Fitness and the Postmodern Self

Glassner, Barry

doi:10.2307/2137012

Cited by 126 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The tendency to overweight or obesity among both men and women is also identi®ed as being strongly correlated with social class Ð frequency being lowest in the professional and managerial classes (Gregory et al, 1990). Concern with ®tness (including exercise, diet and stress regulation) is reported as being widespread among both men and women and as being strongly correlated with middle and upper social class (Glassner, 1989). Concern with adhering to a slimming diet is found, however, to be signi®cantly more widespread among women than men (Sobal et al, 1995;Germov & Williams, 1996).…”

Section: Food Safety Health and Weight Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Different interpretations of this sanctioning behaviour is offered in the literature ranging from the idea that the appetite for food is associated with sexual appetite, rendering it sanctionable when displayed by women (Andersson, 1980), to the idea that the cultural ideal of the slim, thin body is a gendered expectation that women should retain a sexually desirable body shape, the sanctions accruing to overweight among women being consequently seen as a form of gender oppression (Charles & Kerr, 1986, 1988. More recent research has highlighted the fact that the body has been perceived by men as well as women in recent decades as a sign of the self, one which can be transformed by exercise, diet, and surgical means (Featherstone, 1991;Glassner, 1989). While this observation does not advance the explanation of why the sanctioning of food consumption is gendered, it adds a new dimension to the discussion.…”

Section: Substantive Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Preferences, quantities and concerns: socio-cultural perspectives on the gendered consumption of foods

Jensen¹,

Holm²

1999

Eur J Clin Nutr

184

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A review of the sociological research regarding the gendered features of food consumption is presented. The focus is upon differences between women and men in regard to their preferences for particular foods and types of meals, seen in relation to the cultural function of foods as symbolic markers of femininity or masculinity, assessments of the quantities of food consumed by women and men respectively, and differences between women and men in regard to concerns with food safety, health, weight reduction and ®tness. Some methodological limitations of this research are discussed with particular reference to the need for interdisciplinary cooperation between sociologists and nutritionists in the design and analysis of dietary surveys. Suggestions are made in regard to future directions for sociological research in this ®eld, with particular reference to the issue that dietary recommendations appear to focus upon increasing the consumption of foods that are markers of femininity and decreasing the consumption of foods that are markers of masculinity in Western food culture. Sponsorship: This research was supported by The National Food Agency, Denmark.

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Section: Food Safety Health and Weight Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Substantive Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preferences, quantities and concerns: socio-cultural perspectives on the gendered consumption of foods

Jensen¹,

Holm²

1999

Eur J Clin Nutr

184

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…According to authors such as Glassner (1989), the accelerated pursuit of personal fitness is associated with the arrival at middle-age of the post-war…”

Section: Cultural Pluralism and Primary Health Care In Britainmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ‘eclipse’ of folk medicine in western society

Bakx¹

1991

Sociology Health & Illness

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Folk medicine is generally treated as a residue from prescientific times. This article discusses contemporary folk medical practices and locates them firmly in postmodern economy and society. The central theme is that recent transformations in the economy have been paralleled by changes in cultural practices. This is manifest in the increased general awareness of 'green' issues and the rejection of 'modernism' in all its forms including the industrialised therapies of biomedicine which are seen to exacerbate rather than resolve public health problems. It is argued that popular dissatisfaction with biomedicine has increased and that the cultural gap between biomedical practitioners and their patients has become much more visible in recent times. This has contt ibuted greatly to the secular expansion of folk therapies throughout western society. Finally, the article notes the gaps in current research into alternative medical practices and practitioners.

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“…Glassner 1989Glassner , 1990Markula 1997Markula , 1998Pronger 2002;Smith Maguire 2008a;White et al 1995). Although the sections that follow will discuss the political implications of this connection in more detail, it will be helpful for the purposes of the present section to focus on the observation that, although they are often used synonymously (or have come to be used almost synonymously), "fitness" and "health" (and thus exercise and medicine) appeal to quite different concerns with, and relations to the body (Bauman 1998(Bauman , 2000(Bauman , 2001(Bauman , 2005Bauman and May 2001;Glassner 1989Glassner , 1990. The following sections illustrate a number of conditions under which this appears to be the case.…”

Section: Considering Exercise and Medicine As Relations To The Bodymentioning

confidence: 99%

Exercise is medicine: some cautionary remarks in principle as well as in practice

Neville¹

2012

Med Health Care and Philos

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On the basis of extensive research on the relationship between physical activity, exercise and health, as well as strong support from policymakers and practitioners, the "Exercise is Medicine" initiative has become something of a linchpin in the agenda for modern healthcare reform and reflects a broader acceptance that the philosophy of health politics must shift from social engineering to performativity. However, in spite of the avowed commitment to encouraging individuals to take on a more reflexive relation to their health, it remains unclear as to whether an initiative such as this is, unambiguously, a good thing. In this paper, a number of cautionary remarks are made with respect to "Exercise is Medicine" in principle as well as in practice. Firstly, it is argued that equating exercise with medicine is to equate it with a definition of and relation to the body to which it is not entirely akin. And secondly, it is argued that any proposed alignment of the fitness and healthcare industries needs further critical examination, a realigning of interests, and a thorough reconsideration of their suitability of fit.

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Fitness and the Postmodern Self

Cited by 126 publications

References 18 publications

Preferences, quantities and concerns: socio-cultural perspectives on the gendered consumption of foods

Preferences, quantities and concerns: socio-cultural perspectives on the gendered consumption of foods

The ‘eclipse’ of folk medicine in western society

Exercise is medicine: some cautionary remarks in principle as well as in practice

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