An Anthropological Investigation of Women’s Body Management with an Emphasis on Stomach Bypass Surgery in District 2, Tehran

Body management in the modern era has gained significance due to the global expansion of modernity. Women’s concerns with regards to physical fitness, social relations with others, and their self judgement has escalated. Following media and technological models, which have resulted in the emergence of new culture of consumerism, has led to a new wave of tendency among women to take action to regulate and manage their bodies. The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of cosmetic surgery in body management among women seeking stomach bypass surgery. A qualitative and analytical descriptive method and direct observations as well as in-depth interviews were used to collect data. This research draws on the culture and personality school, theories proposed by Margaret Mead, and Goffman also functionalism school with emphasis on Malinowski's need theory has been used. The findings show that body management indicates an individual’s internal beliefs, mental images, gender and cultural identity. Some people have failed to manage their bodies via dieting, changing lifestyle, medication, and psychotherapy. In the culture of body management, access to communication networks, normative pressures and socio-economic sites have proved to be viable and hence modern technologies and formalistity among women to reach their desirable fitness are associated with feelings of satisfaction and self-confidence. The micro-cultures created in the process of weight loss surgical procedures as well as self-make-up, which result from the modern lifestyle changes, have had a significant effect on women’s social values. Stomach bypass surgery is a method for treating obesity, preventing its related diseases, grandstanding and improving the quality of life.