Oppression and the Body

Asserting that the body is the main site of oppression in our society, the contributors to this pioneering volume explore the complex issue of embodiment and how it relates to social inclusion and marginalization. In a culture where bodies belonging to people who are brown, black, female, transgendered, disabled, fat, or queer are often shamed, sexualized, ignored, and oppressed, what does it mean to be live in a marginalized body? Through theory, personal narrative, and artistic expression, this book explores how power, privilege, oppression, and attempted dis-embodiment play out on the bodies of marginalized individuals and what happens when the body's expression is stereotyped and stunted. Bringing together a range of voices, this book also offers strategies and practices for embodiment and activism and considers what it means to be an embodied ally to anyone experiencing bodily oppression.