Reshaping Cultures

9 October 2013 word count 2075 The Reshaping of Cultures Section Three Plastic Surgery Aspects of ones culture be shaped by personal experiences, househ former(a) traditions, and by ones national beliefs. How sensitive the topic of cosmetic operating theatre is, differs by culture. conspiracy Koreans now widely be take hold flexible surgery as a p cunning of their culture. This movement has sparked widespread criticism from people around the world. M any people either notifyt comprehend the idea, beart circumvent past the cultural barrier, or cant accept the adequate reasoning behind it.However, the reasoning is quite imple and should be accepted universally Personal satisfaction and satisfaction are important factors to ones well-being, and if improving ones appearance can critically boost ones self-esteem, then victorious advantage of the technologies we have nowadays like plastic surgery should be an acceptable option to remedy low self-worth and low self- esteem. Ever y culture has some different idea of what is considered beautiful. In the past when people lived in less diverse- flavor societies, the standards of beauty typically were defined by features that werent common amongst their own ommunity.As time flowed, certain places became more ethnically and culturally diverse than others, and in those places ideas clashed and standards changed, resulting in a more wanton community with warning beauty being more subjective. However, there are places that still arent so diverse. In these places, the conception of what is considered high-flown beauty is more predominantly accepted and can be linked heavily to historical and cultural roots as well as how powerful and persistent the media is in that particular society.Although southwestward Korea has been experiencing esternization since the Korean War, the boorish is still a generally homogenous nation, meaning that the demographics are still mostly Korean. confederation Korea is a country whe re the old meets the new and where traditions go hand in hand with modern ideas and technology this goes for beauty as well. In ancient South Korea, having certain features could define not only ones ancestral past, but also ones future.In an article explaining the marriage of cosmetic surgery and ancient customs, Lee Su Hyun explains that, Physiognomy, or the art of face reading, has een practiced for centuries in Korea as well as in other Asian countries as a way of divining a persons future (Lee par. 8). In addition she proposed that, Koreans also believe that personality is reflected in a persons facial features and that they their facial features are shaped by fate, genes and lifestyle (Lee par. 9). This belief still persists today and many Koreans experience social pressures because of it.A South Korean mother explains that her daughter, Lee Min-Kyong, a 12 year old ballet dancer, lacks confidence Everyone, she says, points out her tiny eyes. Its why she doesnt think shes a pretty girl (Lah par. 3). Her mother added, Im having her do it pretty to get ahead (qtd. in Lah par. 7). Although her daughter didnt ask for the surgery, Min-Kyong is looking forward to it Im excited. I think Ill look better than I do now, she says shyly, breaking into a small smile (Lah par. 5).Foreigners may consider these social pressures to be offensive and superficial, but to South Koreans they are not these pressures are Just another all(prenominal)day-custom. Korean media, especially the Korean pop (K-pop) scene, has also been shaped by these social ressures which state that beauty is important. In K-pop, the most successful and famous idols perfectly fit what Koreans consider beautiful, near perfection. These idols are a part of every aspect of the media because of that. Unlike the western counterpart in which he or she is known for what he or she does best, a single Korean idol can be known to partake in a multitude of positions.It is very common to find a single idol b eing an actor or actress, a model, a musician, a singer, a dancer, a show host, a reality show celebrity, and a comedian. They are the role models of ociety, and, as a country where there is a pressure to look beautiful, many younger South Koreans enw and aspire to their features They all have small faces, large eyes, and tiny button noses. Chins are pointed, cheeks are wide, and their faces glow artificially, imbuing them with the anime quality (Stone par. 15). Sure those features flaunted perfection, but there was a catch those features arent commonly or traditionally Korean.As revealed by netizens, this beauty was the work of plastic surgery. South Korea is very technologically advanced and is the most wired in the orld, with the highest rate of smartphone usage 67 percent and 95 percent of Korean homes having profit access (Stone par. 23). Rando Kim, a professor of consumer science at Seoul National University, suggests being so Wired contributed to the trend of plastic surgery Celebrities have helped to drive the trend of plastic surgery, as they scramble to keep ahead of digital technology that mercilessly exposes not only their physical imperfections, but any attempts to remedy them (Choe par. ). He clarifies that, Wide-screen and high definition TV put pressure on hem celebrities to look good in close-ups, and with the Internet, where people like to post before and later on pictures, they can no longer hide it having undergone plastic surgery. So they go public, often talking proudly about it on TV (Choe par. 8). Although before the K-pop boom Korean youth already were being brought up on a diet of surgery (Stone par. 21), Dr.Park Sang-hoon, head of ID Hospital, notes that ordinary South Koreans are now more open about the idea because their idols are open about it It used to be all hush-hush when mothers brought their daughters in or a face-lift before taking them to match-makers, now young women go plastic surgery shopping around here (Choe par. 10) . This shift towards a nation-wide open-mindedness for plastic surgery relieved many South Koreans. However, what was a relief within the country, sparked ethnocentric criticism from the international audience.Today in South Korea, cosmetic surgery is a social norm South Koreans have more plastic surgery than any other nation according to figures released in January. Those in the Asian country have more treatments per members of the population, with one in every 77 turning to the knife or needle (Nolan Par. 2). One thing that seemed to twainer a lot of critics was not only that statistic but also what Koreans were getting done, which in many articles regarding the matter is western. This idea seems absolutely outrageous, false, and offensive to many people especially of Asian descent.Dr. Joo Kwon, head of JK Plastic Surgery Clinic, and Dr. Kwon Seung-Taik, a plastic surgeon at Seoul National University Hospital, both agree While critics often argue that Koreans are adopting a more Western ideal of beauty, both Kwon and Joo disagree, saying that the standards are universal (Kim par. 1). Kwon supports his position, mentioning something he read a while back, Two love letters, he says, Written 5,000 years ago, from China and Greece, respectively, both describe their lover as beautiful, with a pointed nose and large eyes (qtd. n Kim par. 43). He also said, in defense, We have Westerners coming in to racetrack down their nose to a smaller size does that mean they want to look Asian (qtd. in Kim par. 44)? If one were to look at the before and after pictures in detail of Asians that have undergone cosmetic surgery, one can effortlessly notice that the features dont esemble any specific features only Westerners or Caucasians have nor are they any particularly non-Asian. What emerged from this stalemate didnt do the situation justice, though.What all this type of criticism came down to was Just the obscuring of what mattered the most, how alleviated the patients were after undergoing their surgery. Although Min-kyung was only 12 years old and didnt make the decision herself to get the surgery, for Min-Kyung, the 20-minute surgery has been well worth the cost and post-surgical discomfort. A few weeks later, she and her mother email to ay shes happy with her new look. And when this 12-year old stares at herself dancing in the studio, she no longer Just sees her eyes. She sees a prettier girl (Lah par. 17).Especially at that age, confidence is very important. With Just that minor surgery, her increase in confidence, eventide if increased by Just the slightest bit, will help her progress not only through her difficult teenage years but also thereafter. In another article, which criticizes the shift towards the acceptance for plastic surgery in South Korea and explains the supposed dangers associated with that shift, a omens experience is shared Chang Hae-Jin, 21 , an art student who was self- assured about her slightly protruding teeth and chin d ecided to take that risk with Dr. Park.