Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather ^[1]

a nude protest

The term "Nudity" can also occasionally be used to refer to wearing significantly less clothing than expected by the conventions of a particular culture and situation, and in particular exposing the bare skin or intimate parts, and has analogous uses. Public nudity has sometimes been used to attract more attention to a public Protest, a tactic used by the Doukhobors Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic The skin is the outer covering of living tissue of an animal (or plant An intimate or private part is a place on the human body which it is usually customary to keep covered with Clothing in public areas as a matter of Decency In this sense it is related to the concept of modesty. Standards of modesty (also called demureness or reticence) are aspects of the Culture of a Country or people at a given point in time

Terminology

Although "nude," "naked," "bare," "stripped," "unclothed," and other terms have the same objective meaning (i. e. , not covered by clothing), they have differing subjective connotations, which partly match their differing etymologies. This word has distinct meanings in other fields see Connotation (semiotics and Connotation and denotation. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time "Nude" originally had a meaning of "plain, bare, unadorned" in a broader sense when introduced into English from Latin nudus, originally only as a legal term meaning "unsupported by proof", since 1531; later used an artistic euphemism for physical nakedness in 1631. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A euphemism is a substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener or in the case of doublespeak Meanwhile "bare" and "naked" derive from the common Old English words, with many cognates, for "uncovered". Cognates in Linguistics are words that have a common origin They may occur within a language such as shirt and skirt as two English words descended from Some consider one term more appropriate than the other. The book Nude, Naked, Stripped suggests that these three terms define a continuum ranging from artistic or tasteful absence of clothing by choice, at one end, to a forced or mandatory condition of being without clothes (e. In Mathematics, the word continuum has at least two distinct meanings outlined in the sections below Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual g. , a strip search), at the other. A strip search is the stripping ( removal of clothing, Search of person and/or personal effects of a person to check for weapons or other Contraband In general, a "nude" person is unclad by choice and is generally shameless; a "naked" person is involuntarily caught undressed and is generally embarrassed.

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 state of nakedness 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, translated as "stark naked", is literally 'red' naked, as such exposure may make one 'blush'. Manx ( Gaelg or Gailck, ɡilk or) also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language once spoken on the Isle Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages.

Full nudity

Family in Brazil, Praia do Abricó

Full nudity is used to describe a state of total nudity, with nothing covering genitals. In English, phrases such as "nude", "bare" or "in the buff" (a reference to leather, i. e. skin notably hairless, unlike a pelt; compare "buck-naked"; Spanish also has the euphemism "en cueros", meaning "in leathers") carry a similar meaning.

A special case is "stark naked", or "starkers", as these terms were erroneously changed from "start naked" (start is an Old High German word for "tail") to the "stark", an old Germanic word meaning "strong" but used as "utter(ly)".

Euphemisms may be used, such as "birthday suit" and "au naturel" (French for "in the natural state"). French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people In the Dutch language a naked person may be described as "spiernaakt" ("muscle-naked", since the musculature is visible under bare skin) or "poedelnaakt" ("poodle-naked", which refers to the often-ridiculed shaving of poodle dog breeds), or as wearing "Adamskostuum" ("Adam's suit", i. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname e. the original unclothed state of Adam and Eve in Eden). Adam (אָדָם ʼĀḏām, "dust man mankind" آدم; Ge'ez: አዳ and Eve (חַוָּה Ḥawwā, "living Not to be confused with Eden Gardens.The Garden of Eden ( Hebrew "pleasure" גַּן עֵדֶן Arabic: جنات عدن, A similar expression exists in Italian ("costume adamitico"). The French "à poil" — "to the (body) hair (or fur)" — and its Spanish equivalent "en pelotas" ("in the balls", i. e. showing your testicles, though it applies to both males and females), emphasize that human hair growth is generally too sparse for one to be considered covered without artificial clothing (while the pubic hair is often thicker, this area of the body is also most critical in the Christian tradition; in a few Germanic languages, the very word for pubic literally means (and is cognate with the English word) "shame": skam in Danish, schaam in Dutch, Scham in German). Pubic hair is Hair in the frontal Genital area the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs these areas form the pubic region Cognates in Linguistics are words that have a common origin They may occur within a language such as shirt and skirt as two English words descended from Likewise in French, "nu comme un ver" ("naked as a worm") refers to absence of visually shielding hair, via a dysphemistic metaphor. In Language, both dysphemism (from the Greek dys δύς "mis-" and pheme φήμη "reputation" and cacophemism While negatives such as "undressed" may also refer to partial nudity (cf. "topless", below) unless explicitly qualified, in artistic modelling the term "undraped" means completely nude, as opposed to such common practices as draping something over the sexual body parts (or over the face so as to make the model anonymous).

