In Depth
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Nudity

Nudity or nakedness is the state of wearing no clothing Clothing

Clothing is defined, in its broadest sense, as coverings for the torso and limbs as well as coverings fo... 

. It is sometimes used to refer to wearing significantly less clothing than expected by the conventions of a particular culture Culture

The word culture, from the Latin [i] colo, -ere, with its root meaning "to cultivate", generall ... 

 and situation, and in particular exposing the bare skin Skin

In zootomy [i] and dermatology [i], skin is an organ [i] of the integumentary system [i] made up ... 

 of intimate parts and has analogous uses.

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Timeline

1984   Vanessa Williams Vanessa L. Williams

Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American [i] R&B [i]/pop [i]/theatrical [i] ... 

 becomes the first Miss America Miss America

The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from th... 

 to resign when she surrenders her crown, after nude Nudity

Nudity or nakedness is the state of wearing no clothing [i]. ... 

 photos of her appear in "Penthouse Penthouse (magazine)

Penthouse, a men [i]'s magazine [i] founded by Bob Guccione [i], combines urban lifestyle articles a ... 

" magazine.


Quotations

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

-Authorized Version (King James Version) of the Bible, Genesis 2:25

If people were meant to run around naked, they wouldn't have been born wearing clothes.

-Reverend Loveshade as quoted in edited by Reverend Loveshade

       More Quotes >>


Encyclopedia

Nudity or nakedness is the state of wearing no clothing Clothing

Clothing is defined, in its broadest sense, as coverings for the torso and limbs as well as coverings fo... 

. It is sometimes used to refer to wearing significantly less clothing than expected by the conventions of a particular culture Culture

The word culture, from the Latin [i] colo, -ere, with its root meaning "to cultivate", generall ... 

 and situation, and in particular exposing the bare skin Skin

In zootomy [i] and dermatology [i], skin is an organ [i] of the integumentary system [i] made up ... 

 of intimate parts and has analogous uses.

Terminology


Although nude, naked and bare have the same objective meaning , they have differing subjective connotations, which partly match their differing etymologies . Some consider one term more appropriate than the other. The book Nude, Naked, Stripped suggests that these three terms define a continuum ranging from art Art

By its original and broadest definition, art is the product or process of the effective application... 

istic or tasteful absence of clothing by choice at one end, to a forced or mandatory condition of being without clothes at the other.

Various synonyms refer specifically -often as a negative- to the absence or rather removal of clothing, such as denuded, divested, peeled, stripped, unclad, unclothed, uncovered, undressed and dis- or un-robed.

Another euphemism for the embarrassing nudity is 'exposed' to glances, no less than to the elements; not only the expression 'to show skin' refers to nudity in terms of the dermis, in Manx Gaelic jiarg-rooisht and Scottish Gaelic dearg rùisgte 'stark naked' is literally 'red' naked as either exposure makes one 'blush'.

Partial nudity and analogous 'nakedness'

See Nudity Nudity

Nudity or nakedness is the state of wearing no clothing [i]. ... 

.

Full nudity



Some expressions specifically express total nudity. Apart from the confusing use of terms literally referring to the most 'provocative' forms of partial nudity, these include such abstractions as 'the nude', 'the bare' or 'the buff', a reference to leather , just as 'buck-naked'; Spanish also has the euphemism "a la Cordobana", referring to the human hide as "Cordoban leather".

A special case is stark naked or starkers, as these terms were erroneously changed from 'start naked' to 'stark', an old Germanic word meaning 'strong' but used as 'utter'.

Euphemisms may be used, such as birthday suit and au naturel or the Dutch terms Adamskostuum , spiernaakt and poedelnaakt . The French à poil "to the hair" and its Spanish equivalent en pelota "in the hair" emphasize that human hairgrowth is generally too thin to be less than naked without clothes ; still in French, nu comme un ver 'naked as a worm' phrases to absence of visually shielding hair by a disphemistic metaphor. While negatives such as 'undressed' may also refer to partial nudity unless explicitly qualified, in artistic modelling undraped means completely naked, as opposed to such common practices as draping something over the crucial body parts or over the face so as to make the model anonymous.

