Techniques of the body are essential to identity transformation. Discuss this proposition with reference to specific examples from .
Identity is an ongoing process that involves creating an image of the self, a brand. However, what we do not realise is the fact that the dynamics of our identity is ever-changing and naturalised by the wider society. The lifestyles we have are constructed through daily practices of consumption (Jagose, 2003, pp.113), whereby commodities that we consume and the lifestyles we choose play a part in the formation of our sense of self. According to Featherstone, ones body, clothes, speech, leisure pastimes, eating and drinking preferences, home, car, choice of holidays, etc. are to be regarded as indicators of the individuality of taste and sense of style of the owner/consumer (1987, pp.55) that makes up their lifestyle. The notion of techniques of the body is one of the key elements that factors into the transformation of identity. Techniques of the body is a concept created by French sociologist and anthropologist, Marcel Mauss. The term refers to the ways in which from society to society men know how to use their bodies (Mauss, 1973, pp.70). These techniques are learned ways of doing an action, for example, having specific positioning of the hands and arms when walking or running. Mauss framework relates to identity transformation in the way that the physical labour an individual does and how they do it provides an insight into what their identity is like, whether it is one identity or multiple identities. Similarly, this framework compliments well with Alison Hearns claim that the production of self must always involve some form of labour in order to create a public persona that might be of practical or rational use (2008, pp.213). The concept of creating a brand of oneself through different types of labour and consumerism of commodities constitutes to the ways identities are transformed. The aim is to address concepts that factors into identity transformation by exploring arguments and insights academic scholars have regarding this topic. In this piece, the stance that I propose is that techniques of the body is somewhat key to identity transformation. However, it can not be said that this idea alone is fully held responsible for identity transformation. I argue that techniques of the body is essential as they are embodied within certain cultures and then internalised. Similar to habitus, techniques of the body has the effect of allowing us to embody ingrained habits that become a part of our identity. And finally, this idea of identity transformation through Mauss framework can be reflected in Australian contemporary lifestyle television show: Aussie Ladette to Lady.
The varying styles of performing actions are manifested by individuals of certain cultures as those actions become internalised. When one associates themselves with a particular culture, that culture has a particular way of doing things whether they walk, talk, sit and so forth that may make them distinct from other cultures. As Swedish and Finnish scholar in psychology, management and organisation Guje Sevon would explain it: Western society applauds its winners (2011, pp.49). Individuals that look up to a group of role models of higher authority in a certain culture, praise their heroes and tend to imitate them (2011, pp.49). They conform and adopt behaviours that reflect their role models because they may aim to have that same level of authority and success that their heroes have. According to Sevons research on organisational imitations, imitation is seen as a strategy where firms save time and resources, while also achieving a desired identity (2011, pp.52). She points out that identity transformation begins when the business asks: What would I like to be? (2011, pp.53). In the business world, a modern identity consists of self-respect, efficiency, autonomy, and flexibility (2011, pp.53) that most firms aim to see themselves as. Likewise, Sevons ideas can be extrapolated and applied to cultures beyond the business world, where individuals use certain techniques of the body to achieve an identity that exudes a dominant trait in their culture. For example, one may act and dress themselves in a way that portrays themselves as a so that they replicate that . The multiple ways one may imitate another by personifying particular techniques of the body is an aspect of identity transformation.
Techniques of the body that are used may influence individuals to accumulate habits that eventually become an aspect of their identity. Habits originated from the theory of habitus, a concept created by French sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu. Habitus is the inclination or disposition to act in a certain way and those actions have been shaped by past and present social interactions within a field (Clarkin-Phillips, 2018, pp.86). It is internalised during the early stages of acculturation, whereby these acts are performed subconsciously, without knowing what factors influences individuals to act that way. The habits that an individual may accumulate is the types of labour they use to create their identity or to brand themselves with. Examples of labour becoming a habit are discussed by Hochschild (2003). She highlights that middle-class women in America tend to manage feelings more because they rely on men for financial support and as repayment, they do extra emotion work that involves verifying, enhancing and celebrating the well-being and status of others (2003, pp.165). There is a heavy emphasis on women doing emotional labour as men do not use their emotions as a resource and lack the skills in managing emotions. The added pressure of societys harsh views on women who put their emotions less at the service of others are deemed to be non-feminine, urging women to conform to societal expectations (2003, pp.166) and escape the scrutiny. With women constantly working emotionally to satisfy society, men, other women and themselves, the labour may become a habit because of the reiteration of gendered expectations that surround them through media texts (such as television shows and advertisements). When emotional labour is perceived as a technique of the body, it may morph into a habit that becomes a component that transforms an individuals identity.
