THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF “PATIENTS” IN COSMETIC SURGERY

Abstract

This paper seeks to study the way in which the human body is socially constructed, with emphasis on the case of aesthetic surgery. Drawing from semi-structured qualitative interviews with plastic surgeons and individuals who modified their body through aesthetic surgery, it is illustrated a contrast between the medical discourse and the patient’s discourse, in terms of the motives for conducting these surgical procedures. For plastic surgeons, on the one hand, the reasons prompting individuals into aesthetic surgery pertain to their psychological improvement and the enhancement of their inner self, something that legitimatize their intervention as “therapeutic”. Persons submitted to these interventions, on the other hand, waive the psychology aspect and give priority to the superficial factor, elevating body appearance to a supreme value and attributing a purely utilitarian character to their decision.

Keywords

• sociology of the body
• embodiment
• cosmetic surgery
• social constructivism