The Body in Western and Non Western Cultures - 949 Words

How do people view the body? The answer varies from location, religion and culture. How western cultures view the body and how the body is treated (our body and others) are different from how non western cultures view and treat bodies. We can see the differences in the western and non western bodies in such works as Anne Fadiman’s account of a Hmong child in America and in articles like Genital Surgeries: Gendering Bodies. Along with the many differences between western and non western thoughts there are also several similarities. Especially when it comes to metaphors of the body. The generalized western opinion of the body is that it is akin to an object. Like a car the body is composed of several diverse aspects. From a medical†¦show more content†¦Women find â€Å"that natural female genitals are unclean and ugly and the surgeries create a more pleasing, smooth, and ‘feminine’ genital area† (page 95 Genital Surgeries) For many women practicing genital surgery it is a form of cosmetic surgery. It has the same purpose (to make the body look appealing) and some of the same risks (excessive bleeding and tearing) as many cosmetic surgeries used in western cultures. Although many western cultures denounce these practices as being barbaric and unfair these western cultures actually practice genital surgery on children. For example, many baby boys in the United States are circumcised at birth for both aesthetic reasons and for health concerns. Children born with both male and female genitalia are seen as medical emergencies and surgeries to correct this anomaly are done as soon as possible. The western and non western view of the body is very different. As we infer from comparing the western view of the body to the Hmong view of the body there are many ways to view the body than the one we were brought up to believe. However, we can also see from western metaphors and Hmong metaphors that a sick body is recognized by most people as being sick. We are also able to see with genital surgery that although society standards are different for every culture each culture uses surgery as a way to enhance the body and make it more pleasing to look at. Even with drastically different views of theShow MoreRelatedMedia Consumption Of Non Western Countries1414 Words   |  6 PagesMedia Consumption in Non-Western Countries The usage of media in Non-Western countries has been spreading as technology and social media have become the focus for most teenagers and young adults. 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