International beauty pageants and the construction of hegemonic images of female beauty

Abstract

Binaries like 'beauty/ugliness' or 'fair/dark' are ideological images driving the world market for beauty products. How are these images created? How far is the process of construction of these images influenced by socio-political and economic hegemonies? This paper addresses these research questions by deploying a qualitative dominant 'Mixed Research Methodology' and 'Inductive Research Approach'. The paper is based on secondary data on titleholders of a major beauty pageant held during the 50 year period from 1967 to 2017. The data was analyzed using the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) method. The research discovered that 68% of titleholders are from peripheral/semi-peripheral countries such as India and Venezuela. Further, the researchers found that the physical features of these non-European titleholders from the peripheral states closely resemble western Caucasian 'white' woman, conforming to ideal standards of western feminine beauty. On the other hand, ironically, 95% of branded beauty products are manufactured and distributed by multinational companies with headquarters in developed countries. Accordingly, the research concludes that the women chosen as the world's most beautiful females display core characteristics of 'stereotypical western feminine beauty standards' and thereby, resemble a 'fantasy model of feminine beauty' conceptualized by a regime of 'white men', projecting its economic and political influence on the world stage. The fact that most titleholders are chosen from peripheral/semi-peripheral countries may be driven by a capitalist commercial project in which economies in the world dominant core countries have created a lucrative market for their beauty products in peripheral countries. Thus, this paper argues that the ideology and practice of international beauty pageants are shaped by the twin processes of global capitalism and world cultural-political hegemony.

The dark side of occupation within the context of modern-day beauty pageants

“…Purposes of modern-day beauty pageants may differ but they have one thing in common-the winner is almost always called the "Beauty Queen". These beauty queens win for various purposes including empowering women [21], embodying national pride [22], promoting certain products, charities, or organizations [3,6], and espousing inclusivity, diversity, and cultural identity [21,23]. Aside from signing a oneyear contract to live the purpose of the organization, winners are also granted the voice to speak publicly to advocate for a specific cause, material rewards that go along with winning, and powers for social and political purposes [3,24].…”

“…To have a deeper understanding of how beauty pageants have evolved from historical reenactment with performative educational function [19] to a global spectacle of socially constructed physical beauty with performative political and commercial functions [3,6,25] it is important to have an overview on the different perspectives surrounding the origins, culture, and work-related underpinnings of modern-day beauty pageants.…”

“…History of colonisation has greatly influenced the beauty pageant culture in previously colonised countries in Asia, Central and South America, and Africa. According to postcolonial theorists, 'Western structures of knowledge' are imposed and deemed superior to southern peripheral contexts in terms of political, socio-economic and psychological aspects [6,30]. This Western influence bred a 'cultural hegemony' where the ruling class from the colonising countries constructed cultural values and norms, including the standards of beauty, to maintain their powers, privileges, and dominant status [31].…”

“…Beauty pageants are largely commercialised and are usually run by transnational corporations across the globe to capture the Eastern societies with Western's standards of beauty through cosmetic promotions and tourism campaigns impacting economic development [25]. There has been an assumption that most titleholders are chosen from countries belonging to the Global South because these transnational cosmetic conglomerates want to capitalize on the lucrative market for their beauty products for women in southern peripheral countries [6]..…”

“…That is, modern-day beauty pageants are a common place of work, especially in the low-income global south. While only a few women who work as beauty pageant contestants are said to represent these socially constructed standards of beauty, some women tend to spend more time, energy, money, and emotional resources in the endless effort to alter their natural body and look to adhere to these socially constructed beauty ideals [5,6]. In order to participate in a beauty pageant, big or small, a pageant contestant has to perform and experience certain occupations.…”