Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the willingness and motivation to engage in body modification to attain an ideal body image from a cross-cultural perspective of Black women in the United States and Black women in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 30) reveal that exercise is the most salient method of modification because it is inexpensive, promotes health and wellness, wards off familial health issues such as diabetes, and shapes the body to better fit clothing. Surgical methods are considered but, naturalness, costs, and potential health effects are viewed as deterrents. Both groups vary in terms of depicting what each group aspires to replicate through body modification. The findings in this article contribute to social comparison theory by expanding the theory and providing a lens for examining Black women’s body modification.
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