Includes bibliographical references and index.

Chapter 1. Global definitions of beauty -- 1. Throughout history, ideals of beauty have not been universal / Lars Svendsen -- 2. Western ideals of physical beauty / Arthur Marwick -- 3. African standards of beauty / Nakedi Ribane -- 4. Black women use hairstyles to define themselves / Regina Jere-Malanda -- 5. Brazilian women are confident about their beauty / Judy Bachrach -- Chapter 2. Body image -- 1. British women are less happy with their own bodies than British men / Barbara Lewis -- 2. African Americans hold unique opinions of the ideal body image / Eric J. Bailey -- 3. In the United States, Latinas are often caught between two standards of beauty / Rosie Molinary -- 4. The Western media influence perceptions of body image / Shari Graydon -- 5. Measuring the ideal female figure / Martin Gruendl -- 6. Worldwide beauty contests / Rosie Goldsmith -- Chapter 3. Enhancing the body -- 1. Men are taking more care to improve their appearances / Lindy Woodhead -- 2. Skin lightening is insulting to black people / Mica Paris -- 3. Some Muslims break with tradition and obtain cosmetic surgery / Ruth Nasrullah -- 4. Ethiopian tribes practice body painting / Hans Silvester -- Chapter 4. Ethnic and religious dress -- 1. Ethnic dress and modern fashion often have a complex relationship / Margaret Maynard -- 2. Indonesian Muslims combine traditional and contemporary fashion / Carla Jones -- 3. Some British Muslims find the Islamic burqa to be abhorrent / Yasmin Alibhai-Brown -- 4. Women in India are intimately connected to their saris / Mukulika Banerjee and Daniel Miller.

Global Viewpoints: The Culture of Beauty explores ideals of beauty from around the world through a variety of perspectives. The first chapter highlights some definitions and standards of beauty in different parts of the world. Chapter two gives several perspectives on body image -- the way people feel about their own bodies and how they envision the ideal beautiful body, which varies from culture to culture. The third chapter discusses various ways people enhance their bodies, from makeup to plastic surgery, to tattoos and scarification. The final chapter explores the views of several different cultures on fashion and clothing. Taken together, the viewpoints present a vast array of beauty ideals throughout the world. - Introduction.