Full frontal nudity refers to wearing no clothing and facing the observer showing the pubic area, as opposed to only showing toplessness/barechestedness or bare buttocks. A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, as narrowly defined is any of the anatomical parts of the body which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute Bare-chested refers to the state in which a man or boy is not wearing any clothes above the Waist, usually in a Public place, exposing the torso and arms The buttocks (singular buttock) are rounded portions of the anatomy located on the posterior of the Pelvic region of the Apes including Humans It is usually considered the most far-reaching form of nudity, with exception of a close-up of the genitals. In many cases, full frontal nudity is avoided in motion pictures by purposely placing objects to obscure an actor's or actress's genitals, or the shot is diffused by hazy lighting or focus. In one scene from A Shot in the Dark, actor Peter Sellers infiltrates a nudist colony but avoids full nudity by holding a guitar in front of his genitals. A Shot in the Dark is a Comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and is the second installment in the Pink Panther series Richard Henry Sellers, CBE, commonly known as Peter Sellers ( 8 September 1925 &ndash 24 July 1980) was a British A nudist community (or in Europe naturist community) is a group of nudists/naturists who choose to live together on a permanent basis where clothing is optional The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Unlike the nudists, he is intensely embarrassed. Such techniques not only make some actors more comfortable but usually aim to pass censorship or prevent the film from receiving an unfavorable rating, which may impede the film's commercial success. A motion picture rating system categorizes films with regard to suitability for audiences in terms of issues such as sex violence substance abuse profanity impudence or other types Thus, revealing shots may be cut during the editing; sometimes a more liberal version is released separately: e. g. , as director's cut. A director's cut is a specially edited version of a Film, and less often TV series, Music video, commercials or Video games Few non-pornographic, mainstream American films show full frontal nudity in their theatrical versions, while more complete versions may be distributed in other countries, and/or on video tape or DVD (media which generally are more ready to distribute productions offending various taboos). Pornography or porn is the explicit depiction of Sexual subject matter with the sole intention of sexually exciting the viewer United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century When full-frontal nudity is shown it is more likely to be female since the female genitalia can be easily obscured by pubic hair or closed legs. Pubic hair is Hair in the frontal Genital area the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs these areas form the pubic region

Partial nudity

As the concept of nudity often refers more to perception by the observer than the mere description whether someone's body is covered or not, there can be a grey area, known as partial nudity. Thus, while someone exposing 'private parts' is often called 'naked' regardless of garments on other body parts, hence the terms half-naked and, a fortiori, near-naked refer to a body that is not completely exposed, but showing more than is customary or considered quite acceptable, at least in a given context. However the quantity of skin exposed is not the determining criterion, it's the "quality" that counts for perception.

Half-naked is also used for a degree of skin exposure that is not offensive (as no delicate zone is shown) but still barer than 'fully dressed', such as a man in bare torso. Bare-chested refers to the state in which a man or boy is not wearing any clothes above the Waist, usually in a Public place, exposing the torso and arms

As the exposure of specific, usually intimate, skin zones suffices to be offensive and/or sensual, it is not surprising that specific terms are commonly used for such cases. More specifically:

