ABSTRACT
When we first planned this essay we began in the conventional manner, namely noting the relative absence of work on the body within sociology. In the short period of time between this very early draft and the present version, matters have changed dramatically. The body is very much on the sociological agenda, and references to it are increasingly appearing in a variety of areas. Two main questions, therefore, present themselves for consideration:
(i) Why was there an apparent absence of sociological interest in the body until very recently?
