I believe that advances in technology is the primary causal factor that contributes to modern day women's obsession with body image that correlates with eating disorders, anorexia, and bulimia. Sociologist William Ogburn (1922, 1964) coined the term cultural lag to describe the imbalance between technological progress and the norms, values, and traditional beliefs that a particular group of people hold that unites a society. Non-material culture is the intangible things such as morals, ethics and how people feel about something. Material culture is objects that are tangible that we can touch such as cell phone, computers, mirrors, art, and television for example. Simply stated we first create the material object before we create the rules on how we will manipulate or use the object that is ethically fair to society in general.
For example, we created the car before traffic laws, driver's license and age limits. Scientist created birth control methods that conflict with some religious beliefs and traditional family values. When scientist created birth control, they probably were not contemplating the pro life and pro choice debate. When humans first create the material objects such as the Internet, weapons of mass destruction and cosmetic surgery most likely they did not or could not take into consideration how these material and technological advances would impact the values, norms, morals and beliefs that would lag behind their material inventions.
For example, we created the car before traffic laws, driver's license and age limits. Scientist created birth control methods that conflict with some religious beliefs and traditional family values. When scientist created birth control, they probably were not contemplating the pro life and pro choice debate. When humans first create the material objects such as the Internet, weapons of mass destruction and cosmetic surgery most likely they did not or could not take into consideration how these material and technological advances would impact the values, norms, morals and beliefs that would lag behind their material inventions.