• Terms like bare balls (not to confuse with freeballs) and bollock-naked are used to explicitly emphasize the naked exposure of the most private parts, often as a dysphemism for total male nudity, even in a context where another part of the anatomy is functionally more relevant. Going commando (or to go commando or "free balling" is the practice of not wearing underwear under one's outer clothing
• Terms like bare-butt and bare-ass or kaalgat in Afrikaans (literally 'bald [arse-]hole', also an illustration that one's own dense body hair is considered to undo or at least mitigate nudity; animal furs are probably the oldest form of warm clothing) focus only on the buttocks; apart from the literal sense (which may be functional, as in the case of a spanking) this is also a popular metaphor (also in other languages) for full nudity, at the same time more explicit than most euphemisms and yet avoiding to mention the genitals. The buttocks (singular buttock) are rounded portions of the anatomy located on the posterior of the Pelvic region of the Apes including Humans
• The term topfree or topless is sometimes used — especially in reference to females — to describe the lack of clothing covering the breasts. Topfreedom is a Social movement seeking the recognition of a right of women and girls to be topfree in public where men and boys have that right The breast is the upper Ventral region of an animal’s Torso, particularly that of Mammals including Human beings. For men, the same state of undress, however less strategic, is called bare chested or shirtless. Bare-chested refers to the state in which a man or boy is not wearing any clothes above the Waist, usually in a Public place, exposing the torso and arms
• See also cleavage (breasts) and cleavage (buttocks)
• Even a term referring to an apparently less revealing skin zone can be significant in a functional context, e. Cleavage is the cleft created by the partial exposure of a woman's Breasts, especially when exposed by low-cut clothing Buttock cleavage is minor exposure of the Buttocks and the Gluteal cleft between them often because of low-slung Trousers. g. , bare-knuckle in certain martial arts, or even sometimes have strong cultural associations, as with barefoot. For people with the name Barefoot see Barefoot (surname Going barefoot (also barefoot ed) means for a person not to use or In the case of bare hand(s), the expression is even commonly extended as a counterpart to handling something with gloves to protect the hands, or even with a mechanical device, whether operated manually or not, allowing to keep the hands at safe distance. The naked eye is a similar figure of speech referring to human visual perception that is unaided by optic equipment. The naked eye is a Figure of speech referring to human Visual perception that is unaided by enhancing equipment such as a Telescope or

Nudity may be indirectly exposed through reflection. Reflection is the change in direction of a Wave front at an interface between two different media so that the wave front returns into the medium from which This may be accidental, or accomplished deliberately by the nude person [2], or accomplished by a voyeur. Reflectoporn is a term used to describe a form of Exhibitionism in which a man or woman strips and then takes a Photograph of an object with a reflective surface in Voyeurism is the sexual interest in spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors such as undressing sexual activity or urinating

Modesty

See also: Modesty

Revealing bare skin or even removing clothes in front of others, even when there is another layer of clothing underneath, are at times regarded by some to be erotic or offensive, or as immodest under some people's standards of modesty. Standards of modesty (also called demureness or reticence) are aspects of the Culture of a Country or people at a given point in time The skin is the outer covering of living tissue of an animal (or plant Standards of modesty (also called demureness or reticence) are aspects of the Culture of a Country or people at a given point in time

Clothing which follow the contours of the body, or clothing using transparent materials, or clothing which sticks to the skin or become transparent when wet (as in wet t-shirt contests), is regarded by some to be erotic, immodest and simulating nudity. A wet T-shirt contest is an exhibitionistic Beauty contest that typically features young women performing at a nightclub bar or resort

Public nudity

Main article: Public nudity

Woman with fairy wings at Burning Man 2006. Public nudity or nude in public (NIP refers to Nudity not in an entirely private context Burning Man is an annual event held in Nudity is common at this six-day annual event that takes place in Black Rock City, a temporary city on the playa of the Black Rock Desert in the U.S. state of Nevada

Society's response to public nudity varies on the culture, time, location and context of the activities. The Black Rock Desert is a Dry lake bed and the surrounding Endorheic basin in northwestern Nevada in the United States. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. There are many exceptions and particular circumstances in which nudity is tolerated, accepted or even encouraged in public spaces. A public space refers to an area or place that is open and accessible to all citizens regardless of Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Age or Such examples would include nude beaches, within some intentional communities (such as naturist resorts or clubs) and at special events. A nude beach (British English naturist or nudist beach) is a Beach where users are legally at liberty to be nude. An intentional community is a planned Residential community designed to have a much higher degree of Teamwork than other communities Naturism or nudism is a cultural and Political movement advocating and defending social Nudity in private and in public.

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. A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, as narrowly defined is any of the anatomical parts of the body which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute Yet the nudity taboo may have meanings deeper than the immediate possibility of sexual arousal, for example, in the cumulative weight of tradition and habit. Clothing also expresses and symbolizes authority, and more general norms and values besides those of a sexual nature. It is thus not clear what society and people's spiritual beliefs would have to be like, were nudity to be regarded as universally normal.

