Cultural and Cosmopolitan

Abstract

This article uses a comparative-case research design of two different national beauty pageants in Nigeria to ask how and why gendered nationalisms are constructed for different audiences and aims. Both contests claim to represent “true Nigerian womanhood” yet craft separate models of idealized femininity and present different nationalist agendas. I argue that these differences stem from two distinct representations of gendered national identities. The first pageant, “Queen Nigeria,” whose winners do not compete outside of Nigeria, brands itself as a Nigerian-based pageant, centered on a cultural-nationalist ideal, which is focused on revitalizing and appreciating Nigerian culture to unify the nation. In contrast, the second contest, “The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria,” utilizes “international standards” to select and send contestants to Miss World and Miss Universe, the top pageants in the world, and promotes a cosmopolitan-nationalist ideal, which remains concentrated on propelling and integrating Nigeria into the international arena.

Like Bees to a Flower: Attractiveness, Risk, and Collective Sexual Life in an AIDS Epidemic

“…The field-theoretic approach builds on the earlier market perspective by allowing for local and historical specificity in which physical characteristics are prized; erotic capital only makes sense within a given sexual field . Empirical research indeed demonstrates that we appraise each other's appearance differently across contexts and historical conditions (Balogun 2012;Mears 2011). Additionally, whereas the market approach assumes relatively equal exchanges of one set of attributes for another, sexual field theory focuses instead on the relative positioning of people vis-à-vis each other, and thus acknowledges that one person often has more resources or power than the other during sexual and romantic encounters (Green 2008Martin and George 2006).…”

“…Although biological attributes matter as well, both what is defined as attractive and the extent to which individuals can effectively alter their physical appearance are shaped by people's social positioning (Balogun 2012;Mears 2011). Although it does not guarantee attractiveness, class background is an important determinant of men's appraisals and commentary about women's appearance, similar to what has been documented in other contexts (Duneier and Molotch 1999).…”

Miss Brasil Gay Juiz de Fora

“…Se essas misses buscaram esses símbolos femininos dentro da cultura de massa foi porque a verdade contada sobre essas feminilidades é legitimada por tecnologias que teceram e deram inteligibilidade por meio de representações inseridas em um interesse ideológico do sistema vigente (DE LAURETIS, 1994;SCOTT, 1995). Nessa direção, como realça Oluwakemi Balogun (2012), concursos de beleza, especialmente os de abrangência nacional, oferecem a possibilidade de pesquisar como esses ideais de beleza de gênero desempenham um papel importante na construção da imagem de nação/região tangível na produção de identidade nacional/regional generificada.…”

Understanding femininity in beauty pageant industry: a case study of Puteri Indonesia Pageant

“…Feminists argue that beauty pageants are the cultural producers of idealized femininity (Balogun, 2012;Banet-Weiser, 1999). The way ideal femininity has been circulated is as problematic as Susan Bordo argues that the concept of femininity is a culture's way to suppress women because it dictates what women should wear and how women should behave.…”

“…The studies on beauty pageants revolve around their political power, economic value, national identity, sexuality, as well as the impact of beauty pageants on female body image (Balogun, 2012;Banet-Weiser, 1999;Boonbongkarn, 2001;Cohen, 1996). Sarah…”