Author: daniellemuntyan

This is working towards objective 1, 2, 3 and 5.

I have recently confirmed and booked an International Research Trip as part of my MA Creative Practice studies, in order to understand on a cross-cultural level how the Beauty and Fashion Industries affect our sense of body image and self-perception. I feel in contrast to the UK, where many women fake tan to achieved ‘a desired look’ for instance, in Japan, women are known to use ‘skin-lightening’ products to acquire a more Western skin tone. Furthermore, as noted in my Professional Context Presentation 1 research it is clear that Vogue Japan takes its design influences from its Japanese heritage and culture, but content wise projects a Western ideal, and ways to achieve this, be it though diet, exercise, clothing, skincare or makeup. In addition, as also noted within the same blog posts and context, many Japanese women use apps such as BeautyPlus to alter their appearance digitally prior to posting on social media, whether this be changing their skin tone, or widening their eyes for that, ‘ideal’ look. Examples of the above can be found below:

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Above Images: Scans from Personal Collection

Above shows scans taken from a recent June 2016 edition of Japan Vogue, which focuses on beauty products with specifically-created formulations to lighten skin and help naturally ‘widen eyes’, and leg exercises in order to elongate them to achieve the ideal ‘long leg’ as boasted by Western people in relation to the average sized Japanese woman for example, whilst also coincidently being the ‘ideal’ showcased through their cover models, photoshoots and content alike.

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‘Cultural Icons’ as talked about by Mary F. Rodgers in “Barbie Culture” states that these are commodities which are shaped to consumer needs, trends and changing ideals. Is this why Japan Vogue features little Eastern models for their covers and editorial photoshoots? This is shown above with cover model, and ‘Cultural Icon’ Kendall Jenner. The content also is usually very Western promoting Western ideals and beauty trends as noted above. I would like to see whilst in Japan whether National magazines use more Eastern models in relation to International Magazines which have ‘spin-off’ editions. I also want to look at this as noted below in more detail, in regards to Fashion houses and brands, and whether Western models are used mainly to generate sales and brand engagement to being ‘cultural icons’ who still remain known to all but change as needed to, and whether in relation to this identities and native cultures are affected, whilst also affecting the self-perception of the population? As noted in previous research Editors are usually responsible for selecting what is included in a magazine content wise, and therefore am interested in looking into the associative Instagram account, website and social media pages, to see if this use of Western models, ideals and trends follows suit with a platform which reaches a larger, and International target audience. Would this affect content selection, whereby Japan Vogue magazines themselves are extremely hard to come by in the UK and therefore, most likely other Western countries also?

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Above shows an Advertising campaign for Uniqlo, a Japanese brand using Western models to promote their garments. I am interested to see whilst in Japan the ratio of Japanese to Western models used across Beauty and Fashion brands, especially for those whom are based in the US or UK for example. I am particularly interested in looking at Japanese brands such as Uniqlo whilst over in Japan also to see what their in-store promotional materials are like in comparison to those in their London store (trip booked for 7th & 8th Jan 2017 prior to visiting Japan), i.e. models, makeup used, etc. I also would like to find out why Western models are sometimes used with Japanese brands, and again with Japanese magazines? Is it due to the demand for Western culture? Is it escapism of the religiousness and pre-set cultures of Japan? These are questions I am wanting to explore and research further.

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I found the above interesting as discussed in my presentation, as Emma Watson is being portrayed as the ‘English Rose’ promoting the idea of porcelain skin of the West, to those in the East. In response to this campaign, I came across this quote whilst researching which raised Feminist issues which I had not previously considered. 

The author of the piece ‘Perfect Whiteness: The Code Switching of European Cosmetic Companies’ wrote: “Emma Watson, forever paraded in the media as a white feminist icon, is the face of Lancôme’s “Blanc Expert” (Expert White) which contains disruptive ingredients intended to whiten the skin. Non-white women already have complexes about dark skin rooted in colonialism, racism and/or classism. They are exacerbated by these multimillion $ £ € campaigns designed to make us feel like our skin is a problem that we can pay for them to solve.” This made me think about issues in Japan which I should research into further prior to embarking on my visit. These are issues such as Identity, Classism, Economy and Religion for example, which may expose further the need for the East to feel as though they should conform with the West, whilst also thinking about this from a Feminist point of view, whilst sparking further thoughts on a Japanese campaign using a Western model as the face of the product and how this effects self-perception across the Japanese nation itself.

