Overview

""Great to have a new edition - this is essential reading and provides a clear, accessible yet original overview of social theory and the body."" - Sarah Nettleton, University of York ""Lucidly argued and accessibly written, this book avoids the pitfalls of either too much naturalism or too much social constructivism. It is a book with something for everyone, from the classics in social theory on the body to contemporary bodily phenomena like genetics, body modification, and cultural anxieties about death."" - Kathy Davis, Utrecht University Unrivalled in its clarity and coverage, this sparkling new edition of Chris Shilling's classic text is a masterful account of the emergence and development of body matters in sociology and related disciplines. A timely, well reasoned response to current concerns and controversies across the globe, it provides chapter-by-chapter coverage of the major theories, approaches and studies conducted in the field. Each chapter has been revised and updated, with new discussions of 'actor-network theory', bodywork, pragmatism, the global resurgence of religious identities, 'new genetics', biological citizenship, neuroscience, and figurations of the living and dead. Packed full of critical analysis and relevant empirical studies the book engages with the major classical and contemporary theories within body studies including the: naturalistic, interactionist, constructionist, feminist, structuralist, phenomenological, and realist. Original, logical and indispensable this is a must-have title for students and researchers engaged with the study of the body.

Full Product Details

9780857025333

Table of Contents

Reviews

In The Body and Social Theory Chris Shilling has built on his expertise in the sociology of the body to provide a canonical treatment of the subject that he renders with theoretical depth and clarity of prose, making this book invaluable. Jaqueline Low University of New Brunswick, Canada Lucidly argued and accessibly written, this book makes a convincing case for an embodied sociology which avoids the pitfalls of either too much naturalism or too much social constructivism. It is a book with something for everyone, from the classics in social theory on the body to contemporary bodily phenomena like genetics, body modification, and cultural anxieties about death. Kathy Davis Utrecht University With many new additions, both substantive and theoretical, this volume is at the forefront of body studies. Written in a crisp and concise manner, it is an authoritative and invaluable contribution. Bryan S. Turner The Graduate Centre, CUNY

In The Body and Social Theory Chris Shilling has built on his expertise in the sociology of the body to provide a canonical treatment of the subject that he renders with theoretical depth and clarity of prose, making this book invaluable Jaqueline Low University of New Brunswick, Canada <hr color= GBP666666 size= 1px />

In The Body and Social Theory Chris Shilling has built on his expertise in the sociology of the body to provide a canonical treatment of the subject that he renders with theoretical depth and clarity of prose, making this book invaluable. Jaqueline Low University of New Brunswick, Canada Lucidly argued and accessibly written, this book makes a convincing case for an embodied sociology which avoids the pitfalls of either too much naturalism or too much social constructivism. It is a book with something for everyone, from the classics in social theory on the body to contemporary bodily phenomena like genetics, body modification, and cultural anxieties about death. Kathy Davis Utrecht University With many new additions, both substantive and theoretical, this volume is at the forefront of body studies. Written in a crisp and concise manner, it is an authoritative and invaluable contribution. Bryan S. Turner The Graduate Centre, CUNY

Author Information

Chris Shilling is Professor of Sociology in SSPSSR at the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK. Having completed a BA in Politics and an MA in Social and Political Thought at the University of Sussex, he was awarded his PhD in the Sociology of Education at The Open University. Growing increasingly dissatisfied with cognitive conceptions of agency and disembodied theories of social and cultural processes, his research and writing from the late 1980s has sought to contribute to the embodiment of sociology and sociological theory and to promote the interdisciplinary field of ′body studies.′ He has lectured widely in Europe and North America, has written on embodiment in relation to a wide range of substantive issues (from religion, archaeology, sport, music and health and illness, to work, survival, technology and consumer culture) and his publicationshave been translated into a number of different languages. Chris Shilling′s major books include Changing Bodies: Habit, Crisis and Creativity (Sage, 2008), Embodying Sociology: Retrospect, Progress and Prospects (editor, Blackwells, 2007), The Body in Culture, Technology and Society (Sage, 2005) and, with Philip A. Mellor, The Sociological Ambition (Sage, 2001) and Re-forming the Body. Religion, Community and Modernity (Sage, 1997). He is currently editor of The Sociological Review Monograph Series and is continuing to research and write on embodiment as a foundational grounding for social thought and social research.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available