Evolving Host Socio-Demographical Determinants Towards Himalayan Handicraft Industry

Himachal Pradesh is widely known for its beauty, culture and heritage. The handicrafts of this region maintain cultural integrity among themselves and show it to the rest of the world. This paper aims to investigate the dynamics of socio-demographic variables based on community based host motivators (CBHM) involved in handicraft tourism in Himachal Pradesh. To conduct this study, a field survey of 277 members of the host community was piloted from December (2020) to January (2021) using a structured questionnaire. Four factors of motivation at the community level were derived: tourism, government efforts, advertising and social indicators, and employment indicators. The results highlighted the relationship between government efforts and all CBHMs; qualifications strongly influenced tourism, government efforts and advertising factors; while government initiatives have greatly contributed to the empowerment of women. In contrast, the nuclear family has more decision-making power than the joint family with regard to CBHMs.

Authenticity, uniqueness and talent: Gay male beauty influencers in post-queer, postfeminist Instagram beauty culture

The emblematic rise of the female Instagram influencer has been understood as exemplifying shifts in postfeminist and neoliberal frameworks of femininity. Yet, the central place of gay men in postfeminist beauty culture and its intersection with ‘post-queer’ culture have so far escaped considered attention. In this article, we examine the performance of femininity by four of the top gay male influencers in Instagram beauty culture, Jeffree Star, James Charles, Bretman Rock and Patrick Starrr, whose followings make them as or even more popular than their most high-profile female counterparts. These influencers are notable for their visibility, fame and authority in beauty culture on Instagram, a space populated primarily by girls and women, with its focus on the application of makeup. We explore how the production of femininity by these gay male beauty influencers demonstrates a key, yet relatively unexplored relationship between postfeminist conditions of visibility and the mainstreaming of queer male identities, suggesting that this cultural space of shifting power relations positions a privileged subset of gay men as equal, if not more compelling, in fulfilling contradictory postfeminist demands of authenticity, individuality and femininity.

Effectiveness of Beauty Culture Trainings towards Sustainable Livelihood

Sustainable livelihood emerges at the intersection of development and environmental studies to offer a new way to think about work, especially the work of vulnerable populations. The term reflects a concern with extending the focus of poverty studies beyond the physical manifestations of poverty to include also vulnerability and social exclusion. Trainings help them in securing a better livelihood. Beauty culture is one of such avenues for self-employment, which require less of basic and technical education, minimum infrastructure and moderate financial needs. The study was conducted in Hisar district in Haryana state purposively with 120 respondents selected randomly from four training centers under PMKVY. Effectiveness of training was assessed in terms of utility and coverage. Results showed that maximum utility score was for hygiene in makeup aspect, good grooming in personality development and makeup in beauty services. Also, it was found that age, education and monthly income of family were found to be significantly associated with effectiveness of training. Also, it was found that training was considered highly useful in providing knowledge and skill on makeup.

One British Thing: The Hair Weavers Text-Book: A Study in the Art of Hair-Weaving and Beauty Culture (1967)

As part of the “One British Thing” series, this essay explores Ena V. McDonald's The Hair Weavers Text-Book, published in 1967, as a source for exploring Black women's intellectual histories in Britain during the twentieth century.

Synchronized Swimming in Ontario, 1920–50s: Gender, Beauty, and Sport

This article examines the history of synchronized swimming in Ontario, with a specific focus on Peterborough, between the 1920s and the 1950s. Two factors explain the rise and consolidation of “synchro” as a women’s sport in the period. The first factor relates to earlier changes in women’s sport in the interwar period, alongside the rise of modern hegemonic beauty culture. As synchro struggled for official recognition, coaches and swimmers embraced feminine beauty constructs to generate popularity for their sport. The second factor relates to the nationalistic approach to sport development in the 1940s and 1950s. Financial and ideological investment in sport as important for national health and physical fitness allowed synchro to grow and flourish. As exemplified by the Peterborough club, these two factors allowed Canadian women to play a formative role in the national and international development of synchro as a sport to produce fit and beautiful bodies.