Defining Cultural Norms

The training exercises were fabulous activities that provided experiences in assessing cultural norms, identifying the role culture plays on our perceptions, and techniques for observing behavior. Each event provided the participants with a critical component required in field observations. The cultural norms activity helped to acquaint participants with interacting with strangers, recognizing that culture provides comfort and security. The cultural description activity was perfect for building and understanding the role culture plays when trying to understand human behavior. In field observations, "weird" can simply be behavior outside my cultural understanding.

Social and Cultural Norms shape the decisions individuals make throughout their lives. Social Norms are a set of guidelines that people follow when they take action and they are usually enforced by punishments and rewards, it is used on a daily basis (Wade, Tavris, 332). There are also social roles that people fall under and that typically is determined by one’s culture. Culture is a program that follows certain rules which govern the way the members behave. Usually all the members of a particular culture share the same beliefs, values, and customs (Wade, Tavris, 332). Culture and social norms not only influence a person’s decision, but it also affects who people trust. There have been studies that show people tend to trust people with the

Question: Is it a norm (common) to be an alcoholic within today’s culture? What cultural norms might discourage alcoholism?

In recent years, plastic and cosmetic surgery has become more saturated in society through magazines, television programs, and advertisements that promise attractiveness and youth. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2015, 17.1 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States, 115% increase from 2000 (1st) . The surge in available providers as well as lower costs and less invasive procedures appeal to the majority. Provided conditions under which the maintenance of outer appearance is made important, cosmetic surgery constructs the need as well as legitimization. The normalization of cosmetic surgery is the result of the 2011 chin obsession, 2013 butt trend, and the 2014 battle of the breasts and pecs. The desire for the perfect pout in 2016 ultimately brought significant change and popularity to cosmetic surgery.

Norms are generally accepted standards of behavior for any cultural group. It is the behavior that members of any culture have defined as the most appropriate in any given situation. All cultures give guidelines about how people are expected to behave through norms (Matsumoto & Juang, 2013, p. 26). Growing up, I was “overprotected” because my sister was born with many medical problems and my parents were afraid that something would happen to me also. I remember my parents saying “no” to just about everything I asked to do. One thing I do remember that I loved to do as a child was to climb trees. I am sure my parents did not like me climbing for safety reasons, but I can remember the stigma attached to wanting to climb trees. Once again

Plastic Surgery has become a worldwide epidemic in today’s world. The number of plastic surgeries continues to increase since 2010. In today’s day and age, plastic surgery is one of the most popular and requested procedures. Females are opting to have plastic surgery because they dislike their body image. Society has impacted many people by brain washing them to believe that a person’s body has to be perfect. In order for one to be considered beautiful, television and media influence people’s perceptions of beauty.

Plastic Surgery is a controversial topic nowadays. Some men and women believe that plastic surgery is a great chance to have finally the body, face, and even romantic life always dreamed about. In the U.S. the plastic surgery television shows have made these ideas more popular and common than ever. Some men and women have other reasons for want plastic surgery Such as people who want plastic surgery have disfigurements to the face or body because of birth defects or genetic problems. The rise in plastic surgery in U.S. is a bad sign for future. Plastic surgery is not always a good thing for everyone. Cosmetic surgery should be prohibited for teenagers and people having psychological problems.

We live in a society where people worship beauty. As far as recorded history people have gone to extremes to seek beauty. From foot binding in China to wearing strangulating corsets in Victorian era. People from different race and culture have experimented in every way possible way to look beautiful prior to this popular age of plastic surgery. It’s very common to hear people complain about their appearance, whether it’s their crocked nose, thin lips or flat chest. Remarkably, plastic surgery has been the solution for people who complain. Most people tend to think of plastic surgery as only cosmetic surgery and not as reconstructive surgeries. Plastic surgeries seems to be an invention of modern technology; however its roots lie in the ancient history of India. An Indian surgeon contributed towards the establishment of plastic surgery, it was intended to correct physical deformities acquired during birth, accident, disease or war. These surgeries did not gain the popularity it has today until the First World War. It was during the late 60’s, when doctors started realizing the endless possibilities of plastic surgeries. With the help of this surgery a trained surgeon can replace an amputate body part, remove skin cancer, get rid of unattractive scars and visible birthmarks or rescaling a nose or enhance body parts. Today more and more people from different age groups opt for plastic surgeries to obtain dramatic physical changes. These surgeries were envisioned to restore

