Includes bibliographical references (pages 163-238) and index.
Contents:
Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1. Introduction -- The personal becomes political : the trouble with shoes -- The costs and consequences of appearance -- Surveying the foundations : social, biological, economic, technological, and media forces -- Feminist challenges and responses -- Appearance discrimination : social wrongs and legal rights -- Legal frameworks -- A road map for reform -- 2. The importance of appearance and the costs of conformity -- Definitions of attractiveness and forms of discrimination -- Interpersonal relationships and economic opportunities -- Self-esteem, stigma, and quality of life -- Gender differences -- The price of upkeep : time and money -- Health risks -- Bias -- 3. The pursuit of beauty -- Sociobiological foundations -- Cultural values, status, and identity -- Market forces -- Technology -- The media -- Advertising -- The culture of beauty -- 4. Critics and their critics -- Nineteenth-and early-twentieth-century critics -- The contemporary women's movement -- Critiques -- Responses -- Personal interests and political commitments -- Beyond the impasse -- 5. The injustice of discrimination -- Ensuring equal opportunity : challenging stigma and stereotypes -- Challenging subordination based on class, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, and sexual orientation -- Protecting self-expression : personal liberty and cultural identity -- The rationale for discrimination and resistance to prohibitions -- The parallel of sexual harassment -- The contributions of law -- 6. Legal frameworks -- The limitations of prevailing legal frameworks -- Prohibitions on appearance discrimination -- A comparative approach : European responses to appearance discrimination -- The contributions and limitations of legal prohibitions on appearance discrimination -- Consumer protection : prohibitions on false and fraudulent marketing practices -- Directions for reform -- 7. Strategies for change -- Defining the goal -- Individuals -- Business and the media -- Law and policy -- Notes -- Index.
Summary:
Examines cultural preoccupation with beauty throughout history and in different cultures and explores the cost it imposes on individuals and society.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.