Full frontal nudity -no clothing and facing the observer- shows the genitals, as opposed to only showing toplessness Toplessness

Going topless or "bare chested" means not wearing any clothes [i] above the waist [i], exposing ... 

 or bare buttocks Buttocks

The buttocks are rounded portions of the anatomy located on the posterior of the pelvic [i] region of t... 

. It is usually considered the most far-reaching form of nudity, with exception of a close-up of the most erogenous zone Erogenous zone

An erogenous zone is an area of the human body [i] that has heightened sensitivity [i] and stimulation o ... 

s, especially the genitals. Also, sometimes people avoid full frontal nudity by turning their back to other people when changing clothes in sight, or by lying on the beach completely nude only on their belly.

The distinction "frontal" is meaningful for pictures and movies. In many cases it is avoided or undone by purposely placing inanimate objects obscuring a view of an actor or actress' genitals or the shot is 'defused' by deliberately hazy lightening or focus. Such techniques not only make some actors more comfortable but usually aim to pass censorship or prevents the film from receiving an NC-17 rating from the MPAA film rating system MPAA film rating system

The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States [i] and territories and instituted by ... 

, which often leads to commercial failure. Thus revealing shots may be cut during the editing; sometimes a more liberal version is released separately, e.g. as director's cut. Few American film Cinema of the United States

The cinema of the United States, sometimes simply referred to as Hollywood, is typically used in r... 

s show full frontal nudity, while more complete versions may be distributed in other countries and/or on video or DVD, media which generally are more ready to distribute productions offending various taboos.

Historical overview


Anthropologists Anthropology

Anthropology consists of the study of humanity [i] . ... 

 logically presume that humans originally lived without clothing as their natural state. They postulate the adaptation of animal skins and vegetation into coverings to protect the wearer from cold, heat and rain, especially as humans migrated to new climates; alternatively, covering may have been invented first for other purposes, such as magic, cult and prestige, and later found to be practical as well.



Some religious cosmogonies exhibit analogous constructs; e.g. the story of Adam and Eve Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve were the first man and woman [i] created by God [i] according to... 

 describes the alleged first humans after their transgression against God God

God is the deity [i] believed by monotheists [i] to be the supreme reality.... 

's rules , being ashamed of their nakedness and making aprons of fig Ficus

Ficus is a genus [i] of about 800 species of woody tree [i]s, shrub [i]s and vine [i]s in the family Moraceae [i] ... 

 leaves. Nudity itself was not the original sin, but some people take it so, perhaps explaining the taboo against it.

In various Ancient cultures nudity was held to be humiliating, as attested for Pharaonic Egypt and the Hebrews by the Old testament: "So shall the king of the Assyrians lead away the prisoners of Egypt, and the captivity of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt". Similar images occur on many bas-reliefs, also from other empires.

In some ancient Mediterranean cultures, even well past the hunter-gatherer stage, such as Minoan, athletic and/or cultic nudity of men and boys –and rarely, of women and girls– was a natural concept.
The civilization of ancient Greece Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece is the period in Greek history [i] which lasted for around one thousand years and ended w ... 

 , during the Archaic period, had an athletic and cultic aesthetic of nudity which typically included adult and teenaged males, but at times also boys, women and girls. The love for beauty had included also the human body, beyond the love for nature, philosophy, arts etc. The Greek word gymnasium means "a place to train naked". Male athletes competed nude, but most city-states of the time allowed no female participants or even spectators at those events, Sparta Sparta

Sparta is a city in southern Greece [i]. ... 

 being a notable exception. In Greek culture, depictions of erotic nudity were considered normal, including sexual act, even pederastic Pederasty in ancient Greece

Greek pederasty, as idealized by the Greeks [i] from Archaic times [i]... 

 practices. The Greeks were conscious of the exceptional nature of their nudity, noting that "generally in countries which are subject to the barbarians, the custom is held to be dishonourable; loves of youths share the evil repute in which philosophy and naked sports are held, because they are inimical to tyranny;" In both ancient Greece and ancient Rome Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a civilization [i] that grew out of the city-state [i] of Rome [i], founded in the Italian Peninsula [i] ... 

, public nakedness was also accepted in the context of public bathing. It was also common for a person to be punished by being partially or completely stripped and lashed in public; in some legal systems judicial corporal punishments on the bare buttocks would persist to or even beyond the feudal age, either only for minors or also for adults, even till today but rarely still in public. In Biblical Bible

The Bible , is the name used by Jews [i] and Christians [i] for their differing canons [i]... 

 accounts of the Roman Imperial Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman [i] civilization characterized by an autocratic [i] ... 

 era, prisoner Prison

prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physicall... 

s were often stripped naked, as a form of humiliation.

