My Reflection on Alexandra Howson's 'Introduction' to 'The Body in Society'

1. Howson discusses the idea of ‘body work’. Can you think about the type of body work that you engage in and list these processes? Perhaps think about your morning routine. Were you surprised by how many or how few processes there were?

I thought about all the ’body work’ I do, and realized how much time we actually dedicate to the processes in order to maintain our hygiene (brushing the teethes, hair, washing the body, face, etc.), our aesthetic appearance (make-up, perfume, deodorant, shaving). I’m quite surprised that people, including myself, give a lot of their time from their day to please their ‘body work’ needs.

2. Can you explain what you think Howson means by Cartesian Dualism? Why is this idea problematic, especially in relation to gender?

That mind and body are separate and don’t depend on each other. It distances the body as serious analysis object from sociology researches.

3. ‘We do not simply have bodies that we do things with and to, but we are bodies, our sense of who we are is inseparable from our own body’. Do you agree with Howson? Write a few sentences to explain why, using the text to help inform your ideas.

I agree that ‘we are bodies’ because everybody has a sense of who there are, how they treat their body, how do they want their body to be seen in public. These senses influence our own body and its image, performance in everyday life, the way we dress, eat, exercise, etc.