This introductory text sets out to make the links between sociological theories of the body and actual human behaviour and experience. It covers a broad range of topics, from long-standing sociological concerns to more contemporary issues. With a focus on the changeability of the body, it examines the part that bodies play in the social construction of categories such as race, sexuality and disability and explores how we express ourselves through our bodies, whether in eating, dress or pain. It also debates how the body is regulated, both through the life course and in reproduction.

MARY EVANS is Professor of Women's Studies at the University of Kent, Canterbury, where she teaches in both the Department of Sociology and the Centre for Women's Studies. She is the author of many books, including Introducing Contemporary Feminist Thought.

ELLIE LEE is Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Southampton. She is the editor of Abortion Law and Politics.