從來「美貌」即是女性最為關注的課題之一，而傳播媒體的推波助瀾，更助長了美貌意識的盛行，尤以標榜女性為「唯一閱聽人」的女性雜誌為最。本研究即以女性主義精神為本，試圖以兩種不同的理論觀點來解讀女性雜誌：一是以批判理論觀點來分析女性雜誌建構的「美貌」，一是用後現代理論觀點來解析女性讀者使用女性雜誌所得到的愉悅。本研究採取質性研究方法，分別採用符號學分析法來分析女性雜誌文本，以及深度訪談法對十位讀者進行讀者研究。 根據文本分析的結果，研究者將女性雜誌所象徵的美貌意涵歸類為三大項，即（一）高級出眾的時尚品味（二）完美無瑕的身體髮膚和（三）撩動人心的性感風情。女性雜誌成功地運用各種符號，交織出一個面貌單一且為男性所喜的美貌形象，並強說這一切是女性之所欲，用以召喚女性讀者。而從讀者訪談的結果發現，女性雜誌確實在其生活中扮演重要角色，帶給她們許多愉悅，是她們理想自我和生活的投射；她們也多認同女性雜誌披露的美貌論述，並身體力行，為美貌付出諸多心力。然而，她們不免落入了某些美貌迷思，而這些迷思似乎正和女性雜誌的論調如出一轍。 在後現代的氛圍中，愉悅的享受被正當化了，女人的愉悅更不再受到壓抑，擁抱愉悅，展現自我，正是時下女性致力追求的。本研究願以開放的態度來看待女性愛美的心理，也樂見女性享受閱讀女性雜誌的種種樂趣，只是在資本主義和父權體制的層層重圍之下，女性如何能活得更自在快樂，或許還有很長的一段路要走。 / "Beauty" is always one of the topics that women are most concerned with. Mass media, especially women's magazines focussing on a "women-only" audience, adds to the push for beauty consciousness. The thesis is based on the spirit of feminism, and attempts to decode women's maganizes with two different theories: first, to analyse the construction of "beauty" in women's magazines by critical theory; second, to interpret female readers' pleasure from using women's magazines by applying postmodem theory. Qualitative research methods are applied in this study by using Semiology to analyze text language in women's maganizes, and the "in-depth interview" method to research 10 readers. According to the results of text analysis, the researcher classifies the meaning of beauty in women's magazines into three categories. They are: (1) haute coutre and upscale fashion (2) perfect body (3) sensual pleasure and exquisite taste. Various signs are well exercised in women's magazines. They attract women readers by portraying a simple yet beautiful image that men prefer and advocate that this is the image that women have long pursued. From the interviews by the 10 readers, we found that female magazines play a key role and gives women pleasure in their daily lives. These magazines put up an ideal image that they can strive for. The readers are able to identify with the images created by the women's magazines and are devoted to working towards it. However, they are also inevitably sucker into a beauty myth that magazines try to paint. Amid post-modern context, pursuing pleasure is justified. Women are no more being suppressed in pursuing pleasure and engaging in self-development, which are what modern female have long endeavoured. The thesis attempts to look at the psychological aspect of what women expect from their beauty consciousness and the pleasure they derive from female magazines. However, under pressure from capitalism and patriarchy, there might be still a long way to go before women can live a free and happy life.

本研究探討小資女的微整型風潮，主要由兩大部分構成全文。第一部分是藉由台灣美容歷史的梳理，凸顯1990年代後由醫學主導的美容場域所塑造出的自然美神話。這神話使得選擇微整型實作的個人從自我認同到人際互動，多少都承載著自然美的價值去展演、觀看。透過訪談，本文進而揭示以微整型為日常保養的小資女，當她們在職場中從面試到工作與團體相處時，是如何發揮那隱而不見的「針」功夫，又如何以各種互動和對話技巧規避他人對自我外貌變化的猜疑。此外，本文也指出小資女身處在美容資訊隨處可見、選擇看似無窮的環境中，其個人決定如何在社會凝視下擺盪。應用Goffman的戲劇互動論，本文指出她們在職場上的儀式行為，尤其探問到在不同職場文化中的自我如何已經成為可以彈性形塑並要求改變的符號-物，甚至連同服裝及儀容也必須轉換為應當的儀式表達。 　　第二部分則是從自然美神話裡的矛盾元素去探究醫療細微化的科技視野下所呈現的當代生活。透過訪談，本文初步揭示女性在神話結構當中對於自然美的渴求，並且藉由微整型實作完成神話的矛盾要素。應用Baudrillard的消費社會觀，本文指出當女性在尋求差異以強調自我獨特性時，卻正相反地在迎合社會的共同性價值。此處除了小資女的自我敘述之外，本文也結合理論文獻及二手資料進階探究自然美形塑過程的三大面向，亦即物質技術、廣告消費和數位微整型。首先，我們基於物質、技術與醫師經驗等三個判準，將當前四大微整型技術劃出一條自然光譜。其次，我們從醫美診所的廣告文宣，梳理其中針對微整形技術的自然主張，了解業者的自然宣稱及消費者的自然認知。第三，我們還探討了電腦技術下的數位修圖以便凸顯出微整形的自然美意涵。從數位攝影的普及到網路平台的展演，我們在數位自拍與修圖等虛擬真實的媒介實作中探索自然美神話的疆界。 / This research comprised of two parts studies the emerging trend of cosmetic surgery practiced by young working females in Taiwan. In the first part, a short history of cosmetic practices is outlined to mark the formation of a myth of natural beauty since medical science and technology dominated the traditional field of cosmetic practices in the late 1990s. The myth makes the individual who has gone through cosmetic surgery carry the value of natural beauty while regarding one’s self-identity and performing in social interactions. Through in-depth interviews, the study shows that these young working females who have made cosmetic surgery an integral part of their daily beauty maintenance tend to exercise subtle strategies (art or kung-fu) of simulation, acting and interacting as if their beauty were all natural and real beyond suspicion at work-related situations. In addition, our study finds that personal decisions struggle constantly with the injunction of the social value (of natural beauty) as these young females are exposed to an excessive array of beauty information and surgery options. With resort to Goffman's theory of dramaturgical interaction, this study reveals some interaction rituals performed in different workplaces by these young working females. As a result, the individual self has itself become a sign-object malleable to change along with proper ways of clothing and grooming. The second part proceeds to explore contemporary living under the miniaturized purview of medical technology through the contradictory elements embodied in the myth of natural beauty. Once again drawing on in-depth interviews, the study reveals the female desire of natural beauty derived from the mythical structure, as well as their practices of cosmetic surgery which further realizes those contradictory elements in reproducing the myth. By applying Baudrillard’s theory of the consumer society, this study indicates that the more women intend to stress on their unique selves by marking out individual differences, the more they unintentionally cater to the common value of our society. In this regard, our study, apart from the self reports of interviewees, also combines theoretical discourses and secondary data to further explore the natural beauty process in its three main aspects, which might be termed as the cosmetic surgery of the material (technique), the representational (advertising) and the digital (social media). First, we delineate a spectrum of naturalism for the four major techniques of cosmetic surgery based on substance, technology and experience of the physician. Second, we examine the clinical claims and the consumer perceptions of nature shaped by advertising images and slogans circulated in the beauty industry. Third, we observe the trend of digital retouching with computer technology to sharpen the meaning of natural beauty in the practice of cosmetic surgery. From the relay of digital photography to the display of internet platform, we explore the mythical frontier of natural beauty by witnessing the digital retouching of selfies as a mediatory practice of virtual reality.

網路相簿社群是本地新興的網路現象，本研究透過參與觀察與深度訪談，針對TaipeiLink和無名小站網路相簿社群進行觀察，旨在探究相簿社群內成員的使用行為、群內互動，以及「容貌」對社群權位分配的影響與效應。 研究發現，使用者最常於網路相簿中從事「觀看」與「發表」兩種行動。使用者透過發表影像╱文字訊息，在網路相簿中建構個人所欲呈現的形象，再經觀看彼此認識，並作為互動基礎。其中，男性關注相簿主的容貌與身材，渴望獲取感官性的愉悅滿足，女性則對圖片細節，諸如打扮、情境、身邊人物多所注意，還會透過觀看連結自身經驗，從中獲取想像式參與的愉悅。 其次，網路相簿社群因人數眾多、連結不均，內部呈現鬆散的互動關係。使用者因此會另覓管道發展出小型群體關係，形成社群內尚有次社群存在，以及次社群內部關係緊密、外部關係疏離的情景。 再者，相簿社群內尚存有權位差異；相簿主的容貌、技能、生活風格與互動意願，都是影響使用者在社群內所能據居位置差異的關鍵。值得注意的是，這些特徵與使用者在實體世界持具的資本相關，因而呈現出「實體資本-->虛擬資本-->虛擬社群內的權位差異」間的轉換關係。權位差異終將助長群內（1）依附之風、（2）反權力行為，與（3）寒蟬效應的出現，最終會導致社群生態發生變化，成員參與行動出現轉變。 網路相簿的興起帶動新的互動方式興起，突顯了「容貌」和實體資本都將成為網路權力的來源。而這種憑藉影像相互認識的行為，雖賦使相簿主更多操控可能，但也使得觀看者可自由詮釋影像，甚至產生與相簿主悖逆的詮釋內容，進而演變為觀看者和相簿主對影像意義的爭奪，為網路相簿社群埋下不定的風險。