Why Might We Argue That the Practice and Everyday Work of Social Policy Is Concerned with the Body? Give Examples from at Least Two Social Policy Areas.
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Why might we argue that the practice and everyday work of social policy is concerned with the body? Give examples from at least two social policy areas.
The idea of the body as being central to social policy is a relatively new concept.
To demonstrate the argument I will use examples from the social policy areas of social care and education.
It can be argued that the body has always been central to the objectives of social policy, but that it was not always recognised that the body (both physical and social) was the end beneficiary of social policy objectives. Eg. The ethnic body, the disabled body, etc.
To understand that the body is central to the provision of social welfare in Britain in the 21st century we will need to understand what is meant by the body in a social context.
The sociology of the body is a section of sociology which studies the representation and the uses of the body in modern society,
The architects of social policy have traditionally been separated from the direct provision of social services. As a result, there has been a tendency for bodies to be seen as ‘objects’ to be managed rather than people to be worked with. Shilling (1993). Consequently, there is a perceived tendency for social policy institutions at the highest level to attempt to categorise the body within their own measures and definitions.
Despite the objectives of social policy institutions to improve the lot of the individual in modern Britain, there is an entrenched perception amongst the population and social professionals (nurses, teachers etc.) that these institutions and policies are working against the individual body.
The study of the embodiment of social policy is usefully split into three categories for analysis as identified by Amanda Coffey (2004:86). These are ‘body work’, ‘body organisation’ and ‘body discourses’.
Body work is the physical moving, cleaning, tending, sheltering and caring of the body. Body work takes place in health services,...
The idea of the body as being central to social policy is a relatively new concept.
To demonstrate the argument I will use examples from the social policy areas of social care and education.
It can be argued that the body has always been central to the objectives of social policy, but that it was not always recognised that the body (both physical and social) was the end beneficiary of social policy objectives. Eg. The ethnic body, the disabled body, etc.
To understand that the body is central to the provision of social welfare in Britain in the 21st century we will need to understand what is meant by the body in a social context.
The sociology of the body is a section of sociology which studies the representation and the uses of the body in modern society,
The architects of social policy have traditionally been separated from the direct provision of social services. As a result, there has been a tendency for bodies to be seen as ‘objects’ to be managed rather than people to be worked with. Shilling (1993). Consequently, there is a perceived tendency for social policy institutions at the highest level to attempt to categorise the body within their own measures and definitions.
Despite the objectives of social policy institutions to improve the lot of the individual in modern Britain, there is an entrenched perception amongst the population and social professionals (nurses, teachers etc.) that these institutions and policies are working against the individual body.
The study of the embodiment of social policy is usefully split into three categories for analysis as identified by Amanda Coffey (2004:86). These are ‘body work’, ‘body organisation’ and ‘body discourses’.
Body work is the physical moving, cleaning, tending, sheltering and caring of the body. Body work takes place in health services,...