Research Project Information Sheet for Respondents

This document briefly outlines the purpose and aim of the research project in which you are asked to participate. In case of any questions, you can always contact the lead researcher Sanne Pieters or the supervisory researcher (contact details at the end of this document).

What is this project about?

The project you are participating in focuses on beautifying bodywork. In this research, we aim to understand how beauty and beautifying bodywork (e.g., fitness, cosmetic surgery) shape (dis-)advantages in Brussels specifically and Belgium/Europe more broadly. We examine this by looking at beauty or fitness as a particular type of knowledge that is acquired and passed on via expert groups, like yourself!

As a fitness coach, beautician, cosmetic doctor or plastic surgeon, you serve as an expert in the field of beautifying bodywork. We want to know how you acquired your sense of beauty and how this knowledge is communicated, reinforced or negotiated in your job. If we have answers to these and related questions, we can see how everyday beautifying practices may relate to social inequalities in Belgium and elsewhere.

How does my participation work? And what will you do with the information afterwards?

Your participation in this part of the project is expected to last for the durance of the observation time as agreed upon. You can stop participating at any moment. With your permission, we would like to record the conversation and/or take fieldnotes. The information of this interview is anonymized and pseudonymized, which means that it cannot be traced back to you. Your name, employer or any identifying data will not be named (unless you agree otherwise). We process the pseudonymized interview data for our research which we publish in academic journals and books. Your data and privacy rights are outlined in the attached GDPR notice.

Who are the main researchers?

The main researcher of this project is Sanne Pieters MSc, who does this research as part of her PhD in cultural sociology at the KU Leuven (Catholic University Leuven). Her supervisor is prof. dr. Giselinde Kuipers.

How can I reach the main researcher and her supervisor?

Sanne Pieters MSc • sanne.pieters@kuleuven.be
Prof. Dr. Giselinde Kuipers • giselinde.kuipers@kuleuven.be