Imagining the Body

"We do not have bodies; we are bodies. We do not move; we are movement." –Emilie Conrad-Da'oud

Our bodies are physically and socially constructed entities that influence our identities. The way we move, adorn, and utilize our bodies all reflect and also help shape our sense of who we are, most notably in terms of our gender and sexuality. In a way, our appearance is linked with our essence. But how have bodies been used and understood over time and across cultures? Throughout history, the significance of the body and its relationship to individual and group identity has been socially constructed in ways that have had profound impacts on power and gender dynamics.

This two-quarter program will take a historical and cross-cultural look at how our notions of gender and sexuality are embodied in our experiences through an examination of topics such as pain, pleasure, fashion, prostitution, body modification, aging, ability, standards of beauty and reproduction. We will primarily focus on the gradual creation of modern Western perceptions of the body from the middle ages to the present, using cross-cultural examples for comparison. Case studies might include the medieval Catholic cult of saints' relics, the rage for exotic costuming in pre-revolutionary France, the struggle between enslaved people and their owners for the physical control of slave bodies in the 19th century U.S. South, changing standards of masculine and feminine beauty in 20th century America and Europe, and contemporary attitudes towards body modification and transgender/transsexuality. Cross-cultural examples may include foot binding in early modern China, puberty rituals across eras and societies, and the relationship between adornment and ritual in selected non-Western cultures.

Grasping the significance of the body involves studies of personal psychology and physiology as well as studies of historical, social and cultural variations in experiences and identities. We must recognize how our own bodies and identities are located within a particular social, cultural and historical context. In this program, all of our work will be guided by our ability to develop a grounded understanding of our own bodies and internal authority. To that end, we will engage in regular, serious experiential movement workshops to begin the work of coming to know our bodies and our external reality through our bodies. Through an understanding and embodiment of somatic concepts such as awareness, intention, centering, authenticity, and the interplay of mind and body, students will have the opportunity to create an awareness of self from their own life processes, rather than from externally imposed images, standards and expectations. They will be invited to explore and enjoy the dance already going on inside their bodies, and to learn to perceive, interpret and trust the natural intelligence of intrinsic bodily sensations. Movement workshops will help us become more sensitive to our inner world by exploring breath, sound, and fluidity.

In addition to these experiential workshops, we will also develop our understanding of embodied identities through lectures, disciplinary workshops, films, and a series of guest speakers. Students should expect to engage in weekly critical book seminars, regular writing assignments, in-depth research and writing projects, independent and collaborative work, and regular program discussion.