Throughout our lifetime, there is a point in time when everyone gets judged on their appearance and the way they are dressed. Based on my experience, with the influence and power of mass media, socialization and interaction within our society, as well as our history of Western culture, it has affected our society and myself to make negative judgements of my physical characteristics of my body as well as the way I dress. Some judgements that would be made negatively on me by society and myself is my unibrow and the worn out Nike sneakers I wear regularly to school.
To begin with, the mass media itself as a dominant institution has the power to mould and construct society. With the power and influence from the media, it has the ability to normalize or naturalize variety of trends; therefore, creating norms for the public to consent with. The reason that it has power is because as a society, we rely and trust it for current news that are taking place around our world and in our society, which are vital for us to know and to be mindful of. It educates viewers with facts and positive and negative views in our society. One physical characteristic of me that would be judged negatively, is my unibrow. From a socio-cultural viewpoint, a unibrow is viewed as ugly and not normal. Through what media has portrayed, one thing in common for people who are labelled as cute, good looking, hot or being attractive in ads, television shows, movies, and music videos, none of them have a unibrow. However, when the media does portray someone with a unibrow, it’s made a ridicule of it. This ties in with Antonio Gramsci’s Theory of Hegemony or people tolerating the status quo. Since a unibrow is viewed not normal and is made a ridicule by the media, therefore, it causes people to consent and believe that a person with a unibrow is labelled ugly. As for that effect, people like me who have a unibrow, have to find the time to shave it off for the sake of the status quo. With the influence of mass media in our society, it leads to the cause of socialization in our society.
As individuals part of a culture and society, we get moulded by our parents, grandparents, school teachers and other people who are set in the society. We learn with experience and by interacting with each other to know what type of behavior is acceptable and unacceptable, as well as the other norms in society. Is through socialization that individual’s personalities and views are formed. It’s also through socialization where social stratification is made. A different negative judgement that would be place on me is my worn out Nike sneakers that I am currently wearing. From a socio-constructive point of view, we give meaning to shoes. It’s something made by humans. We wear shoes to help protect our feet and prevent injuries like blisters when we are walking. But yet, we create social stratifications in our society causing certain groups to be oppressed. For each level of the hierarchy in our society, we have beliefs and bias views for each level of class. In fact, class is embodied. Class is dependent on the way we move, our choices for food and the types of clothes we wear. In my case, wearing worn out shoes would be viewed as someone who is part of a low income family. In reality, I am not part of a low income family. In fact, with my current family income and financial status, it gives me the privilege to go to university and buy textbooks, as well as for me to not worry about when I will be eating my next meal. Another fact, is that the range of the median of national income and low income is not far off in Canada. However, the make-believe here is that me wearing worn out Nike shoes will award me with negative judgements from society. This is because worn out shoes isn’t something that you would see someone in the middle or high class wearing in North America. Where this belief comes from? It goes back to my earlier point of the influence of mass
