The Body in Society

Reviews / Votes

"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