Human Relationships Outcome Link: Examine biological, psychological, and social origins of attraction
We watch weird and interesting videos every now and then, but nothing compares to the documentary on lip plates we watched in psychology class. The video follows the Suri tribe, where the women desire to break their front teeth, cut open their lip, and fit a disc in that wounded hole. The reason for this was because in their culture, a lip that could fit a disc was attractive. In fact, the larger the disc a woman's lips could hold, the more desirable they were. The size of a woman's lip plate indicates the number of cattle they would receive when they get married. As such, women would further want to expand their lips. Now this seems all fair and square, a person should be allowed to look however they want to, or do whatever they want to achieve their desired look, but are there other factors that influence their decision? One woman who was interviewed in this documentary in particular commented on how she would not be getting a lip plate. When the interviewer asked why, she answered how I would have answered: if the other person wanted to marry me and give me cattle, they would do that, I don't need a lip plate to prove my worth. What she did was essentially breaking the barriers and expectations of the community. She found reason in her decision to not conform to her tribe's norm.
A few things that should be noted in particular includes the fact that a lot of these women may have probably been pressured by their family to get a lip plate, because of the reward of cattle. This does not give much confidence to the argument that the decision to install lip plates is from their free will. I guess all societies are like this, just like the perfect body image the media perpetuates to our young generations, people will always aim to be or look what their society deems desirable. Then again, this is fair, no one is forcing anyone to put on make up, or cut down on their food intake, or to have plastic surgery. If one wanted to be the way they wanted even though it deviates from the norm, then learn from the girl in the Suri tribe who refused to get a lip plate.
We watch weird and interesting videos every now and then, but nothing compares to the documentary on lip plates we watched in psychology class. The video follows the Suri tribe, where the women desire to break their front teeth, cut open their lip, and fit a disc in that wounded hole. The reason for this was because in their culture, a lip that could fit a disc was attractive. In fact, the larger the disc a woman's lips could hold, the more desirable they were. The size of a woman's lip plate indicates the number of cattle they would receive when they get married. As such, women would further want to expand their lips. Now this seems all fair and square, a person should be allowed to look however they want to, or do whatever they want to achieve their desired look, but are there other factors that influence their decision? One woman who was interviewed in this documentary in particular commented on how she would not be getting a lip plate. When the interviewer asked why, she answered how I would have answered: if the other person wanted to marry me and give me cattle, they would do that, I don't need a lip plate to prove my worth. What she did was essentially breaking the barriers and expectations of the community. She found reason in her decision to not conform to her tribe's norm.
A few things that should be noted in particular includes the fact that a lot of these women may have probably been pressured by their family to get a lip plate, because of the reward of cattle. This does not give much confidence to the argument that the decision to install lip plates is from their free will. I guess all societies are like this, just like the perfect body image the media perpetuates to our young generations, people will always aim to be or look what their society deems desirable. Then again, this is fair, no one is forcing anyone to put on make up, or cut down on their food intake, or to have plastic surgery. If one wanted to be the way they wanted even though it deviates from the norm, then learn from the girl in the Suri tribe who refused to get a lip plate.