When Society Puts You In a Box

Looking in the mirror I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Green eyes, fair skin, brown hair. I don't try to break any molds but I don't try to fit in a box either. Reading Nayer's chapters 3 and 4 was more self-reflective than anything. I read those chapters and reflected on myself since that is the only true opinion I can represent. I found in the bodies chapter (chapter 3) I had become a subject of body modification. By straightening my hair, wearing makeup, piercing my ears and even opting to add a corset into my wedding dress I have subjected myself to society's idea of beautiful. In chapter 4 (subcultures) I found myself trying to identify the subcultures that I am a member of. And then a subculture of mine was flashed onto the TV screen as the object of a new reality show. Wake up call indeed.

Body Modification, or the extreme version, is newer to American culture than other cultures but it has been around since the beginning of time. Tribal cultures have used tattoos and piercings to signify beauty, power, and social stature for hundreds of years.

The Maori tribe has used the art form of tattooing to signify beauty and self expression. The maori were discovered in 1642 and most of the tribe had permanent markings then.

The Kayan people of Asia as well as the South Ndebele peoples of African have a culture where women are made to wear neck rings. For the Kayan it is a signifier of beauty and grace and a tradition that starts at the age of 2. The Ndebele people start to practice this cultural norm when a women gets married to signify her transition into a life of her  own.

This woman from Mexico has been deemed the Vampire woman. She has modified her body so much that she looks supernatural. Her reasonings are humble and her artwork is a sign of her independence. Her appearance is the only thing defying what we would percieve as a housewife. 

With the inception of digitization in our culture other aspects besides our physical bodies have changed.  In the medical field treatments and protocols have been revolutionized by digital technologies. Now, simple surgeries have become transhuman. They've bypassed the need for a surgeon's skilled hands and now only need someone who can maneuver a robot remote. This is what they call "minimally invasive." Today, a doctor can remove your gallbladder with only 35% risk and only 2 tiny scars (smaller than a dime) IN UNDER 30 MINUTES! And then it can be posted on YouTube for the hospital to market their skill and precision. 

Don't watch this but do notice that the entire video length is 22:35 and that includes the patient leaving the operating room.

Not only has society and technology deemed how you should look and physically operate, but they have played a hand in how, and with who, you should mentally identify yourself. Subcultures are the smaller cultures that operate within a larger culture as part of society. Subcultures identify separately but could not function without each other and make the larger culture what it is. In Laymen's terms they are the individual spices that make the pot of chili what it is. 

Cyber cultures, such as bloggers and youtubers, are separate but equal and in some instances one could not exist without the other. Other social media sites offer subcultures of their own such as Chatroulette and Flickr. They have their own users and celebrities who someone outside the culture would not be privy to understand.

I don't find myself subscribing to any particular cyber culture apart from social media. The only site I feel particularly invested in is Pinterest because I actually participate alongside other users. Coming in a close second would be Twitter. I love twitter, but don't use it as often as Pinterest. I don't use any other site on the regular that I could be considered a "member" of. Of course, I have a Facebook profile but I don't use it to it's full capacity. I rarely post statuses or post on other people's walls.

Society is interesting. We spend our entire lives trying to be "ourselves" and not be defined by something other than our unique personalities. However, our lifestyles are so plugged in that it is almost impossible to be away from what the world has to offer. We steer away from the boxes that society has provided for us but often the boxes we put ourselves into have been crafted by society by default.