Questions 1 - 10
Using NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS for each, answer the following questions.
i. In what ways do our bodies physically differ?
ii. Why do our bodies differ physically?
iii. What types of jobs are poor people likely to have?
iv. What aspects of poor people's living environments are not good?
v. What influences how groups of people value bodies?
vi. What have wealthy cultures changed their opinion about?
vii. In the past, what part of the body could indicate that people were rich?
viii. According to sociology, in what ways should we think about the body?
ix. Which two physical factors contribute to whether people are obese or not?
x. What does society say that being obese is?
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The body
The concept of 'the body' is closely related to
the ideas of 'illness' and 'health'.
All of us exist in 'bodies' of different shapes,
heights, colours and physical abilities. Themain reasons for the differences are genetic,
and the fact that people's bodies change as
they age. However, a huge range of research
indicates that there are social factors too.
Poorer people are more likely to eat 'unhealthy'
foods, to smoke cigarettes and to be employed
in repetitive, physically difficult work or the
opposite: boring, inactive employment.
Moreover, their housing conditions and
neighbourhoods tend to be worse. All of these
factors impact upon the condition of a person's
health: the physical shapes of bodies are
strongly influenced by social factors.
These social factors are also closely linked to
emotional wellbeing. People with low or no
incomes are more likely to have mental health
problems. It is not clear, however, whether
poverty causes mental illness, or whether it
is the other way around. For example, certain
people with mental health issues may be at
risk of becoming homeless, just as a person
who is homeless may have an increased risk
of illnesses such as depression.
There are other types of social factors too.
Bodies are young or old, short or tall, big
or small, weak or strong. Whether these
judgments matter and whether they are
positive or negative depends on the cultural
and historical context. The culture - and media
- of different societies promote very different
valuations of body shapes. What is considered
as attractive or ugly, normal or abnormal varies
enormously. Currently, for example, in rich
societies the idea of slimness is highly valued,
but historically this was different. In most
societies the ideal body shape for a woman
was a 'full figure' with a noticeable belly, while
in middle-aged men, a large stomach indicated
that they were financially successful in life.
In many traditional African and Pacific island
cultures, for example, a large body shape was
a sign of success and a shape to be aimed at.
It is easy for people to feel undervalued because
of factors they have no power to change, for
example, their age and height. Equally, they
can feel pressured into making changes to their
appearance whenthere is a choice, which in
extreme cases can lead to obsessions with
weight loss and fitness regimes .
Sociologists, then, are suggesting that we
should not just view bodies and minds in
biological terms, but also in social terms.
The physical body and what we seek to do
with it change over time and society.This has
important implications for medicine and ideas
of health. Thus, the idea of people being
'obese' is physically related to large amounts
of processed food, together with lack of
exercise, and is therefore a medical issue.
However, it has also become a mental health
issue and social problem as a result of people
coming to define this particular body shape
as 'wrong' and unhealthy.
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