AHSS*1130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Gerontocracy, Ageism, Conflict Theories
Sociology Week 11
Sociology of the Body: Disability, Aging & Death
The Body & Social Status
- Feminist approach: the body, disabilities, aging & death mean different things and have
different consequences for different cultures historical periods and categories of people
- Height: height has social causes and consequences (social value put on height & weight)
oStudy of class, status & height correlation: a complex series of social factors determines
the average height of any population, and a complex series of social consequences flow
from difference in height
- Weight: because of north Americas cultural preference for thinness & its corresponding distaste
for round bodies, body weight influences status
oFat shaming at men stores, women pay a higher penalty than men do for being
overweight
Body Projects
- Not only do people alter their bodily appearance to conform to social norms and expectations,
but subjectively also comes into play
- How individuals experience their self is based on whether & how they are able to produce a
body that meets cultural ideals (looking glass self)
- The body becomes personally meaningful through attempts to modify its shape and appearance
- A body project is an enterprise that involves shaping ones body to express ones identity & meet
cultural expectations of beauty & heath
- Types of body project activities: (1) camouflaging, (2) extending, (3) adapting, and (4)
redesigning
The Sociology of Aging
- The sociological nature of aging is also evident in the fact that its significance varies from one
society to the next
- Aging is not just a biological process, but is also deeply rooted in society & culture
- Age can be a basis for social division
- Some observers believe that in CAN & other aging societies, older people are gaining power at
the expense of younger people
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Sociology of the body: disability, aging & death. Feminist approach: the body, disabilities, aging & death mean different things and have different consequences for different cultures historical periods and categories of people. Weight: because of north americas cultural preference for thinness & its corresponding distaste for round bodies, body weight influences status: fat shaming at men stores, women pay a higher penalty than men do for being overweight. Not only do people alter their bodily appearance to conform to social norms and expectations, but subjectively also comes into play. How individuals experience their self is based on whether & how they are able to produce a body that meets cultural ideals (looking glass self) The body becomes personally meaningful through attempts to modify its shape and appearance. A body project is an enterprise that involves shaping ones body to express ones identity & meet cultural expectations of beauty & heath.
