What do you mean by the beauty standards that a woman should perceive?
It is always said that beauty lies in the mind/eyes of the beholder, but little do we know that every one of us once in a lifetime has become conscious of, our appearance. This is because people have certain standards or norms of beauty into especially for women. When the word 'beauty' is heard, the first thing coming in everyone's mind is facial or exterior appearance, but beauty is something beyond face and body. It is in the way people accept themselves and carry themselves.
What are the beauty expectations of people?
Society has made several beauty norms making young growing women conscious about themselves. Girls from a young age are taught that beauty is important, making them think that all that matters is how they look. The way beauty is present in social media as well makes women think about it. Beauty is different in different places. As some people feel beauty means fair skin, symmetrical face, flawless body, average height, thin waist, etc. People have made this so firm that beauty is skin deep and just the way a person looks. But for some beauty is also the way a person behaves. Beauty comes along with moral values, behavior, and thought processes as well.
How does culture influence beauty?
Culture plays a significant role in the perception of beauty. As we Indians feel beauty is in women's symmetrical faces while for Russian people sexiness is a factor of beauty. In Korea, lightweight women are considered beautiful along with glass skin i.e flawless skin. In South African countries fat women with dark complexion are considered beautiful while in Europe fair complexion, and a thin waist is beautiful.
How are the beauty standards unachievable?
From a young age, girls are meant to follow society's unrealistic beauty standards. They are made to think that a beautiful woman has a hairless body, is slim with a flat stomach and big butt, and every time smells, nice every time like daisies and roses. But they forget that girls and women are not dolls who could be made as per their choice. Every country has different beauty standards made for women but who are we to judge any person? Every human being is a creation of God and hence must be accepted as they are. If we go for society's beauty standards, we're going to never fit in. Beauty should not be limited to face, skin or body; it should be the overall personality of a person— how they behave, conduct themselves, their thoughts, and ideals.
Social media, print media, and television have pushed us to some unattainable beauty standards. This is unachievable because it keeps changing according to trends and places. Attaining perfection is next to impossible.
How do self-esteem white supremacy and capitalism influence beauty standards?
Beauty standards are tools of oppression that reinforce sexism, racism, colorism, classism, ableism, ageism, and gender norms. They are so prevalent in our societies that they are embedded into our brains since childhood. They contribute to various negative effects anxiety, depression, dysmorphia, eating disorders, self-harm, and low self-esteem.
According to the beauty standards of capitalism, beauty is not just limited to face and body it is also about the soul. Beauty is a spiritual quality related to the divine and God. It was believed that women with fair skin clearly led a very different life than that of the bronzed laborer, as lighter skin was associated with belonging to a higher class. Those with darker skin were said to be working in the field outside and those with lighter skin were said to have worked in the homes. Lighter skin was considered beautiful, and that is still an ongoing thing within cultures and within groups.
How does self-perception of beauty affect a woman?
All the so-called standards of beauty around, make women compare themselves with others affecting their encouragement and encouraging feelings of self-hate and criticism. This affects their self-confidence encouraging and changing their whole personality.
Also, to achieve beauty, some women starve themselves and some eat too much beyond their limits affecting their physical and mental health. Beauty is having the confidence to accept oneself as we are. No one is less and no one is more. Everyone has some unique trait behavior which is their beauty.
Is there any relationship influence on beauty?
People with a positive relationship be it with parents, friends or partners do not assurance have compared conception of beauty. For them, beauty is a whole person, his/her entire personality,and beauty is a trait that is seen through words. These people have confidence in themselves and have genuine, authentic perceptions of beauty. They have their self-and assurance and a positive outlook on themselves.
But there are a few growing women who are taught to look upon others for beauty, making them compare themselves with others. They have an ideology that beautiful is the person in social media with more likes and comments. This is a matter of concern among young women that they have a set parameter of beauty presented before them. To obtain that they often starve or overeat as they want to fit in the category placed before them.
Conclusion
Beauty is the way we live and conduct ourselves. It is the overall personality of a person and not just limited to skin. It is more about the soul. There's some difference between being beautiful and pretty which people and society forget and force women to fit in their made beauty standards. A person could be anything fat, slim, tall, short, fair, dark but that isn't the parameter of beauty. Actually, beauty can never be measured. It is in the confidence, the behavior of a person, in their thoughts. Every woman is beautiful. No woman should perceive any kind of beauty standards as every woman is different and unique.