The Body in Society

This book is a lively and highly accessible introduction to the sociology of the body. It examines what certain aspects of our bodies, such as the size, shape, smell and demeanor, reveal about the social organization of everyday life and how the body is crucial to the way we engage with the world and the people around us. Accessible introduction to the complex topic of the sociology of the body. Examines what certain aspects of our bodies, such as the size, shape, smell and demeanor, reveal about the social organization of everyday life. Introduces students to the key theoretical perspectives and conceptual frameworks which help us to understand the social significance of the human body. Uses examples with which readers will have familiarity, such as eating and sleeping.

ISBN 074562538X   Pages 208 ISBN13 9780745625386 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd   Weight (grammes) 336 Imprint Polity Press   Published in Oxford Format Paperback   Height (mm) 229 Publication date 29 Oct 2003   Width (mm) 156 Library of Congress GT495, GT495   Spine width (mm) 16 DEWEY 306.4   Academic level Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC21

		List of Illustrations
		Acknowledgements
		Introduction		1
1		The Body in Everyday Life		14
2		The Body, Gender and Sex		39
3		The Civilized Body		67
4		The Body in Consumer Culture		93
5		Regulating the Body		120
6		Images and Experiences of Childhood, Ageing and Death		140
		Glossary		164
		References		172
		Index		191

"The Body in Society is a welcome resource for undergraduate courses in sociology of the body. Students will appreciate Howson's clear prose, her organization by substantive topics, her glossary, and her inclusion for websites for further research on particular topics. A careful, concise, and comprehensive addition to the teaching literature on the body." Arthur W. Frank, University of Calgary "This book is a genuinely introductory text that is both accessible and intellectually challenging to students approaching the sociology of the body for the first time. Admirably grounded in evidence drawn from empirical research, it takes the reader by the hand on a conducted tour of theoretical issues ranging from questions of gender, consumer culture and the civilizing process to the social construction of ageing and the lifecourse. The writing is clear, vigorous and above all highly readable. It is the work of an imaginative and skilful teacher who confidently bridges the gap between the commonsense knowledge and experience of the body in everyday life and sociological research and theorization. The result is an introductory text which does not lose sight of the point of departure of the sociology of the body in everyday life or the complexity of the intellectual roadmap we require for our journey." Mike Hepworth, University of Aberdeen

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