Bodies in Childhood and Youth Studies: An Introduction

In recent years, bodies have become a central focus of empirical and theoretical work in childhood and youth studies across a range of disciplines including sociology, cultural studies, anthropology, psychology, and media studies. New developments in theory and research have located embodiment as an active force in social relations, rather than a “blank slate” upon which societal inequalities are inscribed. Despite recent conceptual advancements in studies of childhood and youth, the body is often identified as the site of social or cultural “problems,” such as in the sexualization of children and young people, social media use, and poor body image. Approaches which place embodiment at the center of analysis can assist in disrupting deterministic, individualized, and developmental understandings of young people and youth. A focus on embodiment can enable new understandings of the complex, multifaceted, and subjective dynamics of young people’s lives. This chapter provides an overview of how the body is conceptualized in the study of childhood and youth, and introduces emerging research in this field that is further explored throughout this section of the handbook.