I am in a Social Movements course and we have to write a paper on a social movement and relate it to the things we have learned. I am sure there are a few movements that deal with models..


anyone?

According to wikipedia.org,
"Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals and/or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out a social change."

I'm not sure models group together and change society, however we all know how much models influence trends in fashion buying, teen-age social mores, and internet portfolio sites.

Seriously though, look at how the industry is changing due to digital cameras and the internet. You might focus on how the changing landscape of model's resources and photographer's clients have migrated to the WWW, how that affects brick & mortar agencies and businesses, and the whole social interaction and networking online that wasn't available or practical mere years ago and how it is blossoming into a phenomenon.

Or something...

While some might argue "outsourcing" as the most damaging corporate social movement in recent years, I would argue that TFP has destroyed the once noble profession of photography causing more harm to a single sector than any other change in business through permeation of a practice based on barter, not a determined worth.

Virtually every segment from weddings to products to those seeking photography on this site are using the notion of gaining experience or barter as leverage, leaving nothing but a valueless profession trail in the wake.

The difficulty in writing a paper on that would be the length needed to describe the damage done.  But it would relate to your subject interest, through a social movement based on seeking, and getting, something virtually "free" that is destroying an industry.

Getting something virtually for free is a good one.

How 'bout illegal downloading of music?

How 'bout the value of photographer/model web sites like this one?

As far as a social indicator of change that modeling could be hooked to.  How bout -

"The pinup as mainstream - 1940's - Empowerment or Exploitive."

Examine the roll of pinup models and their images, as becoming a more accepted part of American life in the 40's. Linking to WWII propaganda/Betty Grabel/Rosie the Riveter examples.   Pinup Models became glamour figures and were not as marginalized.  Were many of these women seen as only objects? - or were they seen as individuals with a career potential as a mainstream entertainer for the first time?  Was this a new path for the empowerment of some single women, in an era where those paths for any women were few?

Sorry - You wanted a paper - not a thesis project.

Tom

"Networking and the Internet" - The ability to market yourself as a model whether you are in NYC or Podunk has opened up the world for models. While fashion supermodels still need to go the traditional route, the internet has changed the way figure models, art models, fetish models, glamour models, and even commercial models do business.

wow, these are all great ideas, thank you so much!