5.1.1

The Body

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The Body as a Social Construction

Sociologists see the human body as both socially and biologically constructed. This view informs sociological beliefs about health and illness, as well as mental health.

Creating the body

Creating the body

  • Sociologists believe that the body is something that is created and moulded by:
    • Social structure and culture.
    • People’s interpretations of the dominant social attitudes, norms and traditions in society.
  • This view informs sociological beliefs about health and illness, as well as mental health.
Body projects

Body projects

  • According to Shilling, people are actively working on body projects in order to remould themselves to create their sense of identity.
  • Body projects differ from culture to culture and might include:
    • Binding feet and waists, scarring, tattooing, body piercing and cosmetic surgery, as well as sex-change operations and hormone treatment.
Sex and gender

Sex and gender

  • Sex (male and female) describes the biological differences between sexes.
  • This is then socially transformed into gender, with specific social norms of behaviour associated with being masculine or feminine, including body shape.
Skin colour

Skin colour

  • The colour of people’s skin also has social meaning attached to it and is linked to race and racism.
Medical advances

Medical advances

  • Advances in medicine and surgery now make it possible to renew deteriorating bodies through transplants, heart bypasses, pacemakers, etc.
Globalisation

Globalisation

  • Globalisation has resulted in attitudes to body image being drawn from different cultures across the world, changing attitudes towards the ‘ideal’ body image.

Sociological Approaches to the Body

Different sociological approaches, such as postmodernist, feminist and marxist approaches, all have different perspectives regarding how we construct our bodies.

Postmodernist approaches

Postmodernist approaches

  • Featherstone believes that human bodies have become vehicles for people to form their identities on consumer culture.
  • Both men and women maintain and construct/shape their bodies by purchasing services and products that correspond to their individual identity project, such as cosmetics, surgery, health foods and body piercing.
Feminist approaches

Feminist approaches

  • According to feminists, men and women construct their bodies to conform with the prevailing patriarchal norms of masculine and feminine identities.
  • The media promote the ‘cult of thinness’ (Hesse-Biber), reinforcing patriarchal attitudes that help to control women, even if these attitudes to the body are damaging.
Marxist approaches

Marxist approaches

  • According to Marxists, capitalist societies simply view the body as another means of making a profit – a lucrative business opportunity.
  • Images of the body are used to sell products through advertising and other means.
Marxists feminist approaches

Marxists feminist approaches

  • Marxist feminists argue that the body has become a commodity, particularly in the case of women, such as in sex work and the pornography industry.
Jump to other topics
1

Theory & Methods

1.1

Sociological Theories

1.1.1Marxism1.1.2Feminism1.1.3Social Action Theories
1.2

Sociological Methods

1.2.1Types of Data1.2.2Positivism & Interpretivism1.2.3Research Design1.2.4Research Considerations1.2.5Values in Research1.2.6Modernity & Post-Modernity1.2.7Sociology as a Science1.2.8Sociology & Social Policy1.2.9End of Topic Test - Sociology Methods & Theories
1.3

Sources of Data

1.3.1Introduction1.3.2Experiments1.3.3Surveys1.3.4Longitudinal Studies1.3.5Questionnaires1.3.6Types of Questionnaires1.3.7Interviews1.3.8Observation1.3.9Case Studies1.3.10Documents1.3.11Official Statistics1.3.12End of Topic Test - Sources of Data
2

Education with Methods in Context

2.1

Role & Function of the Education System

2.1.1Introduction2.1.2Functionalist Theories2.1.3Marxist & Feminist Theories2.1.4The New Right
2.2

Educational Achievement

2.2.1Social Class: Internal Factors2.2.2Social Class: External Factors2.2.3Social Class: Attitudes to Education2.2.4Social Class: Difference in Achievement2.2.5Gender2.2.6Ethnicity
2.3

Relationships & Processes Within Schools

2.3.1Processes2.3.2Labelling2.3.3Categorisations2.3.4Student Experience2.3.5End of Topic Test -Education with Methods
2.4

Educational Policies

2.4.1Equality2.4.2Privatisation2.4.3Marketisation2.4.4Government Policies by Party2.4.5Globalisation2.4.6End of Topic Test- Educational Policies2.4.7Practice Exam Question - Social Policies
3

Option 1: Culture & Identity

3.1

Conceptions of Culture

3.1.1Culture3.1.2Mass Culture3.1.3Popular Culture3.1.4Global Culture3.1.5End of Topic Test - Culture and Identity
3.2

Identity & Socialisation

3.2.1Identities3.2.2Socialisation3.2.3Secondary Socialisation3.2.4Theories of Socialisation3.2.5End of Topic Test - Identity3.2.6Practice Exam Question - Socialisation & Equality
3.3

Social Identity

3.3.1Social Class3.3.2Upper & Middle Class3.3.3Working & Underclass3.3.4Social Class Evaluation3.3.5Gender3.3.6Changing Gender Identities3.3.7Ethnicity3.3.8Age3.3.9Disability3.3.10Nationality3.3.11End of Topic Test - Social Identity
3.4

Production, Consumption & Globalisation

3.4.1Production & Consumption3.4.2Globalisation3.4.3Evaluation3.4.4End of Topic Test - Production
4

Option 1: Families & Households

4.1

Families & Households

4.1.1Definitions4.1.2Functionalist & New Right Perspectives4.1.3Marxist & Feminist Perspectives4.1.4Postmodernist Perspective4.1.5End of Topic Test - Families & Households4.1.6Practice Exam Question - Function of Family
4.2

