Motivational Narratives and Assessments of the Body After Cosmetic Surgery

Abstract

Cosmetic surgery can be conceptualized as part of a spectrum of contemporary body projects whereby the individual uses body work to achieve some social and personal goal. In this article I examine individual motivations for undergoing cosmetic surgery as well as assessments of the outcomes of those surgeries. Drawing on in-depth interviews, I explore how cosmetic surgery patients understand and ascribe meaning to their own experiences and discover how the respondents evaluate their surgeries in both personal and social contexts. I found that motivations for undergoing surgery are often articulated in both physical and psychosocial terms, with the expectation that physical alterations will facilitate social or emotional changes. Additionally, outcomes are assessed in a similar fashion, with interviewees expressing not only their evaluations of the aesthetic changes to their bodies, but also how these changes made them feel about themselves and their relationships with others.