In the 6th century 6th century

The 6th century is the period from 501 [i] - 600 [i] in accordance with the Julian calendar [i] in the Christian Era [i]... 

, Benedict of Nurcia Benedict of Nursia

Saint [i] Benedict of Nursia , born at Nursia , Italy [i], was the founder of western monasticism [i]. ... 

 advised the monks in his Rule Rule of St Benedict

The Rule of St Benedict by Benedict of Nursia [i] is a book of precept [i]s written for monk [i]s livin ... 

 to sleep fully dressed in the dormitory. Until the beginning of the 8th century 8th century

The 8th century is the period from 701 [i] - 800 [i] in accordance with the Julian calendar [i] in the Christian Era [i]... 

, Christians in Western Europe were baptised Baptism

Baptism is generally a water purification ritual [i] practiced in many of various religion [i]s includin ... 

 naked, emerging from the water like Adam and Eve before the fall. "The disappearance of baptism by immersion in the Carolingian era gave nudity a sexual connotation that it has previously lacked for Christians" . About the same time it became common to represent Christ on the Cross wearing a long tunic, the colobium. European men wore long tunics until the 15th century 15th century

As a means of recording the passage of time [i], the 15th century was that century [i] which lasted from ... 

, when codpiece Codpiece

A codpiece is a flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men's trousers [i] to provide ... 

s, tights Tights

Tights are a type of leg coverings fabric extending from the waist to feet.
... 

 and tight trousers Trousers

Trousers is an item of clothing [i] worn on the lower part of the body, covering both legs separately . ... 

 gradually came into use; these all covered the male genitals but at the same time drew attention to them.

During the Victorian era Victorian era

The Victorian era of Great Britain [i] marked the height of ... 

, public nakedness Public nudity

Public nudity is nudity [i] in public space [i]s, environments, events. ... 

 was considered obscene . In addition to beaches being segregated Sex segregation

Sex segregation is the separation, or segregation [i], of people according to sex [i] or gender [i]. ... 

 by gender Gender

The word gender describes the state of being male [i], female [i], or neither. ... 

, bathing machine Bathing machine

The bathing machine was a device, popular in the 19th century, which was intended to allow people to wad... 

s were also used to conceal the naked body. In the early 20th century 20th century

The 20th century started on 1 January [i] 1901 [i] and ended on 31 December [i] 2000 [i], according to t... 

, exposure of male nipple Nipple

In its most general form, a nipple is an appurtenance [i] from which a fluid emanates, in this instance ... 

s was considered indecent at some beach Beach

A beach or strand is a geological [i] formation consisting of loose rock [i] particl ... 

es. Ironically, as in the Middle Ages Middle Ages

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history [i] ... 

, the bathing suits Swimsuit

A swimsuit, bathing suit, aqua jammies or swimming costume is an item of clothing [i] ... 

 worn by men Man

For the history and usage of the word "man", see man [i]
... 

, while covering the genitals, often nonetheless made them quite obvious.

In Judaism Judaism

Judaism is the religion [i] of the Jew [i]ish people. ... 

 and in Jewish communities, men and women use ritual baths called mikvah Mikvah

Mikvah is a "ritual bath" used for immersion in a purification [i] ceremony within Judaism [i]... 

s for a variety of reasons, mostly religious in the present day. Immersion in a mikvah requires that water covers the entire body . To make sure that water literally touches every part of the body, all clothing, jewelry and even bandages must be removed. In contemporary mikvahs for women, there is always an experienced attendant, commonly called the "mikvah lady", to watch the immersion and ensure that that women have been entirely covered in water.

Various modern-era attitudes


As a general rule, public nudity Public nudity

Public nudity is nudity [i] in public space [i]s, environments, events. ... 

 is not considered "proper" in most societies. There are, however, many exceptions and particular circumstances in which nudity is tolerated, accepted or even encouraged.

In general and across cultures, more restrictions are found for exposure of those parts of the human body that display evidence of sexual arousal. Therefore, sex organs and often women's breasts are covered, even when other parts of the body may be freely uncovered.

