Why do social scientists refer to black people as "black bodies"?
5 Answers
Robert P. Collins, student of race theories throughout history
Because it has become fashionable in some academic circles to refer to people in general as "bodies" — black bodies, brown bodies, gendered bodies, enslaved bodies, etc., etc. It's not "a black thing" in particular. But it is true that you're unlikely to find many academic references to white bodies, or rich, powerful, or influential bodies, because this use of "bodies" to mean "people" is usually intended to clarify that human beings in a particular social context have been (or are now being) treated as objects or commodities, not as individuals.
I have misgivings about this usage. First...Loading…
I have misgivings about this usage. First...