Are societal norms there for a reason? (N205: 4-8)

Here is another entry for you all.  As you can tell it may take me quite a bit of time to continue to write posts as I don't really have a schedule or deadline.  I know that there are a lot of Christians reading this and if you haven't read the whole "205 Arguments" document you should check out the section starting at Argument 180.  I'm grateful for all the feedback I got on my previous post and I am excited to share another post with you all.

This section starting with argument 4 is titled "Naturism promotes mental health".

Argument 4

4. A nudist is not a body lacking something (that is, clothing). Rather, a clothed person is a whole and complete naked body, plus clothes.

I don't see how this one relates to mental health.  Additionally, the logic in this one is funny.  N is not B - C but B + C is CP.  I think the point that is trying to be made is that nudists are the same as everyone.  They are just the only ones without clothes.  But everyone has a naked body.

Argument 5

5. Many psychologists say that clothing is an extension of ourselves. The clothes we wear are an expression of who we are. [4] The Naturist’s comfort with casual nudity, therefore, represents an attitude which is comfortable with the self as it is in its most basic state, without modification or deceit.

We all want a sense of identity.  Our state of dress is one way of showing an identity, how we want to present ourselves.  However, being nude is the purest expression of self as it is the part of ourselves that we cannot easily change.

Is this incorrect? How can I prove this wrong? I most certainly want to avoid praising nudism throughout the entirety of this blog series.  Let's reword it in the negative and see if we can find any ground to stand on:

Many psychologists say that clothing is not an extension of ourselves. The clothes we wear are not an expression of who we are.  The Naturist's comfort with casual nudity, therefore, represents an attitude which is not comfortable with the self as it is in its most basic state, without modification or deceit.

So "clothing is not an extension," it is "not an expression of who we are," and naturist's "comfort with casual nudity" shows they are "not comfortable with the self in its most basic state...".  All three of these expressions sound wrong and illogical.

Citations for Argument 5

Citation 4: from Fashion and eroticism—ideals of feminine beauty from the Victorian era to the Jazz Age by Valerie Steele

But, above all, clothing and adornment are significant because of their intimate connection with the self. Clothing expresses a particular image of the physical body, the individual's self-awareness, and his or her social being. I have used the expression "the ideal self," because the individual (whether consciously or not) chooses the style of dress that he or she feels presents the "best" image of the self- within, of course, the limits of contemporary possibilities and personal resources.

I think this citation very keenly expresses Argument 5.  I think clothing is a great expression of self; however I dislike that there is a requirement on us to follow rules of society that require to continuously acquire clothing through inheritance (which we can't control) and purchase (which we can control but it takes away from our ability to be able to pay for other things).

See also the book "Why You Wear What You Do" from Dimensions of Dress and Adornment—a Book of Readings

Argument 6

6. Clothes-compulsiveness creates insecurity about one’s body. Studies show that nudism, on the other hand, promotes a positive body self-concept. [5]

These effects are especially significant for women. Studies by Daniel DeGoede in 1984 confirmed research done 16 years earlier [6], which established that “of all the groups measured (nudist males, non-nudist males, nudist females, and non-nudist females), the nudist females scored highest on body concept, and the non-nudist females scored lowest.” [7]

It would be nice to see how those studies by DeGoede played out in detail.  The reference to the study is there, but I don't have access to read through it.

From what I can tell, there cannot be an argument made that there is not a serious problem in our society of people hating or being ashamed of their bodies.  And although I can't reference them, I have read several anecdotes of people who used to have body shame, that when they spent more time nude, they began to see what a blessing their body was.  I have yet to see this not be the case.  And truly this is the biggest issues with females, potentially because of the emphasis on them having higher standards to meet the norm of appearance, as opposed to men.

How can you love something about yourself when everyone tells you to cover it up and hide it?

Citations for Argument 6

Citation 5 from Journal of Psychology, Vol 118: "Comparisons of Body Self-Concept Between Social Nudists and Non Nudists" by Marilyn Story

Citation 6 from Psycological reports, Vol 23.3: "Body Concern, Body Image and Nudity" by Leonard Blank, A. Arthur Sugerman, and Lane Roosa.

Citation 7 from DeGoede, Daniel L. "Social Nudism and Body Concept." Diss. Saybrook Institute, 1984., also related research cited from Journal of Sex Research, Vol 31.2: "Psychosocial aspects of female topless behavior on Australian beaches" by Edward Herold, Bruna Corbesi, and John Collins.

Argument 7

7. Nudism promotes wholeness of body, rather than setting aside parts of the body as unwholesome and shameful. [8]

What comes to mind when I read this is that nudism allows us not to take our bodies for granted.  I haven't come to the religious arguments yet (those start around Argument 180 for those who want to jump ahead), but to me the body is a precious gift created in the image of God who is a perfect being.  How can we say that parts of His image can cause harm and should be hidden?  Wouldn't He want us to appreciate and admire the entire gift that He gave us?

I'll do another negation here:

Nudism does not promote wholeness of body, instead it sets aside parts of the body as unwholesome and shameful.

Again, it sounds wrong.  How can nudism set aside "parts of the body" as "unwholesome and shameful"?

Citation for Argument 7

Citation 8 from Journal of Psychology, Vol 118: "Comparisons of Body Self-Concept Between Social Nudists and Nonnudists" by Marilyn Story.

Argument 8

8. Clothes-compulsiveness locks us into a constant battle between individuality and conformity of dress. Nudity frees us from this anxiety, by fostering a climate of comfortable individuality without pretense

This comes down to me as "you can express yourself as you like; but not that way."  There are so many invented rules as a society for what is acceptable for someone to wear in specific situations.  It is so much easier to express your individuality with your body because every body is unique.

We went over this in argument 5 a bit, but it is frustrating when there are societal norms that require acquisition of clothing.  How can one fully express themselves, when money or connections is a gatekeeper to do so?

Thanks for reading.  Some of my citations I couldn't quote directly in this one as the document referenced the entire document instead of a small citation of it.  So feel free to go check all those out. Also please leave feedback, either in the comments or in email, my entire intention with writing these blog posts is to generate discussion as this is a subject many people are afraid to approach.  I hope you are all having a lovely day!