This unit will examine sociological perspectives on the body. It will explore such questions as, how can we account for recent academic and popular interest in the body? What contributions have sociologists made to understanding the body? How might the study of the body help illuminate long standing debates in sociology, such as the structure/agency debate? How 'natural' is the body, and does it make sense to speak of a natural body? It will explore the impact of recent technological developments (e.g. genetics, cloning, nanotechnologies) and body modification practices, on how we view the body and it will assess the implications for identity. -- Course Website
Instructor: Alan Petersen
Prerequisites: A first-year sequence in Sociology or permission
