出版社：Department of Anthropology, University of Durham
摘要：Historically the concept of body image has been associated with a clinical discourse of
neurology and psychology, and more recently has entered popular lay discourse. In these
understandings, body image refers to the ways in which people see themselves, and in turn,
how others see them. This paper critiques the underlying assumptions of body image,
arguing that a singular (or narrow) focus on the ways in which bodies are visually perceived
rests on dichotomous categories of mind/body. Using an anthropological perspective this
study aims to broaden the grounds of body image. Through participant observation and
interviews with ten young women this study examines how women engage with their bodies
and body image in different relationships and spaces. Using the theoretical framework of
Foucault¡¯s concepts of governmentality and technologies of the self, this study argues that
shared spaces and social relationships are central to understanding how women embody,
practice, reproduce and challenge gender constructions. Positioning body image in a wider
understanding of social space and practice moves beyond the focus of individual
perception.