Apart from Mauss techniques of the body, Australian contemporary lifestyle television plays an important role in identity transformation, in the way that they are consumed by viewers and how they impact participants of lifestyle television shows. Contemporary lifestyle television refers to television shows that use a modern framework that arranges everyday life around identity and consumer tastes. An example of an Australian contemporary lifestyle television show is Aussie Ladette to Lady. The series was first aired in 2009, similarly structured like the original British series Ladette to Lady. In each season, a group of Australian female contestants in their teens and twenties were flown to Egglestone Hall, a British finishing school. During their stay at the finishing school, teachers teach them fine skills from the social and domestic arts, as well as skills of the British-ruling classes. Contestants were to have respect, good deportment and good manners. A group of three teachers determine which contestant is to be expelled each episode before the end of the season, who will proceed in the competition and win the final prize, where one contestant graduates as a lady having maintained proper behaviour and completed their transformation.
While there is a belief that contemporary lifestyle television shows guide viewers, it urges them to conform to etiquettes and follow certain ways of doing things. When contestants behaviours were described as loud, vulgar, drunken and dangerous, it undermines normative identities by emphasising the need for reconstruction of the self (Redden & Brown, 2010, pp.238). The stress of reconstructing the self is evident in Aussie Ladette to Lady episode two of season one. Contestants had to skin a dead animal so that it could be used to prepare a meal for a group of British hunters after their hunt. The purpose of that exercise was learning to be a lady involves having to do things you dont wish to do and dont like doing with good grace, rather than running away from it or crying over a dead animal. Not only were women expected to excel domestically, they were also expected to be occupationally successful (Redden & Brown, 2010, pp.242). This segment of the series highlights the different sorts of labour that women must shoulder in order to keep their composure in both the domestic and public atmosphere. It points out the behaviours women are expected to adopt to be perceived as respectable women in the community. In this case, there was heavy focus on women doing the physical labour of skinning a dead animal in a graceful manner. Alongside the physical work involved, there was also the mental labour of the contestants having to force themselves to overcome their fear and anxiety of witnessing something nausea-inducing. The central focus of the show was the emotional and aesthetic labour that comes with being a lady. The contestants were required to remain calm and collected while completing a challenge they dislike. The aesthetic labour involves looking good, sounding right, projecting the right image and being well presented to satisfy expectations. On the show, the teachers reiterated to the women that they had to dress in proper uniforms with their hair tied up. According to media studies academic scholar Kylie Jarrett (2014) though womens labour does not have a direct input into capital, the value of the labour is determined by the consumption of use-values produced (pp.19). Not only does labour become a part of identity transformation, but the contestants desire of wanting to be like ladies reinforces that. Taking a viewers perspective, the way in which individuals consume lifestyle media may be internalised and embodied. That is, they may embody aesthetic styles and ways of behaviour. This demonstrates that not only can contemporary lifestyle television encourage identity changes in individuals who participate in television shows, viewers can also embody styles and ways of doing things as shown on lifestyle media.
It is important to recognise that individuals may have one identity or multiple identities. The lifestyles individuals choose to have and brand themselves influences how they identify themselves. Though Marcel Mauss techniques of the body plays a role factoring into identity transformation, it is not necessarily the most essential component. Pierre Bourdieus framework of habitus is also an element of changes to ones identity, whereby techniques of the body can be turned into habits that individuals embody and internalise. Participants of Australian contemporary lifestyle television shows and those who consume it also experience changes to their identity. Literature by academic scholars were consulted as Aussie Ladette to Lady was used as an example of identity transformation. The television show may be seen as providing guidance to viewers, but it is also rejecting identities that are considered to be normal in the society and telling viewers what to do and how to do things. By disregarding and criticising certain identities, contemporary lifestyle television shows highlights how necessary reconstructing of the self is.
Reference List:
- Clarkin-Phillips, J. (2018). Explicit Pedagogy for Transforming Habitus: Early Childhood Teachers as Mediators of Affordances for Parents.New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, vol.53(1), pp.83-99. doi: 10.1007/s40841-018-0104-9.
- Featherstone, M. (1987). Lifestyle and Consumer Culture.Theory, Culture & Society, vol.4(1), pp.55-70. doi:.
- Hearn, A. (2008). Meat, Mask, Burden: Probing the Contours of the Branded Self.Journal of Consumer Culture, vol.8(2), pp.197-217. doi: 10.1177/1469540508090086.
- Hochschild, A.R. (2003). Gender, Status, Feeling. InThe Managed Heart(pp.162-184). Berkeley: University of California Press.
- Jagose, A. (2003). The Invention of Lifestyle. In Martin, F. (Eds.),Interpreting Everyday Culture(pp.109-121). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Jarrett, K. (2014). The Relevance of Womens Work: Social Reproduction and Immaterial Labour in Digital Media.Television & New Media, vol.15(1), pp.14-29. doi: 10.1177/1527476413487607.
- Mauss, M. (1973). Techniques of the Body.Economy and Society, vol.2(1), pp.70-88. doi:.
- Redden, G., & Brown, R. (2010). From Bingeing Booze Bird to Gilded Cage: Teaching Girls Gender and Class on Ladette to Lady.Critical Studies in Education, vol.51(3), pp.237-249.
- Sevon, G. (2011). Organisational Imitation in Identity Transformation. In B. Czarniawska., & G. Sevon (Eds.),Translating Organisational Change(pp.49-67). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter & Co.
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
