Routledge Distinctions in the Flesh - Social Class & Embodiment

Distinctions in the Flesh addresses a significant gap in sociological literature by examining how body perception, use and management shape class boundaries in everyday life. Published by Routledge, this work explores the body's multifaceted roles in society, from aesthetic investment and political regulation to moral discourse and identity formation. While recent decades have seen growing sociological interest in embodied experience, the book fills a conspicuous void by connecting bodily practices directly to the reproduction of social class distinctions. Drawing on contemporary sociology and social theory, it demonstrates how physical presentation, gesture, health and bodily discipline operate as mechanisms through which class inequality is both expressed and reinforced in daily interactions. This scholarly examination reveals how individuals' relationships with their own bodies contribute to broader patterns of social stratification and inequality.