A Qualitative Investigation of Rhinoplasty Phenomenon (The Case of Operated Males and Females in Astara)

Attention to the body dramatically increased in nowadays-modern societies. So that we have witness great theorization on body manipulation. The related theories believe that there is an interactional relationship between body and society (Giddens, 2001). Aesthetic surgery is one of the main indicators under study of the sociology of body that has prevailed in many countries including Iran. Rhinoplasty has a considerable rate among indicators of aesthetic surgeries.
Rhinoplasty is one of the phenomena that is prevalent in large cities of Iran including Astara. Therefore, this study tries to investigate and understand the conditions, contexts, strategies and consequences of rhinoplasty process in Astara.
Main questions of the research are: what reasons and conditions (causal, contextual and intervening conditions) account for phenomenon of rhinoplasty among the operated male and female in Astara? What are the consequences of the surgery?
Qualitative methodology of ‘Grounded Theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) was used in this study. This methodology helps us to understand the structure and process of the phenomena under study. Field of the study was city of Astara, a city at the North of Iran. Twenty participants, (ages 18 - 45), including 10 women and 10 men participated in this study.
Two sampling strategies were used for sampling the participants: maximum variation sampling (Patton, 1990) and theoretical sampling (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). According to maximum variation, different participants were selected based on their diverse characteristics such as socioeconomic status, occupation, place of settlement and age.
Since the concepts are unit of analysis in grounded theory, another sampling strategy, theoretical sampling (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) used for sampling the concepts. The logic of theoretical sampling is “go to the place, people or events that may maximize the opportunities to discover variations among the concepts and to enrich the categories in terms of their properties and dimensions” (Strauss & Corbin, 1998, p. 201). Name of the participants are pseudonym.
In-depth, open-ended interview was used to collect data. Interviews lasted 45-90 minutes with each participant. Three coding methods were used to analyze data; open, axial and selective (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). During these coding processes, categories and themes extracted which are main parts of the results. Finally, the paradigm model extracted.
Also, two strategies were used to establish trustworthiness; “member checking” and auditing (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).
Generally, data analysis yielded ten categories which are: media and influence of role models; importance and perception of beauty of nose surgery; dating and marriage motivation; prevailing of surgery; financial conditions; the collective normative pressure; reflexivity; surgery satisfaction; facilitating in social relations; and social confirmation.
Paradigm model was used to explain conditions, process and consequences of rhinoplasty among the participants. This model is an analytical tool for researcher to relate process and structure (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Different contexts and conditions including global and local context and conditions culminated in reception of rhinoplasty among the participants. Considerable concepts and categories affirm this situation.
Extracted categories which comprise 10 categories, regulated in a paradigm model. Analyzing the data indicated that reasons such as being influenced by media advertisement, identification with role models, importance of beauty for the young generation, perception of beauty of nose surgery, dating and marriage motivation, are causal conditions.
Most of participants were influenced by consequences of globalization via mass media. They identified with different kinds of role models from artist to athlete. The participants also were influenced by aesthetic standards which is prevalent in society. Most of males and females reported that their motivation for marriage was one of their reasons of operation.
Contextual condition is prevailing of surgery and the collective normative pressure.
Participants demonstrated that rhinoplasty has been prevalent in their city. They were under the normative pressure of their peer and people around them. Action / interaction strategies are reflexivity, searching for and selecting a doctor. Really participants under above condition, become reflexive and operant. According to the findings, consequences of reflexivity and doing rhinoplasty were satisfying.
Core category of the research extracted as rhinoplasty as a reflexivity and satisfactory change. Core category indicated that participants have been reflexive on their body by rhinoplasty. This reflexivity is due to the local and glocal conditions of their living and everyday interactions. Reflexivity is an identity oriented phenomenon that is special to the new era. According to the findings, majority of the participants were satisfied on their rhinoplasty surgery. This ‘satisfactory change’ helps them to be confirmed by society and facilitate their relation.
Generally, the consequences for participants, evaluated favorable and positive. Surgery satisfaction, facilitating in social relations, and social confirmation, have been consequences of this surgery for the majority of participations.