The associate professor of communications studied the impact women's magazines had on the acceptance of cosmetic surgery.
Clark co-authored the study with a colleague from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The research used discourse analysis of three women’s magazines in an effort to determine how the publications contributed the the normalization of cosmetic surgery. The abstract for the research is below
“The dominant way of thinking over these three decades is that cosmetic surgery is effective and safe for every woman (regardless of age) who wants to achieve personal, financial, or romantic success. The dangers of these procedures, however, are not explicitly articulated but simply implied. Moreover, opposing messages, including risk alerts and ‘be realistic’ caveats, ironically contribute to the normalization of cosmetic surgery by offering the reader a glimpse into another world that may become a reality for them. The findings indicate that the history of magazine coverage likely reinforces the norm that natural and artificial body parts can be blended to overcome the biologically inherited limitations of one’s physical self.”
Clark won the School of Communications Faculty Excellence Award in Scholarship in May.