Children’s perception of human body

Abstract

AbstractThe subject of this article is the perception of the modern human body by young people, more specifically pupils of primary school. I based my research on the assumption that the human body, like the entire human being, is the result of a certain stage in the evolutionary process and it is entangled in social relationships. One may define it as nature functioning within culture. Throughout the centuries, various assets of the human body have been held in high esteem, according to the demands of the natural world and social norms imposed in a given society, arising out of the aesthetic canon. But the closer we get to the modern times, the less important is the value of the natural factor, and the more important is the cultural creation. The aim of my research was to answer the following questions: How do ten-year-olds perceive the modern human body of a woman and of a man, how do they describe it, what features do they pay attention to and in what order, and additionally, does this image correspond to the image of “ideal” body pursued by post-modern society and promoted in the mass media. The research encompassed 124 pupils.