The 21st Century Body: Introduction

Introducing the topic of body modification, I examine how the body, as cultural symbol of the 21st century, has become the site for exploring subjectivity and creating identity. I ground the 3 articles and 2 discussions that follow in terms of the issues that have revolved around this new, exciting, yet quite challenging subject. Feminists debate whether body modification is a reclaiming of the body or another form of victimization and internalization of the cultural denigration of bodies, especially women's bodies. Clinicians struggle with differentiating self-mutilation from self-empowerment and productive ways of restoring self-structures. Rather than lean in any direction, this introduction aims to open up and broaden the lenses from which we frame and understand the debates. My hope is that this will allow us to rethink the clinical struggles we face as our patients choose to pierce, cut, and reshape their bodies.