Critical Interpretation of Culture
Annice Lappin and Larissa Boyhan
This presentation examines the use of cosmetic
surgery and critically examines and evaluates the
cultural influences behind this.
Cosmetic surgery is concerned with the
correction, restoration or enhancement of the
body. It has a history dating back to the 6th
century in India.
Which of the following would you agree is cosmetic surgery
using the above definition.

Movie of Heide from popular sitcom ‘The
City’ reflecting on her plastic surgery.
Use of Cosmetic Misuse of
Surgery
Cosmetic
Surgery
•Aesthetic
reasons.
•Aesthetic
reasons.
•Reconstructive
reasons.
•Body
dysphoria
disorder
•Gender
dysphoria.
•Unattainable
body image
•Industry –
consumerism
Healthy Effects of
Cosmetic Surgery
Unhealthy effects of
misuse of Cosmetic
Surgery
•Increased self
esteem
•Debt
•Major risks of
surgery
•Being able to
contribute positively
to society.
•Surgeons operating
out of desire for
•Being able to live a money.
normal life
•restrictive models
•Empowering to
of femininity.
improve conditions
of life eg get a job

A good plastic surgeon walks a fine line between the Hippocratic ideal of “doing no harm” and giving
the patient what he or she asks for. Obviously, the surgeon should put the health and safety of the
patient first in deciding whether or not to accommodate a patient’s request for a particular procedure.
Ethics dictate that he or she would not perform any procedure with the written consent of the patient.
Nor would the surgeon perform surgery on a minor without the consent of his or her legal guardian(s).
Ethical Gray Areas
 the ideal of full disclosure to patients regarding the scope of the surgeon’s
experience with a new technique or piece of surgical equipment.
 The issues of ethics become even more complex where mental and emotional
state of the patient is concerned.

How does the surgeon determine when “enough is enough”, in the case of a
person who displays signs of plastic surgery addiction?
A Judgment Call
 Ultimately, it is up to each surgeon to call upon his or her experience,
training, and judgment to make the decision.
•
appearance-oriented ideology
•
patriarchal ideology
•
promises of power, pleasure, and freedom
•
Body consumption.
•
beauty ideal -unrealistic conceptions of beauty
•
desire for self-improvement.
•
Consumerism
•
conforming to an acceptable standard of appearance
Gain
lose
•People with disfigurements
•Females
•Females.
•Racial minority groups
•Western Culture.
•Doctors
•Fashion industry
•Cosmetic Product Industry

Media - (TV, film, magazines, internet)

The business of Cosmetic surgery

Fashion industry

Stockholders
Positive


Equality of opportunity for all eg Moira Kelly’s work
Quality of life.
Negative


Societies acceptance of women being judged by
their appearance more than men – inequality and
oppression.
Imperialism of a Culture to the detriment of
another e.g Asian American and Korean

When aesthetic plastic surgery remains where it
commenced, in the realm of the medical system
where it was intended to seriously benefit patients
it is a positive contribution to society.

But when cosmetic surgery crosses entirely into the
commercial world reinforcing naturally
unachievable stereotypes of beauty and its
immediate focus is on benefiting the business it
can have a negative impact on the social construct
of identity and feminism.



When cosmetic surgery is used address social justice issues such as
to enhance the lives of the disadvantaged or marginalised such as
the work with Moira Kelly or with the work of Fred Hollows
foundation with the Indigenous communities of Australia then it is
having a positive impact on society.
Cosmetic surgery has a positive impact on the lives of people when
used in a responsible manner such as reconstruction after trauma or
due to disfigurements, as it can enable the recipients to live a better
quality of life.
When cosmetic surgery is marketed to society as a normal way to
achieve the unrealistic body images portrayed in the media it
becomes a manipulative and exploitive force that impacts on the
identity formation of some members of society.




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http://www.cosmeticsurgeryaustralia.com.au/ accessed on 25.3.10
Rosemary Gillespie. Women, the Body and Brand Extension in Medicine Cosmetic Surgery and the Paradox of
Choice. Accessed at http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a904837204&db=all on 25.3.10
Woo Keong Ja . The Beauty Complex and the Cosmetic Surgery Industry. Accessed at
http://www.ekoreajournal.net/archive/detail.jsp?BACKFLAG=Y&VOLUMENO=44&BOOKNUM=2&PAPERNUM=4&S
EASON=summer&YEAR=2004 on 25.3.10
Bryan C. Mendelson. Aesthetic/Cosmetic Surgery and Ethical Challenges. Accessed at
http://www.springerlink.com/content/t1377x2656365447/fulltext.pdf?page=1 on 25.3.10
Deborah A. Sullivan. Cosmetic surgery: the cutting edge of commercial medicine in America Accessed at
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=XgPAzXxGGE4C&pg=PR12&lpg=PR12&dq=ideology+of+cosmetic+surg
ery&source=bl&ots=_PqKyfXpbJ&sig=qmkWsukqMBl7ycy-gNQcDfr2RXY&hl=en&ei=cS6rS82iEZSXkQX_qDEDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=ideology%20of%20cos
metic%20surgery&f=false on 25.3.10