Bowker Data Service Summary
Based on a 15 year longitudinal cross-cultural analysis on the role of the body in identity construction process around the world, this analysis provides readers with a comparative theoretical exploration of piercing and other forms of body modification that international communities of defiance use to express their identity.
Main Description
A theoretical exploration of piercing and other forms of body modification that urban communities of defiance use to express their identity, this analysis demonstrates the socioeconomic, political, and sexual conditions that give rise to these unique mechanisms of discursive dissent. Romanienko also describes the resources available that contribute to its popularity, the disenchantment with modernity and conventional methods of political engagement that compels defiant communities to choose these particular forms of embodied defiance, as well as the profound socioeconomic and political challenges solidifying embodied militancy for the immediate future. Using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, body piercing is shown to be an important factor in the struggle for authenticity and global solidarity with the disenfranchised, particularly in developing cultural contexts. Extracts of the manuscript have received awards from the Society for the Study of Social Problems and the Mid-South Sociological Association.
Long Description
Based on a fifteen year longitudinal cross-cultural analysis on the role of the body in identity construction process around the world, this analysis provides readers with a comparative theoretical exploration of piercing and other forms of body modification that international communities of defiance use to express their identity. Romanienko describes the socioeconomic and political conditions that give rise to these unique mechanisms of discursive dissent, the communal and nonmaterial resources available to the participants that contribute to their popularity and exclusivity, and the profound challenges they face for the immediate future. Her analysis, through patient and judicious observation spanning more than a decade, captures the depth and breadth of this unique and diverse community through a balanced and objective lens.
Description for Bookstore
This analysis provides readers with a comparative theoretical exploration of piercing and other forms of body modification that international communities of defiance use to express their identity