Abstract:
The paper focuses on the production of body image in children, aged six to twelve years old, who attend beauty salons in Brasilia. It is assumed that children are subtle agents and interpreters of their cultural contexts; narratives on the construction of the body of girls and boys of different socioeconomic realities will be prioritized. This is an ethnographic work, with a socio-anthropological perspective of childhood, based on gender studies. Field research results, based on experiences of the children in salons, will be presented. The work also discusses how the paradigm of body and beauty, operating in these places – is managed by children, reflecting on the processes of producing their self-images. The paper highlights the positioning of children in relation to the presence of the beauty market and an overestimated aesthetic standard.
Keywords:
Body normalization; Children; Gender; Beautification; Ethnography