Plastic Surgery

The Social Construction of Teenage Plastic Surgery Liposuction, rhinoplasty, breast implants. These are common procedures… for teenagers? In this paper, I will show how teenage plastic surgery has been constructed as a social problem. Many of the usual elements in problem construction, such as statistics and the quadrangle of claims-makers, have been used in establishing this as a problem. Their significance in establishing this problem will be discussed. Claims-makers are essential to constructing a social …

…of teenage plastic surgery as a social problem. Image yourself as an overweight, flat-chested teen. You open up your favorite magazine only to see its pages filled with tall, beautiful, thin, and "perfect" models. Before calling the local plastic surgeon, consider why you want to change your body. Societal pressures have caused many teens to feel the need to surgically alter their appearance. This pressure and its effects has been constructed as a social problem.