ABSTRACT

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book revisits the alienating effects of appearance stratification, and offers two new models that may help to describe and perhaps explain in graphic form how stigmatized appearance is dealt with societally. It discusses the issues relevant to social aesthetics such as social power, social change, the standards and criteria for acceptable appearance, our realistic and unrealistic choices to be physically attractive, and our attempts to be acceptable through appearance alteration. Considering appearance criteria, the book mentions changes over time in our appearance standards, globalization effects, demographic features that affect our appearance and social factors that influence our actual appearance. It also describes how some stigmatized traits have become normalized, partly due to social action such as acceptance-demanding activities but more due to a sheer increase in numbers.