Ideal Women

Representations of women have varied enormously throughout history and across cultures, but one thing remains constant, and that is usually a prominent representation of women are those of the ‘ideal woman’. 

This is a representation of women that I find interesting as you can find almost anywhere as it can be found in nearly all media we consume today, such as social media platforms, television, websites and advertising from the fashion and cosmetic industry. 

An idea of a ‘perfect’ female has been, and will continue to be a constant representation of women due to the fact that many societies function by having high-status figures that act as an ideal way of being, physically, socially and economically. ‘Ideal women’ can be found in many differing forms throughout many different eras and across a diverse range of cultures. These individuals are looked up to by societies usually due to possessing features, traits or characteristics that, in their context, are deemed desirable.

Classic examples of these ideal representations of females include women like Aphroddite, Cleopatra and, more recently, social media stars like Kylie Jenner. 

Case Study: Marilyn Monroe 

Marilyn Monroe is a classic example of an ideal representation of a woman, as in the 1950’s and 60’s in Hollywood she was considered the definitive epitome of a sex symbol.

She gained huge popularity and was admired by many people, men and women alike, either as a role-model or as a sex symbol. She represented the ideals of what a woman ’should’ have looked like in that time and culture, which is why she is an example of a representation an ‘ideal woman’. 

I hope that this course will cover many different representations of women, including ‘ideal women’ throughout history, and that we will discuss how this has shaped how we represent, perceive and act toward women today.