The Lived Body takes a fresh look at the problem of human embodiment through a critical examination of the dualist legacies of the past. A broad range of classical and contemporary social theorists are surveyed - from Marx to Freud, Foucault to Giddens, Deleuze to Guattari and Irigary to Grosz - in terms of the bodily themes and issues they raise. A variety of new areas of research in this rapidly expanding field are also considered, including medical technology and the 'fate' of human embodiment, the relationshio between the body, art and society. The notion of an Embodied Sociology is put forward; one which outs minds back into bodies, bodies back into society and society back into the body.
The Lived Body will provide students and researchers in medical sociology, health sciences, cultural studies and philosophy with clear, accessible coverage of theory and debate in body and social theory from basic issues to complex ideas and a challenging new way of thinking.