From Introduction: The ideal of femininity which developed in Renaissance painting, was a visual and psychological type which was to become the Western European Christian formula of the feminine. This type has survived until the present day, so a discussion of its origins can be revealing for us in the twentieth century, especially as it has been neglected in traditional art historical works. In this essay, the changes in the image of the feminine, in just under three hundred years of Florentine painting, starting with Giotto1. and ending with Raphael~· will be covered. The images will be taken from the wo rk of artists who were Florentine in training, who worked in the city or who were strongly influenced by the Florentine style of painting. I have divided the paintings I have studied into three sections. In the Religious section the paintings are mainly of Mary. The Mythological images refer to Greek and Roman myths and the humanistic interpretations of them. Finally, the Portrait and Genre images are selected on the following basis: In the genre paintings they are sometimes part of works related to religion or mythology, but, in their handling, the painters treat the figures as real human beings rather than holy or mythological figures. In others they are bona fide portrait representations. 3. I have made the above distinction because I expect that the gap between religio-mythological images and portraits will give some indication of the difference between the ideal and the reality for women of that time. The images will be analysed and changes noted in favoured types, gestures, expressions, movements, placing in the composition, relationships to others, favoured themes, costume, colour and symbols. I will point out as I proceed the effects that these elements had on the mood and tone of each image.

A Character Design Tutorial is a short animated film critically comments on the absurdity of beauty standards in animated productions. It aims to expose how unrealistic beauty standards are for female animation characters in the form of character design tutorial.

Feminist scholarship concerning fairy tales is too limited. While relationships between male and female characters have been explored extensively, this thesis focuses on masculinity as it is performed in interactions between male characters. It aims to bring more justices to traditional fairy tale gender binaries. Using Tony Coles’ Theory of Multiple Dominant Masculinities, this project examines four 17th-19th century animal/monster groom tales, studying male characters in order to understand how masculinity is constructed in selected tales and operates as a dynamic relationship between male characters. While the quest for dominance is often linked to violence, by employing the marvelous as an agent of change, these tales offer utopian perspectives in which shifts in male power occur without violence. The system of masculinity can be unfavorable and restrictive, presenting male characters with limited role options, but in fairy tales this system is also flexible, offering the possibility of change.

Degree Not Listed / Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health / Martin Talavera / Using consumer-friendly terminology is important in order to design and conduct consumer research that is relevant and impactful. As an example, today’s marketing is starting to evolve more towards catering to emotional responses, and focus groups are an effective way to gather emotional and attitudinal information in ways that surveys and questionnaires cannot. The objective of this study was to use focus groups as a tool to generate rich information related to emotions, attitudes and other aspects associated with beauty care products in order to provide terminology that is more simple, relevant and impactful. This terminology can then be used to design studies that will better help during product development and product marketing. Women in the Kansas City area were recruited for three focus groups in one of three age groups: 18-35, 36-50, and 51+ (7 women in each group). They were asked questions regarding their thoughts and emotions behind their purchasing habits and use of beauty care products, both positive and negative. Their opinions on ingredients used were also obtained. The focus groups were very useful to obtain consumer generated terminology on emotions, benefits and ingredients. For example, women reported that when not using certain beauty care products, they felt tired, dirty and self-conscious, whereas when they did use certain beauty care products, they reported feeling confident, clean, and beautiful. They also mentioned the importance of ingredients. Women overwhelmingly wanted products to have a more natural ingredient base and to be created “cruelty-free” (tested without having ever been tested on animals). These qualitative techniques will help provide terms that are more relevant and meaningful to consumers, and with this, help marketers and researchers better understand the consumer, in this case, understand women’s feelings and emotions related to the use of beauty care products so companies can better communicate with their target users.

When discussing matters of usability, focus is usually kept on functionality whilst other aspects, such as aesthetics, are neglected. Discussions of aesthetics are on the other hand traditionally kept within the area of fine arts. Considering that both usability and aesthetics are of big importance in people’s lives, it is astonishing to find that their relationship has not been fully explored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to, with interfaces of a Volvo Logistics environmental calculation tool, explore whether aesthetics (in the form of visual beauty) would affect the perceived usability of a system. Hence, the question of research has been whether a visually attractive user interface will be perceived as more usable than a less attractive one when usability/functionality is kept constant? (Or in more general terms; is beautiful more usable?) To achieve this, two interfaces with the same functionality but with different levels of visual beauty were designed and used in an experiment where participants rated perceived usability and appearance. The results of the experiment were expected; participants perceived the better looking interface as more usable whereas actual usability appears to have been constant.

The ultimate objective of this study was to establish whether female celebrities portray the beauty ideal and have influence over young females today. The literature review presents an analysis of feminism, beauty ideals, self-­‐ objectification, and the influence of media and celebrities, in an attempt to establish whether celebrity images are of a ‘self-­‐made’ hypersexual nature and whether these images influence young females’ self-­‐concept and role in society. The literature was further triangulated with a combination of primary and secondary data. Images of females within the famous Kardashian/Jenner family were studied in an attempt to understand how female celebrities portray themselves today. Furthermore, a focus group was conducted in an attempt to understand whether female youths are to some extent influenced by female celebrities. Through the research conducted it was evident that female role stereotypes still prevail in contemporary media. Furthermore, two themes prevailed throughout the study, which was that women can use their bodies for profit and as a means of power, and the conflicting nature of femininity versus feminism today. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / zkgibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

This thesis explores the way Willa Cather’s writing parallels visual art’s tenebrism – a dramatic way of illuminating a single person, object or idea by juxtaposing light against dark. Throughout her career, Cather uses this technique to convey truths relating to self realization, aestheticism, spirituality, and social awakening.

Realizing the need on the part of the general public for a better background for selection of useful household objects that combine utility and beauty of line, the author planned an exhibition in an attempt to develop a community awareness to good design in useful objects available in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The importance of body image in marketing comunications. The comparison of ideal and real beauty measures using clustering method and MML-TGI data.

The master's thesis elaborates on the width of roles social media can play for beauty businesses. Major social channels predominantly used in beauty care marketing are identified and investigated, specifically in terms of their statistical importance, role within the social media strategy and potential for use in this particular industry. The practical part of the thesis deals with a case study regarding social media strategy in a specific area of the beauty care business -- professional hair care. The social media presence of the Henkel brands in question - Schwarzkopf Professional and Indola -- is analysed in comparison to their competition and recommendations are outlined with specific focus on CZ in their applicability. The given conclusions could be beneficial for many other beauty brands aiming to enhance their social media presence.