Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
10 January 2019 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Anja Aucamp
Dr Allessandra Kim Heggenstaller
Dr Allessandra Kim Heggenstaller’s doctoral thesis found that cosmetic surgery can lead to an enhanced sense of empowerment.

With human rights at the centre of our modern society’s psyche, the concept of women taking ownership of their own bodies is often interpreted as standing up against all forms of abuse as well as celebrating their own physical uniqueness.

But what about the interpretation that ownership also gives you the right to alter your physical appearance through cosmetic surgery?

The stigma traditionally surrounding cosmetic surgery which is purely done to correct a perceived physical flaw or shortcoming and not for health reasons, has always intrigued Alessandra Kim Heggenstaller. So much so, that the 31-year-old Sociology graduate made it the topic of her doctoral thesis (The role of cosmetic surgery in the embodied experience of female beauty).

 

Beauty and success

“Nowadays, the concept of human ‘beauty’ is intricately linked to that of identity: beauty is seen as

bringing success in occupation, love, and marriage. Accordingly, beauty is often treated as a commodity – social status is attributed to it, and negotiated with it,” says Heggenstaller.

She wanted to test the prevailing negative perception that women who opt for corrective surgery are vain and superficial and are motivated by their desire to fit into a stereotype of ‘the perfect female body’.

 

Surgery a last resort

In her research, Heggenstaller interviewed 10 Free State women who had cosmetic interventions.

The women were from various ages and backgrounds. However, Heggenstaller found certain commonalities:

“None of them did it for a male partner or to fit a perceived stereotype. All of them had done intensive research beforehand and for each of them surgery was really a last resort,” she says.

She found that the women’s main motivation was that they didn’t ‘feel at home’ in their own

bodies because of the perceived shortcoming.

“The study found that a cosmetic procedure was an action and choice that began a journey of change and self-discovery. When the physical body portrays a more accurate image of how the individual feels, she engages her lifeworld and social environment with an enhanced sense of empowerment,” says Heggenstaller.

 

No regrets

“It was also significant to hear that not one of my case studies had any regrets about opting for surgery. In fact, they all felt that they should have done it sooner.”

News Archive

Former Kovsie scores a record in Ireland
2011-05-16

 
Obus Pienaar

The 21-year-old former Kovsie, Obus Pienaar, who was still playing cricket for our club at the university until the end of the season (end of March), has been playing abroad for the Irish cricket club Waringstown from the end of April 2011.

His Alma Mater, the UFS, is proud of Obus’ achievements, in particular his contribution to the match against the CIYMS. During this game, Obus hit the highest score ever in the Northern Cricket Unions when he scored 244 runs in only 114 balls. This included 22 sixes and 13 fours.
 
During his innings in this match, Obus also broke the July 2004 record of his compatriot, AB de Villiers of the Proteas.
 
According to Arno van Niekerk from KovsieSport at the UFS, the university is very proud of Obus. “He is young and has a brilliant future ahead,” says Arno. Obus played for the UFS for three seasons, and was part of the Kovsies team that won the national club championships last year.
 
Obus, who is currently studying through Unisa as a result of his overseas commitments, studied B.Comm. Financial Management at the UFS until his third-year. He was a resident of Vishuis.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept