PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Nancy Krieger
TI  - Embodiment: a conceptual glossary for epidemiology
AID  - 10.1136/jech.2004.024562
DP  - 2005 May 01
TA  - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
PG  - 350--355
VI  - 59
IP  - 5
4099  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/59/5/350.short
4100  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/59/5/350.full
SO  - J Epidemiol Community Health2005 May 01; 59
AB  - Embodiment. This construct and process are central to ecosocial theory and epidemiological inquiry. Recognising that we, as humans, are simultaneously social beings and biological organisms, the notion of “embodiment” advances three critical claims: (1) bodies tell stories about—and cannot be studied divorced from—the conditions of our existence; (2) bodies tell stories that often—but not always—match people’s stated accounts; and (3) bodies tell stories that people cannot or will not tell, either because they are unable, forbidden, or choose not to tell. Just as the proverbial “dead man’s bones” do in fact tell tales, via forensic pathology and historical anthropometry, so too do our living bodies tell stories about our lives, whether or not these are ever consciously expressed. This glossary sketches some key concepts, definitions, and hypotheses relevant for using the construct of “embodiment” in epidemiological research, so as to promote not only rigorous science but also social equity in health.