Published in Association with Theory, Culture and Society: The Body : Social Process and Cultural Theory Vol. 7 (1991, Paperback) DJV read online book
9780803984134 0803984138 "I must say at the start that this is a most important and interesting collection which does much to advance the sociology of the body. I congratulate the editors for a fine achievement, and the editors of TCS for pioneering this new, and now much less secret, theorizing of the body and of the embodied self." --Contemporary Sociology "Both engrossing and challenging, the papers present to the reader an opportunity to examine in depth the significance of the human physique. . . . A thought provoking book." --Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling For centuries the human body has been a long-established issue in anthropology. However, human embodiment is increasingly becoming the primary focus in sociology and cultural studies as a means to understanding the complex interrelations between nature, culture, and society. At a theoretical level, this challenging volume explores the origins of a social theory of the body in sources ranging from the work of Nietzsche to contemporary feminist theory. Through specific case studies, the contributors demonstrate the importance of a theoretical understanding of the body to social and cultural analyses of contemporary societies. These range from the expression of emotions, romantic love, dietary practices, consumer behavior, physical fitness, beauty, and media images of women and sexuality. The Body will interest scholars and researchers, as well as students of social theory, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, and philosophy., This challenging volume reasserts the centrality of the body within social theory as a means to understanding the complex interrelations between nature, culture and society. At a theoretical level, the volume explores the origins of a social theory of the body in sources ranging from the work of Nietzsche to contemporary feminist theory. The importance of a theoretical understanding of the body to social and cultural analysis of contemporary societies is demonstrated through specific case studies. These range from the expression of the emotions, romantic love, dietary practice, consumer culture, fitness and beauty, to media images of women and sexuality., Traditionally the social sciences have worked within dichotomies which have profoundly influenced Western thought: body//soul and naturelture. Whereas anthropology has recognised the importance of human bodies, sociology has tended to treat the individual as a disembodied decision-making agent. Yet contemporary societies exhibit a profound concern over bodily practice. This is expressed not only through pervasive concepts of bodily health, fitness and beauty, but also in relation to sexuality - exemplified in particular by concerns with female sexuality, homosexuality and AIDS. This challenging volume reasserts the centrality of the body within social theory as a means to understanding the complex interrelations between nature, culture and society. At a theoretical level, the volume explores the origins of a social theory of the body in sources ranging from the work of Nietzsche to contemporary feminist theory. The importance of a theoretical understanding of the body to social and cultural analysis of contemporary societies is demonstrated through specific case studies. These range from the expression of the emotions, romantic love, dietary practice, consumer culture, fitness and beauty, to media images of women and sexuality. This wide-ranging book, drawing in part on papers published in Theory, Culture & Society, will be of interest to an interdisciplinary market in cultural studies, the social sciences and the humanities. Theory, Culture & Society Series editor Mike Featherstone Reader in Social Studies, Teesside Polytechnic Series editorial board: Roy Boyne Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic Mike Hepworth University of Aberdeen Scott Lash University of Lancaster Roland Robertson University of Pittsburgh Bryan S Turner University of Essex 'In my view, the publication of TCS is about the best thing which has happened to sociology in recent years.' - Zygmunt Bauman The journal Theory, Culture & Society has been a great success story of sociology in the 1980s. Launched to cater for the resurgence of interest in culture within contemporary social science, it has carved out a new interdisciplinary niche at the borders of social theory and cultural studies which has attracted international interest. Theory, Culture & Society has featured papers by and about such leading theorists as Foucault, Bourdieu, Baudrillard, Goffman, Bell, Parsons, Elias, Gadamer, Luhmann, Habermas and Giddens. The book series retains the journal's central focus on a wide range of theorizations of culture and ways of understanding the relationship between culture and society. Building on the heritage of classic social theory, it will examine the ways in which this tradition has been reshaped by a new generation of theorists.
9780803984134 0803984138 "I must say at the start that this is a most important and interesting collection which does much to advance the sociology of the body. I congratulate the editors for a fine achievement, and the editors of TCS for pioneering this new, and now much less secret, theorizing of the body and of the embodied self." --Contemporary Sociology "Both engrossing and challenging, the papers present to the reader an opportunity to examine in depth the significance of the human physique. . . . A thought provoking book." --Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling For centuries the human body has been a long-established issue in anthropology. However, human embodiment is increasingly becoming the primary focus in sociology and cultural studies as a means to understanding the complex interrelations between nature, culture, and society. At a theoretical level, this challenging volume explores the origins of a social theory of the body in sources ranging from the work of Nietzsche to contemporary feminist theory. Through specific case studies, the contributors demonstrate the importance of a theoretical understanding of the body to social and cultural analyses of contemporary societies. These range from the expression of emotions, romantic love, dietary practices, consumer behavior, physical fitness, beauty, and media images of women and sexuality. The Body will interest scholars and researchers, as well as students of social theory, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, and philosophy., This challenging volume reasserts the centrality of the body within social theory as a means to understanding the complex interrelations between nature, culture and society. At a theoretical level, the volume explores the origins of a social theory of the body in sources ranging from the work of Nietzsche to contemporary feminist theory. The importance of a theoretical understanding of the body to social and cultural analysis of contemporary societies is demonstrated through specific case studies. These range from the expression of the emotions, romantic love, dietary practice, consumer culture, fitness and beauty, to media images of women and sexuality., Traditionally the social sciences have worked within dichotomies which have profoundly influenced Western thought: body//soul and naturelture. Whereas anthropology has recognised the importance of human bodies, sociology has tended to treat the individual as a disembodied decision-making agent. Yet contemporary societies exhibit a profound concern over bodily practice. This is expressed not only through pervasive concepts of bodily health, fitness and beauty, but also in relation to sexuality - exemplified in particular by concerns with female sexuality, homosexuality and AIDS. This challenging volume reasserts the centrality of the body within social theory as a means to understanding the complex interrelations between nature, culture and society. At a theoretical level, the volume explores the origins of a social theory of the body in sources ranging from the work of Nietzsche to contemporary feminist theory. The importance of a theoretical understanding of the body to social and cultural analysis of contemporary societies is demonstrated through specific case studies. These range from the expression of the emotions, romantic love, dietary practice, consumer culture, fitness and beauty, to media images of women and sexuality. This wide-ranging book, drawing in part on papers published in Theory, Culture & Society, will be of interest to an interdisciplinary market in cultural studies, the social sciences and the humanities. Theory, Culture & Society Series editor Mike Featherstone Reader in Social Studies, Teesside Polytechnic Series editorial board: Roy Boyne Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic Mike Hepworth University of Aberdeen Scott Lash University of Lancaster Roland Robertson University of Pittsburgh Bryan S Turner University of Essex 'In my view, the publication of TCS is about the best thing which has happened to sociology in recent years.' - Zygmunt Bauman The journal Theory, Culture & Society has been a great success story of sociology in the 1980s. Launched to cater for the resurgence of interest in culture within contemporary social science, it has carved out a new interdisciplinary niche at the borders of social theory and cultural studies which has attracted international interest. Theory, Culture & Society has featured papers by and about such leading theorists as Foucault, Bourdieu, Baudrillard, Goffman, Bell, Parsons, Elias, Gadamer, Luhmann, Habermas and Giddens. The book series retains the journal's central focus on a wide range of theorizations of culture and ways of understanding the relationship between culture and society. Building on the heritage of classic social theory, it will examine the ways in which this tradition has been reshaped by a new generation of theorists.