中国における美容整形の流行とその社会的意味: 女性が美容整形から得るものは何か

Abstract

The cosmetic surgery market has been rapidly developing in modern China, as beauty is an important factor in society's evaluation of women. In order to explore the social significance of cosmetic surgery, this research studies the social backgrounds and the aesthetic perceptions of women who have undergone cosmetic surgery. To analyze the importance of external beauty to women who have undergone cosmetic surgery, I conducted research at two beauty salons in Suzhou, Anhui Province, and Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in China. A total of 23 women who had had cosmetic surgery at these salons participated in the study. The research methodology used in this study was a semi-structured interview with a total of 15 questions. Using a combination of the KJ method and narrative analysis method to classify the answers to each question, 59 categories emerged. Further analysis of these categories by the KJ method of re-classification resulted in the identification of three major factors. These were: 1) to get a boyfriend; 2) to maintain family stability;, and 3) to prevail in one's chosen career field. The research results indicate that in modern Chinese society, women are experiencing repression from both "market" and "family," and that the interrelationship between cosmetic surgery and economic resources has deepened social inequality. That is, women from wealthy families are able to marry wealthier men by utilizing their cosmetic beauty. Cosmetic beauty, in addition, can help women live a happy life by stabilizing their family. Furthermore, women in the workforce achieve greater career success using cosmetic beauty as a resource. These three factors are interrelated, and women themselves choose cosmetic surgery as an effective means of accomplishing these purposes. It generates a cycle in which having economic resources makes it possible for women to have cosmetic surgery, and cosmetic beauty in turn generates economic resources. It might be said that this cycle is becoming one of the factors in China's movement towards becoming a deadlocked unequal society.