Similar to religious traditions in which nudity symbolizes a non-recoverable state of primal innocence, there also exist secular, cynical attitudes, accusing nudism of hypocrisy and repression. Such views are rarely taken seriously, however.

Not all naturists frequently contemplate a society that would accept nudity in all situations, but when the question is put to them they do not tend to shun such a possibility. Still, their own social nudity might be viewed by some as merely an agreement of trust with others who share a rare degree of confidence and comfort in being nude.

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 can be considered unacceptably provocative, nude sun tanning viewed mildly as rather inoffensive. Streaking is the act of taking off one's clothes and running naked through a public place Sun tanning describes a darkening of the skin (especially of fair-skinned individuals in a natural physiological response stimulated by exposure to ultraviolet (UV radiation

Non-sexual public nudity

Casual nudity in Barcelona. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia

Some people enjoy public nudity in a non-sexual context. Public nudity or nude in public (NIP refers to Nudity not in an entirely private context Common variants of the clothes free movement are nudism and naturism, 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 beaches, or clubs. Naturism or nudism is a cultural and Political movement advocating and defending social Nudity in private and in public. Naturism or nudism is a cultural and Political movement advocating and defending social Nudity in private and in public. Naturism or nudism is a cultural and Political movement advocating and defending social Nudity in private and in public. A nude beach (British English naturist or nudist beach) is a Beach where users are legally at liberty to be nude. 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, Germany and Denmark, public nude recreation indoors remains rare. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe One example is Starkers Nightclub in London, a monthly nude-only disco party. Starkers! is a monthly naked Club night in London It takes place on the third Friday of every month London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Others practise public nudity more casually. Topfree sunbathing is considered acceptable by many on the beaches of France, Spain and most of the rest of Europe (and even in some outdoor swimming pools); however, exposure of the genitals is restricted to nudist areas in most regions. Topfreedom is a Social movement seeking the recognition of a right of women and girls to be topfree in public where men and boys have that right Sunlight, in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the Electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed Body of water intended for Swimming or A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, as narrowly defined is any of the anatomical parts of the body which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute In the United States, topfree sunbathing and thongs are common in many areas, with a number of nude beaches in various locations. Sun tanning describes a darkening of the skin (especially of fair-skinned individuals in a natural physiological response stimulated by exposure to ultraviolet (UV radiation The thong is an Undergarment and Swimwear, worn by both sexes mostly women in a style characterized by a thin strip of material along the center of the garment’s A nude beach (British English naturist or nudist beach) is a Beach where users are legally at liberty to be nude.

Where the social acceptability of nudity in certain places may be well understood, the legal position is often less clear cut. In England, for example, the law does not actually prohibit simple public nudity, but does forbid indecent exposure. In practice, this means that successful prosecution hangs on whether there is a demonstrable intention to shock others, rather than simply a desire to be naked in a public place. Occasional attempts to prove this point by walking naked around the country therefore often result in periods of arrest, followed by release without charge, and inconsistencies in the approach between different police jurisdictions. Differences in the law between England and Scotland appear to make the position harder for naked ramblers once they reach Scotland.

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 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. Sex in advertising is the use of Sexual attraction as a tool of Persuasion to draw interest to a particular product, for purpose of Sale Timeline of non-sexual social nudity (prehistory - 1999 Timeline of non-sexual social nudity (2000 - present

Nudity and children

Nudity in the home

Parental nudity is a controversial issue. There are differences of opinion as to whether, and if so to what extent, parents should appear naked in front of their children. Gordon and Schroeder^[2] report that there is a wide variation on parental nudity from family to family. They opine that "there is nothing inherently wrong with bathing with children or otherwise appearing naked in front of them", noting that doing so may provide an opportunity for parents to provide important information. They note that by ages 5 to 6 children begin to develop a sense of modesty, and recommend to parents who wish to be sensitive to their children's wishes that they limit such activities from that age onwards.

Bonner^[3] recommends against nudity in the home where children are exhibiting sexual behaviour considered problematic.

