Contested Bodies

The body occupies a prime position in contemporary theoretical work, yet there is no consensus on what it is and what constitutes it. "Contested Bodies" brings together a number of different accounts and perspectives on the body, drawing out some of the connections and disjunctures from this most contested of topics. From revealing attempts at applying abstract body theory to real bodies, to an examination of the consumption of princess's bodies in popular culture and thoughts on the 'virtual' nature of the transgendered body, this volume features fresh and fascinating contributions from some of the leading thinkers and upcoming theorists in the field.

The body occupies a prime position in contemporary theoretical work, yet still there is no consensus on exactly what it is and what constitutes it. Contested Bodies brings together a number of different accounts and perspectives on the body, drawing out some of the key connections and disjunctures from this most contested of topics. This volume features fresh and fascinating contributions from some of the leading thinkers and upcoming theorists in the field. Themes that run through the work include: * the place of the body in theory* the notion of labour in the production of bodies *the transformative potential of bodies on spaces. Grounded inreal life experience and examples, this key text will be a valuable reference for undergraduates of sociology and gender studies.