Body: Social-Representational Regard

189

Abstract

Our focus in this paper is the discussion of the body as an object of research in the theory of social representations, which determines the aim of the theoretical and analytical study. The body is an inherently complex and polymorphous object that lies at the intersection of a number of diverse dimensions (biological-social; body-mind; individual-social etc.). The proposed analysis of empirical facts concerning the social representations of the body obtained within the framework of social representation theory gives us grounds to draw a rather paradoxical conclusion: the social representation theory postulates importance of the body as an object of social representations, privileges this topic for the theory of social representations, specificity of the body as an object of social representations. On the other hand, there are relatively few studies devoted to the study of social perceptions of the body, with such elements as health and beauty turning out to be the key elements around which they crystallize. The paper outlines the lines of further analysis of social perceptions, taking into account the phenomenon of the “mute zone” of social representations.

General Information

Keywords: body, theory of social representations, object of social representations, public discourse, beauty, health

Journal rubric: Interdisciplinary Studies

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/psylaw.2023130114

Funding. The reported study was funded by Russian Scientific Foundation (RSF), project number 22-28-00661

Received: 09.09.2022

Accepted:

For citation: Bovina I.B., Dvoryanchikov N.V., Melnikova D.V., Lavreshkin N.V., Budykin S.V. Body: Social-Representational Regard [Elektronnyi resurs]. Psikhologiya i pravo = Psychology and Law, 2023. Vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 191–206. DOI: 10.17759/psylaw.2023130114. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

