Beauty myth in Hong Kong

Abstract

(Uncorrected OCR) Abstract

of thesis entitled Beauty Myth in Hong Kong submitted by Lai Hoi Van

for the degree of Master of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong in February 2000

After the first and second waves of feminism, women in Western societies have the right to vote and work in public. However, in late capitalism, many scholars proclaim images of female beauty are used as a new political weapon against women's advancement. This weapon is the beauty myth.

The general popularity of feminine culture of beauty and the abundance of related beauty consumption can be observed in Hong Kong. In order to find out how the beauty myth is operating in Hong Kong and whether women are the victims being hindered from social advancement because of the beauty myth, the case of Hong Kong is investigated.

There are two parts of the research. The first part makes use of secondary and primary data on the positions of women in Hong Kong to construct the dominant standard of beauty. It is found that the positions of women in Hong Kong are not as advanced as women in Western developed countries in terms of work, education and family. In addition, the existence of a dominant standard of beauty can also be found in Hong Kong from analysis of beauty parlors, magazines and beauty guidebook contents.

The second part of the research is an ethnography of 13 respondents who are supposed to be the victims of the beauty myth. It is discovered that they generally accept the dominant standard of beauty but negotiations and personal politics are detected in their daily encounters with the myth. They are not "cultural dopes" but express certain degrees of agency. They actively make choices under the circumstances not of their own making. In their beauty practices, they find the specific women's community and knowledge, in which pleasure is intertwined.

Combining the macroscopic and the microscopic parts of research, women's pursuits of beauty should not be narrowed down to a totalitarian statement. For the advancement of women in Hong Kong, the present forms of beauty need not be abandoned. More perspectives and options in terms of beauty and other aspects of life such as work and education, have to be provided for women, as well as for men. The positions of women in education, work and family can only be advanced with the general political awareness of women and the struggle to change the structure. To advance the structure, the present ideologies of femininity and masculinity based on dualism have to be changed. Education, mass media and the present feminine communities of beauty can be viewed as the sites promoting a new political awareness.