Term Paper on "Aesthetics Norms of Beauty and the Social"

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aesthetics norms of beauty and the social definition of normality vs. abnormality vary from one epoch to another, and their influence over self-perception and over our own psyche cannot be neglected. The contemporary definition of a beautiful female body imposes a certain weight limit and the Rubensian model of female beauty is long gone. These standards and the new times brought to surface multiple new forms of eating disorders, from anorexia nervosa to bulimia. In their quest for beauty and for social acceptance, younger or elder females engage in unhealthy eating practices and develop compulsive attitudes towards eating, many times accompanied by variations in weight or resulting in the condition of under or overweight.

Physical characteristics may affect psychological well-being by way of the [...] social evaluations of the others [...] or through processes within the individual" (Hayes & Ross, 1986; 387). Being overweight represents a certain source of distress for those suffering from it, producing a distortion in the creation and shape of self-image and having a durable influence over self-perception and self-esteem. The studies analyzing the issue of obesity dwell onto multiple aspects, such as - the connection between overweight and psychological well-being (Hayes & Ross, 1986; Ross, 1994), the "risk factors," namely the role of culture and family over eating disorders (Howarth-Hoeppner, 2000), the social constraints in eating patterns (Maykovitch, 1978), management and therapy of obesity (Stewart, 1987).

The present study intends to focus on finding efficient treatment for obesity among female college students, starting from the findings of previous studies

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showing "that being overweight has no direct effect on depression in any social group except among the well-educated" (Ross, 1994; 63). The suggested therapeutical approach is group therapy, for reasons which will be detailed in the following pages and the selection of the population will be made on a voluntary basis, through class announcements and bulletin boards. The reasoning for selecting voluntary participants lies in the fact that the subjects willing to take part in these therapeutic groups were not only diagnosed as being overweight, based on the height vs. weight measurement scale, but also that they identify this issue as a problem, which needs to be cured, and they manifest interest in finding a solution for their weight disorder.

In the following paragraphs I will focus on the aspects of: group therapy (theoretical debates and importance), selection of the participants and group method, starting assumption and expected results. Moreover, the methodological theoretical framework of constituting the groups and the work with the patients will be presented and detailed below.

To begin with, group therapy is not designed to replace completely the individual counselling and therapy, but "is construed as group methods employed to assist individuals who present maladjustment problems in personality and interpersonal relationships which call for corrective and remedial action" (Dreese, 1957; 219). As it was pointed out before, obesity affects the self-esteem and the self-worth, both because of the social perspective (as I see myself through the eyes of the others) and because of internal factors. Moreover, obesity does not only stand as an obstacle for the development of a social identity and social networks, but also represents a serious health risk (Dwyer et. al, 1970; Ferraro & Kelley-Moore, 2003).

The cultural contraints brought by the normative description of the perfect woman make women associate thinnes and bodily perfection with succes, love and happiness (Wolf, 1990). More important, the influence that these social definitions have over the self-esteem and self-perception are not to be neglected. The fact that the study will take place in an educational institution will guarantee the cultural diversity of the participants, which can bring a new perspective over the importance of cultural factors in perceiving obesity. Some studies have shown, for example, that "African-American women appear to be more satisfied with their weight and appearance than are white women, and they are less likely to engage in unhealthy weight control practices, yet they are more likely to have high rates of obesity" (Lovejoy, 2001). The volunteers who manifest their interest in this group therapy program will bring additional light on this topic, given their different cultural backgrounds.

The fact that the persons involved in this therapeutical project are exclusively women can be supported by several theoretical arguments. First of all, women are more concerned with and more affected by the aesthetic norms than men, which is basically a reflection of a socially manufactured division of roles and of a certain definition of feminity (Hopwood, 1995). Second, the cultural factors are corroborated with the family environment, particulalrly a stress placed on the importance of appearance for future success in the discourse of the adults, when socializing the female child for her future social and family life (Boskind-Lodahl, 1976). The combination of all these factors - cultural patterns and constrains, family environment, media and the stereotype of beauty - make women more susceptible to be affected by eating disorders than men. Even if obesity is not an exclusively feminine attribute, but it is almost as common between men, they do not perceive it as an obstacle for their social existence or for their self-esteem, correlating it rather with health issues.

