Cathectic mechanisms of cosmetic surgery: Operation and recovery as a ritual‐like process

Abstract

Cultural sociology undertheorizes the emotional dimension of culture. In this study, I use the case of invasive cosmetic surgery to develop conceptual tools for filling this gap. Cosmetic surgery (i) brings a prominent and complex change in meanings of the self and the social image that goes far beyond mere appearance; and (ii) it involves intensive emotions of suffering, anxiety, and excitement. These two features reveal key similarities that cosmetic surgery shares with Victor Turner's model of the ritual of passage. I apply it to the case at hand and show that these emotions, which are usually either neglected or seen as mere ‘side effects’ of surgery, strongly affect meaning‐making related to cosmetic operations, meanings of the self, and broader aesthetic conventions. To zoom into these hidden processes, I introduce a sketch of a Durkheimian theory of cathexis that enables us to recognize cultural, cognitive, and emotional mechanisms of cosmetic surgery's ‘extraphysical effects.’ I illustrate my approach using open data from Internet forums of cosmetic surgery consumers and other evidence from existing literature.