Beautiful Imperialism: Why Non-Western Regions Strive for Western Beauty Ideals

Media Imperialism: Does It Still Matter?

   

Etsy

    The economic principle I’m exploring is “Institutions are the “rules of the game” that influence choices”

     My research question to help me study the economic principle is “How has culture affected the idea of beauty across the world”

     The articles titled “[This is How Beauty Standards Differ Around the World, Britannica.com, and Cultural Imperialism: Beauty from West to East]...” demonstrates this economic principle because they show how different countries have different ideas of beauty despite western beauty ideas dominating the beauty industry and how imperialism has affected non-western regions' beauty ideas.


     Throughout history, the color of one’s skin to the texture of one’s hair has defined what it means to be beautiful. Depending on where he or she is from, or if their country was influenced by western ideology, can make one beautiful in their native country but not meet expectations somewhere else. In the article This is How Beauty Standards Differ Around the World, being on the curvier side in Mauritania, Africa or having pale skin in Thailand, whether through skin bleaching or having naturally pale skin, will get you high praises. If you don’t carry delicate European features in the United States or lighten skin in British-colonized India, however, you won’t receive as many applause. Western ideas of beauty, such as light-tan skin, blonde hair, and a thin nose, have definitely affected the beauty ideas in the eastern hemisphere through the use of colonization and imperialism. 

     Colonization and Imperialism have been used for ages to extend power, culture, and influence to foreign nations according to Britannica.com. The Roman Empire, for example, extended its power to Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe and influenced those areas with Roman culture such as Roman’s idea of beauty, religion, laws, etc. More recently in the 20th century, European nations such as Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy along with the United States had major cultural influences in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, such as influences with language, type of government, education, and of course, beauty. As their native cultures and ideas were being replaced with European, or Western, culture, the natives in those areas started to want to adhere to the ideals of the West due to being surrounded by those ideals.

     Imperialism is still occurring through media and marketing within these same areas according to Cultural Imperialism: Beauty from West to East, especially in Asia where women result to cosmetic surgery to achieve the “Eurocentric” look. Popular procedures done among Asian women, according to the article, are “double eyelid surgery” to make their eyes appear bigger since most lack creases in their eyelids, and a rhinoplasty “to change their nose to look more sharp and pointy”. Both of these features are known for being embodied by western culture. Western celebrities, who embody western beauty ideals, are being used in Japanese advertisements, which in turn “[sell] the idea of beauty to...women telling them [in order] to be beautiful you ought to be... light skinned with the promise of being able to achieve all of these”.

     Western influences not only affected non-western regions religiously or politically but also determined the very definition of beauty in those regions.