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I have always found this fascinating, and have always collected International editions over the past 15 years or so, building up a multi-cultural archive of my own and can’t wait to explore Japan and see culturally how it differs to ours at time where social media and magazines are generating new cultural icons on a regular basis, projecting new ideals also on to us in regards as how to look, and how to achieve this.

Furthermore, working with clients on an international basis over the past few years has highlighted the importance of understanding cross-cultural contexts in order to create relevant pieces of design work which communicate with the right audience, in the right way.

Whilst in Japan I hope to conduct various forms of field research, and to look into topics such as:

• Are Western or Japanese models being used to advertise Japanese brands such as Uniqlo?
• Are Western or Japanese celebritiess/icons being used for brand endorsements?
• Skin-lightening fads
• Product Innovations, Technologies and Trends
• Who is on the cover of their fashion, beauty, hair magazines for example?
• Photo booths which apply the BeautyPlus style filters to printed photos
• How is Western body image and beauty reflected in Japanese magazines, i.e. Vogue Japan, Nylon Japan.

I plan on speaking to various forms of people and plan on using some of the following research methods:

• Questionnaires/Surveys
• Asking Questions
• Focus Groups
• Interviewing Bloggers/Vloggers
• Talking to Magazines/Designers/Media/Industry Experts/Professionals

Over the next few weeks I plan on speaking to my contact in Japan, Charlotte Stacey, a Character Artist whom works for Disney Tokyo, in order to start speaking with translators, should the need arise, and to also start researching bloggers, for example to contact, whilst also putting out initial emails to magazines and organisations such as Vogue Japan and Uniqlo. Regarding this I will update my blog accordingly, and plan a schedule for my time there, to ensure that I use the opportunity to its full potential.

This is working towards objective 2 and 5.

I wanted to look more into B-EAT’s Policies and Media Guidelines as a National Organisation and Charity working with a range of media and healthcare professionals to ensure that Eating Disorders are dealt with compassionately, accurately and factually.

By having a range of Media Guidelines, which can be seen below, this allows for brands, organisations, individuals, multi-media organisations and reporters for example, to be aware of good practice regarding such sensitive topics. B-EAT are known to of assisting ITV write storylines in Emmerdale accurately, to ensure that the Nation, and International countries where the show is aired, receive an accurate interpretation of the illness to sympathise and empathise accordingly in a delicate and relevant manner.

The policies and guides cover topics from Media Myths, Facts, Figures and Statistics, Copywriting Assistance, Interviewing and Reporting, Data Protection/Confidentiality and Image Use to ensure fair practice.

I feel that as a whole this is very important for anyone working with such topics within the media, be it TV, Advertising Agencies or Local Councils to ensure that fair practice is carried out nationally, whilst ensuring that the most recent information and up-to-date data (facts, figures, statistics) is accurate.

I do feel however that under Image Use more could be said regarding outlining a guide for appropriate sized models, and BMI of models that should support the fashion industries for example. This is something which some Fashion Weeks and Brands enforce independently nationally and internationally, however introducing this on a national level I believe would be very beneficial in regards to helping to alleviate self-perception and body image issues but to also support the recovery of eating disorder patients, opposed to discourage it via using ‘thinspiration’ as noted in the policy notes below. I do understand however, that being a national organisation and charity, they have to legal rights to enforce such ‘laws; per say and can only help, and advise.

Furthermore, I feel the information below along with other information on B-EAT’s website will really help with research, factual information and data when I begin working on my ‘Wellbeing Campaign’ project.

Source:
B-EAT. (2016). Media Guidelines. Available: https://www.b-eat.co.uk/assets/000/000/072/BeatMediaGuidelines_original.pdf. Last accessed 23rd October 2016.

This is working towards objective 2 and 3.

Following watched the BBC ‘Body Image Secrets’ documentary, and researching further into comedienne Luisa Omielan whom was interviewed by Anne Robinson during the show regarding her powerful voice of sharing the message of self-love and standing unto issues of self-perception enforced on us by the media.

