An Anthropological Study of the Body Zayouna City as a Case Study

Abstract

This study examines the globalization of beauty from an anthropological perspective by exploring the transformations that have occurred in body image and beauty standards within Iraqi society under the growing influence of globalization and digital media. The research is based on the assumption that globalization extends beyond economic and technological exchanges to reshape cultural perceptions related to the body, beauty, and personal identity.

The study adopts the cognitive anthropological approach (self-understanding approach), which focuses on investigating the meanings, perceptions, and cognitive frameworks through which individuals interpret social and cultural phenomena. Within this framework, the body is viewed as a cultural and symbolic construct rather than merely a biological entity.

The findings indicate that globalization has contributed to the production of new beauty standards that increasingly emphasize physical appearance through the influence of mass media, social networking platforms, celebrity culture, fashion industries, and cosmetic practices. These influences have generated significant changes in the perceptions of youth, women, and men regarding the body, leading to a growing concern with body enhancement and aesthetic appearance as means of achieving social acceptance and individual distinction.

The study concludes that beauty ideals in the researched community are shaped by an ongoing tension between traditional cultural references rooted in religion and social customs and globalized models promoted by contemporary media. Furthermore, the body has become a central arena of symbolic and social interaction, serving as a marker of identity and social status, reflecting profound cultural transformations associated with global consumer culture