Chiara Piazzesi is Professor of Sociology at the University of Quebec in Montreal. She is the author of three books and the editor of five volumes, all published in French or Italian. Her research focuses on digital practices and forms of sociability, intimate relationships, and gender issues.
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Walking the Tightrope
Chapter One: The Paradoxes of Beauty
The Worth Paradox
The Authenticity Paradox
The Power Paradox
The Commitment Paradox
What Is a Pragmatic Paradox?
Conclusion: Negotiating the Paradoxes of Beauty
Chapter Two: Beauty, Wellness, and Authenticity
Where Is Beauty Situated?
Traditional Discourses on Beauty, Health, and Morals
The Paradoxes of Wellness and Self-Care
Natural Beauty and the Authenticity Paradox
Where Does "Feeling Beautiful" Really Come From?
Conclusion: Normative Authenticity
Chapter Three: Commitment and Investment
Investing Money and Time
The Salience of Hair and Makeup
Committing to Thinking, Planning, and Judging
The Day as a Measure of Beauty
Conclusion: How Much Is Enough?
Chapter Four:Time, Aging, and Motherhood
Being Young
Being No Longer Young
Motherhood
The Intergenerational Gaze
Conclusion: The Temporality of Beauty
Chapter Five: Work and Social Life
Beauty and Sociability
Working with Beauty
Favours and Privileges
Conclusion: Uncertain Gains
Chapter Six: Selfies and the Digital World
The Place of Beauty in Selfies
The Paradox of the "Narcissistic" Selfie
The Authenticity Paradox and the Selfie-Taking Online Persona
Conclusion: Negotiating Visibility
Conclusion: Beauty and the Paradoxes of Women's Subjectivity
Appendix A: Introducing the Participants
Appendix B: Methodological Design and Procedure
Bibliography