A United States study by Alfred Kinsey found that 75% of the participants stated that there was never nudity in the home when they were growing up, 5% of the participants said that there was "seldom" nudity in the home, 3% said "often", and 17% said that it was "usual". Alfred Charles Kinsey (June 23 1894 &ndash August 25 1956 was an American Biologist and professor of Entomology and Zoology, who in 1947 The study found that there was no significant difference between what was reported by men and by women with respect to frequency of nudity in the home. ^[4]

In a 1995 review of the literature, Paul Okami concluded that there was no reliable evidence linking exposure to parental nudity to any negative effect. ^[5] Three years later, his team finished an 18-year longitudal study that showed that, if anything, such exposure was associated with slight beneficial effects, particularly for boys. ^[6]

Nudity of children

See also: Depictions of nudity

Bathing in a small metal bathtub

Depictions of child nudity or children with nude adults appear in works of art in various cultures and historical periods. Depictions of nudity refers to Nudity in all the artistic disciplines including Vernacular and historical depictions Bathing is the immersion of the body in a Fluid, usually Water or an aqueous solution A bath (bɑθ bathtub ( AmE) or Tub ( informal) is a Plumbing fixture used for Bathing. Depictions of nudity refers to Nudity in all the artistic disciplines including Vernacular and historical depictions In Fine art, a work of art (or artwork or work) is a creation such as a Song, Book, Film, Video game, These attitudes have changed over time and have become increasingly frowned upon particularly in recent years^[7], and especially in the case of photography. In recent years there have been a few incidents in which snapshots taken by parents of their infant or toddler children bathing or otherwise naked were challenged as child pornography. Child pornography refers to material depicting Children being in a state of undress engaged in erotic poses or sexual activity ^[8] In May 2008, police in Sydney, Australia, raided an exhibition by the photographer Bill Henson featuring images of naked children on allegations of child pornography. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Bill Henson (b 1955 is an Australian contemporary art photographer [3]^[9] Though these incidents were not proceeded with, they sent a strong psychological message to the community of the embarrassment that can be caused in this ambiguous but sensitive area.

Children seeing nudity

Attitudes toward children seeing nude people, other than their parents, vary substantially, depending on the child's culture, age and the context of the nudity. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic

British TV is required to avoid displaying scenes of sex from 5:30am to 9pm (the so-called "watershed") to avoid viewing by children. The Watershed is a term used to describe a time in television schedules which divides the period when it is permissible to show television programmes which have ' Adult content' The Broadcasting Code requires that "Nudity before the watershed must be justified by the context. "^{[10] [11]}

Attitudes to nudity vary substantially throughout Europe, with Scandinavia in the north being the most relaxed about it. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well ^[12]

Communal showering

Another issue has been the nudity of children in front of other children.

Europeans have generally been more insistent that all students shower communally after physical education classes. ^[13]

In the United States and some of English-speaking Canada, students at tax funded schools have historically been required to shower communally with classmates of the same sex after physical education classes. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A shower (also called shower bath is a booth for washing usually in a Bathroom, having an overhead nozzle that sprays water down on the body In the United States, public objections and the threat of lawsuits have resulted in a number of school districts in recent years changing policy to make showers optional. ^[14] A court case in the State of Colorado noted that students have a reduced expectation of personal privacy in regards to "communal undress" while showering after physical education classes. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. ^[15]. According to an interview with a middle school principal, most objections to school showers that he had heard were actually from the student's parents rather than from the student. ^[16]

Nudity in photography

A Study in Bronze, by Frederick I. Monsen of New York: A nude Indian youth sits on large rock on top of mountain.

Main article: Nude photography

Nudity has been used in photography since the invention of photography itself. Nude photography is a style of Art photography which depicts the nude human body as a study Nudity in photography does not necessarily claim any artistic merit, while nude photography typically does. Nude photography is a style of Art photography which depicts the nude human body as a study Unlike nudity in photography generally, nude photography is generally not a snapshot, but a composed image of a person in a still position. As an art form, nude photography is a stylised depiction of the nude body with the line and form of the human figure as the primary objective.

Similarly, erotic and pornography is typically stylized photography using nude or semi-nude models. Erotic photography is a style of Art photography of an Erotic, sexually suggestive and even sexually provocative nature Pornography or porn is the explicit depiction of Sexual subject matter with the sole intention of sexually exciting the viewer

Photography of installations of massed nude people in public places, as made repeatedly around the world by Spencer Tunick, claim artistic merit. Spencer Tunick (born January 1 1967 is an American Artist. He is best known for his installations that feature large numbers of nude people

Nudity in Western culture

A pregnant woman at 26 weeks

Sex segregation

Main article: Sex segregation

Nudity in front of strangers of the same sex is often more accepted than in front of those of the other or both sexes. Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female Sex segregation is the separation of people according to their Gender. For example when bathing or showering, in common changing rooms, etc. Bathing is the immersion of the body in a Fluid, usually Water or an aqueous solution A shower (also called shower bath is a booth for washing usually in a Bathroom, having an overhead nozzle that sprays water down on the body A changeroom Sex-specific changing rooms and toilets serve to prevent accidental partial nudity in front of the other sex. A toilet is a Plumbing fixture and disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the bodily wastes: Urine and fecal matter. In some cultures, to be seen naked, even by people of the same sex, is considered inappropriate and embarrassing.

