"This truly deserves to be considered a classic and I strongly encourage my students to read it from cover to cover. Turner′s work on the body needs to be considered in its own right within courses on the sociology of the body."

- Dr Robert Meadows, Surrey University


"Remains the foundational text for courses in the sociology of the body, replete with insights and a depth of analysis that has largely inspired an entire new area of studies across the social sciences."

- Dr Michael Drake, Hull University



"This is THE contemporary text for both academics and students exploring the sociology of the body."

- Jessica Clark, University Campus Suffolk


This is a fully revised edition of a book that may fairly claim to have re-opened the sociology of the body as a legitimate area of enquiry. Providing an unparalleled guide to all aspects of the subject, each chapter has been revised and updated while the book contains new material that reflects both recent changes in the field and Turner′s developing position on the centrality of vulnerability.
Assured and innovative, this book provides the most authoritative statement of work on the sociology of the body by one of the leading writers in the field.