Sociology of the Body

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how society in general defines a woman based on their physiology. The author explains that this stereotype has been biased in the physiological relationship to motherhood and the woman's ability to produce children thus creating a slew of implied social structures and cultural contexts in regards to a woman's role in society and especially in relationship to men. The paper regards sociology of the body, in this respect as more of a cultural implication rather than physiological and explains how this stereotyped and well-worn adage is body centric and an excellent example of the how sociology of the body can influence our thoughts and feelings.

From the Paper:

"While the concept of Sociology of the body has been around for millennia it has now taken on a form in the area of research and sociological theory that helps us to understand prejudice, chauvinism and discrimination at its subliminal roots. Dominant in our culture for centuries was the concept that the human body was first and primarily male, as pointed out in the bible and then secondarily and almost as an afterthought, female. To make matters worse, the body image in most cultures that are theistically male oriented view the female body and females in general as a degraded from of human being. This imagery has and still does haunt the sociology of the body till this day despite any biological facts concerning the propagation of the species and the resilience to pain the female anatomy can endure."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Armstrong, Karen.1996. 'A God for both sexes.' Economist 341: 65-70.
• Bennetts, Leslie, Gerard, Emily, and Liebman, Jeremy. 2008. 'The f-word.' Cosmo Girl, 10: 102-105.
• Edwards, Susan S. M. 1993. 'Chapter 6 Selling the Body, Keeping the Soul: Sexuality, Power, the Theories and Realities of Prostitution.' pp. 89-null979104 in Body Matters: Essays on the Sociology of the Body, edited by Scott, Sue and David Morgan. London: Falmer Press.
• Frost, Liz. 2005 'Theorizing the Young Woman in the Body,' Body & Society 1 63-85
• Hyde, Pamela. 2000. 'Managing Bodies-Managing Relationships: The Popular Media and the Social Construction of Women's Bodies and Social Roles from the 1930s to the 1950s.' Journal of Sociology 36:157.

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