SOC 275 - The Sociology of the Body

Institution:

Wellesley College

Subject:

Description:

Turner The sociology of the body is a relatively recent development in modern sociology. The course will explore the many ways in which the question of the body obtrudes into our daily lives: Modern consumerism employs the body as a dominant mode for articulating the desire for goods, and in the process, the body itself becomes a commodity. The exploitation of women's bodies raises the question of whether the gendered body is ?socially constructed.? In addition, developments in modern medicine, specifically microbiological revolutions, have raised the issue of the ?posthuman body? and the development of cloning. Stem-cell research and regenerative medicine have suggestto some that human longevity has no natural limits, and hence, we could ?live forever.? The course will examine a range of substantive topics: gender and sexual identity; illness and disease; dance and performance; body and consumerism; body and sport; medical interven-tions and old age; the body and religion; body, cognition and emotions; human vulnerability and human rights . Prerequisite: None Distribution: Social and Behavioral Analysis Semester: Spring Unit: 1.0

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wellesley.edu

Phone Number:

(781) 283-1000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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