Socio-Political and Feminist Perspectives

I do think we need to see how, in Schutz's early work, she seems to, perhaps, naively assume the individual is the center force in the construction piece (private acts), while in her newer works she makes explicit, what the contemporary psychological theorist, Erie Bronfenbrenner references as the macro-level -- the social political influences on the micro and mesosystem -- social structures and values influence our human development -- our own ability to construct or reconstruct identity.

For feminists, what is “personal is political.” So should we take this piece and preface it as a feminist piece?

If so, one does have to look at the role of commercialization and other social, structural forces which make girls and women question body image---Is Surgery a question about body image and the reconstruction of it? It is a curiosity of young women to see what a female body looks like? Unlike Shutz’s original theme, are these girls objectified?

Further, is identity static-- or fluid -- constantly in flux due to the changing social interactions and role expectations (e.g, sociologists like Goffman’s or as discussed earlier Mead)?

Are the “surgeons” deconstructing in order to reconstruct? Note that one of the girls is sewing up what was “dismantled”…If so, what is the new reconstruction? What comes to mind is the Black feminist Audre Lorde's "The Master's tools will never dismantle the master's house"—meaning, using present legal and social system-it's hard to take apart a defective system by following it's rules—still patriarchic in structure and social acts when there is just cosmetic change. Need to consider race and gender both. (Note the diversity of the females being represented—which is also essential in more deeply understanding Lorde).

Is this act symbolically a way to free these girls of gender divisions on multiple (private and public) levels? Is it freeing young girls of stereotypes, gender expectations, historical and cultural inequalities?