Nudity
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
Nudity means nakedness. When talking about people, this means that the people talked about are not wearing any clothes. It can also mean that a person is wearing less clothes than others would expect.
When talking about animals, other than people, this means that the animals in question do not have hair. Animals that have much hair, are usually said to have a fur.
Sometimes when people talk about nakedness (or nudity) they can also mean the subjective feeling a certain person has. This feeling can be caused because the person does not wear things they usually wear. This can include jewelry, wigs or makeup.
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[change] Levels of nudity
There are different levels of nudity. Societies attach different moral values to these levels. One such term in English is called full frontal nudity. It generally means that the nude person faces the viewer, and there are no things covering parts of the body. Many societies see this as very bad. The image called Truth below shows this posture.
In most films, such kind of nudity is avoided. This is often done by placing an object somewhere. This object will hide the pubic area of the otherwise naked actor or actress. This kind of nudity can also be seen in the picture woman bathing above.
[change] What societies think about nudity
Different societies have different views on nudity. They may have rules or laws what they consider to be nudity, and where they allow it. As an example, it might be acceptable for a woman to sunbathe, or bathe naked or topless on a beach. It might however be frowned upon, if a woman went shopping in that state of dressing.
Religions also often say what people should wear. In that context, women should cover their shoulders, and perhaps their hair, when they enter a Christian church.
In humans, nakedness is often associated with the feeling of shame. The levels of clothing needed to suppress that feeling varies with cultures. There are some indigenous peoples in the rainforest, where a piece of rope is enough to make that feeling go away.
The other extreme can be seen as the Burqa. The Burqa is a garment for women, used mainly in Arabic countries. It fully covers the woman, only leaving a slit for her eyes to see.
 A young woman with traditional clothing, in southern Ethiopia. Many traditional cultures do not see it as bad that a woman is topless. |
 The Burqa is a type of dress. Women who follow some islamic writings wear this kind of dress. This woman is in Afghanistan. |
[change] Nudity in art
Since the very early ages, nudity has been a subject of the arts. One of the earliest works of art known is the Venus of Willendorf, It is a statuette of a nude woman. The Renaissance saw a depiction of nude figures in works of art, for example by Michelangelo.
 The Venus of Willendorf is one of the earliest known works of art. |
 The Last Judgement is a fresco by Michelangelo. Note that most people drawn are naked |
 David by Michelangelo. This is a replica, on a square in Florence. Please note the bird. |
[change] Nudity in sports
In Ancient Greece it was seen as normal that the athletes taking part in sporting events, like the Olympic Games were nude, for most events. At that time, women were not allowed to take part in the games. Nudity with women was frowned upon.
[change] Common activities in the nude
At least since the early 20th century there is a movement of people wanting to do some things together, while they were nude. Sometimes it was just seen functionally, like a common bath in a pond or lake. Some people do other activities together (in the nude), where being naked is usually not required. For instance, some people prefer nude sunbathing when otherwise a Swimsuit could be worn.
There are some nude bicycle tours. Still others, use the nudity as a form of protest, like a movement in the United States that wants equal treatment of bare-chested men, and women. This movement fights for the right of women to be topless. Often this is done with topless demonstrations.
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