Welcome to CMYHE 202: Understanding Healthy Bodies: Sociocultural Perspectives. As Nettleton and Watson (1998) suggest "If one thing is certain it is that we all have a body, Everything we do we do with our bodies – when we think, speak, listen, eat, sleep, walk, relax, work and play we ‘use’ our bodies" (p. 1). The body is central to all aspects of our lives and in this course we move beyond a consideration of the mechanics, physiology and anatomy of the human body to explore the ways bodies (healthy or un-healthy) are shaped by social, cultural and political contexts. The 21st century is a fascinating time to be exploring understandings of the healthy body. New technologies, consumer culture, shifting views on nutrition, political investments in regulating health and the so-called ‘greying of populations’ are just a few of the features of contemporary life that influence how we think about the healthy body and what we do in the name of preserving health.

This course aims to help you develop a socially critical understanding of the ‘healthy body’. You will learn about the ways gender, ethnicity, ability, age, disability, healthism, sexuality and class shape our bodies, how they look, feel, what they do and how they are regarded by your selves and others. You will become familiar with a range of theoretical tools and concepts that can be used to critically examine the healthy body in the fields of exercise science, community health, and sport.