty, Wellness, and Authenticity Where Is Beauty Situated? Traditional Discourses on Beauty, Health, and Morals The Paradoxes of Wellness and Self-Care Natural Beauty and the Authenticity Paradox Where Does "Feeling Beautiful" Really Come From? Conclusion: Normative Authenticity Chapter Three: Commitment and Investment Investing Money and Time The Salience of Hair and Makeup Committing to Thinking, Planning, and Judging The Day as a Measure of Beauty Conclusion: How Much Is Enough? Chapter Four:Time, Aging, and Motherhood Being Young Being No Longer Young Motherhood The Intergenerational Gaze Conclusion: The Temporality of Beauty Chapter Five: Work and Social Life Beauty and Sociability Working with Beauty Favours and Privileges Conclusion: Uncertain Gains Chapter Six: Selfies and the Digital World The Place of Beauty in Selfies The Paradox of the "Narcissistic" Selfie The Authenticity Paradox and the Selfie-Taking Online Persona Conclusion: Negotiating Visibility Conclusion: Beauty and the Paradoxes of Women's Subjectivity Appendix A: Introducing the Participants Appendix B: Methodological Design and Procedure Bibliography
