Public Nudity
August 28th 2006 23:01
My experiences in Europe have opened my eyes to different cultures and the way that certain daily practices are considered fundamental in some cultures, yet in others they are frowned upon. This is especially true with public nudity. The beaches are full in the height of summer and comparing beaches in New Zealand with those in Europe are like chalk and cheese. Firstly I am not saying that I disapprove of nudity on beaches, but it takes getting used to.
In Sweden when I went on a recent holiday to the beach, I was amazed by the overall appearance of females on the beach. As a population they are very rich in slender blonde genes with fine facial features. The Swedes in general mainly wore bikinis although there were some people who went topless. Nothing is wrong with this. I just hate people who obviously partake in this practice looking for attention, and cringe if you lay your eyes anywhere near them. Is this not the reason for them partaking in such a practice?
This public nudity is also apparent in other parts of Europe, although it varies depending on the culture of people in that particular area. I recently visited Switzerland and they are far more reserved as people. They do not have as fine features as their northern European counterparts, but they more conservative as a result. They also wear far more on the beaches Do you think that public nudity is a sign of an attractive population?
This raises the interesting question of whether public nudity is part of a culture and embedded into young Europeans as children as being acceptable behaviour or do you think it is more of sexual practice seeking attention of other bathers as a grown up?
What is different about being naked in a sauna compared with naked on a beach?
Do so many Europeans not wear sunglasses on a beach to not appear to be perverts? Or do they just not want tan lines?
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Comment by SocialCommentator
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There is some thinking that because Scandinavians do sunbath in less clothing than the Swiss for example they ae generally more tanned. The media and society dictates that tan is attractive. Hilst you do get ttractive Indian and Chinese, you are bound to in a combined population of over 2 billion people. You wouldn't want to see as higher proportion of them in very minimal attire as you would the Swedes.
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Also, being tanned is attractive in the West... in many other countries, having tanned skin is considered ugly.
Comment by SocialCommentator
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Also you don't tend to get many obese Scandinavians either, they are in very good physical shape! They have small fine noses and very fine facial features. I would suggest I do find some Indians attractive and they are usually the ones who are slender but shapely.
I think skin colour only counts for part of the attraction of people.
This viewpoint is coming from someone from the Westernised society. A white heterosexual male!
Comment by Sisi
SocialCommentator, you've raised some interesting points but I think attractiveness is a very personal opinion. Perhaps you could argue that populations that view themselves as attractive are more prone to public nudity? I'm not sure how reasonable that would be...I really don't know what people's reasons are for partaking in public nudity.
Comment by SocialCommentator
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Although attractiveness is a personal opinion, some members of the opposite sex are considered attractive by more people than others.
Attractiveness changes with times, in Roman times it was bigger more voluptuous women who were sort after.
Guys generally don't sunbath naked, but only take their kit off hoping that females will do the same.
Females are usually more self conscious, but not so much in Europe it seems!
Comment by Bryn
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Comment by SocialCommentator
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Usually younger people are more conservative though!
Comment by Justin
Nude bathing or nudist colonies are mostly for middle-aged people who aren't as restricted to social norms as younger people are, i.e. what others think of them and more active in deciding on choices that fit themselves with a lesser extent to what other people may think of them for doing so.
Attraction and beauty is too subjective to rate by a passing glance test to warrant critical analysis.
Public nudity is cultural
Flashing is attention-seeking
The differnece of being naked in both a sauna vs a beach setting is about percieved control over what you can show and how many people will see.
And finally a large reason for going to the beach is for getting a tan thus taking off most of what you have to get the 'all-over' effect.