Functional 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.

Breastfeeding in public may involve partial nudity and sometimes creates controversy. Breastfeeding is the feeding of an Infant or young Child with Breast milk directly from human Breasts, not from a Baby bottle or other Most courts in western countries would not consider breastfeeding as indecent exposure. See also Public indecency, Exhibitionism Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure by a person of a portion or portions of his or her own body under

Topfree

Main article: Topfreedom

See also: Toplessness

The exposure of women's breasts is not, of itself, normally regarded as indecent exposure in most western countries, at least in appropriate settings, such as while suntanning. Topfreedom is a Social movement seeking the recognition of a right of women and girls to be topfree in public where men and boys have that right The breast is the upper Ventral region of an animal’s Torso, particularly that of Mammals including Human beings. In the United States of America exposure of female nipples is a criminal offence in many states and not usually allowed in public (see Public indecency). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Public indecency refers to activity prohibited by the Law in many locations

Prosecutions of cases has given raise to a movement advocating "topfree equality," promoting equal rights for women to have no clothing above the waist, on the same basis that would apply to men in the same circumstances. Topfreedom is a Social movement seeking the recognition of a right of women and girls to be topfree in public where men and boys have that right The term "topfree" rather than "topless" is advocated to avoid the latter term's perceived sexual connotations. However, there was still a public outcry to the exposure by Janet Jackson of her breast during the 2004 Super Bowl half-time show. Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16 1966 is an American recording artist and entertainer "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Super Bowl XXXVIII, which was broadcast live on February 1, 2004 from Houston Texas on the CBS television network in the

Naturism and nudism

See also: Naturism and List of social nudity places

Naturism (or nudism) is a cultural and political movement practising, advocating and defending nudity in private and in public. Naturism or nudism is a cultural and Political movement advocating and defending social Nudity in private and in public. This is a list of public outdoor clothes free areas for recreation Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Public nudity or nude in public (NIP refers to Nudity not in an entirely private context It is also a lifestyle based on personal, family and/or social nudity. ^[17][18]

Naturists reject contemporary standards of modesty which discourage personal, family and social nudity, and seek to create a social environment where people feel comfortable in the company of nude people, and being seen nude, either just by other nudists, or also by the general public. Naturism or nudism is a cultural and Political movement advocating and defending social Nudity in private and in public. Standards of modesty (also called demureness or reticence) are aspects of the Culture of a Country or people at a given point in time Definition In the absence of agreement about its meaning the term "social" is used in many different senses referring among other things to attitudes ^[17][18]

Nude bathing

Woman bathing

The trend in some European countries (for instance Germany, Finland and the Netherlands) is to allow both sexes to bathe together naked. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Typically, older German bathhouses, such as Bad Burg, remain segregated by sex. Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness Often the term public is misleading to some people as they will have restrictions based upon who can use the facility On the other hand Finnish saunas can be mixed and are always attended nude. The Finnish sauna is a substantial part of Finnish culture. There are five million inhabitants and over two million saunas in Finland - an average of one per

Nudity and sexuality

Main article: Nudity and sexuality

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, or with subdued lighting, during bathing with the partner or afterward, covered by a sheet or blanket, or while sleeping. Historically Nudity has existed in contexts ranging from non-sexual social nudity to sensual nudity to sexualized nudity Generally speaking human sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings Sexual intercourse, in its biological sense is the act in which the male reproductive organ (in humans and other higher animals enters the female reproductive tract

Nudity is closely associated with sexuality in most cultures where some level of body modesty is expected. Human sexual behavior or different human sexual practices encompass a wide range of activities such as strategies to find or attract partners ( Mating and display Standards of modesty (also called demureness or reticence) are aspects of the Culture of a Country or people at a given point in time This is evidenced by the existence of striptease in these cultures. A striptease or Exotic dance is a form of erotic entertainment usually a Dance, in which the performer known as a "stripper" gradually undresses Sexual dimorphism when depicted in the main stream media of these cultures is often seen as sexually related. Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different Sex in the same Species. "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press" 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.