The idea of a group of persons having similar difficulties to cope with and similar obstacles to face and overcome can be of great support to a person who felt isolated from her peers because of the weight difference. In order for therapy to start bringing results, the members of the group "must not only feel secure within the situation, but also must experience some anxiety about a problem which they wish to resolve" (Lifton, 1954, 156). That is why group therapy, I believe, will constitute a promising start in an efficient treatment for obesity. As argued before, the group therapy is not the sole instrument to be used, but it can constitute, in these circumstances, a very effective approach. The group sessions can provide the acceptance, understanding and social interaction that obese persons might lack in their daily life. Besides sharing information, the participants share a common set of problems and the feeling of belonging, of being integrated in a group can provide additional elements to make therapy efficient and the patients more able to cope with their issues (Allon, 1975).

The internal dynamics of the group should not be neglected and the interactions between patients, on one hand and between patients ant the therapeut, on the other, should play an important role in constituting the groups. Based on the area of problems identified at the primary indepth interview, the groups should be consisting of patients having a common set of problems. In order to assess the way in which each patient will respond to group therapy, a few personality factors should be considered, such as - the attitude towards authority and peers, the ability and desire to reveal one's weakness towards the other members of the group etc. (Powdermaker & Frank, 1953)

The importance of the group for the effectiveness of the therapeutic program consists also in the fact that there is a leader of the group, who will control and focus the discussion, encouraging the patients to express their emotions and helping them find solutions for their problems, cope with the difficult issues they encounter, develop their social skills and etc. In the particular case analyzed here, the issues to be confronted and solved are the unhealthy eating habits, perceived as forms of compulsive behaviour or as addictive consumption (Faber et.al., 1995). Moreover, not only consumtion patterns or eating habits are to be approached by therapy, but they should be perceived as just one side of the coin, the other being represented by personality disfunctions (low or decreasing self-esteem and self-value) and social inadaptation (diminished social skills).

Compulsive consumption (of commodities or of food) is, some might say, a characteristic of the late modern society, where the protestant ethic of production has been replaced by the hedonistic ethics of consumption (Illouz, 1997). In a world invaded by the media signs and definitions of well-being and of happines, the only guarantee for and proof of success is continuous consumption of all kinds of goods - material or cultural products, food or lifestyles. The participants to the therapy group are all young and, supposedly, they are the ones who will be the most affected by the syndrom of modernity and compulsive consumption, since they were born and raised into this type of society.

Moreover, young female students live in an environment where the competition is higher and there is an increased openess towards the presence and the appearence to pop-culture stars, almost all close to the prototype of beauty (meaning slim and fitted, healthy and athletic) brought and reinforced by the visual media. (Hopwood, 1995; 66-8). Researchers have shown that, in this world, being overweight is less acceptable, since the person is considered solely responsible for her condition (Hayes & Ross, 1986)

On the other hand, all participants have a high level of education and, according to the… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Aesthetics Norms of Beauty and the Social" Assignment:

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PLEASE HAVE ***** COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT.

I Need a 7 page RATIONALE/LITERATURE REVIEW section of a 5 part group proposal paper. I only need the first section of this paper that is explained below using the following guidelines:

1. RATIONALE

This should include a clear and convincing argument for your group including how this population differs from the general population. It is appropriate to include references and a LITERATURE REVIEW (7 pages) related to the needs of your population in the rationale. At this point you should be able to answer any questions that your agency might raise about your group and the need for your group. Please make sure that the literature review is specific to group work, not just to the specific population with which you are working.

Please note that there are 4 other sections required for this paper but the ***** only has to do the first part listed above. The rest of the sections are explained at the bottom of this page just to give the ***** an idea of how the final paper will be formatted.

