The Body and Society; Explorations in Social Theory

This is a fully revised edition of a book that may fairly claim to have re-opened the sociology of the body as a legitimate area of enquiry. The book provides an unparalleled guide to all aspects of the sociology of the body. Each chapter has been revised and updated and the book contains new material that reflects changes in the field since the last edition. In particular, Turner's developing position on the centrality of vulnerability. Assured and innovative, this book provides the most authoritative statement of work on the sociology of the body by what many experts regard to be the leading writer in the field. 'Bryan Turner has revolutionised the way in which we think about ourselves and our bodies. This edition of his book demonstrates further intellectual growth and development; innovative ideas inform an already classic understanding. The human body is the very material of our lives; this book allows us to deepen our knowledge of the meanings of the body in the twenty first century and offers a definitive and emancipatory account of the possibilities (both negative and positive) with which we are presented and which we construct for ourselves' - Mary Evans, University of Kent Bryan Turner is currently Professor of Sociology at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.