The Processes of Changing the Body in Eastern and Western Countries. A Comparative Perspective on the Development of Bodymodifications in Japan, Korea, Germany and America

This paper discusses changes in the social and economic spheres of the technologically developed eastern and western countries connected with body modifications. Nowadays, the rapid development of technology and science allows people not only to improve the quality of life but also to expand the range of human capabilities. In addition, people’s mindset is changing, including the idea of how the human body should look. The purpose of this study is to search and analyze the processes of body changes in western and eastern countries, assess the prospects for the development of the body modification phenomenon using the example of eastern and western countries: Japan, Republic of Korea, Germany and the USA. The main objectives are to identify trends and processes that unite modern society and body modification, as well as identify further prospects for the development of this phenomenon, considering global trends and socio-cultural characteristics of the regions. As a result, this study found out that body modifications can form new standards of the body and change the labour market, reducing the importance of traditional human capital. The scientific novelty of the study is to examine the relationship between the body modification phenomenon and the development of societies in eastern and western countries, particularly, technologically advanced countries. Keywords: body modifications, technologies, societies of eastern and western countries