(Hyde 2000:157)
In an attempt to counter the male dominated body prejudice Elizabeth Blackwell began a discourse on using a one-body image, this time female, to analyse and understand the physiology of the body. Blackwell, was one of the founding feminists, an abolitionist and the first female to become a doctor in the United States. As a doctor she may most assuredly also be viewed as a feminist physiologist and one of the first feminist sociologist and began to analyse the sociology of the body as it relates to the cultural and individual perception of women in the early twentieth century.
The tendency to use the male form as the baseline for anatomical or physiological comparison has more to do with the social meanings attached to the sexed body and to the gender politics of anatomy than with the physical structures involved. In many respects, the changes in technologies of and for the body in the late twentieth century make Blackwell's adaptation of the one-sex model of the body almost preferable for a feminist sociology of the body. (Krug 1996:71-72)
Blackwell was influenced by a liberal humanist approach and attempted to emphasise essential equality between the genders. She based her interpretation of the body upon the actual physiological facts about the body rather than the myths and cultural prejudices usually associate with it by society. Blackwell spearheaded this alternative approach and was certainly one of the founding mothers in the early stage of the science of the sociology of the body.
This '...makes her work stand out even among contemporary discussions of gender and sexuality -- basing her explorations on a female, rather than a male, model of the body. (Krug 1996:71)
However, even the well part the twentieth and well into the twenty-first century the feminist sociologists are up against some pretty difficult and well-imbedded concepts of body sociology. This came to light in the event of the tragic death of Ruth Handler on 29 April 2002. Perhaps an unfamiliar name to some, she was the creator of Barbie, who was for years and still possibly is the impossible dream of the female form. If expanded to human size her proportions were certainly inspiring, but by nature's standards, unrealistic. London's Daily Telegraph put the figure at the following proportions of 39-18-33. Making it about a 1 in 100,000 chance of getting that top-heavy hourglass shape from the grace of nature alone. And even then there was no counting on how long it would last. (Solomon 2002: 7)
Styles change. And for the past thirty or so years new waves of feminism have effectively critiqued a lot of such destructive role-modelling. We may prefer to think that Barbie-like absurdities have been left behind by oh-so-sophisticated twenty-first-century media sensibilities. But to thumb through the Cosmopolitan now on the racks is to visit a matrix of "content" and advertising that incessantly inflames -- and cashes in on-obsessions with seeking to measure up to media-driven images. (Solomon 2002; 7)
While at first perhaps unreachable, the Barbie-ized body image that says more about the influence that the male sociological perspective of women has on society than any other single symbol. This is still a driving force in the female psyche today, 'what will he think of me?.' With the dawn of more astoundingly incredible techniques of the plastic surgeon, the ideal Barbie shape can not only be reached, but also even surpassed to ghastly proportions. Included in this ideology is perhaps one of the more pervasive themes in Women's magazines on the stands today. That, 'women's bodies are a problem which must be managed within strict but ever changing norms of femininity. Women, in these magazines, have, almost without exception, been situated within the domestic sphere or in close proximity to it.' (Hyde 2000:157) the view that the female body is a problem to be resolved is also one of the ingrained idioms that feminist sociologist are attempting to change the sociological image of the body today.
However, we must remember that the male oriented role of body sociology has been dominant for centuries and that it is only within the last several hundred years that feminism and women's rights have evolved and taken a stronger foothold. There have been several...
Is Feminist Theory an Independent Social Theory?IntroductionAs Ritzer (2011) notes, �a starting point of agreement among nearly all varieties of feminist theory is an understanding of gender as a social construction, something not emanating from nature but created by people as part of the processes of group life� (p. 455). This is an important point because it provides the framework or underlying fundamental principle of feminist theory: it is a
(Frazer 8) to this end she develops the categories of "affirmation" and "transformation." In understanding Frazer's view it is imperative to bear in mind that older regimes of theory cannot achieve the synthesis that she is looking for and that new and more creative modes of political and social theory are necessary. In essence what Fraser suggests is that in order to overcome this antimony between redistribution and recognition and
1960's sociological theory was dominated by male experts, professors, students and professors. This did not extend only to individual experts in the field. Most persons involved with professional organizations and associations regarding were also predominantly male. During the 1960's the movement known as the "second wave" of feminism began to challenge this paradigm, with considerable success in terms of increased female memberships in organizations. The leadership roles of women
By extension, this decision was expected to pave the way for a more equitable society. The Civil Rights Act also served other equal-rights movements, such as the women's movement. This law gave women's rights activists in the 1970s legal standing to fight for equal pay and anti-sexual harassment policies. Furthermore, feminist theorists like Patricia Hill Collins pointed out black women faced dueling prejudices regarding their gender and race (Collins 2004).
Elaine Graham's Transforming Practice: Pastoral Theology in an Age of Uncertainty Major Schools of Thought and Actors In Transforming Practice: Pastoral Theology in an Age of Uncertainty, Elaine L. Graham addresses Traditional, Postmodern, Empirical, Liberation and Feminist perspectives on Theology and ultimately on Pastoral Theology. In order to address these perspectives, Graham traces the historical development of each, current theological realities, and prospective "horizons." The result is an extensive review of the
George Herbert Mead is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures of American sociology. His pioneering work in social psychology helped to establish the reputation the Chicago School of Sociology. His teachings also laid the groundwork for the philosophy of pragmatism in the United States. This paper focuses on Mead's sociological theory, particularly his contributions to social psychology. The first part of the paper summarizes the key points of
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now