Ideal Body example essay topic

383 words
I feel scientific "objectivity" supports the oppression of women. Western science presents itself, its methods and its findings as the only way of getting at the "truth". (Study Guide) "The vertical relationship between researcher and research objects, in view from above, must be replaced by the view from below". (Ecofeminism) This passage from, Ecofeminism represents to me the relationship between researcher and the researched, as well as societies perceived relationship between man and women. Society puts men up an a pedestal to research women. This is what causes the objectification of women and their bodies.

Science is what has created the ideal body image and the way a women should look inside and out. If we ignore the health hygiene issues of a women's menstrual cycle, then why is it that there are so many different types of personal hygiene products available to "hide" that time of the month. This monthly process our bodies go through is what creates human beings, yet from a very young age girls are taught to hide this process as if it is something dirty and undesirable. May be this is taught because many years ago the researcher (a man) decided that he did not like the effects of a women's cycle and that it should be hidden. "The land is vulnerable like my own flesh" (Sisters of the Earth) Just as us humans use the earth and all it's attributes to fulfill our needs and desires, man uses women in the same way. "The mechanistic worldview saw the natural world as a non-living machine that could be broken down into parts for study and use".

(Discussion) The following statement is true for women as well. Women are often broken down into parts and valued based on particular attributes of their bodies. The ideal beauty image is just the model used to value each part of a women's body. As women we sometimes become obsessed with attaining the ideal beauty image, that all of our time and effort is used only on attaining the ideal body. This is what keeps many women from fulfilling many personal goals and they loose focus on issues that are truly worth while, such as our environment.