Comparing Subjective and Objective Dimensions of Body Contouring among Three generations of Women in Arak City

Comparing Subjective and Objective Dimensions of Body Contouring among Three generations of Women in Arak City Abstract The study of changes occurred in perception and performance of different generations is based on the assumption that, through experiencing different social revolutions, different generations have different experiences of beauty values, norms and performance. Based on this, the present research was carried out to study subjective and objective revolutions of beauty among three generations of women in Arak city. Theoretical framework of the research is developed based on theories by Bourdieu, Giddens, Inglehart, and feminism. The research methods were cross-sectional survey and causal-explanatory. The sample was calculated as 383 from three recent generations of women in Arak city (age groups 19-68) based on Cochran formula; but, to consider sample loss, the questionnaire copies were distributed among 390 women. The results showed “intergenerational distinctions in beauty's objectivity and intergenerational congruence in beauty's subjectivity” based on which we see that even if there are no significant differences among young, middle-aged, and old generations regarding physical self-concept but there are significant differences among these three generations regarding manifestation of and attempt to body contouring which appears as body management. Keywords: women, beauty, medium, inclination towards body contouring, body management, norms, self-concept