Plastic surgery is a symptom of the vanity of our society. This assertion, of course, may immediately cause some readers to take issue with such a blanket statement. What about individuals who undertake plastic surgery to reconstruct their breasts after a mastectomy, they cry? What about people who have been disfigured in car crashes? Few would take issue with genuine, necessary plastic surgery to correct serious flaws. However, the obsession with physical perfection in our society is the main reason that plastic surgery has become so commonplace today. Instead of looking inward, people are looking outward, and attempting to correct dissatisfaction with their inner lives through altering their exterior appearances. The end result leaves them empty, unfulfilled, and often results in the impairment of their physical health. The fastest-growing demographic of plastic surgery patients is young women, the age group one might think least in need of enhancement.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This statement is used vigorously throughout society and is seen as an empowering statement with women. However, it should be rewritten as, beauty is in the eye of society. Society tells people how to live their life and how to present themselves in a “proper way.” Nevertheless, millions of human beings are getting plastic surgery to change their outermost appearance. Starting from a nose job to botox all over the face, individuals spend so much time and money to make themselves look unrecognizable With this being said, plastic surgery is not a bad commodity, as it is all a personal choice to an individual. It enhances one’s features and makes a person feel better than their best self but in reality the only element that matters is the inner beauty.

It has been stated that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s also been stated that beauty is only skin deep. While each statement holds valuable substance, perhaps beauty being in the eye of the beholder holds more influence in today’s society. The obsession of physical beauty, according to the media, has plastic surgery on an all time high, and is more popular than ever. While plastic surgery is growing in popularity, it needs to be assessed more carefully. Social media and other factors in the media indirectly capture the attention and rising rate of plastic surgery. In order to understand the full impact on how detrimental plastic surgery really is, it will be necessary to look at the negative impact that it can cause in an individual’s life. The most obvious issue associated with plastic surgery includes the unnecessary risk that many are willing to take despite the serious impact it poses to their physical health. However, the disadvantages of plastic surgery which includes the dangerous risks of it, a desire to be accepted by society, health and psychological factors, and financial burdens are much more than the advantages.

Cosmetic surgery has a rapid growing community, dealing with what people believe they should look like based on what they see on television or in a magazine. The increase in public awareness of the benefits that cosmetic surgery can offer and has mainstreamed today’s society awareness of cosmetic procedures. As stated in the Journal of Consumer Behavior, a survey done by the American Academy of Cosmetics Surgery stated that “almost one in five individuals (mostly women and young adults) hope to someday undergo cosmetic surgery” (149). Most of the time, feeling the need to

Nowadays people feel like looks and wealth are emphasized mannerisms and moral values. Men and women are sometimes not satisfied with their physical appearance, they always wish something was different about them. Such as their weight, breasts, facial structure, or buttocks. Some people fix that by applying make-up or push-up bras, but that still doesn’t make everyone happy. People fix that by taking a different route that they feel is easier by doing plastic surgery. It’s to reconstruct your body and renew your confidence, but many people can accept the risks involved to just feel pretty.

Messages within the media indirectly contribute to the rising rate of plastic surgery. Desires to meet the idealisms of media representations are often so consuming that people demand plastic surgery despite all of its associated risks and controversies. To compensate for this up and coming surgical trend, technology has developed more reasonable and attainable options for the public. Millions of operations are now able to be performed on those wishing to fulfill specific gratifcations toward their own personal appearance and/or self-esteem. This is a serious problem in that people are unaware or just simply

Outside beauty and staying forever young are the newest trends among today 's society. Women are the highest percentage of this trend because women have been conditioned at young age to believe outer beauty is unsurpassed. Plastic or cosmetic surgery in the past has been kept hushed, never knowing did she have her nose worked on? Today plastic surgery is being embraced by the millions and highly looked upon. Recently a friend of mine had a breast augmentation. Her argument was the need to feel more confident in her own body. She felt out of proportion to the rest of her body. Young and old women today feel the need to look like Barbie, which undoubtedly comes from the need to replicate their favorite celebrities. Other causes for plastic or cosmetic surgery come from low self-esteem issues, sexual satisfaction and the need to be accepted as beautiful.