This research project focuses on service providers, whose work is concerned with the body beautiful. We ask how body workers (hairdressers, beauty therapists, nail stylists, etc.) interpret and force the desire for beauty and attractiveness.

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Renate Liebold
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 322152234

This research project focuses on service providers, who do body work in order to create the desired look clients ask for and fulfill the promises, which are connected to looking good. Representatives for this growing and booming beauty market are for example hairdressers, beauty therapists, nail stylists and tattoo artists whose work centers around the body beautiful. According to cultural and sociological research this body turn depicts a social change that is headlined by the message that appearence and look are main ressources for success and happiness. However, so far the role of these service workers within this cultural process has not been analysed thoroughly. Therefore this question serves as the starting point for our research project. We ask how body workers interpret and force the desire for beauty and attractiveness. What are the qualifications and (body)knowledge they are bringing in? What professional self understanding do they acquire and what are characteristics of this type of body work? A further aspect of analysis is whether the service providers themselves also produce these demands (for beauty) and as a result define and construct ideas of beautification and attractiveness? As research methods we will use a combination of biographical narrative interviews and ethnography.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Rainer Trinczek