Perspectives of American Cultural Standards of Dress and the Body through Course Blog Development

Purpose and rationale: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore undergraduate African American students’ perspectives of American cultural standards of dress and the body through course blog development. Methodology: Undergraduate students’ blog entries addressing dress, appearance and the body were examined for various themes of cultural standards. Students were allowed to either freely discuss the topic without restrictions or to discuss specific points including American cultural standard of beauty, comparison of one self to the standard, the reality of achieving the standard, prediction of any changes in current standards, and lastly to discuss if the American standard was consistent among the major ethnic groups in the United States. Thematic analysis of 22 blogs were reviewed in a qualitative approach to identify patterns across blogs written by undergraduate students enrolled in FCS 181– Social and Psychological Aspects of Dress during the fall of 2015. Thematic analysis is a widely used qualitative data analysis method that allows researchers to identify themes from written data (The University of Auckland, 2016). Participants/ Bloggers: Females represented 86% (N=19) while males represented 14% (N=3) of the bloggers. FCS 181 is a general education course. Enrolled students represented a range of majors and classifications including fashion merchandising and design, psychology, sociology, engineering, biology, and sports science. Findings: Three themes emerged from the blog reviews. 1.) Unrealistic Standards. Ninety-six percent (N=21) indicated that the perceived and prevailing standards of beauty and body were unrealistic; 46% (N=10) of participants stated that it is personally difficult to meet the standards. 2.) Body Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction is described as having the confidence to acknowledge and accept one’s physical differences when compared to prevailing standards of beauty. Half of the participants (N=11) acknowledged personal and physical flaws and 41% (N=9) stated they were satisfied with their bodies and unique physical features that contrast mainstream standards. 3.) Media/Celebrity Influence. Use of (social) media such as Instagram and YouTube by celebrities and young adults are used to guide beauty and dress decisions. Ninety-six percent (N=21) referenced or pictured celebrities in the blog post; 46% (N=10) of participants stated sources of media featuring celebrities who provide guidance or influence. Conclusions and Implications for research and/or practice: Course blogging provides students the space to share ideas, reflect and have a voice in social topics and classroom discussions. Bloggers described dual body standards for American women today, which were both considered unrealistic. Male and female bloggers accepted their physical features and body size/shape although they did not meet the cultural beauty and body standards. Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé were believed to serve as the prototype of a specific standard of beauty. Both male and female students follow social media and certain celebrities who they believe are instrumental in the sharing and promotion of beauty standards. Marketers can use this information to more effectively promote products and services to young adult African-Americans.