Beauty Regimes and Global Inequalities

Abstract This chapter investigates the relation between beauty and global inequalities: to what extent are beauty regimes around the world shaped by unequal power relations between countries or regions? Existing perspectives argue that beauty cultures in the Global South have been shaped, first, through force, especially during colonialism and imperialism; second, through status dynamics, especially by the beauty industry. Other studies have stressed the limits of cultural hegemony and possibilities of resistance. Today, the dominance of the Eurocentric beauty regime is no longer self-evident. We present evidence from our own research to explore how beauty standards relate to transnational inequalities in today’s multipolar world, showing considerable variation in the embrace of Eurocentric beauty standards, and a variety of gendered “repertoires” for evaluating beauty. From the perspective of everyday experience, beauty regimes are diverse, as people in any given location are confronted with a range of styles and repertoires that resonates with their local beauty cultures. Yet, at the same time people and beauty regimes are more connected than ever, as this diversity often reaches people through globally connected media and infrastructures.