This lucid and authoritative text: Provides a critical evaluation of the work of Elias, Aries, Foucault, Bourdieu, Mary Douglas, Kristeva, Butler, Haraway and Bordo; Guides the reader through the inter-disciplinary influence of these ideas; Gives a clear and compelling analysis of the significance of the 'turn' towards the body; Helps to understand the complex way in which embodiment is formed across different social formations. Clearly organized and powerfully expressed the book provides the best available guide to the 'turn to the body' in the social sciences.