We live in a surgical society, and we’re reminded of this every day. Every time we open a magazine or have a look at videos, social media, reality TV…there is some kind of story that talks about cosmetic surgery.

When I tell people that my research focuses on cosmetic surgery, they usually ask me what that has to do with education. This is fair question—outwardly, there seems to be little connection. But the two topics are actually intimately linked. When you’re growing up, finding and defining your identity is hugely important, and there are lots of factors that contribute to this process: your friends, your school experience, your cultural background, the subcultures you associate with… and, of course, your appearance.

Today, statistics, news and social media from all over the world suggest that there is an increasing trend of young people turning to cosmetic surgery in search of attractiveness, individuality and identity. This research is timely and relevant—while there is research being done in Australia about the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery among teenagers and young adults, little has a specific education focus. This is where 'Operation Belle' comes in.

In my project, I aim to capture young women's voices and develop a resource that will enable secondary students, teachers and parents to navigate a complex topic which is fast becoming a mainstream phenomenon. ‘Operation Belle’ seeks to interview young women to discover their perceptions of cosmetic surgery. I want to find out what they think about it, what stories about cosmetic surgery they read, see and hear, how they talk about cosmetic surgery with their peers and others, how this topic makes them feel and what relevance this topic has to their lives. Most importantly, I want to discover how they make sense of the often confusing discussions around cosmetic surgery and identity, and how they come to form their views on this issue.

Connect with Operation Belle

Operation Belle’ has two goals:
1. To interview young women about their perceptions of cosmetic surgery. Initially, I'ii interview a group of 10–12 participants to discover their views. These interviews will be transcribed and analysed, and I’ll present my findings in the project report.
2. To collate these interviews as a series of educational videos, which will be complemented by a resource booklet with additional materials and activities. These resources will be made availabe to schools across Victoria and Australia, to explore cosmetic surgery more deeply and to contribute to a more complex understanding.

What different funding amounts will mean:
$7,000 – Not only a woman's world:
We can extend ‘Operation Belle’ to include ‘Operation Beau’. For 'Operation Beau', we’ll crank up our efforts to recruit young men as research participants. Interviews with young men would add diversity of perspectives to a topic mainly discussed by women, about women.
$10,000 – Easier access:
We can set up a website where the videos and resource booklet, and additional online activities would be only one click away for schools to use.

Cosmetic surgery is a highly personal issue. With ‘Operation Belle’, I’m not interested in supporting or discrediting any particular views, or labelling cosmetic surgery as ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. What I am interested in is talking to young women about how they make sense of the topic. I want to listen to their stories and represent their voices. Whether interview participants have undergone cosmetic surgery procedures or not won’t be a focus of this research—anyone who wants to share their views on the topic is welcome to participate, as my goal is to collect a diverse range of opinions. Interviews will be conducted on an individual basis, to enable participants to speak freely.

As always, time is of the essence! The crowdfunding race is on from 26 October to 9 December 2015 (45 days!). Support the project and make 'Operation Belle' happen!