How Do I Look? Exploring the Role of Others in Shaping a New Mother's Identity and Appearance

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2017-01-01
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Brown, Victoria
Hodges, Nancy
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International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) Annual Conference Proceedings
Iowa State University Conferences and Symposia

The first national meeting of textile and clothing professors took place in Madison, Wisconsin in June 1959. With a mission to advance excellence in education, scholarship and innovation, and their global applications, the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is a professional and educational association of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education.

This site provides free, public access to the ITAA annual conference proceedings beginning in 2015. Previous proceedings can be found by following the "Additional ITAA Proceedings" link on the left sidebar of this page.

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According to Symbolic Interaction (SI) theory, an individual's identity is shaped through interactions with others (Stone, 1962). This study examines the influence of others on a new mother's appearance and identity development through the lens of SI theory. A qualitative approach was used to address current gaps in academic literature regarding this topic. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 women who were mothers for the first time within six months of recruitment. The study reveals that whether it is a spouse, mother, or friend who is influencing the new mother, another person's assessment of how she looks is an important part of identifying herself as a new mother. Thus, findings shed additional light on the role of others in shaping identity through appearance (Stone, 1962). Results indicate that retailers should provide peer-based shopping incentives that prompt social comparison and consider the importance of word-of-mouth advertising among this consumer group.

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