The Body: A Socio-Cultural Approach provides an engaging introduction to the current debates and historical contexts of 'the body'. Alan Petersen presents a student-friendly overview of the core issues, theories and controversies which surround the topic. However, he also argues for a new analysis of the body, which moves beyond simple description and explanation and aims to be relevant to political and social struggles. From this perspective he offers a fascinating reconsideration of the social and cultural functions of the body, covering such topics as: the natural versus the socially constructed body Foucault and the regulated body the sensorial and the emotional body the sexed and gendered body the ill, disabled and ageing body Bringing together a broad range of issues from health an illness to the representations of the body within the media, this book will be an invaluable source for students of sociology, cultural studies and gender studies.