"Biting" Critique
Stephanie J. Cork,
The University of Maryland
Department of Kinesiology
“Consumption is, in this case, [is] a stage in a process of communication”
(Bourdieu, 1984, p. 2)
“I was going crazy, could not go outside the door, and I did not dare to laugh” (woman, 81)
“When I came to the dental office, I felt ashamed that my teeth were loose and very ugly. It was terible, and I was really sad and cried”
(woman, 64)
“...being toothless is horrible” (woman, 59)
“...smashing my teeth out did put me on the “outside” of what I perceived to be attractive looks. Missing or black front teeth did not fit with how I wanted to look, and my shame over how my teeth looked, coupled with my discomfort with what I perceived to be the vanity that underpinned this, led me to question –probably for the first time in any serious way –my body, my looks and how I feel about them” (Dashper, 2013, p. 330)
The Social Location of Teeth in Proper Feminine Performance
P.C.S. (Physical Cultural Studies)
Constructing Feminine Performance
the exception?
Sporting Spaces
“Women have been more willing to invest in the appearance of their bodies; arguably the female body is especially commodified” (Featherstone, 1991).
Badge of Honor
contact sports
- Hockey: NHL Tooth Watch
- Rugby: Player finds tooth stuck in head
- Soccer: heading the ball
COUNTERPOINT: Equestrian
- superficial expectations of feminine beauty
- cosmetic maintenance
- arsenal of products to prevent the loss of physical capital
(ageing, yellowing, tired looking, flawed skin etc.,)
- can be exemplified in dental care products/marketing
Maleness & Toothloss
Conclusion
Reflection
Commercial interests
Human Remains
"These people, however, have not been completely abandoned: they are increasingly the focus of a new brand of social welfare that has grown at a rapid rate. This new brand of social welfare is one where public groups seek out private financial support for initiatives directed toward ameliorating the many social problems faced by the underserved living in America's urban environments (Pitter & Andrews, 1997, p. 86)
Growth of
"social problems industry"
“The body is a locus of Perceiving as well as a point of orientation”
(Johnson, Chambers, Raghuram & Ticknell, 2004, p. 49)
class x gender
Habitus and intersectional relations related to physicality
Health & Wealth
Upper Class habitus
Cosmetic
Literature Review:
Biographical Disruption
Biological Citizenship
Nikolas Rose (2007), “citizenship projects...instructing those citizens in the care of their bodies – from school meals to toothbrush use, inculcation of habits of cleanliness and domesticity, especially in women and mothers...” (p. 24).
"Your Whole Life is Lived Through your Teeth"
"If you don’t take care of your teeth, they will simply just go away"
“Teeth allow us to eat, and so are emblematic of life. Teeth resemble bone, protruding visibly from an otherwise skin-veiled skull, and so remind us of death. Teeth are ornamental, a significant aspect of appearance and sexual appeal. Nothing can look more menacing or bestial than fully bared teeth. Yet nothing is more inviting, more deeply human, than a bright open smile that lights up the room” (Angier, 2003).
"BAD" teeth habits: poor diet, contact sports (without a mouthguard), tongue piercings, snacking, coffee, wine, smoking