Nudity in front of a sexual partner is widely accepted, but there may be restrictions — for example, only at the time and place of sex Sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse, also called coitus, is the human form of copulation [i]. ... 

, or with subdued lighting, or covered by a sheet or blanket.

Another common distinction, also considered by censoring authorities, is that gratuitous nudity is perceived as more offensive than the same degree of physical exposure in a functional context, where the action could not conveniently be performed dressed, either in reality or in a fictitious scene in art. The intent can also be invoked: whether the nudity is meant to affect observers, e.g. streaking Streaking

Streaking is the non-sexual act of taking off one's clothes and running naked [i] through a public place ... 

 can be considered inacceptably provocative, nude sun tanning Sun tanning

Sun tanning describes a darkening of the skin in a natural physiological response stimulated by exposure... 

 viewed mildly as rather inoffensive.

Western culture

Nudity in front of strangers of the same gender is often more accepted than in front of those of the other or both genders, for example when bathing, in common changing rooms, etc. Gender-specific changerooms and toilets serve to prevent accidental partial nudity in front of the other gender. Urinal Urinal

A urinal is a specialized toilet [i] designed to be used only for urination [i], not defecation [i], and... 

s may have partitions between them to avoid the partial nudity of men to be visible by other men. In some cultures, even for people of the same gender to see each other nude is considered inappropriate and embarrassing. Also, the implication of homosexuality Homosexuality

Homosexuality refers to sexual [i] and romantic [i] attraction between t ... 

 among naked members of the same gender can discourage this type of nudity.

Functional nudity for a short time, such as when changing clothes on a beach, is sometimes acceptable when staying nude on the beach is not. However, even this is often avoided or minimized by a towel, going to a changing room, or changing at home before and after going to the beach.

In certain structured settings in which nudity serves a practical purpose — such as providing access to a patient's body during a medical procedure, examination or therapeutic massage, or providing figure drawing Figure drawing

Figure drawing, also known as life drawing, is an exercise in drawing [i] the human body in its va ... 

 students or artists with unobstructed views of the human body — an individual may be naked in front of one or several clothed people. In most such situations, the exposed individual will be given a loose robe or cloth to cover themselves partially, even if their "private parts" must be exposed. Total nudity for the model remains the norm in figure drawing studios, however. Similarly, pornography is typically photographed with the models fully nude and the crew fully dressed. None of these settings are routinely experienced by most members of society, however, so they are not normative; attempts to have subjects pose in the nude in public view as Spencer Tunick Spencer Tunick

Spencer Tunick is an American [i] photographer [i]. ... 

 stages all over the world are often received with more mixed feelings, if not repressed as indecent exposure.

Although exposure of women's breasts is considered perfectly acceptable in most western countries in appropriate settings, such as while suntanning, in the United States of America United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 exposure of female nipples is still considered criminal by many states and not usually allowed in public. Public breastfeeding Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is the process of a woman [i] feeding an infant [i] or young child [i] with milk [i] ... 

, since the exposure it involves is functional, may be looked upon more mildly, but still it is sometimes considered problematic. However, courts in some of these jurisdictions—including New York New York

New York is a state [i] in the northeastern [i] United States [i]. ... 

 State—and other North American jurisdictions—like Ontario Ontario

Ontario is the most populous and second-largest in area of Canada [i]'s ten provinces [i] ... 

—have legalized the exposure of women's nipples on equal protection Equal Protection Clause

The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment [i] ... 

 grounds . The movement of "topfree equality Topfreedom

Topfreedom is a social movement [i] which seeks to accord women the right to go topless [i]... 

" promotes equal rights for women to have no clothing above the waist; the term "topfree" rather than "topless" is used to avoid the latter term's sexual connotations. However, there are still extreme reactions on the parts of many to exposure of the full breast, as in Janet Jackson Janet Jackson

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American [i] singer-songwriter [i], producer [i] ... 

's partial breast exposure Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy

Super Bowl XXXVIII [i] was noted for a controversial halftime show [i] produced by MTV [i], aired live [i] ... 

 during the half-time show of the 2004 Super Bowl Super Bowl

In professional American football [i], the Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League [i] ... 

.

Nakedness can be part of a corporal punishment or as an imposed humiliation Public humiliation

Public humiliation was often used by local communities to punish minor and petty criminals before the ag... 

