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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

Before and After Hector
2014-03-05

 

Björn Krondorfer

The apartheid years. The Anglo-Boer War. Mix these two topics together and you are ensured of a vigorous debate.

This was exactly the result at the Centenary Complex Gallery recently. During a round-table discussion, Kovsie students analysed an artwork by Gerrit Hattingh entitled “Before and After Hector”. The artwork depicts the iconic photo of Hector Pieterson – taken during the 1976 Soweto Uprising – staged as an event in the Anglo-Boer War.

The artwork functioned as the focal point at an exhibition curated by Angela de Jesus.The exhibition formed part of the International Research Forum hosted by the UFS which explored the topic of Societies in the Aftermath of Mass Trauma and Violence.

The ensuing conversation did not disappoint. The photograph evoked a wide range of views and emotions as the students reflected on the historic image representing violent and painful events of our collective past. As the students robustly exchanged their opinions, they developed strategies to support the reconciliation process. The dialogue assisted these students in formulating ways to look back at our history and use this knowledge to carry our society past traumatic experiences.

Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Senior Research Professor in the Office for Research on Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation, was astounded at the level of insight and wisdom the students displayed. “I am pleased that our students came to join us around the table to discuss this portrait which is iconic globally; to engage and also give their own interpretations of what they know, and what they do not know about our historical past. The dialogue about the interweaving of the Hector Pieterson photograph with the story of black victims of the British concentration camps is one of the ways of exploring the views of the younger generation in the aftermath of mass trauma and violence in our collective history,” Prof Gobodo-Madikizela concluded at the end of the conversation.

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