Friday December 3
RESEARCH AND YOUNG PEOPLE
BEING AND BEAUTY – AN ADOLESCENT PERSPECTIVE
Leo B. Hendry1
This paper considers young peoples’ identity development in the light of rapid social and
technological change, and proposes that the development of a clear-cut identity during the transitions
towards adulthood is difficult in modern society because values, role models and accepted behaviours
are varied and even at times contradictory.
In this state of societal flux one constant in adult society appears to be the ‘worship’ of beauty and its
associated characteristics. How does this cultural emphasis impinge on young people as they grow up?
The paper attempts to answer this question in relation to adolescents’ views on self-identity and
attractiveness, and concludes by discussing aspects of young peoples’ roles in adult society.
Department of Psychology, University of Glamorgan, Wales
Emeritus Professor, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, U.K.
1