 . In fact, torture Torture

Torture is any act by which severe pain, whether physical or psychological [i], is intentiona... 

 manuals may distinguish between the male and female psychological aversion from self-exposure versus being disrobed.

Nudity is closely associated with sexuality in most cultures where some level of body modesty Modesty

Modesty comprises a set of culturally or religiously determined values that relate to the presentation o... 

 is expected. This is evidenced by the existence of striptease Striptease

A striptease or exotic dance is a performance [i], usually a dance [i], in which the performer , " ... 

 in these cultures. Sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex [i] in the s ... 

 when depicted in the main stream media Mass media

Mass media is a term used to denote, as a class, that section of the media specifically conceived and de... 

 of these cultures is often seen as sexually related. As an effect of Catholic cultural heritage, in Latin cultures the common definition of modesty does not generally admit genital nudity, but the definition of what is lewd has changed and women's breasts are now commonly exposed or depicted without scandal.


The trend in some Europe Europe

Europe is one of the seven traditional continent [i]s of the Earth [i]. ... 

an countries is to allow both genders to bathe together naked. Typically, older German bathhouses, such as Bad Burg, remain segregated by gender. On the other hand Finnish saunas Finnish sauna

The Finnish sauna is a substantial part of the Finnish culture [i].... 

 can be mixed and are always attended nude.

Some people enjoy public nudity Public nudity

Public nudity is nudity [i] in public space [i]s, environments, events. ... 

 in a non-sexual context. Common variants of the clothes free movement Naturism

The meanings of naturism and nudism are very similar, and refer to a [[cultural movement|cultural]... 

 are nudism Naturism

The meanings of naturism and nudism are very similar, and refer to a [[cultural movement|cultural]... 

 and naturism Naturism

The meanings of naturism and nudism are very similar, and refer to a [[cultural movement|cultural]... 

, and are often practised in reserved places that used to be called "nudist camps" but are now more commonly referred to as naturist resorts, nude beach Nude beach

[i], while a [[topfree]... 

es, or clubs. Such facilities may be designated topfree, clothing-optional, or fully-nude-only. Public nude recreation is most common in rural areas and outdoors, although it is limited to warm weather. Even in countries with inclement weather much of the year and where public nudity is not restricted, such as the United Kingdom United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ... 

, Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 and Denmark Denmark

The Kingdom of Denmark is the smallest and southernmost of the Nordic countries [i].... 

, public nude recreation indoors remains rare. One example is Starkers Nightclub in London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

, a monthly nude-only disco party.

Others practice public nudity more casually. Topfree Topfreedom

Topfreedom is a social movement [i] which seeks to accord women the right to go topless [i]... 

 sunbathing Sunlight

Sunlight in the broad sense is the total spectrum [i] of electromagnetic radiation [i] give ... 

 is considered acceptable by many on the beaches of France France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country [i] whose metropolitan territory [i] ... 

, Spain Spain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a Europe [i]an parliamentary monarchy [i].... 

 and most of the rest of Europe ; however, exposure of the genitals is restricted to nudist areas in most regions. In the United States, topfree sunbathing Sun tanning

Sun tanning describes a darkening of the skin in a natural physiological response stimulated by exposure... 

 and thongs are common in South Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach, Florida

Miami Beach is a city in Miami-Dade County [i], Florida [i], United States [i] ... 

. There are a number of nude beach Nude beach

[i], while a [[topfree]... 

es up and down the West Coast West Coast of the United States

The "West Coast", "Western Seaboard", or "Pacific Seaboard" are terms for the westernmost co... 

 of the U.S., as well.

Even where the general public is fairly tolerant of public nudity, it is still notorious enough to be used as a deliberate, often successful means to attract publicity, either by naturists promoting their way of life or by others for various purposes, such as commercial nudity in advertising Sex in advertising

Sex in advertising is the use of sexual attraction [i] as a tool of persuasion [i] to draw interest to a ... 

 or staging nude events as a forum for a usually unrelated messages, such as various nude biker tours demonstrating for different causes or celebrities revealing their natural state by removing a fur coat to support a campaign against fur sales.

