Description
Book SynopsisMiss India competition has become a prominent feature of Indian popular culture, influencing, over time, the conventional standard for female beauty. Through the lens of the 2003 beauty pageant, the author examines what feminine beauty has come to mean in a country transformed by political, economic, and cultural developments.
Trade ReviewDewey presents a complex portrait of what it means to both negotiate and perform ‘Miss India.’ Her sections on the young women who are the pageant contestants is fascinating, as is her description of the training program designed to turn otherwise ordinary young women into symbols of Indian beauty and femininity. . . . A captivating glimpse into the unique way in which a nation positions itself in a global society. Recommended. Dewey provides a persuasive account of the complex interconnection between globalization, nation, and gender through the detailed analysis of the Miss India pageant. . . . Highly accessible and well supported with rich ethnographic data and illustrations.
