Desintha Dwi Asriani, a lecturer at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FISIPOL UGM), has recently published her latest scholarly article titled “A Bodily Capital: The Practice of Body Modification and Gender Performativity Among Asian Young Women and Men” in the Journal of Applied Youth Studies, published by Springer Nature.
This study delves into the practices of body modification — such as tattoos, piercings, and cosmetic surgery — among young people in South Korea and Indonesia, and examines their connection to gender performativity and social mobility. Using a qualitative approach through interviews and observations, the article presents a comparative analysis of how the body is perceived as both symbolic and economic capital within the rapidly growing consumer cultures of Asia.
The research finds that in South Korea, body modification is often viewed as a form of bodily investment that reflects aspirations for a modern lifestyle. The body becomes a commodity, a status symbol, and a tool for aligning oneself with the demands of an evolving visual culture.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, similar practices are linked to maintaining social class mobility. Beyond lifestyle, body modification here is deeply intertwined with moral and cultural discourses, generating new interpretations of gender identity, social class, and the fluidity of masculine and feminine norms.
The article also highlights how these practices can serve as spaces for young people to challenge traditional cultural boundaries regarding gender and self-expression — while opening possibilities for cross-cultural exchanges in body aesthetics.