Non-Western attitudes

Attitudes in Western culture Western culture

Western culture or Western civilization is a term used to refer to the culture [i]s of the people... 

s are not all the same as explained above, and likewise attitudes in non-western cultures are many and variant. In almost all cultures, acceptability of nudity depends on the situation.

Cultural and/or religious traditions usually dictate what is proper and what is not socially acceptable. Many non-western cultures allow women to breast feed in public, while some have very strict laws about showing any bare skin.

In some hunter-gatherer cultures in warm climates, near-complete nudity has been, until the introduction of Western culture Western culture

Western culture or Western civilization is a term used to refer to the culture [i]s of the people... 

, or still is, standard practice for both men and women. In several African Africa

Africa is one of the greatest sized continents of the Earth.... 

 tribes, men going completely naked except for a string tied about the waist are considered properly dressed for hunting and other traditional group activities. In a number of tribes in the South Pacific Oceania

Oceania is a geographical [i], often geopolitical [i], region [i] consisting of n ... 

 island of New Guinea New Guinea

New Guinea, located just north of Australia [i], is the world's second largest [i] ... 

, the men use hard gourdlike pods as penis sheath Koteka

The koteka, horim, or penis sheath is a phallocrypt traditionally worn by native male ... 

s
. While obscuring and covering the actual penis Penis

The penis is an external male [i] sexual organ [i]. ... 

, these at a longer distance give the impression of a large, erect phallus. Yet a man without this "covering" could be considered to be in an embarrassing state of nakedness. Among the Chumash Chumash

The Chumash Indians, a Native American [i] tribe, mainly inhabite ... 

 Native Americans of southern California California

California is a state [i] spanning the southern half of the west coast [i] ... 

, men were usually naked, and women were often topless Toplessness

Going topless or "bare chested" means not wearing any clothes [i] above the waist [i], exposing ... 

. Native Americans Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The term Indigenous peoples of the Americas encompasses the inhabitants of the Americas [i] before the European discovery of the Americas [i] ... 

 of the Amazon Basin Amazon Basin

Amazonian redirects here, for other uses see Amazonian [i]
... 

, usually went nude or nearly nude; in many tribes, the only clothing worn was some device worn by men to clamp the foreskin shut. However, other similar cultures have had different standards. For example, other native North America North America

North America is a continent [i] in the Earth [i]'s northern hemisphere [i] and almost fully in the western hemisphere [i]... 

ns generally avoided total nudity, and the Native Americans of the mountains and west of South America South America

South America is a continent [i] situated in the western hemisphere [i] and, mostly, ... 

, such as the Quechua Quechua

Quechua is a Native American language [i] of South America [i]. ... 

, kept quite covered.

In the ancient culture of Southern Asia, there is a tradition of extreme ascetism that includes full nudity, from the gymnosophists Gymnosophists

Gymnosophists is the name given by the Greeks [i] to certain ancient Indian philosophers ... 

  to certain holy men in present Hindu devotion.

In Islam Islam

Islam is a monotheistic [i] religion [i] based upon the Qur'an [i], which adherents believe w ... 

 the area of the body not meant to be exposed in public is called the awrah, and while referred to in the Qur'an Qur'an

The Qur'an , is the central religious text [i] of Islam [i]. ... 

, is addressed in more detail in hadith Hadith

Hadith are traditions relating to the words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad [i]. ... 

.
  • For men, interpretations differ. Some interpretations state the awrah to be from the navel to the knees. Others state that only the genitals and the anus need to be covered.
  • Some strict interpretations of Islam Islam

    Islam is a monotheistic [i] religion [i] based upon the Qur'an [i], which adherents believe w ... 

     require women to observe purdah, covering their entire bodies, including the face , on threat of severe punishment. A perhaps more common interpretation, however, is to cover everything but the hands and face.


The example of the Turkish bath Hammam

The Turkish hammam is the Turkish [i] variant of a steam bath, which can be categorized as... 

s, where men go to get washed by other men, and women to get washed by women, is good example of how some Islamic cultures do not accept the strictness of the above interpretations.

Still very different traditions exist among, for example, Sub-Saharan Africans, partly persisting in the post-colonial era. Whereas some tribes and family-groups including some Togolose and Ethiopian tribes still commonly parade fully naked or without any covering below the waist , amongst Bantu people there is often a complete aversion from public nudity— thus, in Botswana when a newspaper printed a photograph seen here: of a thief suffering lashes on the bared buttocks imposed by a traditional chief's court, there was national consternation, not about the flogging but about the 'peeping tom'. The Ugandan Kavirondo tribes, a mix of Bantu and Nilotic immigrants, traditionally went practically naked, but the men adopted European dress.

