In order to explain the effects of these contests, the history of beauty pageants will be addressed to give a cultural and social context. Second, the history of beauty pageants for babies and children will be discussed. Finally, some of the negative influences of these contests on younger children will be discussed using social learning and construction of reality theories.

The History of Beauty Pageants

The history of beauty pageants can be traced to 1920s, although some scholars believe they began in the 1850s, and some even argue that beauty pageants originated in ancient Greece. On a surface level, pageants were designed to celebrate women's beauty and their place in society, they clearly objectified women's bodies and created stereotypes about accepted beauty ideals. Including Miss America, Miss ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles