Body Issues - Articles on the Sociology of the Body

If this book were to have a subtitle, it would aptly be "Trends Towards Diversity," reflecting the diversity of current developments in what has come to be called the sociology of the body, and the variety of substantive topics and empirical research covered in the essays. Such a subtitle, like the papers collected here, also points to the potential of the sociology of the body, indicating the directions that could be taken in sociology and social theory in the future. The coherence of this collection lies in its focus on the embodiment of social actors and the relationship between this embodiment and the problems of both everyday life and sociological theorizing.
While the core themes explored here range from dance, men, masculinity, marital and sexual counseling, prostitution, bodybuilding, lesbian imagery, and the management of children's bodies, clear connections and common threads can be found throughout these chapters. One of these themes concerns the social construction of the body, exploring how various aspects of the body acquire new and diverse meanings, thus weakening or challenging what might be traditionally understood as natural. Another theme focuses on social control and the organization of the body, examining the complex interactions between social organization and individual self-regulation. These themes will be present in a varied interplay throughout these pages.