Upon further research and watching her show, “Am I Right Ladies?” online, I found out that she has her next stand-up show on December 5th in Leeds, and have therefore booked a ticket to see her newest stand-up show, “What Would BEYOND Do?!”.

Luisa Omielan is a stand-up comedienne from London.

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I feel even though Luisa is a comedienne, she is spreading the message about self-perception and body image, through satirical and light-hearted, yet serious ways resonating with my own research studies and practical projects I am currently working on. After watching her first stand-up show online, I really felt she would be empowering and inspirational to see. I also would be interested to see if it would be possible to talk with Luisa after perhaps for a short interview regarding my research topic.

By going to this event, I am hoping that I will be inspired with ways of tackling my practical work, engage with topics of current interest in a ‘real’ and engaging manner.

I have also posted a video below showcasing Luisa’s performance focusing on body image, international judgements on women and trends which I found very powerful, funny, and extremely relevant to the serious side of my research question, even though posed in a light-hearted, yet brave and honest manner like my own current work. This sketch is taken from her show, “Am I Right Ladies?”

Source: Luisa Omielan. (2015). Thigh Gap… What Thigh Gap Bitches?. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2MskQOinwE. Last Accessed: 22nd October 2016.BBC One and Anne Robinson. (2016). Britain’s Secrets with Anne Robinson: Body Image. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b080byvs/britains-secrets-with-anne-robinson-3-body-image-secrets. Last Accessed: 20th October 2016.Luisa Omielan. (2016). Available: http://www.iloveluisa.com. Last accessed 22nd October 2016.

This is working towards objective 1.

The Social identity theory was originated from two British social psychologists – Henri Tajfel and John Turner in 1979, and states that “part of a person’s concept of self comes from the groups to which that person belongs”.

After watching the ‘Body Image Secrets’ documentary on BBC as noted on a previous post, I had questions regarding ‘what natural is?’ and how our ‘identities’ allow us to either fit in, or not with a social group and by change our identity we are more likely to be accepted within said group, and society. This was prevalent with the gym enthusiast couple, Millie and Lanon for example., whereby the every move, was tailored to becoming a certain person and looking a certain way for the approval of others and an increased following on social media platforms such as Instagram.

I wanted to look more into the Social Identity Theory as this was only previously touched on lightly beforehand, and made me question how many of us nowadays do change our identities, whether consciously or unconsciously to ‘fit in’, whether this is changing our looks, how we speak, how we act and what we wear, for example. This was highlighted by Eve, the makeup artist spoken to by Anne Robinson in the BBC ‘Body Image Secrets’ documentary, whereby she noted that she sees images of ‘plumped lips’ and knows that she needs hers done, but is not sure why. This striving to fit in with ideals, celebrities and cultural icons has really made me think about the relevance and the importantance of the Social Identity theory going forward.

Social Identity Theory

“Tajfel and Turner’s social identity theory explains that part of a person’s concept of self comes from the groups to which that person belongs. An individual does not just have a personal selfhood, but multiple selves and identities associated with their affiliated groups. A person might act differently in varying social contexts according to the groups they belong to, which might include a sports team they follow, their family, their country of nationality, and the neighborhood they live in, among many other possibilities[1].”
(Turner, J. C., & Tajfel, H. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. Psychology of intergroup relations, 7-24.)

I found the above quote particularly interesting, whilst Turner and Tajfel continue to state that once a person perceives themselves as part of a particular social group, then they are “in-group”, in comparison tho those who do not identify with such groups, therefore becoming “out-groups”, denoting where the “us” and “them” concept comes from in retrospect to this. I found this applicable with much of the research I am currently undertaking, looking at bloggers, vloggers and celebrity icons for example, and how followers become “in-group” changing their identities to certain extents to ‘fit in’, be accepted within the group or community and feel good about their social positioning, where as those who tend not to follow the trends, fads and idealisms of society, form the “out-group” members. Perhaps the “in-groups” feel better positioned as individuals if associated with an identity and a ‘group’ of belonging, following the likes of Kim Kardashian, as Eve noted on the ‘Body Image Secrets’ documentary previously analysed (previous blog post).

