Elline Lipkin Summary

Research scholar Elline Lipkin discusses modern-day stereotypes that women and adolescent girls face concerning their body image in her article “Girls’ Selves: Body Image, Identity, and Sexuality.” Changes in what is considered a “normal” body type have led these women to aspire to have a certain look: a slender body, flawless skin, and delicate facial features (Lipkin 596). Lipkin accurately describes how the stereotypes have evolved over time and discusses the effects of these standards on today’s generation of women.
In today’s generation, young minds are imprinted with a set of “standards” concerning female appearance. Beginning at an early age, girls observe advertisements and other forms of media that establish expectations for a body that meets society’s standards. “A girl’s body, almost from birth [. . .], often reflects cultural
The 1950’s is when these new beauty standards began to evolve; previous to that, women were praised for their lack of attention to their bodies: Feminine virtue was found in a kind of unself-consciousness in which vanity about one’s body was considered immoral or wrong (Lipkin 598). Lipkin’s research would have been more valid had she given examples of what has caused these standards to change in recent years.
A vast majority of adolescent girls face pressures to meet society’s expectations of how their body should look. These young women are exposed to the negative stereotypes from a very young age. In an effort to achieve these beauty standards, the girls have a tendency to suffer serious consequences while trying to maintain society’s idea of beauty. Over time, these standards have been altered but has not left cultural consciousness. Overall, Lipkin provides irrefutable examples of the detrimental toll these standards have on the way people live their lives, especially young