The group proposal paper is on an overweight female population between the ages of 18 and 30 in an American university setting. The population must consist of overweight females that are clinically overweight based on the standard scale physicians use based on height vs. weight measurement scale out there.

Furthermore, the main focus will be on breaking obsessive patterns of eating, body image, weight loss and coping skills while working on self-esteem and self-worth issues.

The paper/section must be in APA format, 12 point, times new roman, with 1-inch margins. The entire paper/section must include 1-inch margins.

The prospectus for the proposal is provided below to help the ***** in which direction to go.

Prospectus: Identifying Efficacious Treatment Interventions in an Overweight Female Population in a University Setting

Special Population Involved.

The group proposed for this investigation consists of an overweight female population in an American university setting. The group proposal will consist of a female population in a American university setting between the ages of 18 and 30. The population must be clinically overweight based on the physicians height vs. weight measurement scale.

Work Group's Rationale for This Particular Group.

This group was selected because many young women in the United States are at high risk of becoming overweight and even obese, and the adverse impact on their health is well documented (Winter, 2005). Some overweight young women will also suffer from profound body image and self-esteem issues and the research to date suggests that self-esteem and self-worth are associated with body image more for women than for men (Markey & Markey, 2005). Good documentation to substantiate your statement.

Type of Group.

The proposed group type would be a psychoeducational group that would focus on breaking obsessive patterns of eating, body image, weight loss and coping skills (Corey & Corey, 2006). A university setting will allow for diversity of cultural background of the participants. Participants would be recruited through announcements in class, school bulletin boards, and Web sites and would remain anonymous to ensure the recruitment of the maximum number of eligible women.a contact point would be provided? The closed meetings would consist of 15 or fewer membersGood, would be conducted on a weekly basis for approximately 2 hours in a private university classroom or meeting area, and informed consent, eligibility screening and other relevant issues would be addressed in a meeting to be conducted prior to the first formal group meeting.How many proposed meetings? Any fee?

Possible Social Change Impact?

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION LISTED BELOW IS JUST TO GIVE THE ***** AN IDEA OF WHAT IS INVOLVED IN THE WHOLE PROJECT. REMEMBER ALL I NEED IS THE FIRST PART ON THE RATIONALE/LITERATURE REVIEW LISTED IN THE DIRECTIONS BELOW.

FINAL PAPER/GROUP PROJECT/PROPOSAL

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU WORK WITH OTHER CLASS MEMBERS ON THIS PROJECT. IT IS PART OF BEING IN A GROUP CLASS.

The final paper project should be 15-20 pages and will include a literature review specific to group work with the specific population and an example, outline or case study of group work with this population.

Here are the details:

Group Proposal

This is a detailed description of the final paper/project.

The final project is an opportunity for you to explore the needs of a special population and to design a group that attempts to meet these needs. You will do this in small groups with your classmates. Therefore, it is an additional opportunity for you to experience group process/group dynamics firsthand as you integrate the readings with your own experiences. Unlike individual therapy that involves matching one client with one counselor or therapist, group work involves matching many clients with one appropriate group. In addition, groups for special and/or distinct populations demand special consideration. In this project you are asked to combine what you now know about forming and running groups with the needs of a special population by writing a thorough and detailed proposal for your particular population.

According to Corey and Corey, “…many good ideas are never put into practice because they are not developed into a clear and convincing plan. If you are going to create a group under the auspices of an agency or corporation, you will probably have to explain your proposed goals and methods.” The best way to do this is through drafting a detailed proposal. When writing your proposal assume that the reader knows little about groups and your population. If YOU DISCUSS GROUP THEORY OR CONCEPTS, DESCRIBE THESE CONCISELY so that someone with a limited knowledge of group will understand what YOU want to accomplish. If you wish to use exercises or specific techniques, include a description of these.

