Body Talk

by Jane M. Ussher (Editor)

Psychology has traditionally examined human experience from a realist perspective, focusing on observable 'facts'. This is especially so in areas of psychology which focus on the body, such as sexuality, madness or reproduction. In contrast, many sociologists, anthropologists and feminists have focused exclusively on the cultural and communicative aspects of 'the body' treating it purely as an object constructed within socio-cultural discourse.
This new collection of sophisticated discursive analyses explores this divide from a variety of theoretical standpoints, including psychoanalysis, social representations theory, feminist theory, critical realism, post-structuralism and social constructionism.
Body Talk reconciles the divide by putting forward a new 'materialist-discursive' approach. It also provides an introduction to social constructionist and discursive approaches which is accessible to those with limited previous knowledge of socio-linguistic theory, and showcases the distinctive contribution that psychologists can make to the field.

Genres: Sociology, Nonfiction, Psychology

268 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1997

About the author

Jane M. Ussher is Professor of Women's Health Psychology, and leader of the Gender Culture and Health Research Unit: PsyHealth, at the University of Western Sydney, Australia. She has published widely on the construction and lived experience of health, in particular women's mental health, the reproductive body and sexuality. She is editor of the Routledge Women and Psychology book series and is author of a number of books, including The Psychology of the Female Body, Women's Madness: Misogyny or Mental Illness?, Fantasies of Femininity: Reframing the Boundaries of Sex, Managing the Monstrous Feminine: Regulating the Reproductive Body, and The Madness of Women: Myths and Experience . She has also edited a number of books: Gender Issues in Clinical Psychology; The Psychology of Women's Health and Health Care (with Paula Nicolson); Psychological Perspectives on Sexual Problems ; Bodytalk