摘要：This project aims to unwrap some of the complexities related to female beauty and the body. It reflectson the second wave radical feminist view that beautifying the female body serves to attract maleapproval via the male gaze, both of which are deeply entrenched in patriarchal power. This perspectivepositions cosmetic surgery as a disempowering act for women. In riposte, we turn to thirdwave liberal feminist ideas to engage with the narratives of ten participants who tell of their personalexperiences of, and motivations for, undergoing a cosmetic intervention. We undertake an in-depthexploration of these lifeworld experiences and the interplay of subjectivity and intersubjectivity inthe women’s encounters. Findings suggest that a cosmetic intervention is often obtained for the selfas opposed to satisfying the “other.” Importantly, cosmetic interventions allow a process to occurin which an individual’s physical body becomes better aligned to her sense of self. From this liberalfeminist perspective, cosmetic surgery is positioned as an empowering act.
关键词：Feminist Thinking; Cosmetic Surgery; Phenomenology; Lifeworld; Social Constructivist; Embodiment;Self;Empowerment; Femininity
