The body as a project in personal narratives of women: between subordination and resistance from embodiment

On December 17 Evgenia A. Golman Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Sociology, lecturer, School of Sociology (Faculty of Social Sciences, HSE) took part in the "Culture Matters" research seminar with the report on "The body as a project in personal narratives of women: between subordination and resistance from embodiment".

The reporter presented the results of a qualitative study of body biographies of women. As shown by the series of thematically-centered interview for Russian women who regularly engaged in bodily practices characterized by a distinct projective attitude towards the body. Women tend to objectify their own corporeality, positioning it as the result of regular work and discipline.

However, it should be noted that the corporeality in the personal narratives of women is presented not only as a passive object of purposeful transformation, but also as a subject of resistance bodily practices and pursue ideals.

The problem of the body as the subject arose in the interview along with four topics: heredity, illness, pregnancy and aging.

Specific methods of impact on the body, such as exercise, dietary practice or cosmetic procedures, aimed at becoming body practices as a part of everyday life and the formation of bodily habits and systems of physiological expectations.

During discussion several aspects of cultural differences in bodily practices of women of Northern Caucasus were touched upon. Also suggestions were made on possible directions of development in the research of this theme.