Prisoner abuse, including forced nudity and humiliation, was widely condemned at Abu Graib facility in Iraq. The city of Abu Ghraib ( Arabic: أبو غريب Abū Ghurayb

Nudity as punishment

During the witch-hunts the alleged witches were stripped to discover the so-called witches' marks. "Witch trial" redirects here For the song by Rush, see Fear series. Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers According to Witch-hunters during the height of the Witch trials (c The discovery of witches' marks was then used as evidence in trials. ^[19]

Nakedness (full or partial) can be part of a corporal punishment or as an imposed humiliation (especially when administered in public). Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain intended to Punish a person or change his/her behavior Public humiliation was often used by local communities to punish minor and petty criminals before the age of large modern Prisons (imprisonment was long unusual as a punishment In fact, torture manuals may distinguish between the male and female psychological aversion to self-exposure versus being disrobed. Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally

Nazis used forced nudity to attempt to humiliate citizens held in its concentration camp. This was depicted in the film Schindler's List. Schindler's List is a Biographical film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian.

In 2003, Abu Ghraib prison earned international notoriety for allegations of torture and abuses by members of the United States Army Reserve during the post-invasion period. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The city of Abu Ghraib ( Arabic: أبو غريب Abū Ghurayb Beginning in 2004 accounts of Abuse, Torture, Sodomy and Homicide of Prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Iraq War|2007 in Iraq|2008 in IraqThe post-invasion period in Iraq Photographic images were widely circulated and exposed practices of posing prisoners naked, sometimes bound, covered in feces and being intimidated.

Non-Western attitudes

Attitudes in Western cultures are not all the same as explained above, and likewise attitudes in non-western cultures are many and variant. Western culture (sometimes equated with Western Civilization) are terms which are used to refer to Cultures of European origin 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 breastfeed in public, while some have very strict laws about showing any bare skin.

Nudity in Africa

A woman wearing traditional clothing in Southern Ethiopia - many cultures do not stigmatise toplessness among women

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 Nilo-Saharan (e. g. , Surma people) still commonly parade fully naked or without any covering below the waist (especially at massively attended stick fighting tournaments, where well-exposed young men can hope to catch the eye of a prospective bride), amongst Bantu people there is often a complete aversion from public nudity — thus, in Botswana when a newspaper printed a photograph (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'. Surma is the Ethiopian government's collective name for the Suri, the Mursi and the Me'en. The Ugandan Kavirondo tribes, a mix of Bantu and Nilotic immigrants, traditionally went practically naked, but the men eventually adopted western dress. Kavirondo is the former name of the region surrounding Kavirondo Gulf (now Winam Gulf) as well as of two native peoples living there under the regime of British East Africa

Historical overview

Main article: History of nudity

Anthropologists logically presume that humans originally lived naked, without clothing, as their natural state. See also Timeline of non-sexual social nudity. It is not known when humans began wearing clothes 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, decoration, cult, or prestige, and later found to be practical as well. For men and women, public nudity was at least permissible in ancient Sparta, and customary at festivals.

In some hunter-gatherer cultures in warm climates, near-complete nudity has been, until the introduction of Western culture, or still is, standard practice for both men and women. A hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary subsistence method involves the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild Foraging and Hunting Western culture (sometimes equated with Western Civilization) are terms which are used to refer to Cultures of European origin In some African and Melanesian cultures, men going completely naked except for a string tied about the waist are considered properly dressed for hunting and other traditional group activities. Melanesia (from Greek: μέλας black, νῆσος island) means "islands of the black-skinned people" In a number of tribes in the South Pacific island of New Guinea, the men use hard gourdlike pods as penis sheaths. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known The koteka, horim, or Penis Sheath is a phallocrypt or phallocarp traditionally worn by native male inhabitants of While obscuring and covering the actual penis, these at a longer distance give the impression of a large, erect phallus. The penis (plural penises, penes Yet a man without this "covering" could be considered to be in an embarrassing state of nakedness. Among the Chumash Native Americans of southern California, men were usually naked, and women were often topless. The Chumash are Native American people who historically inhabit chiefly central and southern coastal regions of California, in portions of what is now San California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Native Americans of the Amazon Basin usually went nude or nearly nude; in many native tribes, the only clothing worn was some device worn by men to clamp the foreskin shut. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. In Male Human Anatomy, the foreskin or prepuce (a technically broader term that also includes the Clitoral hood, the homologous However, other similar cultures have had different standards. For example, other native North Americans generally avoided total nudity, and the Native Americans of the mountains and west of South America, such as the Quechua, kept quite covered. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America.

