By any means necessary : cosmetic surgery among black women

The purpose of this study is to examine plausible factors responsible for the increasing\ud number of Black women undergoing cosmetic surgery. Black women have yet to be the\ud central focus of analysis in studies surrounding cosmetic surgery as it relates to body\ud image and both the individual and collective identity. In current studies, many scholars\ud tend to focus on the comparative aspects of body image, as opposed to the contributing\ud factors. This research establishes a study in which Black women are the sole participants,\ud as opposed to a comparative group, in efforts to give insight to issues of body image,\ud individual and collective identity, levels of social and cultural exposure and attitudes\ud towards cosmetic surgery. Through ethnographic study of social networks, television\ud programs and semi-structured interviews insight as to whether media portrayals influence\ud more Black females accepting and engaging in cosmetic surgical procedures, or if other\ud factors such as socio-economic evolution and shifts in social thinking concerning body\ud image are allowing women to feel more comfortable with surgery. Social networks and\ud television conglomerates are fast becoming the most common standard of information\ud production and exchange, which makes them the most current outlets available to be\ud analyzed