Bodies in the Woods

MacNaghten, P. and Urry, John (2000) Bodies in the Woods. Body and Society, 6 (3-4). pp. 166-182. ISSN 1460-3632

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Abstract

In this article, we examine the intimate significance of trees and woods through research on how people engage with and perform their bodies in different kinds of wooded environments in contemporary Britain. We argue that there are significant, contested and ambivalent affordances provided by woods and forests in contemporary Britain - as providing `live' contact with nature, as a source of tranquillity, and as providing a distinct `social' space in sharp contrast to the pressures of modern living. Second, there is considerable variation in the bodily experiences that people gain from woods and forests, influenced by personal and family life-stage, socio-economic circumstance and geographical location. The values people appear to attach to woods and forests arise from the specific `affordances' that the latter could offer for bodily desires. There are, we might say, different `contested' natures of the forest.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Body and Society
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3316
Subjects:
?? body • countryside • dwelling • nature • walkingcultural studiessocial psychologyhealth(social science)b philosophy (general) ??
ID Code:
14368
Deposited By:
Users 810 not found.
Deposited On:
16 Oct 2008 13:10
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
15 Jul 2024 09:33