Introducing Anthropology. Laura Pountney

      American Anthropological Association, Handbook on Ethical Issues in Anthropology: www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/toc.htm

      Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth: https://www.theasa.org

      Digital Youth Research: http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu

      Energy and Digital Living presents ethnographic research around energy, digital media and everyday life in the UK homes: http://energyanddigitalliving.com

      Ethnographic Video Online, Royal Anthropological Institute Teaching Edition: https://alexanderstreet.com/products/rai-teaching-edition

      Luis Devin, anthropological and ethnomusicological fieldwork among hunters and gatherers (pygmies) and other peoples of Central Africa: www.luisdevin.com/home.php

      Media Anthropology Network, European Association of Social Anthropologists: http://www.media-anthropology.net

      Why We Post: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/why-we-post

      Wishcrys: Crystal Abidin https://wishcrys.com

CHAPTER 3 The Body

       Contents

      1  Key issues and debates

      2  Body Modifications and Decorations

      3  Body modifications

      4  Body modification in Western societies

      5  Tattooing.

      6  Skin colour bias

      7  Body Types

      8  Body image in Fiji

      9  Training the body in sport

      10  Ideal male body type, size: Symbolic power

      11  Sexy bodies

      12  Anthropological Theories of the Body

      13  Symbolic Classification and the Body: The Body and Society

      14  Handedness

      15  Body techniques

      16  Habitus

      17  The ‘social skin’

      18  Conclusion

      19  End-of-chapter questions

      20  Key terms

      21  Personal investigation

      22  Suggested further sources

Key issues and debates

       How do humans use bodies to communicate differences between one another?

       What are the meanings of body modification and body image?

       What are the different anthropological theories about bodies?

       How does the body reflect the values and beliefs of the wider society to which it belongs?

Chapter 1 explored the ways in which human beings evolved physically and the ways in which their evolved bodies have shaped culture. Anthropologists are also interested in the meanings and values that are attached to the body in different cultural settings. The body plays an important role in how we classify (put into categories) the world around us. This chapter looks at different relationships between the body and society. The body is seen to communicate a range of statuses, ranks and relationships. Bodies can be perceived as things to be beautified, fixed and adorned, and can be recognized, among other things, as male or female, black or white. They may convey national pride, as was the case during the football World Cup in Russia in 2018. Bodies can also communicate the effects of racism, neglect and abuse. Anthropologists have long been interested in ideas about the body. The anthropological literature and number of ethnographies on the body are vast. This chapter looks at some ways in which the body is studied in anthropology.

       STOP & THINK

      What should the human body look like?

      What exercise should bodies do?

      What is the shape of the perfect body? Is it the same for men and women?

      Where do ideas of the ‘perfect body’ come from?

      What do ideas about the body say about people’s notions of health, culture and identity?

Body Modifications and Decorations

      All cultures paint, pierce, tattoo, reshape or decorate their bodies. Humans do not go out naked; they dress or decorate certain parts of their body to present themselves to other humans. Body decorations can communicate a person’s status in society, their identity and the differences between them and others. Body decorations and modification form a visual language through which humans navigate the world in which they live. However, not all cultures share the same values and beliefs,