Boys skinny dipping in a sacred tank of water in India.

In the ancient culture of Southern Asia, there is a tradition of extreme ascetism (obviously minoritarian) that includes full nudity, from the gymnosophists (philosophers in Antiquity) to certain holy men (who may however cover themselves with ashes) in present Hindu devotion. Gymnosophists is the name (meaning "naked philosophers" given by the Greeks to certain ancient Indian philosophers who pursued Asceticism to A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical

Nudity in religion

Main article: Nudity in religion

Judaism

In some parts of Judaism and in some Jewish communities, men and women use ritual baths called mikvaot for a variety of reasons, mostly religious in the present day. Attitudes concerning Nudity in Western cultures are not all the same and likewise attitudes in non-western cultures are many and variant Immersion in a mikvah requires that water covers the entire body (including the entire head). 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 the women have been entirely covered in water.

At the same time, religious Jews are very protective about their naked body. Under the laws of Tznius (modesty), both men and women cannot reveal the body parts considered to have sexual connotation (including upper arms, collarbones, legs, and — for married women and all men — hair, which is covered completely or partially). It is postulated in the Shulchan Aruch (the Code of Law) that one must uncover as little body as possible when in the toilet room and even when changing before sleep (trousers are often taken off and exchanged for the pajamas under the covers). This ensures maximum acuteness of spiritual sensation during sex and also decreases the feeling of self-awareness and shame about one's body.

Conservative and Reform Judaism do not share the same attitudes about nudity in private.

Islam

In Islam the area of the body not meant to be exposed in public is called the awrah, and while referred to in the Qur'an, is addressed in more detail in hadith. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Awrah (عورة is a term used within Islam which denotes the parts of the Body that are not meant to be exposed in public The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Hadith ( ar الحديث, pl aḥadīth; lit. "narrative" are oral Traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic

• For men, the awrah is from the navel well to well below the knees, which means that in public Muslim men have to cover themselves at least from the navel down below the knees. Awrah (عورة is a term used within Islam which denotes the parts of the Body that are not meant to be exposed in public A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion
• Some Muslim women wear the hijab, which covers the entire body except for the hands, the feet, and the face. Islam and clothing Hijab or ħijāb ( ar حجاب, pronounced) is the Arabic term for "cover" (noun based on the root حجب meaning "to
• Some Islamic countries require women to observe purdah, covering their entire bodies, except the face (see burqa). This article is about the practice of preventing men from seeing women A burqa (also Transliterated burkha, burka or burqua) is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions for the However, the degrees of covering vary according to local custom and/or interpretation of Islamic Law.

See also

• Depictions of nudity
• Nudity in combat
• Nudity in film
• Nudity in sport

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.
• Etymology OnLine- various lemmate & [4]

External links

• Theory of the Nude - How and why we create the nude in art
• Nudity in art Today by Art Lister
• 20 century Nude in the "History of Art"
• Nudity in Ancient to Modern Cultures by Aileen Goodson (This chapter excerpt is from Aileen Goodson's Therapy, Nudity & Joy)

Further reading

• Storey, Mark Social Nudity, Sexual Attraction, and Respect Nude & Natural magazine, 24. Mark Storey is a board member of the Naturist Action Committee and has testified at anti-nudity legislation hearings all over the United States Nude & Natural The Magazine Of Naturist Living or simply ("N" Magazine is a quarterly 100+ page Naturist Magazine 3 Spring 2005.
• Storey, Mark Children, Social Nudity and Academic Research Nude & Natural magazine, 23. Mark Storey is a board member of the Naturist Action Committee and has testified at anti-nudity legislation hearings all over the United States Nude & Natural The Magazine Of Naturist Living or simply ("N" Magazine is a quarterly 100+ page Naturist Magazine 4 Summer 2004.