Could you introduce yourself in a few words?
My name is Eva Carpigo, I’m a Ph.D. student in anthropology. I’m Italian by birth but I’ve lived in France (Strasbourg) for 10 years, after residing in Italie, Belgium, Portugal, Equator and Mexico.
What is your research topic? Why did you choose this topic in particular?
I’m interested in the practice of aesthetics, in the anthropology of the body and in medical anthropology. My research subject is aesthetic surgeons. I got this idea thanks to my trip to Latin America (Equator and Mexico) after meeting so many people doing aesthetic surgery. Recently I expanded my observations to other beauty operators, which means people who work on the body aesthetic in both professional and non-professional way. In 2016, I shot a documentary film in Mexico about a group of solidary hairdressers and makeup artists, called “itinerant beauty brigade”. I would like to understand the social, psychological and therapeutic importance of beauty treatment in contemporary societies.
Last month you were at Pint of Science - an international event of science popularization targeting a wide audience. Tell us about it!
My experience at Pint of Science was really positive: warm greeting, impeccable logistics, a large audience of all ages and backgrounds. We had a lot of time for our talk, unlike a discussion broadcast or general scientific communication. For this occasion, I presented a historic panorama of esthetic treatment and ornament, which showed that these cultural tools were inherent in human history (They created jewelry since paleolithic period), across times and societies, body embellishment is the whole of humanity.
What can you say about body aesthetics?
Far from being a frivolous cultural aspect, the ornament utilization and body esthetic modifications have considerable interest in science and for anthropology. Esthetic investment of hominid gave us a hint about the development of the symbolic thought (of homo species: Homo Sapiens, Homo Neandertal). Many contemporary studies of appearance gave us hint about the belonging of an individual in a group, the conformist/anti-conformist aspect of its approach, about social status, integration level and marginalization in the society…
Its evolution through generations?
Clearly, culture is not a fixed monolithic assembly. As cultural elements, esthetic practice change and suffer continuous hybridization, external influences and internal innovation impulses. Thanks to exchanges and to immigration, and also to multiples influences from media and internet, to our creativity, we improved our appearance over and over. Even though It might take time and energy, and take from us an important economic investment, these factors stay as a significant anthropogenic action.
Thanks for this information! How can we go further on this topic?
I coordinated a French-speaking research workshop about “Body and Beauty” with my two sociology colleagues, Marion Braizaz and Camille Couvry (https://corpsbeaute.hypotheses.org ). Our goal is to bring together all researchers around the world on the practice of esthetic. We had a comprehensive approach, which means that we are interested in analyzing the sense of these practices for people themselves, without any criticism as a sign of oppression and inequality. We invited to this workshop researchers and field experts (aesthetician, aesthetic surgeon, hairdressers, perfumers…) to talk with the general public.
This approach aims to point out all field problems and to analyze in-depth anthropologic, sociological, psychological, historical, philosophical, ethic, archaeological issues which worsen these practices. We discussed on such topics as: clothes which provoke debates (miniskirt, ripped jeans, veil, burkini), perfumes and smells, capillary and hair practices (nappy), socio-esthetic and socio-hairdressing, esthetic surgery, esthetic agency, esthetic tourism, esthetic practices through the prism of social classes and of age, slow beauty, esthetic performance and sportive practices (street workout) etc.
Our plan is to invite Ph.D. students joining our group and supporting us to organize the workshop in upcoming years. Don’t hesitate to contact us via email [email protected] and to follow us on social media Facebook: @CorpsEtBeaute; Twitter: @corps_beaute.