A PROPOSAL CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING FIVE GENERAL AREAS:

1. RATIONALE

This should include a clear and convincing argument for your group including how this population differs from the general population. It is appropriate to include references and a LITERATURE REVIEW (7 pages) related to the needs of your population in the rationale. At this point you should be able to answer any questions that your agency might raise about your group and the need for your group. Please make sure that the literature review is specific to group work, not just to the specific population with which you are working.

2. OBJECTIVES

Address in a clear and concise manner what you most want to attain by implementing and running this group. Objectives should be specific, measurable, and attainable within the specified time. Remember that even groups that are not time-limited have identifiable goals for members and groups as a whole.

3. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Consider the limitations of the members and the agency. At this point, discuss any legal or ethical issues that might arise and how they will be handled. Will the group be voluntary? Are you prepared to deal with potential confrontations from community members, etc.? Is there a fee and how will this be handled? Is the building accessible? Are there time considerations for your members? Do your members have special needs and how will this be handled…. and so on?

4. PROCEDURES

Discuss the qualifications of the leaders for dealing with this particular population. This is the point at which you detail recruitment, screening, pre-group preparation, number of session, members, exercise, techniques, and so on. Discuss how the procedures meet your stated objectives and how the procedures are appropriate and realistic for the selected population (in contrast to the general population).

5. EVALUATION

Your proposal should contain strategies for evaluating how well the stated objectives were met. Include your evaluation method/instrument in the proposal. It should be objective, practical and relevant but can be innovative as long as it fits the needs of your population. If any type of follow-up is planned it should be discussed in this section.

CONSIDERATION OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS WILL HELP YOU TO DEVELOP YOUR PROPOSAL. FACTORS CONSIDERED IN YOUR PROPOSAL ARE NOT LIMITED TO THESE QUESTIONS, WHICH ARE MEANT TO HELP YOU START THINKING ABOUT THE NEEDS OF YOUR SPECIAL POPULATION GROUP. NEITHER DO YOU HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS--AGAIN, THEY ARE MEANT TO HELP YOU START THINKING ABOUT THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE PROPOSAL.

What type of group are you forming? Short term vs. long term? Personal growth vs. one designed to treat people with emotional disorders? Task group with a specific purpose, such as skills training?

What are the general goals and purposes of the group? What will members gain from participating in it?

Why is there a need for such a group?

What are the basic assumptions underlying this project?

What are YOUR qualifications for leading this particular group? Are there any special professional or personal qualifications needed? (If you do not actually have these qualifications, state what qualifications group leaders need for this group.)

What screening and selection procedures will be used? What is your rationale for using these particular procedures?

What will be the role of members in this group?

Are there group process issues that might be of particular concern to this group? How will these be resolved?

What practical concerns affect this particular group? How many members will be in the group? Where will the group meet? How often will it meet? How long will each meeting last? Will new people be allowed to join the group once it has started?

How will group members be prepared for the group experience? What ground rules will you establish at outset?

What structure will your group have? What techniques will be used? Why are these appropriate for groups? For this specific population? Will your techniques work with various culturally diverse populations?

How will you handle the fact that people will be taking some risks by participating in the group? What will you tell the members about the dangers, and what will you do to safeguard members from unnecessary risks? How will confidentiality issues affect your population? Will you take any special precautions with this particular population?

What topics will be explored in this group? To what degree will they be determined by the group members and to what degree by you?

What do you expect to be the characteristics of the various stages of group? What might the problems be at each stage and how will you cope with them? How will you (the therapists/leaders) address ending the group/termination? What will be most difficult for members?

What interventions might you use if termination is problematic?

What evaluation procedures do you plan to use? What (if any) follow up procedures?

THE ***** SHOULD REMEMBER THAT THESE QUESTIONS PROVIDED ABOVE PERTAIN TO THE FINAL GROUP PAPER NOT JUST THE PART (RATIONALE/LITERATURE REVIEW) THAT THE ***** WILL BE COMPLETING. THEREFORE, THE ***** DOES NOT HAVE TO TAKE ALL THESE QUESTIONS INT CONSIDERATION.

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