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Turner and Tajfel note that there are three main “processes that create this ingroup/outgroup mentality”:

• Social Categorisation: Recognising people in order to understand and identify them for example, and therefore defining whom we are via groups that we ‘belong to’ or situate ourselves with.
• Social Identification: Changing our identity to further identify with the people of the group we are longing to be apart of.
• Social Comparison: Comparing of groups/members of the group via looking at “in-groups” and “out-groups”, which often tends to help with self-esteem and confidence via compliments and encouragements from within the same “in-group”, however also highlights where negativity and poor self-perception issues can arise from.

I feel that the above resonates very heavily with the research carried out regarding social media icons and their following, particularly the comments posted expressing their desire to become “the icon”. I have also posted an example of this below for reference. It also made me realise where the negative comments at times may come from, or the comparison to oneself – social comparison – which may affect self-perfection, self-esteem and confidence and allow for paths to open for identity change in order to feel apart of the “in-group”.

I found the above extremely relevant in regards to identity and social media more than anything, especially in the current climate of use from both the general public and ‘the influencers’, highlighting the differences even more between the “in-groups” and “out-groups” and how this social categorisation has a lasting impact on todays society and cross-cultural communities, leading to social identification changes to begin to take place.

I feel this also links in heavily with the idea of ‘cultural icons’ as noted by Mary F. Rogers in ‘Barbie Culture’ whereby these are the current “in-groups” of todays society, along with models for instance, allowing their followers to be “out-groups” whilst feeling the need to be constantly striving and working towards that standardisation and acceptance amongst a group or community.

This is further supported with the quote noted below by Turner and Tajfel (1986).

“The reconciliation of social status as tempted earlier needs now to be made more explicit. Status is not considered here as a scarce resource or commodity, such as power or wealth; it is the outcome of intergroup comparison”.

I really resonated with this regarding social groups and communities on social media, particularly Instagram in that in-group members flock almost to one member making them the leader, the ideal, and boosts their social status. I also took from this that social status has become the outcome of social media and the relevant social groups – this can be seen by those whom are taken on sponsored brand trips, such as that to Bora Bora by Tarte Cosmetics. These have reached the ultimate final outcome in regards to intergroup comparison whereby this overtime and the subsequent encouragement as caused their iconsim and therefore their identity.

My notes below also depict various topics discussed by Turner and Tajfel (1986).

• There are two types of people, those who are not affected by their social groups, and those that are.
• Through intergroup comparison overtime one person in the group, as discussed in further detail above, become the leader for others then to identify with and compare themselves and each other too.
• “Individuals strive to achieve or to maintain positive social identity” – this is particularly prevalent in social media, whether it be ourselves, friends, family, bloggers, vloggers, brands, celebrities, cultural icons, public figures, etc. Nobody wants to be seen in a negative light, and by selecting what we share we can showcase our identity in a positive and accepting manner within our chosen social groups. This is seen throughout images of bloggers, vloggers and celebrities on my previous research posts. This also makes me think about the self-aware and narcissistic side of social media.
• If we don’t find in a certain social group, we have the ability to move. This is often seen through career changes on Instagram, from makeup artists to YouTube vloggers, and also by celebrities whom release product lines, participate with endorsements and interviews for example, to tailor the audience they are associated with and the social groups they then perceive themselves in and fit within. This can be seen on Instagram via the use of hashtags, and also can be taken from the interview I had with Samantha Ravndahl. As your career and following grows, it appear that you, your social groups and intersocial communication and comparisons change too.

Source:
Turner, J. C., & Tajfel, H. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. Psychology of intergroup relations, 7-24.
Unknown. (2016). Social Identity Theory. Available: https://www.learning-theories.com/social-identity-theory-tajfel-turner.html. Last Accessed: 22nd October 2016
BBC One and Anne Robinson. (2016). Britain’s Secrets with Anne Robinson: Body Image. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b080byvs/britains-secrets-with-anne-robinson-3-body-image-secrets. Last Accessed: 20th October 2016.
Unknown. Social Identity Model Image. Available: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/484770347367805958/. Last Accessed:13th November 2016