Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses the alienating effects of appearance bias, the social meaning of beauty, the false and real choices to undertake appearance changes, the various body parts that receive our social attention, and the temporary nature of appearance. It provides a comprehensive overview of the social aesthetics phenomenon, complete with addresses of stratification, inequality, and social power. The enactment of socially established beauty standards can be a source of alienation. A sense of alienation can come over us when we realize that we fail to measure up to, if not social norms, social expectations. The book differentiates between norms and expectations since norms refer to averageness and we are most of us, on average, not especially attractive. It then focuses on mediated anxiety, which can lead to behaviors such as isolation but also behaviors aimed at beautifying oneself.