Beauty Bias Discrimination and Social Power

Subjects:

• Sociology » Sociology (General)
• Popular Culture » American Studies
• Multicultural Studies » Multicultural Studies (General)

Reviews:

• Public and general libraries.
  —Choice June 2008
• Sociologist Berry has taught at several American universities....In this text, she tackles social inequality centered on physical appearance skin color, hair texture, height, weight, eye shape, disabilities and deformities, condition of the teeth, evidence of aging, and "beauty" which, compared to other forms of racism, is still legal and "socially acceptable." Berry examines the ways that physical appearance affects health, chances at romance (and marriage and family), and workplace experiences; the activities and procedures people undergo to become more socially desirable via their appearance; how various "systems" medical and health insurance professions, the legal system, the global and economic community respond to people differently depending on appearance; the issue of choice to engage in appearance enhancement; and movements to promote looks-diversity acceptance.
  —Reference & Research Book News November 2007

• Endorsement From Stephen L. Muzzatti,
  Ryerson University,
  author of Reflections from the Wrong Side of the Tracks: Dr. Berry provides a cogent and accessible analysis of the long-standing discrimination the "less-than-lovely" face daily. Her humanistic and jargon-free coverage of what it is like to be denied access and opportunity and to have your value as a human being called into question simply because you're not tall, slender, and beautiful enough is located both in the worlds of scholarly rigor and experiential closeness. Insightful, provocative, and compelling, this book is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the myriad costs and consequences of fetish-ed beauty in 21st century America.
• Endorsement From Earl Smith, Ph.D.
  Professor of Sociology
  Wake Forest University: Beauty Bias: Discrimination and Social Power moves the few works we have on appearance to a new level, surpassing even the previous important work by Jean Kilbourne.
• Endorsement From Joanne Belknap, Ph.D.
  Professor, Sociology,
  University of Colorado
  Author, The Invisible Woman: Beauty Bias is a welcome and necessary text. Berry tackles the complexities of appearance and how it is related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability status, and more. This book examines this topic historically, scientifically, psychologically, economically, and most importantly, critically.
• Endorsement From Rosemary Erickson, President
  Athena Research Corporation: Berry's treatment of physical appearance in the workplace is especially important.
• Endorsement From Susan Schweik,
  Associate Professor, University of California at Berkeley: A fascinating and authoritative account of looks-based judgments and discriminations, Beauty Bias should be required reading for everyone who has a stake in how they (and how we) look--that is, for everyone. Berry's book is important both for the sheer amount of research it conveys and for the ways of thinking she models.

Table of Contents:

• Preface
• INTRODUCTION: The Power of Looks
• PART I: The Ramifications
• Chapter 1. Looks and Health
• Chapter 2. Looks and Romance
• Chapter 3. Looks and Workplace
• PART II: The Pressures
• Chapter 4. The Diet, Fitness, and Supplements Industries
• Chapter 5. Cosmetics, Cosmeceuticals, and Other Superficial Changes
• Chapter 6. The Plastic Surgery Industry
• PART III: The System
• Chapter 7. The Medical and Health Insurance Communities
• Chapter 8. The Legal Community
• Chapter 9. The Economy, Globalization, and Power
• CONCLUSION: Toward an Acceptance of Looks Diversity
• APPENDIX: Filmography

PDF Catalogs:

Greenwood Multicultural Spring 2008.pdf