References

  1. Andreeva G.M. Sotsial’naya psikhologiya: Uchebnik. Moscow: Aspekt press, 2017. 363 p. (In Russ.).
  2. Bovina I.B. Sotsial’naya psikhologiya zdorov’ya i bolezni. Moscow: Aspekt press., 2007. 256 p. (In Russ.).
  3. Bovina I.B., Dvoryanchikov N.V., Dani L., Em M.-A., Milekhin A.V., Gayamova S.Yu., Yakushenko A.V. Zdorov’e v predstavleniyakh detei i podrostkov [Health representations of children and adolescents] [Elektronnyi resurs]. Eksperimental’naya psikhologiya = Experimental Psychology, 2018. Vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 61–74. doi:10.17759/exppsy.2018110104 (In Russ.).
  4. Dvoryanchikov N.V., Nosov S.S., Salamova D.K. Polovoe samosoznanie i metody ego diagnostiki. Moscow: Flinta; Nauka, 2011. 216 p. (In Russ.).
  5. Dontsov A.I., Emel’yanova T.P. Kontseptsiya sotsial’nykh predstavlenii v sovremennoi frantsuzskoi psikhologii. Moscow: Izdatel’stvo MGU, 1987. 128 p. (In Russ.).
  6. Emel’yanova T.P. Sotsial’nye predstavleniya: istoriya, teoriya i empiricheskie issledovaniya. Moscow: Izdatel’stvo Instituta psikhologii, 2016. 476 p. (In Russ.).
  7. Erokhina E.A., Filippova E.V. Obraz tela i otnoshenie k svoemu telu u podrostkov: semeinye i sotsiokul’turnye faktory vliyaniya (po materialam zarubezhnykh issledovanii) [Body image and attitude to one’s body in adolescent: family and sociocultural factors (based on foreign researches)] [Elektronnyi resurs]. Sovremennaya zarubezhnaya psikhologiya = Journal of Modern Foreign Psychology, 2019. Vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 57–68. doi:10.17759/jmfp.2019080406 (In Russ.).
  8. Kabakova G.I., Kont F.Ot russkoi dushi k russkomu telu. In G.I. Kabakova, F. Kont (eds.). Telo v russkoi kul’ture. Moscow: Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, 2005, pp. 5–16. (In Russ.).
  9. Kon I.S. Muzhskoe telo v istorii kul’tury. Moscow: Slovo, 2003. 432 p. (In Russ.).
  10. Courtine J.-J. In A. Corbin, J.-J. Courtine, G. Vigarello (eds.). Istoriya tela: V 3 t. T. 3: Peremena vzglyada: XX vek = Histoire du corps. Les mutations du regard le XXe siècle. Moscow: Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, 2016, pp. 5–8. (In Russ.).
  11. Levada Yu.A. Pokoleniya XX veka: vozmozhnosti issledovaniya [Generations of the XXth century: opportunities for research]. Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i sotsial’nye peremeny = Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes, 2001, no. 5 (55), pp. 7–14. (In Russ.).
  12. Le Goff J., Truong N. Istoriya tela v srednie veka [Une histoire du corps au Moyen Âge]. Moscow: Tekst, 2008. 192 p. (In Russ.).
  13. Motovilin O.G. Razvitie predstavlenii o sobstvennom tele u detei v usloviyakh sem’i i internata: Diss. kand. psikhol. nauk. Moscow, 2001. 196 p. (In Russ.).
  14. Moulin A.-M. Telo s tochki zreniya meditsiny. In A. Corbin, J.-J. Courtine, G. Vigarello (eds.). Istoriya tela: V 3 t. T. 3: Peremena vzglyada: XX vek = Histoire du corps. Les mutations du regard le XXe siècle. Moscow: Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, 2016, pp. 11–62. (In Russ.).
  15. Nikolaeva V.V. Lichnost’ v usloviyakh khronicheskogo somaticheskogo zabolevaniya. In E.T. Sokolova, V.V. Nikolaeva. Osobennosti lichnosti pri pogranichnykh rasstroistvakh i somaticheskikh zabolevaniyakh. Moscow: SvR-Argus, 1995, pp. 205–267. (In Russ.).
  16. Pushkareva N.L. Med i mleko pod yazykom u nee (zhenskie i muzhskie usta v tserkovnom i svetskom diskursakh doindustrial’noi Rossii X — nachala XIX v.). In G.I. Kabakova, F. Kont (eds.). Telo v russkoi kul’ture. Moscow: Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, 2005, pp. 78–101. (In Russ.).
  17. Radaev V.V. Raskol pokoleniya millenialov: istoricheskoe i empiricheskoe obosnovanie (pervaya chast’) [The Divide among the Millennial Generation: Historical and Empirical Justifications. (Part one)] [Elektronnyi resurs]. Sotsiologicheskii zhurnal = Sociological Journal, 2020. Vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 30–63. doi:10.19181/socjour.2020.26.3.7395 (In Russ.).
  18. Rikel A.M. Pokolenie kak ob”ekt izucheniya sotsial’noi psikhologii: issledovanie na “svoem pole” ili na “nich’ei zemle”? [Generation as a social-psychological research object: playing at home or an away match?] [Elektronnyi resurs]. Sotsial’naya psikhologiya i obshchestvo = Social Psychology and Society, 2019. Vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 9–18. doi:10.17759/sps.2019100202 (In Russ.).
  19. Stolin V.V. Samosoznanie lichnosti. Moscow: Izdatel’stvo Moskovskogo universiteta, 1983. 284 p. (In Russ.).
  20. Tkhostov A.Sh. Psikhologiya telesnosti. Moscow: Smysl, 2002. 287 p. (In Russ.).
  21. Aim M.-A., Dany L., Dvoryanchikov N.V., Bovina I.B. How Kids Understand Health and Illness: Some Reflections from and for the Theory of Social Representations. Kul’turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya = Cultural-Historical Psychology, 2018. Vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 15–22. doi:10.17759/chp.2018140102.
  22. Aim M.-A., Lelaurain S., Khatmi N., Fonte D., Bovina I., Dany L. ‘Similar but different’: Social representations of health according to gender for French youth. Journal of Health Psychology, 2018. Vol. 25, no. 12, pp. 1905–1916. doi:10.1177/1359105318781894
  23. Camargo B. V., Goetz, E. R., Bousfield A. B. S., Justo A. M. Representações sociais do corpo: estética e saúde. Temas em Psicologia, 2011. Vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 257–268.
  24. Camargo B. V., Wachelke J. The study of social representation systems: relationships involving representations on aging, AIDS and the body. Papers on Social Representations, 2010. Vol.19, pp. 21.1–21.21.
  25. Clémence A. Sens et analyse des différences dans les représentations sociales. In J.-C. Abric (ed.). Méthodes d’étude des représentations sociales. Ramonville Saint-Agne: Erès, 2003, pp. 165–178.