In various cultures children can go publicly naked while adults don't, usually till an age or ceremony considered the start of adolescence or of adulthood. An example of a rite of passage Rite of passage

A rite of passage is a ritual [i] that marks a change in a person's social [i] or sexual s ... 

 in a Benin tribe, traditional body scarification Scarification

Scarification is a permanent body modification [i] that uses scar tissue [i] produced by the body to for ... 

 on the head is performed on a small child while completely naked, but a boy being initiated as an adult bares only the torso .

Attitudes toward nudity vary greatly within East Asia: China and Korea tend toward the conservative side by Confucian tradition, while highly westernized Hong Kong is much more liberal. Gender-segregated communal nudity is acceptable in public baths, in countries including Japan and South Korea. North Korea tends to be more strict compared to other countries when it comes to exposure of skin for women, such the exposure of a shoulder. In Japan, most public baths were mixed gender until the Meiji period. The stricter gender separation rules were introduced during a time when Japan was taking various steps to modernise itself. Most of the newer sento Sento

is a type of Japan [i]ese communal bath house [i] where customers pay for entrance. ... 

are gender segregated, but the popularity of public baths in general dropped considerably, with mixed public baths becoming more rare, except in rural areas that still permit it by law.

Unlike some western countries, Japan Japan

is an island country [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

ese public schools generally don't have showering facilities, only cold pool showers, where children generally take off their swimsuit Swimsuit

A swimsuit, bathing suit, aqua jammies or swimming costume is an item of clothing [i] ... 

s to rinse off chlorine. Japanese boys and men feel comfortable in traditional thong-type wear that shows the buttocks in public, such as the Fundoshi Fundoshi

The fundoshi is a traditional Japanese [i] male loincloth [i], made from a strip of cotton cloth, ... 

  or the sumo wrestling Sumo

is a competition contact sport where two wrestlers or rikishi [i] face off in a circular area. ... 

 equivalent.

Despite the relative prevalence of traditional attitudes for adults in China, however, children continue to wear open shorts, permitting them to more easily relieve themselves. In the preparations for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics 2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be held in Beijing [i] ... 

, some have called for the end of the traditional permissiveness for adult males to go shirtless in public during warm weather.

See also

  • Nudity in art Nudity in art

    Nudity in art refers to nudity [i] in all the artistic disciplines including vernacular [i] and historic ... 

     Also discusses depictions of nudity in general.
  • Nudity in combat Nudity in combat

    Nudity [i] in combat is rare, because apart from the social aspects of nudity, one lacks even the basic protec ... 

  • Nudity in physical education Nudity in Physical Education

    Sorry, no overview for this topic 

  • Nudity and children Nudity and children

    Attitudes toward the nudity [i] of child [i]ren vary substantially, depending on the child's culture [i], age [i] ... 

  • Nudity and sexuality Nudity and sexuality

    Historically, nudity has existed in contexts ranging from non-sexual social nudity, to sensual nudity, to sexu... 

  • Public nudity Public nudity

    Public nudity is nudity [i] in public space [i]s, environments, events. ... 



References


Sources and references

  • Rouche, Michel, "Private life conquers state and society," in A History of Private Life vol I, Paul Veyne, editor, Harvard University Press 1987 ISBN 0-674-39974-9
  • Brandom, Robert, "Critical Notice of Blind and Worried", Theoria 70:2-3, 2005.
  • &

External links

  • Single nudist's views & observations about nudity in the media.


Further reading

  • Storey, Mark Social Nudity, Sexual Attraction, and Respect Nude & Natural Nude & Natural

    Nude & Natural: The Magazine Of Naturist Living or simply ("N") Magazine is a quarterly naturist [i]... 

     magazine, 24.3 Spring 2005.
  • Storey, Mark Children, Social Nudity and Academic Research Nude & Natural Nude & Natural

    Nude & Natural: The Magazine Of Naturist Living or simply ("N") Magazine is a quarterly naturist [i]... 

     magazine, 23.4 Summer 2004.






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