In the Flesh : The Cultural Politics of Body Modification

Bodies, Inscription, and Agency Reclaiming and Female Body: Women Body Modifiers and the Grotesque Sexuality, Queerness and Body Technologies Modern Primitivism and the Deployment of the Other The Body On-line: Sex, Gender and Cyberpunk The 1990s Saw The Dramatic Rise Of Spectacular Forms Of Body Modification, Which Included The Tattoo Renaissance And The Rise In Body Piercing, The Emergence Of Neo-tribal Practices Like Scarification And Flesh Hanging, And The Invention Of New, High-tech Forms Of Body Art Like Subdermal Implants. This Book, Based On Years Of Interviews With Body Modifiers Throughout The United States, Is Both Sympathetic And Critical And Provides The Most Comprehensive Look At This Phenomenon. From Punk Rock To Modern Primitives, From Queer Sadomasochism To Cyberpunks, Sociologist Victoria Pitts Provides Insight Into The Full Range Of Body Modification Subcultures. Whether By Turning Themselves Into Female Punks, Neo-tribal Primitives Or Science Fiction Cyborgs, Body Modifiers Are Engaged In The Project Of Reclaiming Their Bodies From The Machine Of Modern Life. Pitts Explores The Connections Between Body Modification And Contemporary Struggles Over Sex And Gender, And Widespread Attitudes About Identity, Consumption, And The Body--publisher Description. Bodies Of Power: New Body Art Technologies -- Subversive Bodies, Invented Selves: Theorizing Body Politics -- Reclaiming The Female Body: Women Body Modifiers And Feminist Debates -- Visibly Queer: Body Technologies And Sexual Politics -- Modern Primitivism And The Deployment Of The Other -- Cyberpunk, Biomedicine, And The High-tech Body -- Reading The Postmodern Techno-body. Victoria L. Pitts. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [199]-234) And Index.

A captivating and comprehensive exploration of body art.

Library Journal

Drawing on 20 in-depth interviews and other extensive research, Pitts (sociology, Queens Coll., CUNY) examines several segments of the body modification community and theorizes about the broader cultural and societal implications. The body modifications considered are extreme-scarification, branding, and implants (with some subjects performing their own surgery)-but Pitts argues against depicting these practices as self-mutilation, placing them instead on a spectrum of body modification that includes cosmetic surgery and BotoxR injections. The groups considered are women who see body modification as a way of reclaiming their bodies, usually after an experience of abuse; radical gays and lesbians fighting oppression and assimilation; "modern primitives" who adopt tribal practices from other cultures; and "cyberpunks" who seek to move beyond the limits of the natural body through technology. All these groups seek a meaningful experience beyond simply altering their appearance. Much of the material made this reviewer cringe, and the theoretical sections were very slow going, but this work provides insight into a relatively understudied segment of the population. Recommended for academic libraries.-Debra Moore, Cerritos Coll., Norwalk, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Through an interview-based study, Victoria Pitts has researched the subcultural milieu of contemporary body modification, focusing on the ways sexuality, gender and ethnicity are being reconfigured through new body technologies - not only tattooing, but piercing, cyberpunk and such 'neotribal' practices as scarification. She interprets the stories of sixteen body modifiers (as well as some subcultural magazines and films) using the tools of feminist and queer theory. Pitts not only covers a hot topic but also situates it in a theoretical context. Through an interview-based study, Victoria Pitts has researched the subcultural milieu of contemporary body modification, focusing on the ways sexuality, gender and ethnicity are being reconfigured through new body technologies - not only tattooing, but piercing, cyberpunk and such "neotribal" practices as scarification. She interprets the stories of 16 body modifiers (as well as some subcultural magazines and films) using the tools of feminist and queer theory Based upon a series of interviews, Victoria Pitts reports on the subcultural milieu of contemporary body modification and how sexuality, gender and ethnicity are being reconfigured through new body technologies