  26. Costalat-Founeau A.M., Picot M. C., Hauchard D., Klimekova M., Favier F. Représentation du corps et de l’alimentation chez une population de femmes de plus de 75 ans. Papers on Social Representations, 2002. Vol. 11, pp. 4.1–4.20.
  27. de Rosa A.S., Holman A. Social representations of female-male beauty and aesthetic surgery: a cross-cultural analysis. Temas em Psicologia, 2011.Vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 75–98.
  28. de Souza-Filho E. A., Beldarrain-Durandegui A. The contextual analysis in social representations of the body among ethnic groups in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Universitas Psychologica, 2009. Vol 8, no. 3, pp. 771–783.
  29. Eicher V., Emery V., Maridor M., Gilles I., Bangerter A. Social Representations in Psychology: A Bibliometrical Analysis. Papers on Social Representations, 2011. Vol. 20, pp. 11.1–11.19.
  30. Flament С., Rouquette M.-L. Anatomie des idées ordinaires. Paris: Armand Colin, 2003. 256 p.
  31. Goetz E. R., Camargo B. V., Bertoldo R. B., Justo A. M. Representação social do corpo na mídia impressa. Psicologia & Sociedade, 2008. Vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 226–236. doi:10.1590/S0102-71822008000200010
  32. Haslam C., Jetten J., Cruwys T., Dingle G., Haslam S.A. The New Psychology of Health: Unlocking the Social Cure. N.Y.: Routledge. 2018. 510 p.
  33. Hawkes D., Senn C. Y., Thorn C. Factors that influence attitudes toward women with tattoos. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 2004. Vol. 50, no. 9, pp. 593–604. doi:10.1023/B:SERS.0000027564.83353.06
  34. Herzlich C. Health and illness: A social psychological analysis. L.:Academic Press, 1973.198 p.
  35. ISAPS International Survey on Aesthetic / Cosmetic procedures. 2020. Retrieved from https://www.isaps.org/fr/ (Accessed: 20.09.2022).
  36. Jodelet D. Représentations sociales et mondes de vie. Paris: Éditions des archives contemporaines, 2015.372 p.
  37. Jodelet D. The representation of the body and its transformations. In R. Farr & S. Moscovici (eds.). Social Representations. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press,1984, pp. 211-238.
  38. Moliner P., Bovina I.B. Introduction: The Heuristic Value of Social Representations Theory. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics, 2021. Vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 291–298. doi:10.22363/2313-1683-2021-18-2-291-298
  39. Moscovici S. In C. Herzlich. Health and illness. A social psychological analysis. London: Academic Press, 1973, pp. 9–14.
  40. Moscovici S. La Psychanalyse: son image et son public. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1976. 652 p.
  41. Moscovici S., Vignaux G. Le concept de thêmata. In C. Guimelli (ed.). Structures et transformations des représentations sociales. Paris: Delachaux et Niestlé, 1994, pp. 26–72.
  42. Pozzi M., Fasanelli R., Marta E., Pistoni C., Ellena M.A., Virgilio G., Di T. Social Representation of Family: A Comparative Study on Italian Young and Older Adults. Journal of Family Issues, 2022. Vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 752–768. doi:10.1177/0192513X21994160
  43. Rateau P., Lo Monaco G. The Mute Zone of Social Representations and the Effects of (Un) Masking: Review and Prospects. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics, 2021. Vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 375–390. doi:10.22363/2313-1683-2021-18-2-375-390
  44. Rulli T., Campbell S. Can “My Body, My Choice” anti‐vaxxers be pro‐life? Bioethics, 2022. Vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 708–714. doi:10.1111/bioe.13033.
  45. Schiebinger L. Introduction. In L. Schiebinger (ed.). Feminism and the body. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, pp. 1–24.
  46. Secchi K., Camargo B.V., Bertoldo R.B. Percepção da Imagem Corporal e Representações Sociais do Corpo. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 2009. Vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 229–236. doi:10.1590/s0102-37722009000200011
  47. Silveira A., Camargo B., Giacomozzi A. Social Representations of the Body and Bodily Care Practices of Older Adults. Psico-USF, Bragança Paulista, 2021. Vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 279–290. doi:10.1590/1413-82712021260207
  48. Souza S.C.S.D., Ribeiro R.D., Polli G.M., Wanderbroocke A.C. Social representations of the body and health for physically active and inactive individuals. Trends in Psychology, 2019. Vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 961–975. doi:10.9788/TP2019.4-10
  49. Yousef J., Leow S.K.H., Morrison W. Plastic surgery in antiquity: an examination of ancient documents. European Journal of Plastic Surgery, 2021. Vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 419–428. doi:10.1007/s00238-020-01763-4

Information About the Authors

Inna B. Bovina, Doctor of Psychology, Research Director, Associate Professor, Department of Clinical and Legal Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9497-6199, e-mail: innabovina@yandex.ru

Nikolay V. Dvoryanchikov, PhD in Psychology, Docent, Dean, Faculty of Legal and Forensic Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1462-5469, e-mail: dvorian@gmail.com

Darya V. Melnikova, Lecturer, Department of Clinical and Forensic Psychology, Faculty of Legal Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4501-8207, e-mail: melnikovadv@mgppu.ru

Nikita V. Lavreshkin, Psychologist, deviantologist, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5556-2057, e-mail: lavreshkinnv@gmail.com

Sergey V. Budykin, Head, Admission Office, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology and Pedagogy of Distance Learning, Faculty of Distance Learning, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5226-1958, e-mail: moscow858@yandex.ru

Metrics

Views

Total: 530
Previous month: 30
Current month: 12

Downloads

Total: 189
Previous month: 10
Current month: 1