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Article published In: Gender, Sexuality & Linguistic Landscapes
Edited by Tommaso M. Milani
[Linguistic Landscape 4:3] 2018
► pp. 298–319

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Commodification of women’s breasts

Internet sites as modes of delivery to local and transnational audiences

 | Universidad de Antioquia
 | Tel Aviv University
Published online: 26 November 2018
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ll.18010.cor
Abstract
Cosmetic surgery has become a widespread phenomenon in the last decades, especially in Colombia where a large number of women undergo it every year. This surgical boom is reflected in several Linguistic Landscape resources including the internet, where a growing number of cosmetic surgery centers advertise their procedures. Particularly common among these procedures is breast augmentation, which many Colombian women have at a young age. This article reports on a study which drew on critical linguistic landscape and feminist theories to explore how local cosmetic surgery websites contribute to the commodification of women’s breasts, and its implications for users of these websites. Data collected for this study included text and images from 12 local websites advertising cosmetic surgery in Colombia, including breast augmentation. Data analysis showed that these websites contributed to the commodification of women’s bodies by using a series of ideological mechanisms. Implications for users of these public spaces include asking critical questions about these websites and becoming more socially active in their consumption.
Abstracto
La cirugía estética se ha convertido en un fenómeno generalizado en las últimas décadas, especialmente en Colombia, donde un gran número de mujeres tienen esta cirugía cada año. Este auge quirúrgico se refleja en varios recursos del paisaje lingüístico, incluyendo la internet, donde un gran número de centros de cirugía estética anuncian sus cirugías. Particularmente común entre estas cirugías es el aumento de senos, el cual muchas mujeres Colombianas experimentan a una temprana edad. Este artículo reporta los hallazgos de un estudio que empleó teorías críticas sobre paisajes lingüísticos y feminismo para explorar cómo los sitios web locales de cirugía estética contribuyen a la mercantilización de los senos de las mujeres y las implicaciones de esto para las usuarias de estos sitios. Los datos recogidos comprenden imágenes y texto de 12 sitios web locales que publicitan la cirugía estética en Colombia, en particular el aumento de senos. El análisis de datos mostró que estos sitios web contribuyen a la mercantilización del cuerpo de las mujeres mediante el uso de una serie de mecanismos ideológicos: normalización de la modificación, patologización de lo normal, trivialización y naturalización de las cirugías cosméticas y deificación de los cirujanos. Las implicaciones para los usuarios de estos espacios públicos incluyen hacer preguntas críticas sobre estos sitios web y ser más activos socialmente en su consumo.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical framework
  • 3.History and evolution of breast augmentation in Colombia
  • 4.The websites
    • 4.1Data collection
    • 4.2Data analysis
  • 5.Findings
    • 5.1Normalization of modification
    • 5.2Pathologizing the normal
    • 5.3Trivialization
    • 5.4Naturalization
    • 5.5Surgeon deification
  • 6.Discussion and conclusions
  • 7.Implications
  • References
References (24)
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