The Awareness of Social Nudism 1n Modern Society - University of ...

opposed to being that of a sex object, then the child will have a better chance of forming a
positive attitude about himself and the human body. 6
One would not argue that we are born into this world naked and unashamed.
Babies and small children are obviously indifferent to nudity and except for the necessity to
stay warm, could care less about wearing clothes. Seeing others naked seems to have little
or no affect on children either. So why are Naturists looked upon with disdain. Most likely
because some people associate the unclothed body primarily with sex, and since sex in
public places is considered wrong, so is social nudism. Naturists do not exploit their naked
bodies for the sake of sexual gratification in public or private places. Naturists just enjoy
being naked, it feels natural to them, and since they have such high levels of body
acceptance, do not judge others by physical appearances, scoffing at the concept that one
must possess or reinvent the perfect body. Cosmetic enhancements such as breast
augmentations, tummy tucks, liposuction, botox injections and face lifts entice Americans to
spend millions of dollars every year in the quest for the youthful perfect body. Often times
we hear or see advertisements geared towards a product's likelihood of enhancing one's sex
appeal. For example, clothing, hair care products, teeth whitening procedures, and even
certain makes of automobiles, all of which usually involves a young attractive male or
female promoting not only the product, but a certain image too. Naturists on the other hand
are more in tune with themselves, thereby eliminating the need to impress others.
A recent visit to two well known book stores in an attempt to aid me in my studies
on social nudism proved to be very enlightening. Sadly to say I did not come home with any
relevant books pertaining to the subject of Naturists. However, I do feel that it is worth
6 Ibid.
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