Prettyville, Uglytown & Freecity
By ANNA DECOENE & SANNEKE MANDJES
What if equality doesn’t have a limit? Or the other side: what if equality does not exist?
The factor of inequality in our society has so far always been inescapable. As human beings, we always had a compartmentalised society. People are being compared and judged hierarchically.
Beauty ideals are a tool used to push people into these boxes. Ever since the time of colonisation, these ideals have been deeply rooted in society. They determine connections people make, as well as job opportunities.
Imagine not getting a job because of your appearance… Well, this is very realistic today.
There is also a lot of inequality in the educational system. Opportunities are missed because of differences in origin and wealth. There are children and young people who are educationally behind because they cannot afford technology. Weirdly enough, opportunities are also missed out because of the strict beauty ideals.
In a world of unequal opportunities, we look at two extreme, allegorical scenarios within the Western society. One is out of control and the other seems like the ultimate utopia. So, we pose the following questions: What if beauty determines all your educational opportunities? And what if your beauty and level of education no longer matter?
Our aim is to place the socially sustainable New Optimist brand in our scenarios and discover how they will apply their ideology in this utopia and dystopia
Credits
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