The medical and social sciences offer us many ways of understanding the human body and what it can do. From biology and psychology to sociology and philosophy, a range of disciplines supply us with a rich yet challenging picture. On the one hand, our bodies are fashioned from genes, cells and organs; on the other, they are the foundation for our identities, our interactions and lived experiences from childhood to old age.

This book provides an accessible and informative account of the importance of the body for the caring professions. It offers a clear description of the latest theoretical perspectives, weaving the natural and social body into one. The book focuses on specific aspects such as health and illness, ageing, gender and sexuality, consumption, care, and medical technology.

The text is specifically tailored towards the needs of health and social care students, with case studies directly relating to concrete problems encountered by professionals in the field. The Body is an invaluable textbook for students of the caring professions and will bring to life the issues they face, both in their studies and in their future work with patients, clients and consumers.

About the Author
Nick J. Fox is Professor of Sociology and the Body at the University of Sheffield.


Reviews
'Excellent ... Nick Fox looks at the social and scientific concepts of the human body, highlighting the essence and importance of holistic care.'
5 star review in Nursing Standard

'Holistic patient care is the foundation of effective nursing practice. As this excellent book acknowledges, the body continues to be the essential focus of the daily work of social care and healthcare professionals.'
Cancer Nursing Practice

'Fox guides the reader skillfully through a range of sometimes challenging social scientific concepts and perspectives, to deliver an accessible and comprehensive book that will be invaluable to those training for and working within a range of caring professions.'
Paul Flowers, Glasgow Caledonian University

'Nick Fox has managed to synthesize many and diverse literatures and bring them to bear on a contemporary and thought-provoking sociological exegesis on 'the body' that is enlightening and enlivening. In this field of sociology, this is an unusually lucid analysis, in which Fox renders a large body of dense theory intelligible to non-sociologists. The book will become a core text in both sociology and health professional courses, in addition to being a key reader for all health researchers, since they both 'have' and 'research' bodies.'
Paul Ward, Flinders University, Australia

'This is one of the most comprehensive sociological books on the body, covering biomedical and social aspects. The careful attention to gender and approach to the ill-health assemblage are very well-covered topics, as is the discussion of the body and identity. '
Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld, Arizona State University

Book Information
ISBN 9780745651248
Author Nicholas J. Fox
Format Paperback
Page Count 184
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 327g
Dimensions(mm) 209mm * 147mm * 19mm