Changing Patterns

4.2.1Marriage4.2.2Divorce4.2.3LAT Relationships4.2.4Child-Bearing4.2.5Lone Parenthood4.2.6Diversity4.2.7The Sociology of Personal Life4.2.8Government Policies Post-WW24.2.9End of Topic Test - Changing Patterns
4.3

The Symmetrical Family

4.3.1The Symmetrical Family4.3.2Evaluation
4.4

Children & Childhood

4.4.1Childhood4.4.2Childhood in the UK4.4.3Childhood as a Social Construct4.4.4The Disappearance of Childhood4.4.5Child Abuse4.4.6Domestic Violence4.4.7End of Topic Test - Family & Childhood
4.5

Demographic Trends UK

4.5.1Introduction4.5.2Birth Rates4.5.3Death Rates4.5.4The Ageing Population4.5.5Studies on the Ageing Population4.5.6Migration4.5.7Globalisation4.5.8End of Topic Test - Demographics UK
5

Option 1: Health

5.1

Social Constructions

5.1.1The Body5.1.2Health, Illness & Disease5.1.3Disability5.1.4Models of Health & Illness5.1.5End of Topic Test - Social Constructions
5.2

Social Distribution of Healthcare

5.2.1Social Class5.2.2Gender5.2.3Ethnicity5.2.4Regional
5.3

Provision & Access to Healthcare

5.3.1The NHS5.3.2Inequalities in Provision5.3.3Sociological Explanations5.3.4Inequalities in Access5.3.5Inequalities in Access 25.3.6End of Topic Test - Distribution Health
5.4

Mental Health

5.4.1The Biomedical Approach5.4.2Social Patterns5.4.3Social Constructionist Approach
5.5

The Globalised Health Industry

5.5.1The Functionalist Approach5.5.2The Postmodernist Approach5.5.3The Globalised Health Industry5.5.4End of Topic Test - Mental Health & Globalisation
6

Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare

6.1

Poverty & Wealth

6.1.1Types of Poverty6.1.2Types of Poverty 26.1.3Distribution of Wealth UK6.1.4Sociological Theories6.1.5Sociological Theories 26.1.6Distribution of Poverty UK6.1.7End of Topic Test - Poverty & Wealth
6.2

Welfare

6.2.1The Welfare State6.2.2Theoretical Approaches to Welfare
6.3

Labour Process

6.3.1Nature of Work6.3.2Technology & Control6.3.3Work & Life6.3.4The Effects of Globalisation6.3.5Globalisation & Worklessness6.3.6End of Topic Test - Welfare & Labour
7

Option 2: Beliefs in Society

7.1

Ideology, Science & Religion

7.1.1Types of Religion7.1.2Ideology & Belief Systems7.1.3Social Stability & Religion7.1.4Social Change & Religion7.1.5End of Topic Test - Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2

Religious Movements

7.2.1Religious Organisations7.2.2New Religious Movements7.2.3New Age Movements7.2.4Practice Exam Question - Growth of NRMs
7.3

Society & Religion

7.3.1Social Groups & Religion7.3.2Gender & Religion7.3.3End of Topic Test- Religious Movements & Society
7.4

Contemporary Religion

7.4.1Secularisation UK7.4.2Against Secularisation7.4.3Secularisation US7.4.4Fundamentalism7.4.5Economic Development & Religion7.4.6End of Topic - Contemporary Religion
8

Option 2: Global Development

8.1

Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality

8.1.1Development8.1.2Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2

Globalisation & Global Organisations

8.2.1Globalisation8.2.2Transnational Corporations & International Agency8.2.3Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
8.3

Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation

8.3.1Development: Aid & Trade8.3.2Development: Industrialisation & Urbanisation8.3.3Development: Environment & War
9

Option 2: The Media

9.1

Contemporary Media

9.1.1New Media9.1.2Control of the Media9.1.3Sociological Approaches: New Media9.1.4Globalisation9.1.5News Selection9.1.6Moral Panics9.1.7End of Topic Test - Contemporary Media
9.2

Media Representations

9.2.1Age9.2.2Social Class & Ethnicity9.2.3Gender9.2.4Sexuality & Disability9.2.5Practice Exam Questions - Presentation of Women
9.3

Audiences

9.3.1Media Theories9.3.2Media Theories 29.3.3Media Representations & Audiences
10

Crime & Deviance

10.1

Crime & Society

10.1.1Functionalism10.1.2Subcultural Theory10.1.3Marxism10.1.4Realism10.1.5Other Approaches10.1.6End of Topic Test - Crime & Society10.1.7Practice Exam Questions - Social Construction
10.2

Social Distribution of Crime

10.2.1Ethnicity10.2.2Gender10.2.3Globalisation & Crime10.2.4Media & Crime10.2.5Types of Crimes10.2.6End of Topic Test - Social Distribution of Crime
10.3

Prevention & Punishment

10.3.1Surveillance10.3.2Prevention10.3.3Punishment10.3.4Victimology10.3.5End of Topic Test - Prevention & Punishment

Practice questions on The Body

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  1. 1
    Sociologists believe that the body is something that is created and moulded by: Fill in the list
  2. 2
    Who claims that the media promotes the ‘cult of thinness’?Multiple choice
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End of Topic Test - Demographics UK

Health, Illness & Disease